18 Amazing Fruit Leather Dehydrator Recipes (2024)

These easy and delicious fruit leather recipes are some of the best I've tried.Homemade fruit roll-ups are one of my absolute favorite ways to use up any almost-over-ripe fruit you might have on hand!

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As harvest time starts drawing to a close, and with it, food preservation season - I find myself running short on both canning jars and freezer space. So I'm relying more and more heavily on my dehydrator lately, for putting away everything we possibly can for winter.

We've made about a gazillion dried apple rings, oodles of dried peach halves, and tray after tray of dried tomatoes. But it hit me the other day that I have one of those handy fruit leather trays for my dehydrator - and I really aught to be making more use of it.

Dried fruit is great, but especially if you're a toddler, fruit leather is where it's at!

So I started looking up fruit leather recipes, and I got drawn in. Holy cow, there are some great recipes out there! As my "Must Try" list grew, I knew I couldn't keep these to myself.

From perfectly simple classics like strawberry and raspberry, to wowie-kazowie flavor combinations like blackberry-mint-lime and pear-guava, these fruit leather recipes are the cream of the crop.

Check these out...

Strawberry

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It's tough to imagine a more perfect way to preserve the flavor of strawberries at the peak of their sun-ripened sweetness, than this easy recipe from Monique, over at Divas Can Cook. Just looking at this picture kind of makes me wish it were June again!

Peach

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This is the recipe I have going in my dehydrator right now, and my house smells like sweet heaven! These peach leather strips have really become one of my favorite ways to enjoy a huge peach harvest!

Apple

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Katja, over at Savory Lotus, has FIVE glorious variations of apple leather, and I'm on a mission to try them all. The apple spice is wonderful, but I think I might be most excited about the apple lavender!

Plum

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We grew up with an enthusiastically-productive plum tree in the backyard, and somehow never quite knew what to do with ALL that fruit. This year I'm hoping that dear old tree will bear well enough for me to steal a big basketful from my parents, so I can make up a batch of this beautiful, antioxidant-rich fruit leather!

Pear

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I've been incredibly fortunate the last couple of years to be gifted some pears, and this fruit leather is one of my favorite things to do with them! Even if you don't have pears, you need to click through and check out Carlene's blog anyway, because...those food pictures!

Tangerine Mango

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Aside from the amazing flavor combination, one cool thing about this recipe is that tangerines and mangoes seem to consistently go on sale at the same time, in our grocery store anyway. I can't possibly not make a batch of this, next time that happens!

Raspberry

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Our raspberry bushes are just this year starting to come into their own, so I know that next year we should have a hearty crop. I can't wait to use this recipe as a way of putting up some of that wonderful harvest!

Blackberry Mint Lime

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I think I can honestly say that I never would have thought of this combination, but you guys - it's amazing. Just. Amazing. I've tried it, and I love it. Put this one on your absolutely MUST-TRY list!

Persimmon

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In college, I had a friend from California who's mom would ship her out a box of persimmons every year. That was my first introduction to this wonderful fruit, which has a totally different flavor profile than anything I'd encountered before. Living in small-town Maine, I may have to drive to a bigger city to find a market that carries persimmons, so I can make this - but I have a feeling it would be more than worth the effort!

Wild Blueberry

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Just look at the dark, midnight-blue of that wild blueberry fruit leather! So full of antioxidents, and powerfully-beneficial phytochemicals... wild blueberries are nutrition rockstars. They're also one of our family's absolute favorite foods, so this recipe is a winner all around!

Strawberry Nectarine

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Here's another combination I may never have thought of - but I can't wait to try! I MAY have to break down and get some frozen strawberries to try this, since they're out of season now, and I'm just not sure I can wait until next year!

Papaya

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Here's the cool thing about this special recipe - the papaya actually gets fermented, which makes it even more nutritionally beneficial. Did you know that fermented papaya has been shown to help combat radiation-induced biological damage? True story. Click through to the recipe to read more - it's absolutely fascinating!

Pear & Guava

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Guava is one of those fruits that's not always available here in Maine, but when it is, it's a fun and exotic treat. I'm keeping my eyes peeled to snap up a few, the next time they grace our grocer's shelves, so we can try this!

Raspberry & Gooseberry

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Doesn't this sound like an amazing combination? While gooseberries can be hard to come by in some parts of the country, because the bushes harbor white pine blister rust and are extremely restricted, it's usually possible to find them either frozen or canned. Not the same as fresh, I know - but certainly worth a try for those of us in restricted states!

Grape

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Here's another recipe that just leaves me thinking, "I can't believe I never thought of that!" With all the grapes we get from my parents' vines every fall, I've somehow never imagined making fruit leather with them. It's definitely on the agenda this year!

Cranberry

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The kids and I love cranberries so much, we can happily sit and snack on them raw. You can imagine how we feel about them, when they're made up into this tasty fruit leather! It's HEAVENLY. Cranberries are in season right now, so I'm excited to get a big batch of this going!

Cherry

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Tart cherries are another one of those foods that are just SO full of health benefits. From acting as a natural pain killer, to making it easier to sleep, to reducing inflammation - they're pretty amazing. It will be a few years until we have cherry trees big enough to yield much of a harvest, but I'm dreaming of a day in the future when we'll have tart cherries coming out our ears, and be putting away tons of this wonderful fruit leather!

That' my list of what I think are some of the absolute best fruit leather recipes out there! Now that you've seen all these amazing fruit leather ideas, I'm curious...do you have a favorite? Which one makes you want to just get out your dehydrator, and get a batch started right now?

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Anna Chesley

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Anna Chesley is a freelance writer living a homestead lifestyle, with a special love for family travel, old books, vintage skills, and seaside living. In addition to founding Salt In My Coffee, she runs the website, New England Family Life, as well as The 1800's Housewife, a website devoted to re-creating authentic 1800's recipes.

18 Amazing Fruit Leather Dehydrator Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to dehydrate fruit leather in a dehydrator? ›

Set your dehydrator to 140°F (60°C) and let it do its magic for at least 6 or up to 12 hours. The actual time will depend on the type of fruit you're using and the thickness of your leather. But we've found that 8 to 10 hours is the sweet range for making fruit leather in our dehydrator. Check your fruit occasionally.

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Can I use parchment paper in my dehydrator for fruit leather? ›

To fill all four of our dehydrator trays we need about 6-8 cups of pureed fruit; depending on your dehydrator this could vary. Line the trays with parchment paper, as sometimes the puree can leak through. We start with the wrap and remove it after a few hours when it has started to dry.

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Why is my fruit leather cracking in the dehydrator? ›

If your fruit leather is brittle and cracking easily, that could be a sign that it's too dry.

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Why isn't my fruit leather drying? ›

To dry fruit leather, the water must move from the fruit leather to the surrounding air. If the surrounding air is humid, then drying will be slowed down.

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What do you line dehydrator trays with for fruit leather? ›

Spread the fruit puree on the fruit tray of the food dehydrator. If desired, you can cut some parchment paper to size and lay that on the tray and then spread the fruit on the parchment paper. The nice thing about parchment paper is that the dried fruit does not stick and peels up easily.

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Do you have to pretreat fruit before dehydrating? ›

Pretreatments prevent fruits from darkening. Many light-colored fruits, such as apples, darken rapidly when cut and exposed to air. If not pretreated, these fruits will continue to darken after they're dried. For long-term storage of dried fruit, sulfuring or using a sulfite dip are the best pretreatments.

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What not to put in a dehydrator? ›

Therefore, avoid drying foods like peanut butter or avocados and be sure to trim meat to remove any fat before dehydrating. While nonfat dairy products can technically be dehydrated, it's not recommended and may be associated with a higher risk of foodborne illness.

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Can I use canned fruit to make fruit leather? ›

Making fruit leather is a good way to use leftover canned fruit and slightly overripe fresh fruit. The following fruits were rated as “excellent” or “good” by the University of Georgia for preparing fruit leather: apples, apricots, berries, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums and strawberries.

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What setting do you dehydrate fruit leather? ›

In the Dehydrator

Here's how to do it: Coat your dehydrator's fruit-leather trays with cooking spray. Add enough puree so that you can spread it evenly about 1/8-inch thick (about 1 cup, depending on the size of your tray). Dehydrate at 140°F until dry to the touch, about 4 hours.

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Why did my fruit leather burn? ›

If edges are thinner than the middle, your fruit leather will dry unevenly and may burn on the edges. Place into 170 degree F oven for 2 hours. Check tackiness: if lightly touched with your finger, does the puree still feel like puree?

Why is my dehydrated fruit not crunchy? ›

If your dehydrated food feels soft, spongy, or sticky it's probably not dehydrated enough. Put the product back in for additional time. Hard and crunchy or breakable pieces are done.

What are the disadvantages of fruit leather? ›

As the results show, most fruit leathers have few disadvantages which are mostly on the lack of preservatives to protect the color.

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How do you know when dehydrated fruit leather is done? ›

Test for dryness by touching the center of the leather. It should not feel moist at all. It may feel sticky. When dried, take the warm leather and peel from the plastic and roll.

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Why is fruit leather expensive? ›

Fruit and plant leather is more expensive than animal leather due to the technical effort required, but it is considerably simpler and more environmentally friendly to produce this leather in terms of the number of natural resources used.

Can you over dry fruit leather? ›

You might over dry fruit leather or jerky a little more than your taste preference is, but you cannot overdry food meant for food storage.

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Can you leave food in dehydrator too long? ›

Yes, items can be over-dried and as a result are more difficult to rehydrate. There is a balance and experience will provide answers. High indoor humidity, air conditioning or breezes may alter the time needed to dehydrate foods. Ideally, find a dry, warm place away from air vents and windows to set up your dehydrator.

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How long does dehydrated fruit leather last? ›

The preservation of fruit leathers depends on their low moisture content (15-25%), the natural acidity of the fruit and the high sugar content. When properly dried and packaged, fruit leathers have a shelf life of up to 9 months.

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