Homemade Striped Fruit Snacks

I am sharing a fun and surprisingly simple adaption of my homemade fruit snack recipe at the Balance Platter today: Striped Fruit Snacks.  Let’s put the “fruit” back in fruit snacks!

          *         *         *          *          *

In theory, fruit snacks seem like a good idea in a busy family’s snack arsenal. Kids love them because they are fun, tasty and chewy. Parents like them because they are portable, don’t crumble or melt in the car, keep their shape and are an easy snack to pull out at the zoo or park. Besides, they are called “fruit” snacks, so there must be some fruit in them, right?

Unfortunately, while there are healthier versions on the market now, most fruit snacks are not as fruit-filled as you may think with corn syrups or sugars topping the ingredient list. Add in colorings and artificial flavors and fruit snacks may just be off limits to a child who is sensitive to those ingredients. I have come up with a fun fruit snack that is simple to make, and puts the FRUIT back into fruit snacks.

Homemade Fruit Snacks are a great recipe to make with and for kids. The recipe is quick, colorful, and delicious. The longest steps are waiting for each layer to set up. I like how this recipe shows how easy it can be to make healthy homemade versions of prepackaged foods. My children get a big sense of pride when they have a snack they helped make.

Because my family likes food that looks cute and has mixed flavors, I took our base recipe for homemade fruit snacks and layered it to create stripes. With striped fruit snacks, you need to let each layer set up before pouring on the next flavor, adding a bit more time to the preparation, but a LOT more fun!

Try any fruit combination you like – I’ve even been known to add a vegetable or two! As far as all the sugar in regular fruit snacks goes, these little beauties have no added sweetener unless needed for an especially tart fruit, such as cranberries or lemon, and then only a little bit to taste.

To give homemade fruit snack their classic chewy texture, I used grass-fed beef gelatin to keep the recipe as nutritionally dense as possible, but feel free to substitute any gelatin you have available. If you are vegetarian or vegan, replace the gelatin in the recipe with agar powder (not flakes), allowing the juice or juice and fruit mixture to come to a boil before pouring into the prepared pan. The texture will be slightly softer when using agar.

Use fruit juice concentrate for a clear, full flavored fruit snack. Juice that is not concentrated or blended with fruit will not pack enough flavor for this recipe. You can buy fruit juice concentrate in the frozen section at your grocer, or make concentrate by gently simmering juice until it is reduced to one third its volume (i.e.- start with 1 cup of juice, and simmer until the juice is reduced to 1/3 cup). To make a more opaque and fruit filled snack, blend 3 tablespoons smashed fruit with 3 tablespoons concentrated fruit or vegetable juice (simmer hard fruits and vegetables, such as apples and carrots before blending) in a blender. Strain the mixture through a sieve to remove small seeds before continuing with recipe, if desired.

If you would prefer single flavored snack simply use 1 cup fruit juice concentrate and 4 tablespoons powdered unflavored gelatin. Single flavor fruit snacks take less than 5 minutes to make and set up in 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator.

Other Snack Recipes:

Grapes and Peaches Striped Fruit Snacks
Makes about 250 to 275 1/3″ to 1/2″ cubes

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup grape juice concentrate
  • 1/3 cup white grape juice concentrate
  • 1/3 cup peach or white peach juice concentrate
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4 tablespoons powdered unflavored gelatin, divided

Instructions:

  1. Lightly oil an 8″ x 4″ loaf pan. For the first layer pour grape juice concentrate into a small sauce pan. Sprinkle 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin over juice. Allow to set for a minute for gelatin to absorb the juice. Place pan over medium-low heat, whisking mixture until gelatin is just melted and dissolved. Pour mixture into oiled loaf pan. Place into refrigerator for 15 minutes or in freezer for 10.
  2. While first layer is setting up, prepare the white grape juice concentrate and gelatin mixture as you did the purple grape juice layer. Turn off heat when the gelatin is melted. When the first layer is set, carefully pour the still warm white grape juice layer over the first. Place pan into refrigerator for 15 minutes or freezer for 10 minutes.
  3. Prepare the final layer by mixing the peach juice concentrate and lemon juice in a small pan before sprinkling with the final 4 teaspoons gelatin. Melt the juice and gelatin mixture as you did the first two layers, carefully pouring the final layer into the pan. Set pan into refrigerator for 15 minutes or freezer for 10 minutes.
  4. When fruit snacks are set, slide a thin bladed table knife or spatula around the edges of the pan. Turn pan over onto cutting board, then slice into cubes using a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Snacks can travel for short periods of time unrefrigerated.

Strawberry, Coconut Cream, and Carrot-Mango Fruit Snacks
Makes about 250 to 275 1/3″ to 1/2″ cubes

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons strawberry or strawberry-banana juice concentrate
  • 3 tablespoons smashed strawberries
  • 1/3 cup coconut milk
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons carrot juice
  • 3 tablespoons ripe mango
  • additional sweetener to taste if needed
  • 4 tablespoons powdered unflavored gelatin, divided

Instructions:

  1. Lightly oil an 8″ x 4″ loaf pan. Blend 3 tablespoons strawberry or strawberry-banana juice concentrate with 3 tablespoons smashed strawberries. Strain seeds if desired. Sprinkle 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin over juice. Allow to set for a minute for gelatin to absorb the juice. Place pan over medium-low heat, whisking mixture until gelatin is just melted and dissolved. Pour mixture into oiled loaf pan. Place into refrigerator for 15 minutes or in freezer for 10.
  2. While first layer is setting up, prepare the second layer. Blend coconut milk and honey in the sauce pan. Sprinkle 4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin over milk. After gelatin is melted, whisk in vanilla extract. Turn off heat when the gelatin is melted. When the first layer is set, carefully pour the still warm coconut milk layer over the first. Place pan into refrigerator for 15 minutes or in freezer for 10 minutes.
  3. Prepare the final layer by blending carrot juice with ripe mango in a blender. Taste and see if sweetener is needed depending on sweetness of mango used. Heat mixture in a small pan before sprinkling with the final 4 teaspoons gelatin. Melt the juice and gelatin mixture as you did the first two layers, carefully pouring the final layer into the pan. Set pan into refrigerator for 15 minutes or freezer for 10 minutes.
  4. When fruit snacks are set, slide a thin bladed table knife or spatula around the edges of the pan. Turn pan over onto cutting board, then slice into cubes using a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Snacks can travel for short periods of time unrefrigerated.

What flavor combinations will you come up with? Please let us know in the comments.