Apple Fruit Leather

5 from 1

Homemade apple fruit leather is sweet, chewy, easy to make in the oven, and no weird ingredients. A healthy snack kids and adults both love!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Prep Time20

Cook Time3

Total Time3 20

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple fruit leather

Servings: rolls

Wash and dry the apples, then peel, core, and chop.
Place the chopped apples in a medium pot with a 1/2 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until the apples are cooked and very soft.
Give the apples a taste and add in 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar, depending on your desired level of sweetness. Add the cinnamon, lemon juice, and salt.
Use a potato masher to mash up the fruit in the pot. Continue to simmer and stir occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved and the fruit purée has thickened, another 5 or 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool, then transfer to a blender and pulse until completely smooth.
Pour onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper (or a Silat silicone baking mat) and spread with a spatula into a thin layer, about a 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness. Bang the pan on the counter a few times to make sure the mixture is evenly distributed.
Slowly bake at 170 degrees for 2-3 hours, checking every 20-30 minutes, until the fruit leather is tacky, but firm and no longer sticky to the touch.
Allow it to cool completely (you can transfer the entire baking sheet to the refrigerator until chilled to speed up the process).
Lift the parchment paper and the fruit leather off the baking sheet and transfer to a cutting board. Using a pizza cutter, cut into long strips and roll up for individual fruit roll-ups.
Enjoy right away or store for later (instructions in the article.)

Double the batch. Use two baking sheets so it dries evenly.
Chill before cutting. Let the fruit leather cool completely or even pop the pan in the fridge for a bit. Chilled fruit leather is firmer, making it much easier to cut into neat strips without sticking to your knife or pizza cutter.
Choose the right apples. Sweet-tart apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady make the best fruit leather because they balance flavor and texture. A mix of tart (like Granny Smith) and sweet (like Gala) also works beautifully, giving you that perfect chewy, bright result without needing much added sugar.