HOMEMADE FRUIT SNACKS

I’ve been working on removing red dye 40 from my kid’s diet as much as possible. There are many studies that have linked it to hyperactivity in children, it’s also made with petroleum and contains benzene, which is a known cancer-causing substance.

I’m not perfect and there are occasional times that they still consume it, like if a treat is brought by another kid at school that contains it, but I wanted to do what I could to eliminate it from the snacks they regularly consumed in our home.

One of the main places I was seeing red dye 40 in our home was in fruit snacks. I don’t know about your kids, but mine INHALE fruit snacks like the end of the world is near 🤣. This was a simple place that I could start with the red dye 40 purge. Making fruit snacks at home was ALOT easier than I anticipated it being.

The best part about these homemade fruit snacks is that they are made from whole fruits and vegetables. The only fruits you cannot use for homemade fruit snacks are kiwi and pineapple. They contain bromelain, which is an enzyme that prohibits the gelatin from setting up.

• Silicone Molds - I have the Lego Brick Molds and Worm Molds but they make them in all kinds of shapes and characters!

• 1 cup chopped raw fruit of choice

• 1/4 cup chopped raw vegetable of choice

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Apple Juice - 100% juice, no sugar added

• 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

• 2 Tablespoons Honey

• 3 Tablespoons Gelatin - I prefer to use a collagen, grass-fed gelatin like Vital Proteins.

• Blender or Food Processor

Before you start working on the fruit puree, set the silicone molds up on a baking sheet that can lay flat in the refrigerator. The liquid cools pretty quickly and starts to set, so you want everything to be set up beforehand.

Combine 1 cup chopped raw fruit, 1/4 cup chopped raw vegetable and 1/4 cup apple juice in blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add apple juice 1 Tablespoon at a time, if necessary, until completely smooth.

Add honey and vanilla extract, blend until just combined. Taste the mixture and add more honey if needed.

Pour mixture into a small saucepan and whisk in the gelatin. Heat on medium heat until the gelatin is dissolved and no longer grainy but do NOT let it boil. This should take about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and use a dropper to fill the silicone molds. Once molds are filled, place them in the refrigerator for about 2 hours or until set.

Once the fruit snacks are fully set, remove from the refrigerator and remove from molds.

The fruit snacks can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

I’d love to hear what fruit and veggie combinations you create in the comments!