Homemade fruit leathers: This post has been sponsored by Wholesome. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
If you’ve never met me before, hi, I’m Christina and I struggle (a lot) when it came to desserts and sweets with my toddler. I'm going for my ‘Mom of the Year’ award, you know?
My sweet little Camille was perfectly happy with plain yogurt and berries as dessert. Frozen bananas were her ice cream. Raisins were her candy.
And then, well, potty training happened and I was desperate for a way to 'up my game.' My husband and I were in the middle of an out-of-state move, and I just couldn’t wash another load of diapers. (Yes, we cloth diapered, but you probably saw that coming).
I searched for a sweet treat for her that would wow and amaze her (and by amaze, I mean BRIBE), and yet wouldn’t also make me cringe. I'm one of those Moms that deeply cares about what my kid eats.
I stumbled upon Wholesome and Surf Sweets candy products and jelly beans made without synthetic colors (no red dye #40, thank you very much) or corn syrup. They’re made with organic pure cane sugar, and they’re peanut-free. Organic candy is what this Mom is all about!
I’m happy to report that she was potty trained in one weekend, thanks to Surf Sweet Jelly Beans.
However, now that she knows what real candy is, her Easter basket is going to look a lot different than last year when I filled it with freeze-dried fruit and nuts. (I realize how annoying of a Mom I sound, but I swear I drink the same amount of wine as you as soon as baby goes to bed).
Again, I reached for Wholesome and Surf Sweet candy to fill her Easter basket. I mixed in some toys (I am probably more obsessed with Shopkins Cutie Cars than she is), a sticker book, and a small puzzle that she can color. And while I know that the first thing she’ll go for is Surf Sweet jelly beans, it’s okay because I feel good about them in moderation.
Plus, their gummy worms are some of my favorite candy now (please don’t tell Camille). And with the option to run into the store to pick them up with all the other goodies or find another reason to peruse Amazon, it’s a win-win.
I also mixed in some homemade fruit leathers made with 100% fruit that I just baked in the oven for a few hours. I pureed frozen fruit (defrosted for an hour on the counter), spread it on parchment paper, baked until it was no longer sticky, sliced into strips, and rolled it up. I made Camille homemade fruit leathers in mango and mixed berry flavors. I know she’ll prefer the Surf Sweets jelly beans, but it’s okay!
The basics of homemade fruit leathers:
- Use any kind of fruit (frozen works if defrosted).
- Puree until very smooth.
- Spread in an even layer on a parchment-paper lined sheet pan.
- Bake until no longer sticky, about 4 hours in a 175-degree oven.
- Let cool, slice into strips, and roll up!
So, tell me, am I being crazy obsessive about Easter candy with my toddler this year? Or, are you just as happy as me to have a better-for-you candy choice mixed with a few homemade items and toys?
Here’s the best place to find Wholesome and Surf Sweet candy (Amazon is good, too!).
Camille’s Easter Basket with Homemade Fruit Rollups
Homemade fruit rollups made with just frozen fruit and an optional honey.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups frozen fruit, defrosted (mango and mixed berries are what I used)
- 1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175-degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the middle.
- Line a small quarter baking sheet (that measures 9x13") with parchment paper.
- Puree the defrosted fruit in a blender with the honey until very smooth. If you’re using berries, don’t worry about the seeds.
- Spread the pureed fruit on the parchment paper in a thin, even layer. Ensure the edges aren’t thinner than the middle for even baking.
- Bake the fruit puree until no longer sticky in any way, about 4 hours. You can check on the mixture and rotate the pan at 2 hours, if you like, but it isn’t totally necessary.
- Let the fruit leather cool for at least 2 hours.
- Using kitchen shears, slice into 1” strips, and roll up with the parchment paper on the outside.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 27Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 0g
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Anne says
Perfect timing! My munchkin is about 18 months behind yours, so thank you for the reminder to go revisit last year's Easter basket post! (Pinning this one for next year... or whenever she has more teeth... maybe by Halloween haha.)
Adrienne says
FYI Stickers also work great as "incentives"
Christina Lane says
Camille does love stickers! Problem is, I find them all over my house LOL. I just had to use Goo Gone to get them off of the dishwasher door & fridge HAH! Hope you guys have a great holiday!
Michelle Dunn says
Will you be posting the tumeric mac and cheese recipe anytime soon? Would love to have that for my little ones!
Christina Lane says
I will :) So glad you want to see it! :)
Megan @ MegGoesNomNom says
I second that request! :-D
Bethany J says
I've always wondered how to make fruit leather! Looks super easy! And we always have fruit that is about to go bad.
Where did you get those super cute eggs?
Christina Lane says
I hope you enjoy it! I got these eggs last week at Hobby Lobby! I'm sure they still have them! Don't forget your coupon ;)
Sam says
When I was pregnant I had visions of making all my kid's food and raising a vegetable loving child....but my toddler must have sensed this in utero because she's been picky literally since her first bite of food (maybe steamed pureed kale wasn't the right way to go.) She only eats carbs/yogurt/meat/fruit despite my best efforts to get some dang veggies in there. I want to make these for me though!
Christina Lane says
Oh, Sam. Sometimes it's like the more we care about something, the less it happens for us, you know? I cared so much about Camille's diet, yet never expected her to sit still through restaurant dinners. Well, she eats okay (she could live on fruit and milk just like your toddler!), but her behavior at a restaurant is more than I could ever ask for. Good luck! They change so much every 6 months, so maybe she'll turn the corner. I can't get Camille to eat carbs or meat (except seafood). <3
Monica says
I've tried fruit leather a couple times now and it either stays goopy or is crunchy. It might just be my oven though, it's terrible. Oh well! I can keep dreaming while looking at the pretty pictures.
Megan @ MegGoesNomNom says
I'm right there in the same boat as you, caring obsessively about what my two year old eats, so this post resonated with me! I am going to try your fruit leather method and also check out this candy for his basket this year. :-D
Reyhane says
This is a very old Turkish recipe :) our moms do it for hundreds of years. It is called “pestil” they don’t use oven, they sundry it
Jenni says
I’m new here but I already LOVE your blog! We seem to have very similar parenting styles! For your next baby (if you have one) look into elimination communication! It pairs well with cloth diapers ❤️
Christina Lane says
Oh that's amazing info, thank you so much, Jenni :)