Homemade Fruit Snacks
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Fruit snacks are easy to make at home — and you control the flavors and ingredients. You will love these homemade fruit snacks.
While fruit snacks are admittedly very much a “kid food,” I can’t help but love them myself. So what better thing to do than to make them yourself at home?
Clearly grape fruit snacks are the best. Followed by strawberry? I don’t know. All I know is that grape is the best flavor. Weirdly enough, I don’t buy fruit snacks often for my kids but when I make these, E devours them. I don’t think N’s really old enough for fruit snacks. He only has 10ish teeth, most of which are front teeth.
Looking for Valentine’s day ideas? Make red and white fruit snacks in heart shapes. Cookies are the one Valentine’s Day recipe I made.
If you’re looking for more ideas, take a look at this round-up of decadent chocolate recipes and one for you last-minute valentine’s day people. Oh, and we have red velvet cookies and skinny brownies so I think those both count as v-day recipes. And of course homemade sugar scrub for silky smooth skin and for gifting.
Anyyyyyways. These fruit snacks are fun because if you’re not obsessed with grape like I am, you can make these any flavor you’d like. Apple, cranberry, etc. Whatever kind of juice you can find, you can make it into a fruit snack flavor. Simple, fun, and delicious. Three things I live by and love.
And with no added sugar or preservatives! They are so simple, with only two ingredients: unflavored gelatin and any kind of fruit juice. Why pay top dollar for fruit snacks when you can easily make them at home?
Homemade fruit snacks are so easy to make: Simply soften unflavored gelatin and fruit juice of your choice in a saucepan for a few minutes, cook for five minutes more, and pour into a flat pan. Chill for an hour, and then flip the “sheet” of gelatin onto a flat surface. Using small “cookie” cutters, cut as many shapes out as you can.
They are ready to eat right away, or put them into a sealed container and refrigerate for up to a week.
Oh, and FYI: I use these cutters. (Affiliate link — you buy them, 1 penny goes in E & N’s college funds. Give or take.)
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- six 1/4 ounce envelopes of unflavored gelatin
- 2/3 cup 100% white grape juice (see note)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, pour gelatin on top of juice. Let sit for about 3 minutes to soften gelatin.
- Turn heat on medium and stir gently until gelatin is dissolved. This should take 5-7 minutes. Pour into a small glass pan and place on flat surface in refrigerator until firm (about an hour).
- Run knife around edges and slide it out onto a cutting board. Using a knife or very small cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes.
- Enjoy immediately or store in fridge.
Notes
- Make different flavors by substituting fruit juice of your choice.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Colleen @ What's Baking in the Barbershop?! says
Oh my goodness, how fun are these? Love ’em!
Liren says
This is brilliant! I’m not sure who will love these more, me or the kids ;)
Sarah@WholeAndHeavenlyOven says
My 3-year old sister will love these! She loves the store-bought fruit snacks, but I know they’re not healthy at all. So looking forward to making these for her! :)
sarah k @ the pajama chef says
love this! and i love that you didn’t use all sorts of expensive, weird ingredients to make these. so simple!
Sarah Caron (Sarah's Cucina Bella) says
My kids are going to freak out when I make these — they love fruit snacks but I never ever buy them. Will these stand up to being packed in school lunches? I was wondering since to say to store in the fridge.
Rachel Gurk says
Yep — they should be fine. I said store in fridge b/c they are made with 100% juice.
Meagan @ A Zesty Bite says
Olivia is going to LOVE me when I make these for her.
Jennifer says
I bet pouring it into little candy molds (most with a little coconut oil to prevent sticking if that’s a concern) to set would make this even easier!
Rachel Gurk says
Definitely!
Sue/the view from great island says
I’ve made my own gumdrops, but not fruit snacks — love these!
Cookin Canuck says
Okay, I have to make these for my kids. I love that the ingredients list is so simple and there aren’t a ton of questionable ingredients like the store-bought ones.
Liz @ Virtually Homemade says
These are adorable! I love fruit snacks too and my kids who are teenagers still eat them in their lunch. This may be a family project :)
Lori @ Foxes Love Lemons says
Hi Rachel! Fellow Michigan food blogger just stopping by to say hello :) Great recipe – I think this is something that my little niece would love, and it’d be fun for her to help me cut out the shapes!
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks Lori! Always nice to meet another Michigander :)
denise says
fun!
Erin | The Law Student's Wife says
STRAWBERRY is the best! ;-) These are OK for grown ups right? Because I’d love to take down an entire batch! Yay for snack time :)
Laurie {Simply Scratch} says
Ohhhh I so have to do this! Such a brilliant idea Rachel!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
I had no idea fruit snacks were so easy! My hubby loves them, but I never buy them with all the sugar. Love these!