If you love strawberries and store-bought Fruit Roll-Ups, then you will surely enjoy these homemade strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups! And unlike the bioengineered store-bought snack, ours only has three whole ingredients (two if you omit the sugar). Yes, they take a few hours to bake but I promise you once you try these, you will never buy them again at the grocery store. Naturally gluten free and vegetarian, they’re every kid’s dream come true snack! If you like strawberries, then you’ll love my Homemade Strawberry Nutri-Grain Bars!
My mouthwatering homemade strawberry fruit roll ups contain frozen strawberries, lemon juice, and, as an option, sugar. To make this snack, you’ll thaw the frozen strawberries and blend them until smooth. Next, add the strawberry mixture, lemon juice, and sugar to a medium saucepan and cook for 10 minutes. Pour the mixture onto baking sheets and bake in the oven until done.
Ingredients in Homemade Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups
Frozen strawberries. Make sure to let your frozen strawberries thaw a bit before you start cooking your fruit roll-ups. If they’re completely frozen, they will be very difficult to blend in your blender.
Lemon juice. The acidity of the lemon juice helps keep the color a vibrant red hue. Alternatively, you can use lime or orange juice to aid in this process.
Sugar. Although optional, the sugar is what gives these snacks the sweetness that you’re so used to eating when you eat a fruit roll-up. Feel free to omit the sugar if you’re looking for an all-natural snack with no added sugar.
How to make the best Homemade Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups
STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 170° F. If your oven does not cook at such a low temperature, you may need to cook at 200° F and open the oven often to keep the heat down. These require baking for a long period of time to dehydrate the fruit.
STEP 2: Blend the strawberries until smooth.
STEP 3: Add all ingredients to a medium saucepan and cook on medium for 10 minutes, stirring often.
STEP 4: Pour onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 3-4 hours.
STEP 5: If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and comment!
Pro Tips
- At around the third hour in the oven, start paying closer attention to the roll-ups. You don’t want to turn them into chips as they can harden and turn crunchy if cooked for too long.
- All oven temperatures vary so periodically start checking on them after the third hour. We live in a high-altitude climate at about 4,500 feet and these took me 4.5 hours to cook. We have an electric oven and it tends to cook very slowly.
More kid friendly recipes you’ll love!
Homemade Strawberry Nutri-Grain Bars
What’s in the real Fruit Roll-Ups?
The first ingredient listed in the store-bought Fruit Roll-Ups is corn syrup, followed by sugar. At least if you make these yourself, you know every single ingredient in them. I would never buy my four year old the Fruit Roll-Ups sold at the grocery store. I refuse to feed her a product where corn syrup is the main ingredient. It actually disgusts me that brands market bioengineered, nasty processed “food” such as this to little kids who are knowingly going to beg their parents for these.
They also market on the side of the box that their disgustingly processed Fruit Roll-Ups are “Made with Real Fruit.” Well, I suppose they’re right as the third ingredient listed is pear puree, but come on! These things are small so you can only imagine the amount of real pears in each one.
Most moms and dads know the dangers of feeding their kids artificial colors like red 40, yellows 5 and 6, and blue 1; however, if you buy the store-bought version you ARE feeding your kids these harmful ingredients that can cause hyperactivity and health problems in young children.
I try my best to avoid feeding my toddler any artificial colors because I’ve done my homework and they’re not only bad for kids, but they’re bad for adults too! People should not be consuming these artificial ingredients as they are harmful and can cause cancer as well as a variety of other health problems. Why eat bioengineered “food” that is processed and not even sold on grocery store shelves in Europe when you can make your own healthy version—a version that is actually GOOD FOR YOU!
According to the Cleveland Clinic’s article, artificial food dyes have been linked to:
- Hyperactivity, including ADHD
- Irritability and depression
- Hives and asthma
- Tumor growth (three of the primary food dyes contain benzene, a known cancer-causing substance)
When adults eat these foods, their kids watch and observe. Kids see everything we do! That’s why it’s even more important for the parents to be on the same health bus as the kids.
Studies are mixed on reporting the health risks associated with food dyes. Although some studies have shown a link between hyperactivity/ADHD in children, an Australian study found that ¾ of parents noticed behavior improvements and improved attention spans as soon as the artificial dyes were eliminated. Read the full article.
Food dyes are in basically everything you buy at the store. It’s nearly impossible to avoid them unless you’re extra cautious and read every label (which I do). They’re in candy, frosting, sprinkles, sports drinks, cereal, and the list goes on and on. Unfortunately, America does not ban any products containing food dyes. Red #3 was banned in the U.S. for a short period of time in 1990, but is back to being sold in “food” in your grocery store. Europe has banned most food dyes and most people understand and are aware of the dangers of food dye in Europe. Unfortunately, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates ingredients sold in food, dismisses all dangers that such food can potentially cause.
So the next time you feed your kids food with artificial dyes, observe their behavior. One of my friends has a kid my kids’ age (three) and she stated that when her kid eats candy with artificial red dyes, her kid turns into a complete nightmare toddler. My kid does eat candy with artificial colors, but it’s rare that she does. But when she does consume these artificial dyes, she acts the same.
The dyes don’t necessarily affect every kid nor does every kid experience behavior problems and or hyperactivity. You’re the parent. You decide what your kid should be eating. Make wise choices as you’re setting them up for life with the diet you’re feeding them. Of course not every meal and snack is going to be healthy and that’s perfectly fine (and normal!), but just know the dangers lurking in your kid’s bioengineered “food.”
Final Thoughts
Finally, if you make this Homemade Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups recipe, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from everyone who makes this recipe and always respond to all comments.
If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag #elisemccollister on Instagram! It makes me so happy to see your recipe photos!
Homemade Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups
Ingredients
- 2 c frozen strawberries thawed
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170° F. If your oven does not cook at such a low temperature, you may need to cook at 200° F and open the oven often to keep the heat down. These require baking for a long period of time to dehydrate the fruit.
- Blend the strawberries until smooth.
- Add the strawberries, lemon juice, and sugar to a medium saucepan and cook on medium for 10 minutes, stirring often.
- Pour onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Bake for 3-4 hours.
- If you make this recipe, don't forget to leave a rating and comment!
Nutrition (per serving)
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