Root & Fruit Roll-Ups

These homemade root’n’fruit roll-ups are not only healthy, but they’re also simple and fun to make – and virtually zero waste! [2019 update: I have since purchased a silicon baking mat and ditched the parchment, therefore these are officially ZERO waste roll-ups!!!!] Great for school lunches, on-the-go snacks, plus they fit easily into purses and pockets 😉

Instead of various forms of refined sugars (e.g. corn syrup, sugar, maltodextrin), preservatives and artificial colours typically found in store-bought fruit roll-ups and other processed fruit snacks, these homemade roll-ups use only real fruits, vegetables and NO refined sugars or colours!

If you have some homemade apple sauce and beet puree on hand, this recipe is even easier!

All real food ingredients and almost zero waste — yet another major benefit to making your own food! Instead of the boxes, plastic wrapping and individual packaging, these homemade roll-ups use parchment paper and re-usable  strings or pipe cleaners.

One important note about this recipe: this is a SLOW recipe — no instant gratification. The preparation is very quick and satisfying, but the dehydration process is loooong. If you’re making these with kids, I like to be up front with them and tell them it could take a day before they’re chewing on these roll-ups – BUT it’ll be worth it! Patience is SUCH a valuable lesson for kids to learn.

Root & Fruit Roll-Ups

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

4 hours

Total time

4 hours 10 mins

 

Cuisine: Healthy snack, school lunch

Serves: 14 rolls

Ingredients

• 2½ - 3 cups pureed fruits and roots (I like 1 cup homemade applesauce or chopped plain apples + 1 cup local raspberries, defrosted and squished + ½ cup pureed beets)
• 2½ - 3 cups pureed fruits and roots (I like 1 cup homemade applesauce or chopped plain apples + 1 cup local raspberries, defrosted and squished + ½ cup pureed beets)
• juice from half a lemon (about ¼-1/2 cup)
• juice from half a lemon (about ¼-1/2 cup)
• 1 Tbsp honey, optional (or more, to taste) -- I like raw unpasteurized honey
• 1 Tbsp honey, optional (or more, to taste) -- I like raw unpasteurized honey
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds ,optional
• pinch sea salt, optional
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds ,optional
• pinch sea salt, optional

Instructions

1. Prepare fruit and veggie purees -- see previous blog posts for homemade applesauce and beet puree. If using frozen fruit, allow to defrost and then squish till smooth.

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Just look at that little face. And those chubby little mitts!!!

To make rolls, you will want a rectangle shape in the end. That doesn’t mean you need to start with a rectangle — once done, you can cut away any excess bits (e.g. from the circle below) and enjoy a little snack.

Note: if you don’t cut through the parchment, you can also re-use it for another batch… Please excuse my very well-used (aka messy) oven and cookie sheets.