My kids love Healthy Dehydrated Fruit Snacks. They are easy to make and the perfect quick healthy snack for kids. You can buy dried fruit in the store, but my kids prefer our dehydrator snacks. My favorite part it that I know exactly what the kids are eating, I don’t have to read any labels. They also love taking healthy homemade Fruit Roll-ups in their school lunches.
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We have experimented with dehydrating lots of different fruits. However the kids favorites include kiwis, apples, strawberries, bananas and peaches. We have a 10 Tray Food Dehydrator
Dehydrated Strawberries:
Wash the fruit and remove the steams. Use an egg slicer to make thin slices and simply lay them on the dehydrator trays. No lemon juice or sugar needed. Dehydrated strawberries are great by themselves or they make a perfect topper for granola.
Dehydrated Kiwi:
Wash the kiwi and peel off the skin. Using a mandolin or knife, make thin even slices. Arrange slices on dehydrator trays. Again no special treatment, just ripe tasty fruit! My kids think that they taste just like sour patch kids! Love it!
Dehydrated Apples:
Wash your apples and run them through an apple-corer-peeler-slicer (if you don’t have one, then simple peel by hand, core and slice by hand). Our family loves the tartness of granny smith apples. Soak the apples in lemon juice to prevent them from browning.
We also enjoy…
- Sweet Cinnamon Apple Slices ~ Place apple slices in 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of agave nectar or honey. Arrange the slices on the dehydrator trays and sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon.
- Cinnamon Sugar Apple Slices ~ Place apple slices in lemon juice and arrange on dehydrator trays. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Dehydrated Bananas:
Peel the banana and cut into thick slices. I usually get about 18-20 slices out of each banana. Soak bananas in 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon of agave nectar or honey. Arrange slices on the dehydrator trays. These will not be crisp like the ones in the store, but they taste SO much better.
Dehydrated Oranges:
Peel oranges and thinly slice with a Mandoline or knife. Arrange slices on dehydrator trays. You may be surprised by how delightful dehydrated oranges taste. They also make great Christmas decorations.
Drying time will depend on how thick you slice your fruit and if you have added agave nectar or honey. Generally most fruit will take up to 8 hours. I often start my dehydrator in the evening and let it run all night. The fruit is dry when you cut it open and there is no moisture inside. Remove the fruit from the tray and let cool before storing. I store my dried fruit in glass mason jars. It is best to buy fruit at its peak season and make sure to only use ripe fruit.
These healthy dehydrated snacks are perfect for camping, going to the beach, long car rides, throwing in your purse, on top of granola and just about anywhere else. I love that there are no messy, drippy, sticky fingers or faces to wash and that my kids are snacking on healthy treats with no preservatives.
Here is another great dehydrator recipe. My kids also LOVE this healthy fruit leather in their lunches. It is 100% fruit, nothing extra added which I’m all for and the kids love that it tastes great!
oooohhh… that last picture looks like a little slice of heaven! super yummy! what kind of food dehydrater do you use? thanks! 🙂
I started with a round Ronco Food Dehydrator. It worked good, but I got tired of rotating the trays all the time. I recently bought a Cabela’s square 10 tray dehydrator with the fan at the back and I love it!
I have Ronco Food Dehydrator, I love it. My hope is to someday get a square one though.
Thank you very much! It’s really easy and healthy! Unfortunately i haven’t Dehydrator. Can i use oven (how)? Thank you!
Use oven at 225-250.
Denise, How long do you put it in the oven for?
Pick up a Nesco dehydrator from Amazon. Not expensive, but really works well. And it’s made in the USA.
E-bay. I got one for less than fifty dollars. We now have two large and three round ones.
Hi,
Where did you buy your dehydrator? Would love to try this
I love that Cabelas dehydrator! I will have to get one! How much will it cost for that one like yours? I want to be able to make lots of snacks without moving trays around. Would appreciate knowing the cost so I can fit it into my budget. I will use it a lot!! I hate paying the price for small bags of dehydrated fruits at the stores, and not knowing what was added.
I am diabetic, so I need as natural as possible. Thanks!
All though this is fruits only you should get some informations about dehydrated fruits beeing much sweeter than fresh fruits.
Every time we got a cheap one it proved how cheap it really was. I saved up for 6 months to get an Excalibur 9 tray and it is Amazing!!! I use it at least once a month!!! Everything from fruit to croutons to applesauce fruit roll ups to any kind of meat we have!!! Worth the Buy!!!
mmmmm… I have been wanting to get a dehydrator. My oven has a dehydrating setting that works great, we did sour cherries the last couple years and they were soooo good! Only problem with the oven is I don’t want to use it when the weather is hot, so I hope to get something I can use out on the deck in the summer. My onions don’t always store well in the cold room, so I would like to dehydrate some for soups, etc. Your fruit looks delicious!
I got an American Harvest Snackmaster, and combined the trays with another American Harvest (ten trays!) Kids and wife love fruit, but when I do onions and garlic, I have to place the unit out on the porch. Plus side: it still works out there in winter months. I crush/grind some for my own Special Seasoning, and recently got a recipe for ranch dressing I want to try, instead of the packets.
Doug, You mentioned a recipe for ranch dressing, would you be willing to share it? I haven’t found a recipe that comes close enough to the store bought packets.
Thanks!
Stephanie
How long do you dry your Onions and Garlic for and do you add anything on them. Please help. What other Spices do you make. Have you tried making the Ramch Dressing yet. Thank you for your time.
Help. How long would you leave the Onions and Garlic in for and do you add anything on them. What other Spices can you make. Thank you for your time.
You make this sounds so easy, I’m excited to try it. I don’t have a dehydrator- any tips for using the oven? I love how simple your recipes are – it lets the fruit speak for itself 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Just LOVE all your tips and instructions. I’d love to make these dehydrated fruits but don’t have a dehydrator. Is there anything I could use in place of a dehydrator? Thanks.
Mattia.
I’ve never tried this before! Thanks for the tip, I really enjoyed these suggestions. I am really curious about the kiwi though! Thanks for the post! -Leandra
I think they look pretty in the jars! I would love it if you shared this with WorkShop Wednesday. It would be a great addition to the party!
I bought fruit yesterday and plan to try this tomorrow! How long do you soak in the lemon juice mixture? Will I know from the instructions how/when to rotate the trays from your old dehydrator or do you have a specific suggestion for that too?
Thanks for posting to WorkShop Wednesday!
Clear, infromtvaie, simple. Could I send you some e-hugs?
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Fantastic website. Lots of useful info here. I’m sending it to some buddies ans additionally sharing in delicious. And certainly, thank you in your sweat!
How long did you soak the fruit in the lemon juice?
Can’t wait to make these!
Thanks!
I just dip the fruit in lemon juice long enough to coat all sides. Enjoy!
How long will the fruit keep after you put them in the Mason jars?
Theoretically dried fruit can be stored for up to year. However it never lasts that long at our house:)
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I’m going to do this soon, I have a dehydrator but I only use it to make jerky. Now you have inspired me to make fruit, strawberries to be specific. I love those little dehydrated strawberries they put in cereal. Homemade will be even better!
How long is the dehydrated food good for? I’ve made apple slices and fruit roll ups before and they don’t last a day in the house. But it will be the season for fresh fruit and I want to stock up!
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Can you use a oven to dehydrate fruit?
we dehydrate many veggies such as pea’s, potatoes, corn, green beans, onion etc for use in soups and stews! You can dehydrate just about anything, we have done tomatoes also.
I don’t have a dehydrator- any tips for using the oven? I love how simple your recipe is. Thanks for sharing!
If you’re in the U.S., I would try Ebay, Amazon, even yard sales (where I got mine), for dehydrators. They let you do a lot of cool stuff. Just another tool, though. No need to go all out and get a Cadillac. Happy Tuesday!
I purchased my dehydrator at Lee Valley…here in Canada.
How long do dehydrated fruits last? How can one make them last for a long period of time?
Do you dehydrate figs? I tried dehydrating figs last year and it did not do well.
I have not tried drying figs, but I have read that they take a really long time in the dehydrator. Sorry I could not be more help.
How long does it last or stay fresh?
How do you get a dehydrator?
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My fruit stuck to my trays. Any suggestions on how to prevent that? I thought a light coat of Olive Oil-non-stick spray, but thought that might mess with the flavor of the fruit. Any ideas?
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Once the fruit is dried and stored in the mason jars, what is the shelf life? Do some last longer than others?
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thanks for sharing this..
I think it is very goog.So I must do some thing ,I think life comes from the some thing which looked very good and It can leted people feel good
It worked good, but I got tired of rotating the trays all the time. I started with a round Ronco Food Dehydrator.I recently bought a Cabela’s square 10 tray dehydrator with the fan at the back and I love it!
I just got a Cabelas dehydrator but the instruction booklet does not tell you temp to do bananas, peaches etc. How do you know what temp and how long? Just by guessing? thanks for the help
I have to rotate my trays too, it just helps to get it all dry at the same time.
I thought a light coat of Olive Oil-non-stick spray, but thought that might mess with the flavor of the fruit. Any ideas?fruit stuck to my trays. Any suggestions on how to prevent that?
Thank you for sharing it with us. Sounds interesting,allance pellet machine Like it.
Does anyone know if these go in the fridge after? and how long would they last? Thanks!
they dont have to go in the frig if they are dried….. i also store mine in mason jars in the cabinet ….i do go one step further and put an oxycgen absorb packet in each jar
You could use a foodsaver and vacuum seal the mason jar. Haven’t tried this yet, but that would work to get all the air out of jars
I do the same thing with the packets, I used mason jars at first but I just ran out of room, and went to zip lock storage bags, and stored all of it in a tight closed container, worked great.
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How long can they be stored in the glass jars? We just got our dehydrater and we are loving experimenting! Great website!
I stored my dried fruits and veggies in glass jars first, but was really a storage issue, I just ran out of room for all of it, you can buy little drier packets you place in each container to keep any moisture at bay, and I did that and it worked. I used zip lock plastic bags, got the air out of the bags, and stored all the dried stuff in a large closed container, with a list of what was in it. Worked great for me
My husband also uses our dehydrator to make liver doggie treats. Works great.
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Ooh- looks delisious! I have a round model dehydrator that I got at a yard sale a few years ago. We typically use it to make beef jerky but I have dried strawberries with it. They were amazing and I can’t wait to try the others!
Zucchini. It is sweet and if thick enough can be substituted for potatoe chips. I eat them driving down the road when travelling. And who does not have too many zucchinis?
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Has anyone ever tried useing a nuwave oven? I was told you can use them but just can’t seem to get time/temp right.
I just got a Nesco Dehydrater at a yardsale for $4 yesterday & can’t wait to use it! Thank you so much for posting these ideas 🙂
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I was wondering how you dehydrated the peaches and if you have tried and other fruit than what you have listed?
We love dehydrated peaches, I would do them the same way as the strawberries or kiwi. No special treatment just thinly sliced. We also really love grapes (cut in half), plums (nothing special added). You can dehydrate most any type of fruit or veggie. We have also made a number of raw veggie chips, tomatoes for sauces, yogurt this list could go on and on:)
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Yum! Everything looks so delicious. My kids mainly eat fresh fruit but this is a great idea to have the dry fruit ready to go. Love the healthy and yummy snack made at home.
I’ve always wanted a food dehydrator. I think this posting just convinced me that I must get one.
This is awesome! Thanks so much for sharing!
Any idea how long these would keep for?
Thank you for the recipes and most especially, the inspiration! Now to get a dehydrator . . .
Does that hyperlink really go to the correct machine/model? Although the trays look similar somehow it looks a little different than in your pictures; the edges of your unit look metallic (stainless steel?) . . . I’m sure there are a number of different units out there but based on how wonderfully your items turn out, your recommendation goes a long way 🙂
Really like the info. Can’t wait to get started.
Is there anyway to make these dehydrated fruits without a dehydrator? Can it be done in the oven?
How do you make Banana Chips crunchy like the stores. And do you have recipe for tomatoes and chiles and how to make Beef Jerky also.
I don’t have a dehydrator. Can it be done in an electric oven in my stove?
ya they can be but u need to put your oven on the lowest setting
Dried fruit in the oven….google it. I don’t have a dehydrator either. Can hardly wait to try these as dried fruit is so expensive in the stores! Thanks somuch for sharing!
Sorry…oven
i dehydrate about everything fruits,veggies, even make tomatoe roll ups to add to stews,soups etc. we love the jerky made from lean hamburger you never guess it could taste so good and be so easy.
Forgot to add you can dehydrate potatoes both sweet and regular white or red in various shapes for adding to soups or rehydrating and use like you would fresh. I cube some, slice some, shred some for hash browns.Using a food processor if you have one makes slicing a breeze . I do precook them for about 3 min in boiling water , plunge into ice cold water to stop the cooking,drain well and let cool before placing on the dehydrator. This keeps them from turning brown.
have not tried potatoes yet, but will probably this year.
Would anyone like to recommend a good dehydrator unit I can buy in Australia? I had never really considered this form of storage for fruit but after reading many of the comments my next purchase is definitely going to be a dehydrator so that I can start making these. I love the fact there are no weird additives and I like that. I wont buy the fruit roll ups from the stores because of all the “added extras” they put in them. Thanks very much to anyone who takes the time to respond to this request.
Last year was the first drying of fruits and vegetables for me, dried peaches,(these have to be dipped in lemon juice, otherwise the color darkens) cantaloupe, watermelon, blackberries, bananas, kiwi, pineapple, blueberries,and every vegetable I could find. the watermelon shrunk down to a leather, which is very concentrated watermelon flavor you can eat dried. The cantaloupe,also can be eaten dried. It’s very good, very concentrated taste. when you buy your dehydrator also buy the drying sheets which lay on each shelf, saves dripping onto other food in the dehydrator. Buy the washable kind, can be used over and over again, last forever. Also buy some kind of book giving all the instructions for everything you might want to dehydrate. I tried to rehydrate the peaches in boiling water,which worked but it didnot rehydrate to the same size as before. great flavor and the juice from the peaches was really good.
tried bananas and apples like the bananas the apples OK kind off good in oatmeal going to try strawberries kiwi oranges but what about pineapple and grapes watermelon cantaloupe peaches
You don’t need a dehydrator to do this. Set your oven at its lowest setting (mine goes down to 170 degrees) and place the slices on a LIGHTLY greased cookie sheet. About 8 hours later (depending on how this you’ve sliced them) they’re done. Works great for veggies, too.
Thank you for answering my question before I could ask!
What should I look for to determine the fruit or veggie has completed the dehydration process? Is 8 hrs the standard minimum time?
I’m just getting started with this. I’m wanting to do mango & strawberries. Will putting them in plastic baggies be ok or jars only? I didn’t know when it gets warm in a baggie they might not be good. What do you think?
I lost my recipe for jerky made from ground chuck. Would love to have it if you could please share.
can you dehydrate flower pedals
In the southwest where there isn’t a lot of humidity you can set fruit or vegetables or anything ( I have even done homemade noodles) outside on old screens with a screen over it. Turn it over. Just watch out for rain!!!!!!! Doesn’t take long. Day or so for some things. Can dry anything almost!!!!
I soak my banana slices in pineapple juice,. It is both acidic and sweet and does a wonderful job. The extra touch of flavor is my favorite!
Will some of the fruit come out crunchy? I am looking to mill bananas and turn them into a powder, but is it possible?
I’ve tried dehydrating mushrooms, bananas, apples, tomatoes, kiwi etc. Apples turned out well and peppers. However, my bananas, mushrooms and kiwi went off after a few days in a jar. What am I doing wrong please?
I’m allergic to lemons and mold (which is what citric acid is made from, not fruit), any ideas what I could use in place of the lemon juice?
Wondering if you can rehydrate them for use in recipes?
Do dehydraters use alot if electricity
my parrot loves the orange slices and they are very expensive in pet stores
These really do look so amazing! Now I need to go buy that mandolin to make super thin slices….
Yum!
you can dry tomatoes and put the slices in a jar with much garlic, cayenne, basil and thyme and fill up with olive oil; or some dry type cheese with olive oil and cayenne
You can dehydrate frozen veggies also to store away for soups stews ect.
By far best website Iv read regarding dried fruit. Have you experimented with other preserving options besides lemon juice