(Psst – Love desserts? Me too! That’s why I wrote an e-book about how to make them healthy. Take a peek here. Or maybe you’d like to learn how to eat healthy on a budget – check out my tips right over here. PDF versions are available here.)
Did you ever wrap a fruit rollup around your finger as a child, then gnaw away at it until you were left with a sticky, goopy mess?
I sure did. Gross.
Rest assured, I ate these fruit rollups like a grown up with the utmost dignity and decorum.
It’s hard to find fault with a raw cleanse that includes fruit rollups in the meal plan. Though these rollups are nothing like the ones of my childhood, because they have only two ingredients: strawberries and cinnamon.
I knew strawberries were high in vitamin C and antioxidants, but I was excited to learn about research that shows they have anti-inflammatory properties. Preliminary studies suggest that the salicylic acid in strawberries may reduce inflammation in patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Cinnamon is no slouch, either. It contains cinnamaldehyde, a potent anti-inflammatory phytonutrient, plus it’s anti-microbial and helps control blood sugar. And did you know it’s a source of manganese, calcium, iron and fiber? Seriously. Who knew?
These fruit rollups were easy to prepare, though they do take a while to dry out. It’s worth the wait, though – the flavour is so fresh and bright. They’re very portable, too – I’ll definitely be taking these on my next road trip!
This post is part of a month-long series about exploring the raw food lifestyle. With the help of holistic nutritionist Jennifer Trecartin, I’m doing a 28-day raw food healing challenge to improve my Crohn’s disease. At the end of the month, I hope to transition off my medication, which I have been taking since I was 18.
Click here if you’d like to check out other posts in the series. And if you don’t want to miss a post, please consider subscribing to my blog, either by email (at the top right of this page) or in a reader.
Fruit Roll Ups
From My Edible Advice
2 cups organic strawberries
¼ tsp cinnamon
Blend the fruit until smooth, then spread onto a Teflex sheet or a parchment-lined baking sheet.
If using a dehydrator, dehydrate at 105 degrees F for 8-10 hours or until the fruit is pliable and easy to peel from the sheet.
If using an oven, leave it on at the lowest temperature until the fruit is dry (times will vary depending on the oven).
Cut into strips and store in a glass container in the refrigerator.
cool idea! I must try this.
Just stumbled upon your blog from http://www.healthfulpursuit.com/ and am in love with some of the recipes I’ve found on here and can’t wait to try some of them. I LOVE making fruit rollups in our dehydrator and I take them with me when traveling/hiking. I usually do strawberry & mango, or blackberry/blueberry/raspberrry with cinnamon. Always a favorite!
Fruit rollups are the best, right? Glad that you found recipes on here that you love!
thanks so much for this blogpost! love the idea of using a dehydrator for making “clean” fruit rollups!
read your story about IBD and raw food challenge – we have very very similar stories!!! i became a clean food obssessed + vegan along the way b/c of my digestive issues, and i’ve learn to embrace and lOVE it. hehe. looking forward to more of your blogposts! found u on twitter thru someone’s FF 
. mine is juniakk!
Always nice to hear that someone has had success with tummy issues using whole foods! Thanks for sharing.
It’s great! I have never tried to make fruit roll ups, and now my son is jumping up and down next to me saying, “Can we make that, Mom? Pleeeeaaaasseee….!”
Thanks for the idea and the recipe
This is a great snack for kids, and you can also make it with whatever fruit you want.
HAH I did the exact same thing with fruit rollups as a kid. These look delicious though
I need to get a dehydrator. I know I can technically use my oven but it’s not the same.
My dehydrator was worth the money. I use it all the time!
Sondi what else can you make with the dehydrator? We only used it once for jerky.. I love to know more.. thanks
I use it for tons of stuff! Fruit leathers, crackers. drying nuts and seeds, raw burgers/falafel, kale chips, zucchini chips.
Thanks.. I made it yesterday but when i poured it out i spread it around.. It ended up being too thin.. I am assuming I am not suppose to do that right?? It was crispy when I got done with it in my deyhradter.. Any suggestions on what I did wrong.. Thanks again
It is supposed to be thin, but don’t spread it so you can totally see the teflex sheet underneath. You could have dried it for too long, which is why it got crispy. If you leave it out for a couple of hours it should soften a bit.
Sondi what else can you make with the dehydrator? We only used it once for jerky.. I love to know more.. thanks
Sorry didnt know how to delete. I forgot to click a button..
Great looking recipe. Your pictures look really tasty. We would love to see you over at http://www.dishfolio.com keep up the good work Sondi!
Thanks for bringing my attention to Dishfolio – will check it out!
Can you give a ballpark estimate for how long this would take in the oven? thanks
Hmm…I’d probably say at least six hours.
such a great idea and they look delicious! (also, i totally did that with fruit roll ups when i was little)
I love this recipe and blog…I posted it on my community foodie blog. Hope you can come check it out http://www.facebook.com/thefrenchiefoodie
Also, feel free to post you’re recipes or you’re favourite foodie tips on it whenever you like!
my mom used to make these all the time with her dehydrator when i was little. My favorite was always the apple cinnamon! sooo yummy!! jest puree apples and add cinnamon. so easy!
Oooh, that does sound good! I’ve made apple chips with cinnamon, but hadn’t thought of pureeing them to make fruit rollups. Mmm.
Yeah Im sure this would work with other fruits as well
I think apple cinnamon sounds awesome! Do you cook the apples before pureeing?
**just
Just stumbled upon your recipe while on Pintrest. Is it really that easy? I’m going to make these ASAP…especially for the little ones. It sounds delicious and I really appreciate finding good sites with Gluten free recipes. I’ve been using recipes from http://homemadebabyfood.net/index.html for purees and will come back here as well. Nice work.
Yes, it’s really that easy!
What kind of dehydrator do you have? in the market for one but not sure if I can get away with spending about $60 from Bed Bath and Beyond or if I have to spend more to get one that works good. suggestions please??? Thanks
I have an Excalibur 3500 five-tray dehydrator. If you think you’ll want to do a lot of dehydrating, then I think it’s worth the investment. If you’re not sure and want to dabble in dehydrating and see if you like it, you might want to buy an inexpensive one first and then upgrade.
Going to try adding some kind of veggie puree to make it even better for my kids…wish me luck
Good luck!
Sounds great! Does this method of making fruit roll ups work with most fruits?
I’ve tried it with a few different fruits, and it’s always turned out well.
Hi there, Love this idea, I was wondering though, when using a dehydrator what do you put the puree on? the teflex sheet?
Yes, on the Teflex sheet, or you could use parchment paper.
Great thank you!
I made these (had to use the oven) and they are stuck to the wax paper. What did I do wrong? I was soo excited for these. :/
Kendra, it may be the wax paper, I made apple right not to long ago and had the same problem. get parchment paper, it is just cooking paper. it is the waxy part that is giving you the problem.
Hi Kendra, Elena’s right – it’s likely the wax paper. Try parchment, or a silpat, which is a reusable silicone mat you can find at cookware shops. I use mine for everything – cookies, nuts, veggies, etc.
A totally raw diet, no meat or dairy, will completely heal you of Chron’s Disease and a lot of other disease. I know 7 personally who adopted the Halleluih Diet from http://www.hacres.com and got rid of fibromyalgia, breast cancer, Chron’s disease, migraines, Type Ii Diabetis, chronis sinusitis, and arthritis!
It is amazing what the foods we are eating, not me, and why they are killing us. I teach on nutrition and counsel one on one for weight loss, acidic foods and why they are bad and eating 85% raw and the other still VEGAN but includes some small portion of whole grains, such as 9-12 grain breads, soups made in the VitaMIx and not over 107* and fresh recipes. I have over 400 that are wonderful. Good for you!
Thanks for the info, I also have crohns disease and I am always looking for ways to improve my quality of life if possible!
About how long do these last? Thinking about making these as gifts for some little ones.
For about two to three weeks in the fridge. I would make them as close to your holiday gathering as possible, so they’ll last longer. But honestly, once people eat them, they’ll be gone quickly. In my house, they’ve been gone long before two weeks has passed!
How do you get the fruit to spread so evenly? I feel like it would be a bit lumpy and not want to stay the same thickness?
If the fruit is well blended, it shouldn’t be lumpy. Getting an even thickness is a bit of a challenge – you have to spread it out slowly and carefully. Some places usually end up a bit thicker than others, but that’s ok.
For the fruit Rollups can you use frozen strawberries or is better with fresh strawberries?
I’ve never tried it with frozen, but I’m sure it would work! Frozen fruit may be wetter when it defrosts, so you probably won’t need any extra water. And I suspect it may take a little longer to dry. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out.
I ended up using frozen strawberries and frozen red raspberries and it worked great! They were nice and sweet. What a great healthy snack! I will definitely make these more often!
Awesome!!
I used frozen and it didn’t take as long to dry. After 6 hours I stopped it and even then it was a little too dry. So with frozen i would say 5 hours is enough
found you on pinterest and I’m definitely going to try these soon. you have a new reader for life
Awesome! Glad to have you.
I found your post on pinterest and I also have crohns disease. I am very eager now to try these, how is the diet going? I would be interested to hear about your results!
Thanks for the post!
Hi Kaylah – I recently wrote a post update on how I’m doing, you can find it here: http://thecopycatcook.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/a-health-update-on-healing-from-crohns-disease/
Sondi, I’m looking forward to making these for my kids! You make it sound really easy, & tasty=) I will have to use my oven though, as I don’t have a dehydrator. When you say lowest temperature do you mean the warm setting or 100 degrees (100 is the lowest on my oven)?
You know, I’m not sure! My oven doesn’t have a warm setting, and the lowest is about 175 degrees. I would dry them at about 200, since 100 will take forever to dry and will take a lot more energy than a dehydrator would.
Pizza crust – that’s GENIUS. Totally doing that next time. Thanks for the suggestion.
These look so yummy, I’ll have to try this out!
Thanks for sharing
great idea and looks so easy. could you tell me about how many a batch makes? im thinking a vday party snack
Have some in the oven as we speak! They smell awesome! I had to use frozen strawberries (and wait on my new blender since the first time I tried this, I blew up the motor! Oops!) My youngest son can not wait to eat these!
Cool, thanks!
Has anyone posted as to how long it takes in an oven? I really would like to try these. If it takes 8 hours I might try and put them in just before bed.
I put mine in the oven on 200 for 8 hours & it was crispy=( I think next time I will try a lower temp & less time.
Oven temperatures vary, so it can take a few tries to figure out what works best in your oven. Maybe try 6 hours next time?
Yes, I will definitely try that next time. I’m not giving up, it sounds great!
So literally, you just blend 2 cups of strawberries with 1/4 tablespoon of cinnamon, spread them out on some parchment paper, cook for several hours on low, cut, put in the fridge on some glass for a bit and enjoy? How long do they go in the fridge, generally? And do you have to put water in to blend them, too? Can’t wait to try these tomorrow!!
Yes, it’s that easy. They would probably last a couple of weeks in the fridge, but they’ll be eaten long before then I promise. I didn’t need to add water, as my berries were juicy. Just play it by ear and add a little if everything doesn’t come together.
I’m so exctied to try these! Saw the recipie on pintrest. I’m so glad I found your blog as well. My son is allergic to cows milk so I am always looking for good recipies. We are not vegetarians but we’re working on it. Ou New Years resolution is to only eat meat on the weekends. We’ve been doing really well, and trying lots of new yummy recipies! I just started a dairy free blog. Love for you to stop by! cowsmilkisforcows.blogspot.com
do you use two cups of blended fruit or two cups chopped fruit that you blend?
Two cups of chopped fruit, then I blend it.
I have done these without cinnamon, and then wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in freezer, its a cool natural treat in summer. I had some in there for up to a year, no freezer burn and they were still fresh. Love this, have done other berries too…started a Christian blog would love to meet some new friends… hiddencrosses.blog.com
So did you pull them out to defrost before eating or eat them frozen?
Just curious.
Since I made these last June, I used fresh berries. There was no freezing involved! Though I’m sure these would keep fairly well in the freezer.
I love stuff like this!! Kids enjoy helping!!
Found this recipe on Pinterest and couldn’t wait to try it with some hand picked strawberries I had in the freezer. Made this last night and it turned out terrible. The lowest setting on my oven is 100 and it was taking forever to dry so I turned it up to 150. They came out very crispy and not that good. How thin do you spread it?
Oh no! Yes, they do take forever to dry – at least six or seven hours in the oven. Not sure why yours turned out crispy – they could have been too thin, though I spread mine very thinly, too – in some spots they were almost translucent. I hope you were able to salvage your rollups. Maybe crush them and sprinkle over cereal?
Okay that was so much easier then that I thought it would be I’m so making these for my family!!!! Thanks
these look sooo amazing! wish i had a recipe to share with you!
Came across your site through pinterest! Great ideas. My hubs has had crohns for several years and after taking pretty much every oral medication, he started looking into diets as well. We found a book called feast without yeast and it’s basically an anti fungal diet. Within two weeks he was off his medications and feeling better than he had ever remembered feeling! Diet plays a huge part for sure!!
I’ll have to check that book out! Two weeks to feeling better is incredible.
I just made these and they taste great. One question though!! The ends just cracked and the middle had the fruit roll up texture and was pliable. I thought I had my fruit spread pretty even. Any suggestions?
Did you use the oven or a dehydrator? If it was the oven, you could try rotating the rollups a few times while they’re drying out. Move them to different racks and turn them around. If you used a dehydrator, try drying them at a lower temp for a longer period of time.
can u use a different fruit? my daughter is allergic to strawberries, so im wondering if raspberries or blueberries would work?
Yes, any fruit will do. Raspberries and blueberries are a great choice!
Mmmm…so many different fruit choices with this one! So much cheaper than even buying the organic fruit snacks! Thank you!!
if using frozen fruit, defrost first?
Yes, that will make things easier.
I used the oven. I am thinking that I may not have had the fruit spread as even as I could have. Went to the store today and bought more strawberries and other fruit. Can’t wait to make more. My kids absolutely loved them!!
Looking forward to trying this with my girls!
Reblogged this on Lotus Mama: Natural Health and Parenting and commented:
Great post by the Copycat Cook on how to make your own fruit roll ups! I will defnitely be trying this with the girls shortly. Stay tuned!
I tried to make these today…..they did not turn out. I had my oven at 170 degrees (the lowest it will go). In 4 hours they were completely crispy. I did check them a little before this and could tell the outside was getting crispy and the inside was not dried out yet….bummer!
Oh no! Maybe try spreading them a bit thicker, and rotating the pans around in the oven while they’re drying.
I tried making them with the oven at 175 degrees. After 3 hours, most of it was brown and almost crispy. The one section that was still red tasted good. I’ll have to keep a closer eye on them next time around the 2.5 hour mark.
It really depends on the oven…some ovens have hot spots. Maybe try turning the pan a couple of times, or switching racks.
Great idea…I’m a type 1 diabetic always looking for ways to get a tasty healthy snack. Now I can be a kid again and get my serving of fruit!
Is there a sub for the cinnamon? My niece is allergic to it.
Just leave it out! Or use another spice you like – maybe a bit of nutmeg might work, if you like the taste.
Are they sticky and stretchy like fruit rollups?
They are very pliable, but not sticky at all.
Yummy – these look great, now if I could just find which box my dehydrator is hiding in!
I also came across your recipe on Pinterest
and I just had to try them. Unfortunatly my kitchen is not equipt with a dehydrator… but Im giving it a try in the oven.. I can’t say what my end result is yet ( I will post results later ) but I can say that my kitchen smells absolutely marvelous 
)
How did they turn out? I am trying it in the oven right now
This recipe sounds awesome. I am going to give it a try. I am alway’s looking for recipes like this for my son, who is 3. He is young, so I like to try to stick to the bare essentails of food as much as possible.
wanted a dehydrator now have only used it one time maybe should try again. my friend dehydrated watermelon which prob has no food valu;e when dehydrated but tasts like cotton candy and at least not that much sugar
Having a tough time finding natural fruit roll ups for the kids – this is great! We even have strawberries right now!
I am trying to make my first batch now!! Wish me luck!
I was thinking about making these for a road trip – will they keep at room temp for a few days?
I think they should be ok – keep them sealed well.
Can you do this with other fruits such as cherries, blueberries etc…?
Absolutely!
I love this recipe. I tried it out with my daughters and they had a blast. We had so much fun I just had to share it with our readers too (giving you a link back of course)! Thanks for the great idea!
http://excited2learn.com/blog/summer-fun-cooking-with-kids-ideas/
I’m glad your daughters enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
We buy organic fruit strips which are so expensive but my son will eat 5 or 6 at one time if we let him. I have a circular dehydrator which has a hole in the middle of the stackable plates. Is there a way to make this recipe work in my dehydrator or should i just use the oven?
Is there any way to line the plates with something like parchment? If so, you could try it with your round dehydrator. If not, you may be better off with the oven.
Yeah, i guess i could put the parchment paper around the hole and then pour the mix onto it. I’ll let you know how it turns out lol. Thanks!!!
Using my circular dehydrator would have worked perfectly if I had been awake to watch it lol. However, my strawberry chips taste lovely! They might be crispy but at least they taste yummy!
Uh, oh. Well, strawberry chips sound awesome to me!
I love this and your book looks really cool too! Thank you for also adding nutritional facts. It makes your posts really informative and interesting for your readers! ;D
I love this idea n it sounds much more healthy. But can you do it wit apples or grapes?
Apples would definitely work, though I’m not sure about the grapes as I’ve never tried dehydrating them. I’d imagine they would work too!
4.5 hours at 175 degrees in the oven worked for me. I also added an extra half cup of strawberries (2.5 total) and a quarter cup of blueberries. Great recipe!
i would LOVE to make this but DH is allergic to cinnamon AND strawberries. Is there another way to make these either with different foods or spices?
Of course – try it with whatever fruit you love (and are not allergic to). Blueberries, raspberries, peaches, apricots, apples, whatever. You don’t even need to use spices – the fruit is delicious on its own.
I’m getting ready to make these today – can anyone confirm the oven temp and time they used for this recipe to be successful?
Blend half apple and half thawed berries. The pectin in the apple helps keep the roll up together better. I also do mixed fruit/smoothie fruit leather with banana, apple, strawberry, blueberry or huckleberry and a bit of lime juice and zest.Yum. I add a bit of apple cider if it’s too thick for the blender. This way if I just have a few berries the flavour goes a long way. I use a food dryer lined with parchment with a slight coating of coconut oil on it and it comes off easily.
Thanks so much for this recipe! My daughter loves the organic fruit rollups that I get at the store, so this will save me a pretty penny on school snacks!
I don’t have a any parchment paper. What would be a sufficient replacement?
Strawberries are also a teeth whitener! Ever used another fruit?
I really like using peaches, too.
I have a juicer and want to make fruit roll ups with the pulp. Do you suggest something to help bind it together before drying? Or will it be ok as is?
Hmm. That’s a good question. I’ve never tried making fruit roll ups with juice pulp. My instinct is that the pulp is already pretty dry, since the juice has been squeezed out of it. You might want to blend in some fresh fruit too to bind everything together.
Juicing is realistically good as long as the juice comes from fresh fruits and vegetables. It is important to understand that the juice should come from a mixed of fruits and vegetables because all fruits or all vegetables diet is no better than a fusion of both. http://weightlosseffectively.blogspot.com/ .
Will grapes, watermelon, or citrus fruits work for fruit leather, or are they too watery?
in the comments i see a lot ot of people mentioning cinnimon; is it necessary to put in with the different fruits? or is it just for flavoring?
Cinnamon is a lovely spice and adds great flavour, but you could absolutely leave it out if you wanted to.
Awesome idea! could i use different fruit to make different flavors? or does it only work with strawberries?
i wish i had a dehydrater…
You can use any fruit you’d like. And these still work in the oven!
Should you crack the oven door open like with meringues?
You certainly could.