Try this healthy fruit leather recipe that’s equally nutritious and delicious. Even picky eaters will gobble it up!

I’m so excited to share this recipe with you today. My boys range in ages nine to sixteen and every single one of them LOVES these fruit leather strips. I’ve also been known to sneak a few for myself, so I guess they aren’t just for kids. I loved fruit snacks and rollups as a kid, and to be honest… not much has changed since then. 

That’s probably why my favorite snacks are dried fruit, especially dried mango. It’s like a big girl fruit leather strip. But sometimes, I miss the juicy melt-in-your-mouth texture, so I decided to try making these homemade.

Before I keep rambling on and on about these delightful fruit leather strips and my overall love for food, I should probably introduce myself just in case you aren’t familiar with Elderberry Queen.

My passion is holistic health because, more than anything, I want myself and my family to live long and happy lives. What’s the point of living till you’re 90 if you’re sick and falling apart? By making healthy decisions, day in and day out, I hope to grow old while also being healthy. 

So, I make small steps and try to stay consistent in those practices before adding something new to my plate. This helps me stay on track! Then, I share them with the Elderberry Queen community so we can all make healthier habits for ourselves and our families. That's why today, we're going over how to make these delicious fruit leather strips. 

One Decision at a Time

I’ve always cared about what my family eats because what you put at the end of your fork matters. But one of the first decisions I ever made that started our wellness journey was adding a daily dose of elderberry syrup to our morning routine.

At first, I was determined to find it online or in stores because my life was busy and crazy enough as it was. But I couldn’t find truly organic elderberry syrup for the life of me. Even the ones labeled “organic” had natural flavors (read this to learn more about why natural isn’t really natural), thickeners and gums. No, thank you!

It’s also why so many people think elderberry syrup should be thick. That is not true at all! Think about maple syrup, for instance. Aunt Jemima maple syrup is FULL of thickeners, including corn syrup. That’s why it’s so sticky and thick. 

But grab a bottle of pure maple syrup, and it’s thin and a bit runny, to be honest. But man, oh man, it’s DELICIOUS — and chock full of vitamins and nutrients.

The same goes for elderberry syrup. Yes, you can find thick versions, but I guarantee you’ll find thickeners if you turn that bottle around. Turn my syrup bottle around, and you’ll see nothing but organic goodness. 

That’s exactly why my syrup has more of a juice-like consistency. But from pure maple syrup, you can see this is GOOD SIGN.

In fact, my syrup only has seven organic ingredients:

• Elderberries
• Aronia berries
• Apple cider vinegar
• Cinnamon
• Cloves
• Ginger
• Honey

That’s it! No weird stuff. No sketchy ingredients. No GMOs or pesticides. Just pure NATURAL goodness, and we’re even USDA certified to back it up. 

Elderberry Queen Was Born

Because I couldn’t find a truly healthy version, I decided to make my own. My family loved it! The next thing I knew, my family was asking for jars of it, then my church friends and their friends. That’s why I finally decided to open my shop, Elderberry Queen. That’s how my business was born.

I’m so glad you’re here! Elderberry syrup has made its way into some of my favorite (tested and authentic) family recipes, and I’m thrilled to share them with you. This fruit leather is one of them! A way to enjoy a delicious snack while building a healthier you.

If you’re not part of the community yet, be sure to tap here and subscribe to my newsletter. I send out weekly recipes (some even incorporate elderberry syrup), health tips, special deals and so much more.

Ok, now that we’ve caught up… let’s move into this quick, easy-to-make, immune-boosting fruit leather that everyone in your family will enjoy!

Elderberry Fruit Leather Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need to make these juicy, sweet, mouth-watering fruit leather strips.

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces of frozen cherries thawed or fresh cherries pitted
• 1 fresh peach or 1 ½ cup of frozen peaches
• ⅔ cup of Organic Elderberry Syrup

You’ll also need:

• A blender
• A baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• A spatula
• A knife or pizza cutter for cutting strips

That’s it! More than likely, you have most of this on hand. If you don’t, a simple trip to the grocery store will do the trick. 

Budget-friendly tip: frozen fruit is much cheaper than fresh fruit, especially if you’re going organic.

How to Make These Fruit Leather Strips

This recipe has six simple steps that are easy to follow. Here they are.

Instructions: 

1. Preheat your oven to the lowest setting (150-175F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, allowing it to come up the sides a bit for easy grabbing after baking.

2. In a blender, blend cherries, peaches and elderberry syrup on high speed until smooth. Pour evenly over the parchment-lined tray and smooth with a spatula.

3. Then, place the tray in the oven and bake for 4-6.5 hours. Check every little bit until the center isn’t sticky when touched. Don’t overcook.

4. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely. Then, transfer the fruit leather on parchment to a cutting board and cut it into strips using a knife or pizza cutter.

5. Cut the parchment paper along the same lines as your pizza cutter if it didn’t initially cut through. Then, roll the strips up.

6. Store in an air-tight container until ready to eat.

Just like that, you’ve got healthy snacking under control! Remember, you’ll probably love these just as much as your kiddos do, so if you have a double oven — think about throwing two pans in at once. The first time I made this, I wished I had doubled it.

How to Store It & How Long Does It Last?

You can store these rolled up in an air-tight container for, get this… up to 3 months! You’ve dehydrated the fruit, which means it will last a long time. Awesome, right? 

If you want to store it longer than that, I suggest putting parchment-lined rolls in a ziplock and freezing them. They are good for six months that way — just be sure to let them thaw for a few hours before eating.

Immune Support You Can’t Beat

If you can whip up a snack for your kiddos that tastes delicious AND loads you up on vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants… what could be better? 

I give all the credit to Organic Elderberry Syrup. It can help you build a strong immune system to help you and your family stay healthy throughout the entire year. Did you know that elderberries have been used for centuries to support wellness? 

Plus, you’re getting some incredible allergy benefits as well. Read more about that here.

Make sure to keep some on hand. You can take it daily as a preventative measure and increase your dosage whenever you feel a bug coming on to kick it FAST. Grab yours here so you’re always prepared. 

I hope you enjoy your healthy fruit leather. Here’s to a healthier and happier you! 💜 🙌