• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Oh My Veggies logo

  • Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegetarian Main Dishes
    • Vegetarian Appetizers
    • Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes
    • Vegetarian Side Dishes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Snack Recipes
    • Drinks
    • Sauces, Spreads and Condiments
    • Holiday Recipes
    • From our Readers
  • Cooking Tips & Hints
    • Cooking Tips
    • Plant-Based Nutrition
    • Product Reviews
  • Shop Cookbooks
  • About Us
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Find Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • About Us
  • Free Meal Plan
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Find Recipes
    • Cookbooks
    • About Us
    • Free Meal Plan
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Γ—

    Oh My Veggies Β» Cooking Tips & Hints

    How To Make Banana Fruit Leather (No Dehydrator!)

    Published: Jan 11, 2019 Β· by Nicole Β· Updated: Aug 2, 2021 Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

    How to Make Banana Fruit Leather (One Ingredient! No dehydrator needed!)
    So I've made Raspberry Peach Fruit Leather. And then I made Mango Fruit Roll-Ups. But I'm not going to rest on my delicious fruit snack laurels! No! I've been floating around ideas and trying to think of something that would work during winter and then it hit me: banana fruit leather. So I made it and it was good. And then I made it again and it was still good. Good enough to share, in fact.

    How To Make Banana Fruit Leather (With No Dehydrator!)

    1. Before you start, you will need 4 ripe bananas. You'll need to pre-heat your oven to 175Β°F and spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. (Don't spray on too muchβ€”you don't want oily banana fruit leather.)Cut Bananas Into Chunks
    2. Peel your bananas and cut them into large chunks.
    3. Puree BananasNow you need to puree your bananas. I like using an immersion blender, but a food processor or regular blender is fine. Make sure there are no large banana pieces. It needs to be smooth!
    4. Pour Puree on Baking SheetTry not to eat the puree. It's delicious! It's almost like banana pudding. (Okay, not really. But I try to convince myself it is.) Pour the puree onto your greased baking sheet. Hopefully your baking sheet is in better shape than mineβ€”oh, the shame!
    5. Spread Puree on Baking SheetUsing a spatula, spread the puree to cover the baking sheet. It's really important to make sure it's spread evenly, otherwise you'll end up with parts that are crispy and parts that are chewy. If this happens, it's not the end of the world thoughβ€”the crispy bits are good too.
    6. Cut Fruit Leather Into StripsBake at 175Β°F and keep an eye on your fruit leather's progress. Mine took 2 Β½ hours to cook. (If parts on the edges are done and the center is still wet, you can cut those parts off and return the baking sheet to the oven.) When the fruit leather is done, you should be able to easily lift it from the panβ€”it should be pliable, but not wet. Use a pizza cutter or kitchen scissors to cut into strips or shapes.
    7. Banana Fruit LeatherYour fruit leather is unlikely to last very long. It's just that good! But if you do have leftovers, you can wrap it in plastic and store it for 1 month at room temperature or 1 year in the freezer. (Note that I haven't actually tried storing my fruit leather this long, but that's what the National Center for Home Food Preservation says.)
    « Delicious Three-Cheese Stuffed Shells
    Veggie-Filled Cream Cheese Bagel Spread »

    Cooking Tips & Hints, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes bananas, fruit leather, gluten-free, snacks

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Carol says

      January 10, 2012 at 7:55 am

      I didn't realize fruit leather was that easy! It looks so good. Great idea with banana, this I have to try.

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        January 10, 2012 at 7:43 pm

        Thanks! Fruit leather is definitely easy to make, as long as you have patience! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    2. Julie says

      January 10, 2012 at 9:58 am

      Have you tried beef jerky this way? I don't have a dehydrator, but hate paying more per ounce for beef jerky than a steak! I've been meaning to give it a try.

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        January 10, 2012 at 7:42 pm

        Nope, we don't eat meat! πŸ™‚ But I think it would work in the oven, but it would probably have to be in there a loooooong time. You should try it and blog about it!

        Reply
        • Julie says

          January 11, 2012 at 9:56 am

          How is it that I always forget you don't eat meat! My brain is fried. Maybe its because its the only thing I can really eat right now..... so sad. I miss carbs.

          Reply
          • The Type A Housewife says

            January 12, 2012 at 8:52 am

            Ha! I love carbs (and cheese!)--I know so many people doing the paleo diet right now and I really pity all of you. πŸ˜‰

            Reply
    3. Kim of Mo'Betta says

      January 10, 2012 at 11:41 am

      I haven't thought about using bananas! I keep saying I'm going to make fruit leathers, but have yet to do it...and I have a dehydrator!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        January 10, 2012 at 7:40 pm

        Oh, you need to make fruit leather immediately--you have no excuse! πŸ˜‰ I've made a few different kinds, but I really love the banana one because you don't have to add any sweeteners. I don't know if you've ever had Trader Joe's Banana Flattened, but it tastes exactly like that.

        Reply
    4. Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry says

      January 10, 2012 at 6:40 pm

      This looks great. I am going to have to try it-I spend way too much on fruit leather at the store for my toddler!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        January 10, 2012 at 7:38 pm

        It's so much cheaper to make it yourself--you can use so many different fruits and you don't even need a dehydrator! I used to buy fruit leather all the time and the cost really adds up.

        Reply
    5. Mary Beth Elderton says

      January 10, 2012 at 6:53 pm

      Fabulous! I can't wait to try this!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        January 10, 2012 at 7:36 pm

        Thank you! I hope you like it! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    6. ElfRenee says

      January 10, 2012 at 7:51 pm

      Sounds awesome!!

      Reply
    7. gem says

      January 10, 2012 at 11:57 pm

      Wow--that's so cool! My boys love bananas. Will need to try that the next time I buy a bunch!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        January 12, 2012 at 8:54 am

        Let me know how it turns out for you! πŸ™‚ I think this was my favorite fruit leather so far--it's really sweet!

        Reply
    8. Grumpy Grateful Mom says

      January 11, 2012 at 2:31 am

      I've never seen banana fruit leather before. I think my kids would love this! You make it look easy! Though I'm sure I could still find a way to mess it up. πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        January 12, 2012 at 8:53 am

        It is easy! And the only real way you could mess it up is by not spreading the fruit on the sheet evenly--that's the hardest part. But if you don't, you end up with crunchy fruit leather & it still tastes good. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    9. Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says

      January 11, 2012 at 2:23 pm

      That is WAY easier than I thought it would be! WAY easier.

      Reply
    10. Amy says

      January 11, 2012 at 8:02 pm

      Wow, that is a whole lot easier than I thought it would be!!

      Reply
    11. Lori Popkewitz Alper says

      January 11, 2012 at 9:58 pm

      What a simple recipe. My kids will absolutely love it! No dehydrator is a big plus. What other fruits do you think would work?

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        January 12, 2012 at 8:50 am

        During the summer when they were in season, I did a raspberry peach fruit leather that was really good. Mango works out well too. Pretty much any fruit that you can puree without it being too liquid-y. The more moisture in the puree, the longer it has to spend in the oven. Banana fruit leather is definitely the quickest to make!

        Reply
    12. All Natural Katie says

      January 13, 2012 at 12:27 pm

      You are a genius! This sound delicious and so easy! My husband doesn't like dry bananas, but I know he will love this. Keep the fruit leathers coming!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        January 14, 2012 at 5:27 pm

        I don't like dried bananas either! They have a strange texture--I don't know how to describe it. Too starchy maybe? But with this, even if it ends up being more crunchy than leathery, it's not that texture that the banana chips have.

        I think I'm tapped out on fruit leather ideas until more fruit is in season again. πŸ˜‰

        Reply
    13. Canadian Mom Blogger says

      January 13, 2012 at 4:28 pm

      That sounds great! I am going to try it.

      Reply
    14. {Not Quite} Susie says

      January 15, 2012 at 2:37 am

      Thanks for this! I'm totally hooked on fruit leather so this is awesome. πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        January 15, 2012 at 6:24 pm

        I eat fruit leather all the time too & it is so expensive--I have been saving a lot of money since I started making it myself!

        Reply
    15. BusyWorkingMama says

      January 15, 2012 at 8:58 pm

      Gahhh...I wanna make this! I have about 5 bananas awaiting a foul end on my counter. We're not really banana people. YUM! Just yum!!

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        January 16, 2012 at 5:33 pm

        Make it! It's so easy and it's really good! You can also freeze the bananas to use them in bread, muffins, or smoothies. Our bananas rarely last that long because we love them. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    16. mscarm says

      April 14, 2012 at 4:41 pm

      hmmmmm.... looks tasty & interesting. will try this out and let u know the end results. πŸ™‚

      Reply
      • The Type A Housewife says

        April 15, 2012 at 5:10 pm

        I hope you like it!

        Reply
    17. [email protected] says

      June 26, 2012 at 11:47 pm

      Wow! this is great!

      Reply
    18. Γ…sa says

      July 09, 2012 at 5:21 am

      I've never heard of fruit leather before! How do you store it? Is it completely dry?

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        July 09, 2012 at 8:31 am

        There's additional information about how to store it on the page linked in the last paragraph, but you can wrap it in plastic wrap or wax paper and it keeps for up to a month. It's almost completely dry, but there's enough moisture left in it so that it's chewy. Like jerky, but made with fruit instead!

        Reply
    19. Γ…sa says

      July 09, 2012 at 1:11 pm

      I've spent a few day now drying sliced strawberries, carrots, peppers and courgette. A great way to keep dinner at a minimum weight when hiking. So I'm very exicted about this idea as a treat for the kids! Thanks! πŸ™‚ Γ…sa from Sweden

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        July 10, 2012 at 8:27 am

        I hope they like it! πŸ˜€

        Reply
    20. Tabea says

      August 09, 2012 at 1:24 pm

      Great idea!
      When you say 175 degrees... do you mean fahrenheit or celsius?

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 10, 2012 at 9:12 am

        It's fahrenheit. It cooks at a low temperature for a longer amount of time. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    21. Julie says

      August 20, 2012 at 12:28 am

      Do you add any liquid at all to the bananas when you puree? I have pureed bananas before, but never got them as smooth and fluid as yours. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        August 20, 2012 at 8:56 am

        No--no liquid at all! My only suggestions would be to try pureeing them longer or use riper bananas. If neither of those work, maybe try adding water or juice a tablespoon at a time until it's a little bit thinner?

        Reply
    22. Amber says

      September 17, 2012 at 2:27 pm

      This is perfect! I had too many bananas going mushy in my fridge, I didn't even have to blend them they mushed at the touch of a whisk

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        September 18, 2012 at 8:32 pm

        Well that is a sign that you need to make fruit leather! πŸ˜‰ I hope you liked it!

        Reply
    23. Daria says

      December 03, 2012 at 11:08 am

      I have just put it in my oven:) It looks great on the photos, so I hope my leather will also turn out great.:)

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        December 03, 2012 at 7:49 pm

        I hope it turned out well! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    24. laura says

      February 28, 2013 at 1:02 pm

      Lord!! you should be more specific, I was baking this by 175CΒ°!! but I was able to save the leather after reading that you meant Fahrenheit :S Hm :/ buy the recipe is good! thank you!! ^^"

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        February 28, 2013 at 1:27 pm

        Since almost all of my readers are in the US, I list baking temperatures in Fahrenheit. Sorry about that!

        Reply
        • laura says

          February 28, 2013 at 4:25 pm

          yeah well, have to keep that in mind for your other recipes πŸ˜‰ anyways it turned out pretty good πŸ™‚

          Reply
    25. Carlie says

      April 24, 2013 at 11:15 am

      I have been wanting to make fruit leather for so long - and I can't believe I haven't tried before. It was so easy! I added an apple as well and it was delicious! I was wondering what you used to "grease" your baking sheet? I used aluminum foil, and that was not the best idea I've had so far, it took quite a while to pick it all off. Thanks!!

      Reply
      • Kiersten says

        April 24, 2013 at 12:47 pm

        In the past, I have used either cooking spray or oil in a Misto, but I recently discovered that parchment paper works REALLY well for fruit leather. It wrinkles a bit, so it's not as pretty, but you can just lift the whole piece of paper out of the baking sheet when it's done and use kitchen shears to cut through the fruit leather and paper together. Then you can roll it up and it won't stick because of the parchment backing.

        Reply
    Newer Comments »

    Something to say? Leave a comment. Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    image of the author

    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
    Learn more here.

    signature of author

    get a free 5 day vegetarian meal plan

    shop our vegetarian and vegan cookbooks

    Trending Recipes

    • Vegan Funfetti Cake
    • Watermelon Popsicles
    • Eggplant Stew
    • Buffalo Brussels Sprouts

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Shop Cookbooks
    • About Us
    • Work with Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Still hungry? Check out our delicious family of blogs.

    link to VegKitchen.com - vegan recipes website
    link to deliciouseveryday.com - a vegetarian and vegan recipes website
    link to allshecooks.com - a food blog
    link to wandertooth.com - a travel website

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright Β© 2021 Hook & Porter Media