You know how sometimes you have a really good idea, but you sort of know it just won't work out? I kind of felt that way about this Sneaky Green Apple Fruit Leather recipe. I loved the idea of sneaking a little bit of spinach into apple fruit leather, but it just seemed like the idea was too good to actually work in practice. So I made it…
…and it was good! Like really, objectively good. Not good for fruit leather with spinach in it, but good good. You don't taste the spinach at all. To make sure it wasn't a fluke, I made it again and it was still tasty. I wanted to be absolutely sure it worked out, so I tried it a third time. By the time I got to the fourth trial, I knew the recipe worked, I just wanted more fruit leather.
Not only does this fruit leather recipe sneak in some spinach, it's also sugar-free. A lot of fruit leather recipes will have you add a ton of sugar. But if you start with flavorful, sweet apples, you don't need any sugar at all. You can bake the fruit leather on parchment paper, cut it into strips, roll it up, and you have a healthy back-to-school lunchbox snack that's not neon green or loaded with sugar and preservatives. (Want some more healthy fruit leather recipes? I have Banana, Strawberry Banana, Mango, and Raspberry Peach too!)
On a shallow note, I'm pretty thrilled that this post has given me the opportunity to use my Banao lunch bag again. Before I started working from home, I used to bring my lunch to work in that bag every day. (The weird looks I got from my co-workers were obviously out of jealousy. Obviously!) And not only did I bring my lunch to work in a children's lunch bag, my lunch was usually a grown-up version of what I used to eat when I was a kid too—a PB&J on whole grain bread, fruit leather, and healthy chips or crackers.
When I was a kid, if you had chips in your lunch, it was probably something that left your fingers orange and/or greasy. If your parents were really crunchy and health-conscious, maybe you'd get pretzels. Today, we have more options. Options that are healthy and tasty—imagine that! The Real Deal Baked Veggie Chips are one of my favorites. They're all-natural, vegan, gluten-free—oh, and they're made with peas. Peas! An ounce of Veggie Chips provides a serving and a half of vegetables, which is good news for those of you who struggle with kids that flat-out refuse to eat their veggies. The 100-calorie bags are perfect for sticking into lunchboxes (or Banao lunch bags), but I'm partial to the Sriracha flavor myself. I'm a complete sucker for that crispy and spicy combination and these chips have just the right amount of heat.
To find The Real Deal snacks at a retailer near you, enter your zip code into the store locator on their website. And then you'll have sneaky, tasty chips to go with your sneaky, tasty fruit leather!
Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 small apples about 2 pounds—I used Fuji, peeled, cored, and diced
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon optional
- 1 cup packed baby spinach
Instructions
- Combine the diced apples, water, and cinnamon in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30–45 minutes, until apples are softened, stirring and mashing occasionally. (I use a potato masher, but if you don't have one, you can use a big wooden spoon and crush the apples against the side of the saucepan.)
- Allow the apples to cool slightly, then transfer them to a blender or food processor. Add the spinach and process until completely smooth.
- Preheat oven to 175°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour the apple mixture onto the center of the sheet and use a spatula to evenly spread it over the paper. (If you have an offset spatula, it works well for this!)
- Bake the fruit leather for 3 to 5 hours, until it's dry to the touch but still pliable. Sometimes the edges will be dry before the center—if this happens, use kitchen shears to trim off the done parts and return the rest to the oven. It's hard to give an exact time for baking fruit leather, so be sure to check on it every 20–30 minutes so it doesn't overcook!
- Once the fruit leather is finished baking, remove it from the oven and let it cool, then use kitchen shears to cut it into strips. (Keep the parchment paper backing—this will keep it from sticking!) Roll the strips and store them in a plastic bag or airtight container.
Nutrition
Disclosure: The Real Deal compensated me for the time spent developing and photographing this recipe. Sponsored Recipes are a once-a-month feature on Oh My Veggies--my sponsors help make this blog possible!
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Oooh, you're intriguing me and green apple is my favorite faux flavor so I assume it'd be just as good naturally! 🙂 Would granny smiths give them that tarty punch?
Kiersten says
Chris wanted me to try that too! If you want to keep the sugar down, I'd maybe try half Fuji, half Granny Smith.
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
Love this for back to school!! So cute!!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
Your lunch bag cracks me up, so funny. My boys love fruit leather and secretly, so do I! I occasionally pack their lunches and they would love to have homemade fruit leather and I love the idea of healthy chips! Going to find the Real Deal Chips asap! Thanks for sharing.
Kiersten says
They will love the chips--they'll never know they're made with peas! 😀
archana @ feedingthefoodie says
this is so perfect for me - I'm always looking for lunch box ideas for my 2 yr old. And having something home-made and no sugar added is ideal.
He already likes spinach , so maybe I can sneak something else in 🙂 Carrots? he hates carrots.
Kiersten says
I think carrots would work! Although since they have a stronger flavor than spinach, I think I'd pair them with a more assertive fruit--maybe mango?
leah says
This looks so good!!! I will have to try this!!
Tammy says
Seriously, this sounds so much easier than I thought it would be to make fruit leather. And if I can sneak spinach in to boot, bonus!
Kiersten says
Apples have to be cooked down a little bit, but if you make fruit leather with bananas or mangoes, you can even skip that step. It's so much easier than people think it will be!
Gina says
I'm gonna have to try this, I think my girls would love it... Thanks 🙂
Kelly @ A Girl Worth Saving says
I love that you put spinach in this 🙂 Seriously, what a fantastic way to get more greens in your diet. How cool that those chips are made with peas.
Kiersten says
The chips are so tasty--I hate peas, but the sriracha Veggie Chips are completely addicting!
Meg @ Beard and Bonnet says
Well, this is BRILLIANT! Thanks so much for sneaking spinach in, I can't wait to try this out on my kids.
Kiersten says
My husband loved it, so kids will love it too. 🙂
dixya| food, pleasure, and health says
i made fruit leather with mango+avocado..adding spinach is such a brilliant idea. i am addicted to them.
Kiersten says
Ooh, using avocado is a really good idea too!
Emily says
I love your lunch bag! And, the recipe looks wonderful!
Kiersten says
It's a banana! And he's an executive! Best Japanese character on a lunch bag EVER.
Caitlin says
how fun! green apple leather with spinach! it's like a revamped childhood favorite! remember fruit roll ups? yeah..i was all about them 😛
Kiersten says
Yeah, I LOVED fruit roll ups. Remember the neon ones? I'm sure those were super healthy.
Alexis @ Hummusapien says
I totally love how this has no added sugar AND some sneaky spinach. Perfect for lunch boxes!
Stefani says
I totally want to make these for me!
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
Oh, spinach in a fruit roll-up that's not caked with sugar? Yes, yes, yes!
Closetfan says
Any thoughts on using frozen spinach - would the moisture totally mess up the recipe? Just thinking about colder weather when fresh spinach can be hard to come by or very expensive in my part of the world.
Kiersten says
I think it would work. Frozen spinach does have a stronger flavor than baby spinach, though, and since it's already wilted, I would use a lot less--maybe 1/4 to 1/2 cup? Thaw it and squeeze out as much liquid as you can before putting it in the blender. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out!
Son says
can you use a dehydrator for this? Wonder how long you need to set it for??
Kiersten says
I haven't tried it myself, but if you have a fruit leather tray, I think it would definitely work. Your manual should have instructions for what temperature and time fruit leather usually needs.
Ash-foodfashionparty says
It's almost school time and this is for sure healthier than those loaded sugar ones..
Kiersten says
Yes, the store bought fruit rolls are full of of sugar and food coloring!
Marta@What should I eat for breakfast today says
My hubby will love it. Thank you for sharing.
Karen says
This recipe looks so easy to make. And I will take your word for it that it is good and non-spinachy tasting. Love that lunch bag. Too cute!
Kiersten says
I'm not a fan of spinach, so if I will eat it, you know it's good. 😉
Brianne @ Cupcakes & Kale Chips says
This is amazing, Kiersten! I am totally making these (and maybe some other fruit versions) for my little guy's lunchbox!
Kiersten says
I'm sure he will love them! 😀
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
A sugar-free treat! I can't wait to try it too!
Jennifer @ MySweetSanity says
I love sneaking veggies into kids diets anyway possible! Love the chips and the fruit leather recipe.
Eat Good 4 Life says
What a great combo of flavors. I have never made any fruit leather at all but if I do this is the one that I will make first. So unique. I will pin it for the future 🙂
Kiersten says
Thanks for the pin! 🙂
Cat Davis | Food Family & Finds says
That's such a smart idea! I wouldn't have thought to hide that in there. Looks delicious!