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!
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!
Anne|Craving Something Healthy says
Thanks for another great idea Kiersten! Fruit leather has been on my "to-try" list for a while and it's just about apple season...
Kiersten says
You should definitely make it! I'm so obsessed with fruit leather. If I have fruit that's starting to go bad, I whip it up into a batch of fruit leather. 🙂
Kim @ What's That Smell? says
I need to make this! It looks wonderful and I love the "sneaky" part. Shhhhhh.....
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
Perfect snack to make during apple season!
Heidi @ Food Doodles says
Oh my goodness, I LOVE this idea! Totally making this for my kids!
Kare @ Kitchen Treaty says
This is exactly the kind of food I need right now for my veggie-averse toddler! She turns her nose up at veggies but loves crunchy things. And the fruit leather is totally brilliant. And the fact that it's green doesn't have to make it weird because it's green apple! So smart!
Kiersten says
It must break your heart as a vegetarian blogger to see your daughter not wanting to eat veggies. Sad!
Shannon says
Speaking of back to school lunch box ideas, I would be eternally grateful if you put together a post on that! Like you know, complete lunch ideas. I love this post by the way, can't wait to try it.
Kiersten says
I've been thinking about doing that, so it's definitely a possibility. 😉 But in the meantime, my friend Rachel at Following in My Shoes has lots of great lunch ideas, so definitely check out her blog too! http://followinginmyshoes.com/category/bento-2/
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says
I have the hardest time getting fruit leather right. Mine never dries evenly in the oven. I'm going to try this in the dehydrator and see if I can get it right.
Kiersten says
It can be tricky to get it to dry evenly. Usually I just cut the dried parts off and put the rest back in the oven!
Jai says
I've always liked fruit leather and I've always wondered how it was made. It sounds easier than I had imagined.
Kiersten says
It's way easier than people think it is!
Lisa @ Oh Boy Oh Boy Oh Boy says
I used to love fruit leather as a kid, and apple sounds yummy
Beeb says
I'm so impressed with the whole lunch, from the adorable lunch bag to the yummy chips to the spinach in a fruit roll up - so clever!
Kiersten says
Thank you! 🙂 I have all these fun little lunch bags and containers, I need to use them more often.
Melanie @ Just Some Salt and Pepper says
Such a great idea! I love how spinach is so mild tasting that you can sneak it into almost anything. I've never tried fruit leather, but it sounds really good!
Kiersten says
Yup, it's perfect that way! I don't like it on its own, but I love adding it to other foods. 🙂
Beth @ Tasty Yummies says
I love this. Such a great idea. I have made fruit leather before with the leftover pulp from fresh juice, (both fruit and veggie) but I still haven't tried making it just from scratch. I cannot wait to try this recipe! Thanks!
Kiersten says
Ooh, I just got a juicer and I've been composting the pulp--fruit leather is a MUCH better idea! Thank you!
Nicole B says
Don't the apples lose much of their nutritional value when you cook them for so long before dehydrating them?
Kiersten says
Apples need to be cooked in order to make fruit leather. My other fruit leather recipes start with raw fruit if that's what you're looking for.
kristy @ gastronomical sovereignty says
Kiersten! I ADORE your blog and your fresh, natural, healthy appley fruit leather! More fruit leather!! 🙂
P.s. found you via a recipe highlight at Mother Nature Network - love your blog!! ...did I say that already? 😉
Kiersten says
Thank you for stopping by (and for the kind words too)! 😀 Fruit leather is the best, right?!
Allis says
Hiya! : ) I'm wondering why apples must be cooked for fruit leather as opposed to other fruits which can be raw. I'm curious if you have tried it without cooking them and what was the result. I have a vitamix that I intend to use to process them, so I'm trying to understand what makes cooking necessary...thanks for any info you can offer.
Kiersten says
No, I haven't tried it because I've always heard that apples should be cooked before making fruit leather. If you want to try it without cooking the apples first, go for it!
Catherine says
Hello,
Is it necessary to cook the apples or could one just puree them in a food processor raw?
Also- could you just microwave the apples for a 1 minute cooking time instead of boiling them for 40 minutes? Just looking for time savers here.
Thanks,
Catherine
Catherine says
Sorry, disregard, duplicate comment! Everyone already asked about cooking the apples and I didn't see.
Phae says
Yes! Thanks so much- my veggie-averse daughter ate about half of the pan before I could even roll the strips up. I'm curious about how much of the nutrition cooks out of the spinach during the dehydration- do you know?
Kiersten Frase says
Spinach is actually better for you when it's cooked--the nutrients are more easily absorbed by the body. 🙂 I'm glad the fruit leather was a hit!
Tiffany says
FYI, there is a difference in "sugar free" and no sugar added/all natural sugars. This recipe only contains natural sugars (fructose) found in the fruit. Just keep this in mind 🙂
Patricia M says
Do you need to use parchment? None of your other fruit leathers use parchment. Am making a batch of banana right now!!
Kiersten Frase says
I like using parchment now because I think it makes the fruit leather easier to remove. But if you oil the baking sheet, you can skip it. 🙂
Sunshine says
Cannot wait to try this! 🙂 How long are these good for?
Leeanne says
I like green smoothies (frozen fruit berries and a mix of spinach, kale and swiss chard). Could I blend it up as I normally would but instead make it into a fruit leather? I don't want to use any sugar at all but I'm hoping the fruit leather will taste as delicious as the smoothie!
Kiersten Frase says
I think it would work, I'd just make sure the smoothie is on the thick side--otherwise, it will take a really long time to bake in the oven.
Tara says
It's in the oven as we speak! Thanks for a great idea, I'm excited to see if my son likes it. It'd yummy just as a sauce! 😉 I didn't peel the apples, and it still blended up nice and smooth - and with some added vitamins! 🙂
Beth Taylor says
Hi there! Do you use frozen spinach and pack it? Thank you!
Kiersten Frase says
No, you should use fresh. I think frozen has a stronger taste to it and it's also going to introduce a lot more moisture, which will make the fruit leather take longer to dry.
Beth says
Is there any reason why you wouldn't be able to use homemade Apple sauce in place of fresh apples? I have a bunch and am looking for different ways to use it. Thanks!
WelaJoèy says
Have you tried this with red apples or Mirabelle plums?
(soon too have an abundance!).
Currently living in Germany,do you have site where I might order those chips,please?
Kiersten says
Red apples would definitely work, but the plums would probably require longer cooking time as they tend to have more liquid - I'm not sure how that would work, so you might have to experiment a little.
I'm not sure if those chips are available overseas - sorry!