Cranberry Kefir Fruit Snacks :: Paleo, Real Food, Refined-Sugar Free

Tart and tasty, these Cranberry Kefir Fruit Snacks are a delicious way to get some much-needed nutrients in to kiddos… or parents!

Nutrition ninja. AKA, mom.

As a mom of five (soon to be six) little kids, I’m always glad when I can mask massive quantities of nutrition in something my kids think is a treat.

Case in point: fruit snacks.

I know, I know, when most real-food mommas hear fruit snacks, massive amounts of nutrition is not what comes to their minds! Maybe massive amounts of sugar, food coloring, and other additives. But nutrition? Not so much.

A healthier alternative.

And that’s totally understandable. If you take a look at the ingredients in most store-bought fruit snacks or gummies, nutrition is pretty much the last thing there.

Corn syrup, sugar, modified corn starch, juice from concentrate, fruit purees, citric acid, lactic acid, natural and artificial flavors, sodium citrate, gelatin, coconut oil, carnauba wax, red 40, yellow 5 and blue 1.

Well, actually, food coloring is the last thing there, but you get my point. Nutrition is lacking!

Thankfully, pretty much anything is possible when you make it yourself! And that’s just what you should do. There’s no reason your kiddos shouldn’t enjoy fruit snacks just because the ones in the store are full of garbage!

Nutrition packed snacks.

Real, homemade fruit snacks are packed with nutrition from real fruit, gelatin, natural sweeteners like honey, and more! In these Cranberry Kefir Fruit Snacks, I added in some magnesium powder to give them a little mineral boost.

While most adults commonly suffer from magnesium deficiency, kids are susceptible, too. Magnesium helps kids sleep naturally, gives an energy boost (I know, most kids don’t need that!), soothes muscle aches and joint pain, and helps with brain function, especially in children who struggle with ADD, ADHD, and anxiety.

Berry good.

Even though my kids think of these Cranberry Kefir Fruit Snacks as a treat, I originally came up with the recipe to try and get some cranberry goodness into my daughter, who was struggling with a urinary tract infection.

The prevention and treatment of UTI’s is what cranberries are most known for (other than amazing cranberry sauce at the holidays!). This is due to a compound in cranberries that helps keep the bacteria that causes UTI’s (like E. coli) from attaching to the wall of the urinary tract.

Besides this wonderful use, cranberries are a great way to boost your body’s antioxidant levels (they’re full of vitamins C and E!), fight off inflammation, and boost immunity. So helpful during the winter months!

A tart treat.

Even though these fruit snacks contain honey, and the sweet kefir, cranberries are still pretttty tart! So remember when making these for your kiddos, they’re rather on the sour side of fruit snacks. 😉

Looking for more healthy fruit snacks and gummies to feed your hungry kiddos (or yourself)? Here are my family’s favorites!

In the recipe card I’ve linked to some of the products from my affiliate partners that I like to use. Purchasing through these links won’t cost you anything extra. Thanks!