Keeping your kids away from sugars and dies? No need to go without fun snacks! Here are 30 delicious recipes for healthy homemade fruit snacks, gummy bears, and fruit roll-ups to stick your kid’s lunch box!
A childhood favorite.
Growing up my mom was pretty particular about the food she fed her family. While all my friends were getting lunchables and fruit snacks, I was eating homemade wheat bread with cucumbers and alfalfa sprouts on it. Not that I minded. I love(d) veggie sammiches. But I also love(d) fruit snacks….
I don’t think there was ever a time when my mom produced a little pack of fruit snack for me or my little brother, but whenever we’d get them at a friend’s house they were such a treat! We treasured them just as much as our weekly allotted piece of dessert.
Because that’s basically what they were.
Dessert.
Gummy Legos from Yang’s Nourishing Kitchen
There’s what in my fruit snacks?
That’s right, my friends. If you were under the assumption that those little store-bought packs of fruit snack were a healthy snack for your kiddos I’m sorry to break it to you, but they’re not. Just take a look at the ingredients in these popular Dora the Explorer ones:
In other words: fruit, sugar, sugar, corn, gelatin, artificial vitamins, artificial flavors, coconut oil (?!), turmeric (?!), food coloring… Um… nah. I’ll make my own thanks.
Tropical Orange Fruit Snacks from Allergy Free Alaska
A healthier option.
I’m assuming that if you’re here, you’re going to do the same. And why not? Fruit snacks are pretty dang easy to make! Most of these recipes only contain a few ingredients. And if you’re already a whole-foods kinda person, you probably have them in your pantry already.
Fruit.
First off, homemade fruit snacks and gummy bears start with a good quality fruit or fruit juice. Strawberry, blueberry, and citrus are popular flavors, but there are a couple of squash ones sneaked in here as well!
Sweeteners.
Next, a healthy sweetener is optional. I always use honey in my fruit snacks and gummies when I think the recipe needs a little extra sweetening. If you’re trying to keep things lower on the carbs, stevia is my second choice. All of these recipes are either sweetened with only fruit, honey, or stevia. I like the organic stevia from Trader Joes, but SweetLeaf, NOW Foods, and NuNaturals are quality, too.
Gelatin.
And last up, though definitely not the least important, is a good quality gelatin. I love using Perfect Supplements gelatin because from grass-fed cattle, making it kosher, non-GMO, and of course 100% gluten-free.
Molds.
Now, you can totally make your fruit snacks in a loaf pan or 9×9 inch dish and cut them out. No biggie. But if your kids are anything like mine, they’re gonna want the fun and fancy shapes! Here are some fun candy molds my kids love that work for great for gummies!
30 Homemade Fruit Snacks & Gummy Bears.
Got all your ingredients and equipment ready? Let’s dig in to the recipes! Whether you’re looking for fancy gummy bears, homemade fruit leathers, or just plain fruit snacks, everything you need is here…
Enjoy!
Kombucha Lemon Gummies from Raia’s Recipes
Homemade Fruit Snacks.
Apple Cider Fruit Snacks from Raia’s Recipes
Banana Creme Fruit Snacks from Raia’s Recipes
Cranberry Kefir Fruit Snacks from Raia’s Recipes
Easy Strawberry Fruit Snacks from Raia’s Recipes
Healthy Homemade Fruit Snacks (with veggies!) from Dessert for Two
Strawberry Orange Fruit Snacks from Little House Living
Tropical Orange Fruit Snacks from Allergy Free Alaska
Blueberry Sour Gummies from What Great Grandma Ate
Healthy Homemade Gummies & Bears.
3-Ingredient Bedtime Gummies from Prepare & Nourish
3-Ingredient Coconut Orange Gummies from Raia’s Recipes
Berry Blaster Gummy Bears from Fit As A Mama Bear
Blackberry Dragon Fruit Gummies from Happy Mothering
Blueberry & Lemon Gummies from Food Love Nourish
Blueberry Sour Gummies from What Great Grandma Ate
Concord Grape Gummies from Recipes to Nourish
Elderberry & Black Cherry Gummies from Happy Mothering
GAPS Intro Gummies in 3 Flavors from Eat Beautiful
Ginger Honey Gummy Snacks from Love/Love Thing
Grapefruit Gummies from Raia’s Recipes
Gummy Legos from Yang’s Nourishing Kitchen
Homemade Gummies from Whole New Mom
Healthy Probiotic Gummies from Small Footprint Family
Homemade Gummies with Fun Variations from Oh, the Things We’ll Make
Homemade Gummies from Whole New Mom
Immune-Boosting Elderberry Gummies from Traditional Cooking School
Kombucha Lemon Gummies from Raia’s Recipes
Lemon Elderberry Gummies from Just Take A Bite
Mango & Cream Gummies from Prepare & Nourish
Mango, Lemon & Turmeric Gummies from Food Love Nourish
Pomegranate Gelatin Gummies from The Organic Kitchen
Pumpkin Pie Gummies from Raia’s Recipes
Raspberry Gummies from Food Love Nourish
Rose Petal Gummies from Oh, the Things We’ll Make
Strawberry Banana Gummies from Common Sense Home
Sugar-Free Gummy Bears – 4 Flavors from Low Carb No Carb
Vitamin C Gummies from Traditional Cooking School
Easy Strawberry Fruit Leather from Wicked Spatula
Homemade Fruit Leathers & Roll-Ups
Blueberry Fruit Leather from Low-Carb Yum
Easy Strawberry Fruit Leather from Wicked Spatula
Homemade Fruit Leather from Every Day Full
Rhubarb Leather from Healthy, Green, Savvy
Strawberry Fruit Roll-Ups from Served From Scratch
Winter Squash Fruit Leather from Eat Beautiful
My favorites are watermelon and pineapple! I love them!
Thanks for giving me some new ideas for new flavors to try! 🙂
You’re so welcome, Tracy! Thanks for letting me share your recipes! 🙂
wow! My children would love these gummy bears!
I hope they get to try some! My kids sure are excited about them. 😉
I have to try these gummy bears. My daughter would love them!
I hope you enjoy them, Dannii!
What fun recipes to make with my kids! They love gummies!
Thanks, Sara!
Making a bunch of these for my granddaughter!! She loves fruit snacks and I love that they’re healthy!
Yay! I hope she enjoys them, Pam!
Oh wow so many fun treats to try! My little one is going to love some of these! Thanks for including my recipe!
You’re so welcome, Hope!
Oh my goodness, these look sooooo good! Need to try ALL of them!
Haha! I hope you get to, Susannah!
So many great recipes. Going to make some with my kids this week!
I hope you all enjoy them, Kiran!