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Sun-Kissed Fruit Chews Recipe {100% Fruit}

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This Winter I feel like it has been unusually sunny.  I realized that I don’t mind the cold as much as I mind the dark, cloudy gray of Winter.  When I wake up in the morning and the sun is out, my soul is happy!  But on those dark, gray days is when I need something fun and happy.  Usually this is food related, but sometimes I can crank some fun tunes and it fills my need.  On this particular day I felt like a little citrus was the key to brighten the day.  Maybe that is why citrus is in season during our Winter – bright, refreshing, rejuvenating.

On another note, isn’t it interesting that fruit snacks are called fruit snacks?  If you look at the ingredients, they are really just candy!  Even the fruit snacks that claim to be healthier are loaded with high fructose corn syrup.  Sneaky way to get kids to love them and adults to approve 🙂  My little 5 year old happens to be obsessed with fruit snacks.  Not sure what it is about fruit snacks in particular, but she would choose those over pretty much any candy.  I decided to take a crack at making my own.  They definitely are not like store-bought fruit snacks, but they also are just fruit! No sugar added.

Sun-Kissed Fruit Chews. Homemade fruit chews! 100% fruit.

My favorite thing about our Sun-Kissed Fruit Chews Recipe is that it is actual fruit.  I started with whole fruits, blended them up and turned them into fruit chews.  Now tell me that doesn’t brighten your day!

Super Healthy Kids Fruit Chews

Store Bought Fruit Snacks

Sun-Kissed Fruit Chews. Homemade fruit chews! 100% fruit.Fresh squeezed orange juice,strawberries, pear, pineapple, unflavored gelatinFruit Juice from Concentrates (Apple, Pear), Corn SyrupSugar, Modified Corn Starch.Contains 2% or Less of: Pectin,

Citric Acid, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid),Dextrose,Sodium Citrate,

Malic Acid, Mineral Oil (adds a Trivial Amount of Fat).

Potassium Citrate, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Carnauba Wax, Sulfiting Agents,

Color (Red 40Yellows 5 & 6Blue 1), Beeswax. Gluten free.

The first step is to juice your fruit.  For these fruit chews we used fresh squeeze orange juice, fresh strawberries, ripe pears, and canned pineapple. You can use any fruit combination you want.  You will just need 2 cups of juice total.  We juiced our oranges and the rest we blended in our Blendtec.  If you have a juicer, then go for it! If not, a high powered blender is a must so blend the fruit fine enough for these chews.

Sun-Kissed Fruit Chews. Homemade fruit chews! 100% fruit.

If you go the blender method, pour your fruit mixture through a fine mesh sieve so you don’t have any chunks, or seeds, or a lot of pulp.

Sun-Kissed Fruit Chews. Homemade fruit chews! 100% fruit.

Next put half of the juice in bowl and add your gelatin.  Let it soak in for a minute, and then stir it up really good to make a paste. Your kids will love watching it as it soaks in – it forms a bubbly ‘brain’ looking type mixture.  It is really cool and my kids were loving it!  Put the other half of your juice in a pot and heat on medium heat until steaming.  Whisk in the paste one spoonful at a time until the mixtures are completely combined and smooth.  The paste should be dissolved by the time you stop whisking.

Sun-Kissed Fruit Chews. Homemade fruit chews! 100% fruit.

Sun-Kissed Fruit Chews. Homemade fruit chews! 100% fruit.

Pour the mixture into silicone molds using a funnel.  I think silicone molds work the best because they pop out really easy after they are set and cooled.

Sun-Kissed Fruit Chews. Homemade fruit chews! 100% fruit.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, but 1 hour for the best results before removing.  Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.  These make a great snack for your kids and are a refreshing treat any time!

Sun-Kissed Fruit Chews. Homemade fruit chews! 100% fruit.
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3.3 from 68 votes

Sun-Kissed Fruit Chews Recipe {100% Fruit}

Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time5 minutes
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 10
Calories: 130kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 medium orange
  • 1 cup strawberries
  • 1 medium pear
  • 1 cup pineapple
  • 8 envelope (1 tbsp) gelatin, dry powder, unsweetened

Instructions

  • Blend or juice fruit to make 2 cups of fruit juice. If using whole fruits, pour through a fine mesh sieve to remove pulp, seeds, or chunks.
  • Put 1 cup of juice in a bowl and add gelatin powder (7-8 Tablespoons). Let absorb for 30 seconds and then stir thoroughly to create a paste.
  • Heat the remaining 1 cup of juice in a pot on the stove over medium heat until steaming.
  • Add one spoonful of the juice paste at a time, while whisking. Whisk thoroughly once all of the paste has been added.
  • Pour into silicone molds using a funnel.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes – 1 hour before removing from trays.
  • Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.

Nutrition

Calories: 130kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 13g | Sodium: 30mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g
Keyword : Sun-Kissed Fruit Chews Recipe {100% Fruit}

www.superhealthykids.com

Natalie Monson

I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.

Learn More about Natalie

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58 Comments

If we don’t have a super blender – would these taste ok with just 100% juice from a box or just the fresh squeezed oranges?

Hello, they look yummie! How long can I keep them? And can you please tell me how much two cups is in ml? Thanks! Grtz, Hester

Sounds delicious! I am going to try these! Are they more like a jello jiggler, or firmer than that? Either way, they sound awesome!

Yes I’m sure they would taste great. We tried them with only orange juice and they were tart and we thought they needed a little something more. I think it is probably just up to your taste preferences.

They are definitely more firm than a jello jiggler. If you wanted them more of a jello consistency, you would just use half of the gelatin it calls for. Good luck – hope they turn out for you!

Did you try these in lunchbox? I’m wondering if they will melt somewhat of they are left out. Or maybe they can be frozen to keep them colder so they make it to lunchtime

Mine never set, even after several hours. I used suregel, did I d-i something wrong? I replaced the pear with an apple but other wise followed the instructions.

There are vegetarian options. I have never used either of these though and so not sure exactly how they would turn out 🙂
Agar, agar-agar, or kanten: Made from red algae, agar is often used in Asian desserts and firm jellies. It’s flavorless and has a firmer, less jiggly texture than gelatin. 1 teaspoon gelatin = 1 teaspoon agar powder
Vegan Jel: It’s made with vegetable gum, adipic acid, tapioca dextrin, calcium phosphate, and potassium citrate. 1 teaspoon gelatin = 1 1/2 teaspoons Vegan Jel

Help! I did the blender method and put 7-8 tbls of gelatin and after 1.5 hours in the fridge, they are still goopy in the middle. What did I do wrong and how can I fix it? Can I scoop it out, hear the mixture back up, and add more gelatin somehow? Should I just wait longer?

Thanks!

Thanks, Natalie! I love your methodical approach to your posts – let’s make a comparative table if there is anything to compare :)! The recipe looks great, just tell me please, doesn’t the jelly tend to melt (e.g. on the table waiting to be eaten)? Thank you very much!

Did you add the gelatin to half of the juice first and then whisk it together with the heated juice? Did you heat it all together and dissolve the gelatin completely before pouring into your molds? I’m not sure if you can redo it at this point, but you could give it a shot. When I make them they start ‘gelling’ right away – within 10-20 minutes of being in the fridge. Not quite sure the method you used, but I have made these lots of times and they always gel using the method in the recipe. Good luck!

I used 1 cup pineapple juice and 1 cup orange juice and 8 tblsps of gelatin and mine are not setting at all. They are pretty much liquid. I researched this and FRESH PINEAPPLE will not set with gelatin 🙁 Only canned! A way to avoid this is to boil the fresh pineapple juice for 5 minutes first…and then use it. Ughhh….just thought I would post as some others have had the same problem. These fruits need to be processed the same way: papaya, mango, pineapple, prickly pear and kiwi.

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Yes, just made with fresh squeezed orange juice and they were a little bland…even though the juice tasted supersweet…the gelatin must take away some of the flavour. Love the texture though!

Yes I have actually made them with honey. They work good with the honey. You will have to experiment with different juices – I tried it first with just fresh squeezed orange juice and felt the same way. A little too bland.

Can you use applesauce to make these? Granted the base will be a lot thicker so maybe less gelatin would be required. Just thinking of these rather than making a leather.

I think it would work! The more gelatin you add, then thicker the texture. I personally like mine pretty thick instead of the jello-type consistency. Let us know how it works out!

Are these very “sticky” when you chew them? My 3 year old has a crown on her last molar. I would love to make these for her, but I don’t want to pull out her crown.

I made these last night… I like the texture a lot. I think I would definitely add a little honey next time. I tasted a drip of the juice mixture before and it was soooo sweet! It lost a lot of the sweetness after cooking and adding the gelatin. They are still good though, and my 2 year old kept asking for more this morning! Thanks for the recipe!

I juiced 4 large oranges, filtered out the pulp, followed the instructions above, and they came out perfect consistency. BUT, they tasted awful, absolutely no flavor. The juice was very strong when I and my kids sipped the extra juice, but it’s as if the Knox unflavored gelatin took away all the flavor. My non-finicky kids don’t like them. I added only 7 tbsp of gelatin, too.

Same thing happened to me. I used 1 cup puréed strawberries and 1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice mixed together and 8Tsp gelatin. They tasted awful, like nothing but gelatin not a taste of strawberries or oj. Would really like to know what I did wrong.

Made these, came out perfectly formed and consistency, but the taste was awful. It’s as though the Knox unflavored gelatin was all I tasted – my kids didn’t even like them, and they usually eat anything! The orange juice I fresh-squeezed and was very strong tasting. I could barely taste any orange. Same with the strawberries I tried. Maybe another gelatin I should try?

We tried them with lemons and limes and a bit of honey and the kids would not touch them 🙂 Has anyone tried them from watermelons?

Try a different juice blend other than only orange juice. It does lose a lot of sweetness when you mix with the gelatin. I don’t think the gelatin flavor is the problem – it really makes a different what juice you use. Try a sweeter juice like apple and maybe they will like it better!

can you freeze these and put in a container to take to lets say disneyland and would they be ok to thaw and taste fine?

The amazon link above for gelatin is actually a link for collagen hydrolysate, which in my experience won’t gel.

Hi, Mine is in the freezer now, but I think I made a mistake. I put the half of the juice for heating up, when it was steaming I turned the fire off. Then I started to give the other half of the juice with a gelatine… Si I did not heated them together. 🙁 Is it bad?

This sounds similar to the “Knox Blocks” recipe I’ve recently used to make homemade Jell-O-but with a higher concentration of gelatin. I had good luck using frozen juice concentrate (with water added to make regular juice). I used blends such as blueberry pomegranate or cherry so the color would look more like regular Jell-O – and it was a hit with my kids. When I tried an orange / apple juice blend, it smelled a bit weird (I think the heated OJ/apple juice), and they didn’t like it very much.