Paleo
Vegan
Gluten FreeHomemade healthy fruit snacks and veggie chips are perfect for a healthy snack or lunchbox treat. These low sugar snacks are super easy to make and delicious! Kid friendly and vegan too.
I remember it like yesterday. The after school snack time and crazy amount of extracurricular activities. My favorite was dance (jazz class to be specific). My neighbor and I would rush out of school, throw on our tights, jazz shoes (ya, I was cool), and then head down the road to the local dance studio. It was there we would spend a dollar (gosh I wish things were still a dollar) on a bag of fruit snacks and a Clearly Canadian Fruit Water. Anybody remember those? Oh man, it was good! It was also sugar water and sugar fruit candy. Seriously, no wonder I was always balls to the walls energetic at dance time! Then would totally crash after. Ha!
Nowadays it’s my husband who craves the fruit snacks, especially after long rides. Hello glycogen depletion!
Sure, there are healthier fruit snacks out there these days, and there are naturally dried fruits, but they are not cheap. In fact, I went to go buy some organic unsweetened dried cherries and bananas at the store and they cost $10. Yes, $10 for a bag. WOWZA!
But this is where my sherpa wife/Martha syndrome comes in.
Can’t we just make homemade healthy fruit snacks? Wouldn’t that save us loads of added sugar and money?
Ah ha moment here ya’ll!
Yes, yes we can! And it is easy peasy.
You can make these homemade healthy fruit snacks two ways; in the dehydrator or in the oven.
I like to coat my fruit with coconut oil or coconut butter first, then add a spice, like cinnamon! They smell amazing and have a chewy fruit snack texture that’s great to add to oatmeal, baking, or in a trail mix.
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Lower Sugar Homemade Healthy Fruit Snacks
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 10 hrs
- Total Time: 10 hrs 5 min
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Lower Sugar Homemade Healthy Fruit Snacks
Ingredients
- 2 bananas or plantains
- 1 bag frozen or fresh unsweetened dried cranberries or other fruit of choice
- 2–4 tbsp melted coconut butter or oil
- cinnamon
- *I love using sweet spreads cinnamon roll coconut butter melted in this recipe.
Instructions
- Slice your bananas and combine with berries into a large bowl. Coat with the oil and cinnamon.
- Lay flat on parchment paper or in a dehydrator.
- For the dehydrator, place on low for 8-10 hrs at 135F. If you want to try this in the oven, then crack the door open a little bit and keep the oven on low at 140F for 6 hrs or so.
- You can keep them there longer if you want them more crispy, less chewy
Aren’t they pretty?! I also think they would be great as gifts. To bad I didn’t think of that until AFTER the holidays. Haha.
Looking for more homemade healthy snack ideas to save you money?
Try these homemade Snap pea chips.
Or Spicy wasabi roasted peas with nut butter!
Okay tell me, what was your favorite afternoon snack growing up?
Have you tried homemade fruit snacks or veggie chips yet? You so need to!
Cheers!
Hi, I’m Lindsay! Gluten Free Nutrition Specialist, food photographer and author of 
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Liz S. says
January 23, 2015 at 5:49 AMI took jazz dance too 😀 My favorite after-school snack growing up = whole wheat toast with butter and cinnamon.
Love this homemade fruit snack recipe!
Tina muir says
January 23, 2015 at 6:37 AMOh this is so cool!!! I have always wondered about this, and now I can from a source I can trust. I tried a dried strawberry recipe from pinterest once; total fail haha! This sounds good. Thanks for sharing!
Kierston says
January 23, 2015 at 6:48 AMThis all looks so good! My Mom made me homemade fruit roll ups as a kid…they were awesome 🙂
Cara's Healthy Cravings says
January 23, 2015 at 6:53 AMThose would make a pretty gift, you will have to remember for next year!
My fav after school snack as a kid was those flavoured instant oatmeal packets or a toasted bagel with cream cheese and jam. I guess I have always really like breakfast!
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:10 PMohh gotta love bagel bites too! haha
MiChele@ paleorunningmomma says
January 23, 2015 at 6:53 AMThis is so cool! Thanks so much for this idea, I’m going to try over the weekend 🙂
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:13 PMlet me know if you do! the over works well too!
susie @ suzlyfe says
January 23, 2015 at 6:54 AMUm totally pairing these with my sweet potato chips! sweet sweet potato nachos, anyone?
LCCotter says
January 23, 2015 at 7:36 AMyes please! with gauc!
misszippy says
January 23, 2015 at 7:42 AMI really love this idea! And so would my kids, which is why we’ll be trying these recipes–thank you.
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat says
January 23, 2015 at 8:01 AMThese sound so tasty! My eating habits are 100% different from what I did as a kid, but way back then I was all about the fruit by the foot and Gushers “fruit” snacks. (Remember the kind with the goo that oozed out the middle?) Yeah, those. How I emerged from childhood being completely cavity-free is a miracle!
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:13 PMOMG! I used to love gushers and airheads, haha
Maureen says
January 23, 2015 at 8:48 AMI may FINALLY use the dehydrator I got 2 years ago to make this!! 🙂
Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment says
January 23, 2015 at 9:00 AMThese look delicious! Great idea. 🙂
Taylor @ LiftingRevolution.com says
January 23, 2015 at 9:03 AMSo pretty! I want a hydrator so bad, I don’t trust turning my oven on for that long so I haven’t dried anything. I know, I am worrying over nothing but can’t do it. When we get a bigger kitchen it’s my next toy!
LCCotter says
January 23, 2015 at 3:30 PMi usually use the oven for about 6 hrs on low. Great for a sunday when you are veggin out at home!
Heather (Where's the Beach) says
January 23, 2015 at 9:33 AMJazz shoes for the win! I was so excited when I got to start jazz classes – my studio required a certain number of years of ballet first. We had fuchsia leotards that first year. 😉 I remember having lots of peanut butter and cracker sandwiches as a kid. And clearly canadian? Talk about flashback friday LOL
Sue @ This Mama Runs for Cupcakes says
January 23, 2015 at 9:49 AMI used to love the chewy fruit snacks and my kids do too but I would love a healthier alternative for them. This is great. Now you have convinced me I need a dehydrator 🙂
Erin @ The Almond Eater says
January 23, 2015 at 10:02 AMI was a dancer and I had cool jazz shoes too…. 😀 I hate how expensive dried fruit is! Like, it makes no sense. These are an ‘ah ha’ moment for sure!
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:14 PMya buddy! jazz shoe friends for life
Kim says
January 23, 2015 at 10:16 AMI know that at least one of my boys would love this and it would give me a reason to use my dehydrator!!!
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:14 PMwoohoo! bust out the dehydrator!
Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table says
January 23, 2015 at 10:18 AMI saw WHOLE dried bananas at the San Diego Whole Foods yesterday. Giggled like a school boy.
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:15 PMoh you make me smile!
Hayley@healthyregardshayley says
January 23, 2015 at 10:27 AMPeanut butter crackers. Always loving on that nut butter.
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:16 PMoh ya! or cheeze itz! haha
Shashi @ runninsrilankan says
January 23, 2015 at 10:28 AMI wouldn’t ever have thought of this – I would have just given up eating fruit snacks – wait – that’s what I did!
But things might have to change- I sure love me some banana fruit snacks – so I turn the oven on and leave it cracked? Im assuming a small small crack – correct?
LCCotter says
January 23, 2015 at 3:31 PMyep, just one inch wide or so. Let me know if you try it!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
January 23, 2015 at 10:47 AMWell these fruit snacks looks killer awesome! I’d actually eat these 😉 I never understood the appeal of fruit snacks to kids though….never my thing!
Nicole says
January 23, 2015 at 11:05 AMYum! I remember the Clearly Canadian waters.
I’m not a fan of coconut oil…any recommendations on substitution?
LCCotter says
January 23, 2015 at 3:31 PMwhat about coconut butter? do you like that? I would also just try melting tahini or use grapeseed oil and cinnamon
Hayley says
January 23, 2015 at 11:09 AMWhat an awesome idea!! The fruit looks amazing!!! But I should try those snap peas!
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says
January 23, 2015 at 11:15 AMMartha syndrome…haha! Love this snack friend. 🙂
Sarah says
January 23, 2015 at 11:27 AMI’m not sure what my favorite snack was growing up…. maybe cereal? I use to come home everyday from school and get a big bowl of cereal!
I am all over those spicy wasabi roasted peas with nut butter! Can’t wait to try them and play with that idea!
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:21 PMI ate cereal like it was going out of business! haha
Jess @hellotofit says
January 23, 2015 at 12:32 PMYummy 🙂 my dad used to make dried banana slices with the dehydrator. These looks great, especially with the other ingredients 🙂 happy Friday!!
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:21 PMyou’re dad is smart!
Amanda @ .running with spoons. says
January 23, 2015 at 12:37 PMThe price of some dried fruit is seriously ridiculous. I love this one brand of apple chips, and it costs around $4 a bag… a bag that I could eat in a single sitting 😆
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:24 PMoh those are good. but $ indeed. i think one bag is like the cost of gas. haha jk
purelytwins says
January 23, 2015 at 12:47 PMyou know we would love these 😉
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:24 PMoh yes, twin approved!
jobo says
January 23, 2015 at 1:11 PMYUM! Genius! I want a dehydrator just to make these!!
LCCotter says
January 23, 2015 at 3:26 PMyou can make it in the oven! super easy!
Diana says
January 23, 2015 at 1:22 PMYum! What a great idea! I’ll have to try this sometime.
The Canadian Water I completely remember (and totally forgot about until this post – wow)!
LCCotter says
January 23, 2015 at 2:02 PMhaha i can still remember the taste of smell of that water!
Dietitian jess says
January 23, 2015 at 2:07 PMMy favorite after school snack was a bowl of cereal (preferably sugary cereal). I like the idea of adding nut butter!! Dried cranberries are an essential for a trail mix for me 🙂
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:25 PMlike pops! or fruit loops! haha
Katie says
January 23, 2015 at 3:17 PMVery sugary cereal… Little did I know what I was eating 😉
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:29 PMsame here!
Lisa @ RunWiki says
January 23, 2015 at 3:31 PMI need a food dehydrator! I would love to be able to make my own long run fuel. I use bars, but having fruit would be such a nice change. I like your combo of sweet and tart- sounds amazing.
Cat @ Breakfast to Bed says
January 23, 2015 at 4:08 PMI really want a dehydrator to make fruit roll ups.
Hilary says
January 23, 2015 at 4:54 PMI have been trying to make my own banana chips forever and they just never turn out good at all! Can’t wait to give your recipe a try!
Morganne @ Nut Butter Runner says
January 23, 2015 at 6:00 PMOk, I need to steal my dehydrator back from Nashville – must make these NOW, (like yesterday). YUM!
She Rocks Fitness says
January 23, 2015 at 9:17 PMMy favorite snack as a little kid…HMMM…Anything Hostess! I absolutely loved the chocolate cupcakes with the white swirl on the top. HAHA…that feels like so long ago…feeling old. 😉
Jess says
January 23, 2015 at 9:28 PMDelicious, this is perfect timing! The twins start preschool next week and they have to bring a packed lunch. I have been looking for healthy snack ideas.
Arman @ thebigmansworld says
January 24, 2015 at 2:03 AMI am obsessed with fruit snacks, specifically banana chips which are sweetened with sugar… oops. These look like a much better option!
GiGi Eats says
January 24, 2015 at 3:15 PMBAHH HUM BUG!
GiGi Eats says
January 24, 2015 at 3:12 PMI could eat those snap peas for DAYS!!!!!! YAAA BABY! 😉
Jill @ Do Try This at Home says
January 24, 2015 at 5:33 PMAww man! I really need a dehydrator! Those look good!
Molly Rose says
January 25, 2015 at 3:15 PMthat after school routine sounds strangely familiar! ballet was my favorite 🙂
I am a gummy girl to the end. those gummy snack packs, pull n peel twizzlers, heck gummy vitamins…. I love it all! I cut back like cray when I decreased my carb intake (now those vitamins are what I look forward to each day haha) I do not have a dehydrator so I will have to try this in the oven. I’m excited!!
sherpa wife/Martha syndrome. I love you
LCCotter says
January 25, 2015 at 9:09 PMhaha yes! i totally get that. Gummy vitamins are like dessert!
J.L. says
January 25, 2015 at 9:32 PMThose bananas look good, I think I need to try that with cinnamon. I always make my own dried apples. Clearly Canadian…those were the days. Have you seen this? https://clearlycanadian.com/
LCCotter says
January 26, 2015 at 7:21 AMhaha no way! i need to check out their site!
Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets says
January 26, 2015 at 5:59 AMI love dried fruit and add it to my granolas all the time. Fortunately, Nature’s Bin, my local grocery store, sells it in batches and for fairly reasonable prices too. For example, nearly a pound of dried banana slices is $3. It’s a good thing too because I can eat those pretty easily.
I love this idea. Great concept, and I want to see your jazz hands.
LCCotter says
January 26, 2015 at 7:34 AM*waves* –> those are my jazz hands.