Apple Leather (Apple roll-ups)

A high-quality Apple Leather costs $2.25 per piece if you buy it ready-made. Why not make your own? This recipe shows you how–from scratch!

Apple leather is meaty but soft, sweet & tangy, and most of all it’s very healthy!

For my family, I prefer to have Apple Leather over any sweet crackers or candy, even the ones labeled “organic & healthy” snacks. 

For many years when my daughter was younger, she always asked to get fruit leather when we went grocery shopping. As I thought it would be too hard and too much time to make my own, I just kept buying it. 

However, as it’s not cheap and I want to reduce unnecessary packaging, I decided to give making Apple Leather a try. It’s so easy, and I’m glad I did. It’s also another great way to preserve apples when they are in the season.

Besides one main ingredient, which is apples, there are only a few types of spices might add. Once you mix everything together, you let it dry in either your oven or a dehydrator. Forget about it for a few hours–preferably overnight. Then Voila, you have Apple Leather!

Once I learned to make Apple Leather, I experimented with other kinds of fruits, and I’m happy with all of them.

However, Apple Leather is my favorite one to make, especially during the apple season. It’s meatier and softer, and easy to chew. The taste is mild and well blended with the taste of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. I make sure to keep Apple Leather option in my pantry now.

To make it more productive, I usually make it at the same time as apple sauce. I just set aside the amount of applesauce I want to turn into Apple Leather, and add the other spices accordingly.

Ready to stop paying a high price for a good quality Apple Leather, and make your own? Let me show you how!

Ingredients:

Note: the quantity depends on how much you want to make. This recipe used 4 cups of cooked apples.

For making applesauce:

1. Apples–preferably organic. It’s even better if you can access them locally grown. I find that red apples give you a sweeter taste, but if you like a tangy flavor use green apples.
2. Filtered water

For making Apple Leather:

1. 4 cups (800 g) of applesauce
2. 2 tsp (10 g) of sugar (optional). I like to use raw, unrefined sugar. Raw unrefined sugar really helps to boot up the sweetness
3. ¼ tsp (1.2 g) of each cinnamon powder, cloves, and nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Wash, de-core and chop the apples into small chunks. 
2. Add water, for 8 cups (1,600 g) of chopped, add 2 cups (400 ml) of water.
3. Cook slow on medium heat. Stir often and make sure it doesn’t burn.
4. When the apples are cooked and soft, let it cool for a little bit.
5. Transfer 4 cups (800 g) of cooked apples to a blender, then add sugar, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Blend until smooth.
6. Pour the apple puree over a silicone baking sheet, smear and jiggle it to make it smooth. Using silicone baking sheets works perfect for this recipe. 
7. Bake it on a very low heat (125 degrees fahrenheit (51 °C) works perfect) overnight or until dry, it depends on your oven or dehydrator. Note: you can dehydrate it in your dehydrator too if you have solid sheet for making fruit leather. I tried to dehydrate it on parchment paper, but the leather didn’t come out as smooth as when I use silicone baking sheets.
8. When the leather dries, remove it from a baking pan and peel the leather off the baking sheets. Trim off the edges, and cut the leather into strips about 2 ½ inches (5-7 cms)
9. Roll each strip and tie it with a string, and put them in a glass jar and store them in a pantry–no refrigerated required.
10. Enjoy!
    

    add filtered water to the apple chunks

    

    cook the apples until smushed

    

    smooth the puree and make a thin layer

    

    peel off the leather is very satisfying!

    

    cut the leather into strips about 2 inches (5 cm) or so

    Make it appealing. Be creative!

Have you made Apple Leather before? Please share it with me–I’d like to hear about it!