Homemade fruit roll ups made with just fruit, honey, and lemon juice. Naturally sweet, kid-approved, and easy in the air fryer or oven.
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ℹ️ Overview
🛒 Ingredients
📷 How To Make
👩🍳 Recipe Tips
🥗 Serving Suggestions
📝 Full Recipe Card
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Fruit Roll Ups At A Glance
- ⏱ Ready In: 15 minutes prep + 3.5–4 hours drying (hands-off)
- 🍽 Serves: 12-15 rolls
- 🌱 Diet: Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free
- 💪 Nutrition: Naturally sweetened, no added sugar, no preservatives
- 🥕 Main Ingredients: Fresh fruit (strawberries, apricots, peaches or cherries), honey, lemon juice
- 🔥 Flavor Profile: Pure, concentrated fruit flavor — sweet, slightly tart, chewy
- 🧊 Meal-Prep Friendly: Keeps 2-3 weeks at room temperature, up to 6 months in the fridge
- 🧀 Best Served With: Lunchboxes, after-school snacks, or alongside a cheese and fruit platter
These homemade fruit roll ups are made with just 3 real ingredients — fruit, honey, and a splash of lemon juice — blended smooth, spread thin, and dried low and slow until they’re chewy and pliable, just like the fruit roll ups from the store.
You can use an air fryer or an oven, and they are great for whenever you’ve got fruit that’s a little too ripe. The best part is how versatile this recipe is: strawberries and apricots are my go-to, but berries, peaches, mango, and cherries all work beautifully, so you can rotate through whatever’s in season.
These are vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and they make a genuinely great lunchbox snack that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. I’ve made these roll-ups in both the air fryer and the oven, and while the air fryer keeps the kitchen cooler in summer, both get you to the same chewy, snackable result.
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What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this homemade fruit roll ups recipe (just 3 ingredients!).
- Fresh fruit – strawberries, apricots, mango, mixed berries, cherries, or peaches all work well. Ripe (even slightly overripe) fruit is ideal since it’s naturally sweeter, so this is a great way to use up fruit that’s about to turn.
- Honey – adds sweetness and helps the fruit hold together as it dries. Use less if your fruit is very ripe and sweet already; use maple syrup instead if you want it vegan-strict.
- Fresh lemon juice – balances the sweetness and helps keep the color bright, especially with lighter fruits like apricots or peaches.
Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
How To Make Fruit Roll Ups
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step notes for how to make fruit roll ups, with both air fryer and oven options.
- Wash and roughly chop your fruit, then add it to a blender with the honey and lemon juice.
- Blend until completely smooth — you want a pourable, seed-free puree.
- Line your air fryer basket (or a baking sheet, if using the oven) with parchment paper, doubled up for stability.
- Spoon about ½ cup of puree onto the parchment and spread it evenly, right to the edges, about ⅛ inch thick. Even thickness is the key to it drying uniformly.
- Air fryer method: Set to the dehydrate/dry setting at 150°F (65°C) and dry for about 3.5 hours, checking halfway through.
- Oven method: Set your oven to its lowest possible temperature (ideally 150-170°F/65-77°C). If your oven doesn’t go that low, prop the door open slightly with a wooden spoon to let moisture escape. Dry for 3-6 hours, checking from the 3-hour mark — oven times vary more than air fryers, so keep an eye on it.
- Test doneness by touching a corner: if it peels cleanly away from the parchment and isn’t tacky or wet, it’s ready. If it’s still sticky, keep drying and check again in 30-minute increments.
- Once cooled, cut into 3-inch strips through both the fruit and parchment using sharp kitchen scissors, then roll each strip up with the parchment still attached.
Recipe Tips
- Spread it evenly: Thicker patches take much longer to dry and can leave you with a gummy center, so take the time to spread the puree as flat and even as possible.
- Use ripe fruit: The riper the fruit, the sweeter and more flavorful the roll ups will be, so this is a genuinely great way to use up fruit that’s on its last legs.
- One batch of fruit, several batches of roll ups: 2 cups of puree usually yields more than one tray’s worth, so plan on drying in batches if your air fryer basket is small.
- Every appliance is different: Air fryers and ovens vary a lot, so use the timing as a guide and rely on the touch test rather than the clock.
- Storage: Keep rolled up in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 weeks, or in the fridge for up to 6 months for longer storage.
- Variations: Mix two fruits together (strawberry-apricot is a favorite), or add a pinch of cinnamon to stone fruit purees for extra warmth.
Serving Suggestions
These are made for snacking straight out of hand, rolled up and ready to go in a lunchbox, backpack, or bag for the car. I like to keep a jar of them on the counter for an easy after-school snack, and they’re also a fun addition to a kids’ party platter alongside fresh fruit and cheese. Since they don’t need refrigeration, they travel well for road trips, hikes, or picnics too.
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Homemade Fruit Roll Ups (Air Fryer or Oven)
Ingredients
- 2 cups washed, chopped fruit of your choice (strawberries, apricots, berries, cherries or peaches all work well) about 300 grams
- 1-2 tablespoons honey, depending on how ripe and sweet your fruit is 21-42 grams
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 15ml
Instructions
- Place the chopped fruit in a blender with the honey and lemon juice. Blend until completely smooth and pureed.
- Line the bottom of your air fryer basket (or a baking sheet, for the oven method) with parchment paper, doubled up for extra stability.
- Spoon about ½ cup of the fruit puree onto the parchment and spread it evenly, right to the edges, in a thin, even layer about ⅛ inch (3mm) thick.
- For the air fryer: Set to the dry/dehydrate function at 150°F (65°C) and dry for about 3.5 hours, checking halfway through.
- For the oven: Set to its lowest possible temperature, ideally 150-170°F (65-77°C). If your oven can't go that low, prop the door open slightly with a wooden spoon to let out moisture. Dry for 3-6 hours, starting to check from around the 3-hour mark.
- Test a corner of the fruit leather — if it peels away cleanly and isn't sticky or wet, it's done. If not, continue drying and re-check in 30-minute intervals.
- Once completely cool, cut into 3-inch strips through the parchment and fruit using sharp kitchen scissors.
- Roll each strip up with the parchment still attached, to store, and peel the parchment away before eating.
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