A recipe for healthy fruit snacks with natural juice! They are an easy easy snack recipe, kid friendly, and all-natural with NO high fructose corn syrup.
I’ve had an unnatural fondness for fruit snacks for as long as I can remember. Even when I was a kid and it was normal to like fruit snacks, I managed to take it to an extreme level. I would make my parents buy every box of my favorite brand that was in stock when we went shopping.
That said, I eventually gave up fruit snacks because it’s pretty much impossible to find them without corn syrup and crazy additives! It’s been years since I’ve had any. Lately, I’ve been contemplating a way to make them myself, but healthier.
Obviously, the first thing I had to find was healthy, all-natural juices for a base. You can use any natural juice without added high fructose corn syrup. Look for a juice that is cold-pressed to keep in the nutrients. Make sure you read nutrition labels to make sure your juice has no added sugar.
For my fruit snacks, I used the organic grapefruit, organic spicy lemonade, organic strawberry lemonade and cold-pressed smooth greens. The final product is delicious, healthy, great on the go. Most importantly – satisfies my bulk-fruit snack buying much younger self.
I experimented with pouring the mixture into bread pans as well as silicone chocolate molds and either works just fine! Really you can put them in any container you have lying around. Given how well the fruit gummies made in silicone molds turned out, next time I might add a little booze. What a pretty, colorful party appetizer! Kind of like grown up jello shots? They are also convenient because they can easily be made ahead.
Thanks so much for reading A Side of Sweet! For more Sweet in your life, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin’, or Twitter, or subscribe to receive a weekly email with new posts (see sidebar).
DIY Healthy Fruit Snacks without Corn Syrup
A recipe for healthy fruit snacks with natural juice! They are an easy easy snack recipe, kid friendly, and all-natural with NO high fructose corn syrup.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-5 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: No bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fruit or vegetable juice
- 4 tablespoons powdered gelatin
- 2–4 tablespoons honey
- Silicone molds (optional)
Instructions
How to Make Your Own Fruit Snacks:
- Pour the juice into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the powdered gelatin over the liquid and let sit for a few minutes. It will turn “wrinkly” as the gelatin blooms.
- Stir the juice and gelatin to combine. At this point it will look like applesauce. Heat the mixture over medium heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved – do not let boil! You will know it is done when the mixture no longer has a gritty texture between your fingers. Turn off the heat.
- Stir in the honey. I used more honey for less sweet juices, like veggie or grapefruit.
- Pour the mixture into silicone molds (I used these), tupperware, or even a bread pan. Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set. If not using molds, use a knife to loosen one edge of the set mixture and gently peel it out of your container. Use a paring knife to slice into cubes.
Tip: Your homemade fruit snacks can be stored in an airtight container for about 1 week either at room temperature or in the fridge.
Note: Nutrition information will vary widely based on the type of juice you use!
Love this easy snack idea? Check out these healthy frozen yogurt dots!
Oh man, I STILL have a fruit snack addiction. Please send me home with a vat of these. I’m a snack monster and this is my snack of choice.
Haha, that makes two of us! I wish there was a snack monster emoji!
Man you’re so creative. The pictures in this post are awesome, love the brightness of them all. And the ooie goodie yummy fruit snacks. I love candy. Duh, who doesn’t. I love fruit snacks too. Jessica gave me some of her’s on a drive once… I think she bought it for her son – bu man, I could’ve eaten them all, happily.
Thank you so much Nancy! Nice work on not stealing too much candy from babes! 🙂
★★★★★
I am still a fruit snack junkie. I have cut out so many fun foods from my life, but I refuse to give up fruit snacks. Love the idea of making healthier ones though.
I feel you! I’m always trying to cut out processed foods and additives but you have to allow yourself a splurge here and there!
★★★★★
I am still a fruit snack junkie. I eat so healthy and have eliminated so many fun foods from my life, and I just don’t want to give those up. Love the idea of making healthier ones, though!
These are adorable! Love this idea! I am such a sucker for fruit snacks too and would gobble these up in no time 🙂
Thanks Kelly!
I love it! They looks like little pretty gems. I was addicted to fruit snacks as a kid. I’m glad there are more healthier alternatives nowadays 🙂
Exactly! It’s good to be able to make things at home.
this is a great idea!
Thanks dina!
★★★★★
Wow! I think I am going to make these for myself to see how they come out.
Awesome! Let me know!
I never thought of putting freshly pressed juices for homemade jello! What a wonderful idea. I usually use unsweetened cranberry juice, some filtered water and vanilla stevia. I will definitely try this out! Thank you!
★★★★★
Yes! These are a bit firmer than jello, more of an in between to corn syrupy fruit snacks and jello. Let me know how they turn out!
★★★★★
Hey Kelly! How long do these last? Should they be refrigerated? 🙂
Hi! Good question! They don’t need to be refrigerated, but definitely taste different based on where you store them. They are a bit firmer if you keep them in the fridge. They should last about a week in an airtight container! Hope that helps!
Hmmmmm. Does lemonade work instead of fruit juice?
Yes!
Can you use coconut water for this?
Definitely.
Can I omit the honey if using sweetened fruit juice or does it do more for consistency?
You probably could, but I found that no matter how sweet the juice the fruits snacks didn’t taste as sweet once they were made. My personal preference was to add honey. It’s optional though!
Can I substitute gelatine with pectin or agar? Sense I found out that gelatine is made out of rendered animal fats. Thank you. Viktoria
Honestly I’m not sure! Let me know if you try it!
You can use agar powder. we make jellies for vegan customers in my kitchen. use 0.5%-1% of liquid weight for agar ( eg. 1g for 100ml) sometimes this is too firm for some people and you could go as low as 0.5%. add the agar powder while liquid is boiling and stir while boiling for 5 minutes to fully saurate the agar. set as you would for gelatin. Using Pectin would give you something similar to pate de fruit. Making pate de fruit requires specific amounts based on the type of fruit juice/puree and acidity….sometimes requires citric acid too. Hope this helps!
Thank you for this advice. I am vegan so am going to use agar. 🙂
What a beautiful snack! My 2year old LOVES fruit snacks. I really want to try your recipe. Do they need to sit out to dry out? Are they very sticky?
Thanks!!
Is there another juice you can recommend? I’m not sure if I have access to Evolution.
Hi Jessica – Thanks for your questions. They fruit snacks are not sticky and shouldn’t need to dry out. If anything, they are a bit more rubbery than regular fruit snacks – more like Jello due to the gelatin. They are delicious! You can use any natural juice, from fresh fruit that you juice yourself to something like Naked Juice. Also, Starbucks owns Evolution Fresh, so if there is one near you, chances are they have it. Hope that helps!
★★★★★
Hi Anne – Thanks for the question. I’m sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you on the first try. I have a few questions for you that you probably already did, but just to check:
1. Did you use gelatin powder, not jello?
2. Did you chill the molds in the fridge?
If you did those things, maybe it’s a humidity issue? At least where I am, it’s been really rainy and muggy. I haven’t had to oil the molds when I’ve made them, but if you are really having trouble you could definitely try doing a paper towel soaked with a neutral oil (like canola or vegetable) to lightly coat them. Keep me posted on how things turn out!
★★★★★
I did use gelatin powder and chilled them in the fridge. I live in the Midwest so the air was bone-dry when I made them in January. It was the first time I used the mold so maybe it will work better the second time? The smooth half domes were the only ones that came out clean and easily.
I have literally just put some dummies in the fridge but I have to juice my fruit – you are incredibly lucky to have a juice company you trust. Makes life a lot easier – and sweeter.
★★★★★
It’s true! One of the things about San Francisco is there is a juice place on every corner! Juicing your own fruit is so awesome though – I don’t have a juicer yet but I’ve always wanted one!
★★★★★
Just made these for my girls who think fruit snacks are one of the food groups. I’ll never buy fruit snacks again.
So awesome!!!!! This makes me so happy!
Tablespoons! I’ll update the recipe to spell that out.
★★★★★
I made these and I must have done something wrong. I did omit the honey (unintentionally…ugh. Making three things at once is not such a good idea). However, I used mango nectar, which is sweet and concentrated in flavor. These taste like almost nothing. I was thinking of adding some pureed mango to it or maybe reducing the juice FIRST to take out some of the water content?
Hi Kate – The first time I made them I also skimped on the sweetener and they also turned out bland for me. I haven’t tried reducing anything as I’ve only used juice, but it sounds like a great idea! You’ll have to let me know how they turn out! The only thing about taking out some of the water is I’m not sure about the gelatin/water balance. I guess it’s worth a try though!
★★★★★
I can’t eat honey, so I was wondering if it would work to omit that and, instead, sprinkle the tops with granulated sugar before they set completely. Callard & Bowser used to have a candy similar to this. They were quite tangy but the sugar on the outside made them just right
What do you think?.
Hi BeeJay – I think it’s worth a try! They are so easy to make you could just do a small batch and see what happens. Let me know how they turn out!
Super excited to try these out! But I was wondering if you had any kind of serving size or nutrional info? like your typical sugar/serving or whatnot.
Hi Elle – I added nutrition information, but I suggest using a site like CalorieCount.com to estimate it with the juice you choose. The information really varies widely based on your juice that you use! Hope that helps.
★★★★★
Can i use jello powder? How long will the last or good for?
T hank You
Marsha
Hi Marsha – I haven’t tried it with jello powder but it may work. They should last for several days in the fridge. Please let me know if you end up trying it with jello powder how they turn out! <3
★★★★★
I made these with my own homemade juices. At first I tried orange carrot and it turned out okay, then I tryed pineapple with coconut extract. It was amazing. These fruit snacks are an easy way to snack healthy. I plan on trying these with pear spinach, and strawberry mango! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Hi Ellie – That’s so amazing to hear! I’m so, so happy that you loved them as much as I do. Thank you also for taking the time to leave a comment letting me know! It means a lot.
Hi!
Not sure if anyone asked this, but can these be stored at room temperature // I was thinking about making a bunch and leaving them on my desk at work to eat throughout the month/
Hi Niko – I don’t think these would do very well stored for a long period of time out of the fridge. I’d recommend keeping them in the fridge.
Will they melt if not kept in the refrigerator?
No, but they might become a bit sticky and lose their firmness.
How is gelatin (animal bones) healthy? This type of recipe should definitely be vegetarian. I’m so sad, because I wanted to make them
What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!!
I will try them! Did you use non flavour gelatin? Where do you buy it? Thanks a lot!
I got it on Amazon: https://bit.ly/2mXmm5S. Plain gelatin is what you want. Have fun!
I made these last night and was severely disappointed. It looks pretty, but its the exact texture as hard jello, and it was almost completely tasteless. So, I looked up recipes for homemade jello, and its basically the same thing as this recipe 🙁
★
Hi Anna – I’m so sorry you had a disappointing experience with the fruit snacks. It’s true, the homemade version has a different texture than the store bought ones that have all of the corn syrup, additives and who knows what to give them that chewiness! The homemade ones are chewier and firmer, but for me that’s a good thing! The taste might be due to the juice you chose and perhaps not adding enough sweetener. If these aren’t up your ally, I would try doing dehydrated fruit puree “roll-ups” instead. I love these as well and they are totally different! https://asideofsweet.com/fruit-leather-roll-ups/
★★★★★
Maybe it was the juice, but I used welches 100 percent all natural grape juice and I used ocean spray 100 percent all natural grapefruit juice. Both of which have really powerful tastes. I also used 3 tables spoons of honey for each recipe. If that isn’t enough flavor, I guess I just don’t know what juice to use.
★
Maybe it was the juice, but I used welches 100 percent all natural grape juice and I used ocean spray 100 percent all natural grapefruit juice. Both of which have really powerful tastes. I also used 3 tables spoons of honey for each recipe. If that isn’t enough flavor, I guess I just don’t know what juice to use.
★
How long are these good for? Can you freeze them?
At least a week, if not longer. I’ve never tried freezing them, but I don’t think they would keep their texture.
★★★★★
I followed the recipe to a T and they turned out perfect! I used apple juice for one batch and sugar free raspberry drink mix for another and they are so tasty! They set up within just about thirty minutes in the fridge. I cant wait to make them again.
★★★★★
Hi Jenni – I’m so glad to hear that! Thank you so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Hi kelly,
Can I use agar agar instead of gelatin?
Thank you ?.
I’m not sure sorry.
★★★★★
Thanks for this recipe! I made these tonight and they were pretty tasty, but mine came out like a slightly tougher jello (not sure if that’s the intention). I prefer a chewier consistency more like store-bought gummy bears. Would adding more gelatin make them chewier or is there another way to do so?
Hi Sofie – That slightly rubbery texture is pretty consistent with what this recipe yields. Adding more gelatin won’t help unfortunately.These are definitely different than the store bought version but for me a good substitute if it means avoiding corn syrup and artificial flavors! Hope that helps.
★★★★★
4 Table spoon, are you talking about a actual table spoon or a 1 Table spoon measuring spoon. I tried making this with organic cransberry juice and it was plain gross.
You should use a tablespoon measuring spoon.
Where did you get the honey from and why?
I wanna know if there was anything specific about the honey that motivated you to buy it other than the recipe of course, i.e. health benefits.
Love the detail in your recipe, getting everything ready to try it out.
Looks yummy. Thanks for sharing
Looking for healthy recipes that are also kid-friendly. Looking forward to trying these.
Thank you for this recipes. It is very creative, I appreciate your sharing so much. However, there is a confusion between my package instruction amd your recipes that I would like to point out for clarification. On my powdered gelatin package it says 1 pack (=1tbsp) with 4 cups of juice and will yield a serving of 42. Your recipe says 4 tbsps (=4 packs of mine) will need 1 1/2 cup of juice. Would that be too thick?
Hi Belle – I used plain gelatin powder as linked in the recipe and it works for the amount of juice recommended. If you have a different brand I can’t predict exactly how it will turn out unfortunately! You could try a batch and if it seems to chewy perhaps you can decrease the amount of gelatin.
★★★★★
I was so excited to find your recipe, as it says at the very top of the article that your recipe is vegetarian! I scrolled down, and one of the ingredients listed is gelatin – which is very much NOT vegetarian. Gelatin is made by prolonged boiling of skin, cartilage, and bones from animals.
★
What type of juice did you use? I used watermelon and they were yucky
I’m just curious if maple syrup could be used in place of honey?