Do your kids love candy? We doubt there’s a child alive that doesn’t pester their mother for a sweet treat while they’re walking down the candy aisle at their local grocery store. Unfortunately, eating too much refined sugar products can be dangerous for your kid’s health and may result in weight problems, diabetes, or obesity.
We decided to tackle this problem and create a recipe that’s sweet and satisfying for kids to kill their sweet tooth cravings. This recipe for homemade strawberry fruit snacks is delicious and nutritious. The next time your kids moan about their need for a piece of candy, give them a few of these delightful treats instead.
The Healthy Goodness of Strawberry Homemade Snacks
Start your preparation of the strawberry fruit snacks by juicing fresh fruit. Take two apples and 2-cups of strawberries and run them through your juicer. Fresh fruit is high in vitamins and minerals, essential for building healthy, active, bodies and boosting immune function. (1)
Then, toss the juice into a high-speed blender along with the lemon juice. Don’t forget the lemon juice; it adds a balanced flavor to the mixture. Lemons also contain limonoids, a potent polyphenol antioxidant that assist the body with clearing the blood of free-radicals that harm your children’s health. (2)
Place a small saucepan over low heat and add the juice, along with 4-tablespoons of gelatin powder and the agave syrup. Mix the powder with the liquid until everything’s dissolved, and then take the saucepan off of the heat.
Pour the mixture into a silicon mold or an ice-cube tray and place it in the fridge for 4 to 6-hours to allow it to cool and firm up. The silicon mold makes it easy for you to take the candies out afterward, unlike aluminum molds. When you remove them from the mold, they should have a firm but soft feel to them. Go ahead and try one – for you know, research purposes.
The treats should keep in the fridge for a little over a week, but we doubt they’ll last that long. This is a great way to change things up in your household especially if you use seasonal fruits. If you’re feeling extra productive, try whipping these up for halloween as a healthier treat for your neighborhood trick-or-treaters. They won’t even notice the difference!
P.S. – If your family enjoys these strawberry treats, then try out our recipe idea for all-natural, sugar-free citrus fruit snacks as well. With our recipes, there’s no need to buy sugar-based candy snacks ever again.
Fruit Snack Ingredients
1-2 medium apples (enough for ½ cup of juice)
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups fresh strawberries
4 tbsp unflavored gelatin powder
¼ cup agave syrup or to taste
How to Make Homemade Strawberry Fruit Snacks
1. Run the apples through a juicer according to manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Place ½ cup of apple juice, lemon juice, agave syrup and strawberries in a high speed blender.
3. Blend until smooth.
4. In a small saucepan combine the strawberry mixture and gelatin powder then let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
5. Heat the mixture over low heat until everything has dissolved, about 3-4 minutes.
6. Pour into silicon moulds and refrigerate for minimum six hours or overnight to set.
7. Unmold and serve.
8. Keep the fruit snacks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 1 week.