Healthy Dehydrated Fruit

We love healthy dehydrated snacks in our house, especially fruit.  It is the perfect quick healthy snack for kids.  I know that you can buy dried fruit in the store, but my kids prefer our dehydrator snacks.  I also love that I know exactly what they are eating, no reading labels.  We have dehydrated lots of different fruits, but the kids favorites include kiwis, apples, strawberries, bananas and peaches.  It is so simple to make these healthy dehydrated snacks.

Dehydrated Strawberries. Wash the fruit and remove the steams.  Use and egg slicer to make thin slices and simply lay them on the dehydrator trays.

Dehydrated Kiwi. Wash the kiwi and peel off the skin. Using a mandolin or knife, make thin even slices.  Arrange slices on dehydrator trays.  My kids think that they taste just like sour patch kids!

Dehydrated Apples. Wash apples and run them through an apple-corer-peeler-slicer.  Our family loves the tartness of granny smith apples.  Soak the apple slices in 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of agave nectar or honey.  Arrange the slices on the dehydrator trays and sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon.

Dehydrated Bananas. Peel the banana and cut into thick slices.  I usually get about 18-20 slices out of each banana.  Soak bananas in 1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 Tablespoon of agave nectar or honey.  Arrange slices on the dehydrator trays.  These will not be crisp like the ones in the store, but they taste SO much better.

Dehydrated Oranges. Peel oranges and thinly slice with a mandolin or knife.  Arrange slices on dehydrator trays.

Drying time will depend on how thick you slice your fruit and if you have added agave nectar or honey.  Generally most fruit will take up to 8 hours.  I often start my dehydrator in the evening and let it run all night.  The fruit is dry when you cut it open and there is no moisture inside.  Remove the fruit from the tray and let cool before storing.  I store my dried fruit in glass mason jars.  It is best to buy fruit at its peak season and make sure to only use ripe fruit.

These healthy dehydrated snacks are perfect for camping, going to the beach, long car rides, throwing in your purse, on top of granola and just about anywhere else.  I love that there are no messy, drippy, sticky fingers or faces to wash and that my kids are snacking on healthy treats with no preservatives.

Here is another great dehydrator recipe.  My kids also LOVE this healthy fruit leather in their lunches.  It is 100% fruit, nothing extra added which I’m all for and the kids love that  it tastes great!

If you don’t want to miss out on any of the fun we are having at Housing A Forest, make sure to follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Google + and Twitter.