· gluten-free · nut-free · soy-free · sugar-free ·

An easy and fun thing to make this holiday season (since we’re all spending a lot more time indoors and looking for something to keep us entertained) is dehydrated fruit!

If you’ve ever wanted to make your own but you were too intimidated by the process, or you thought it would be too much of a bother OR you thought you needed a fancy dehydrator, think again!

It’s so simple to dehydrate fruit at home just using your oven. All you need to do is slice your fruit really thin and place it in there at a low temperature so that it can dry out low and slow. That’s it!

Scroll down for the recipe and video ↓

 

What to use dehydrated fruit for

So why would you want to make dehydrated fruit in the first place?

Well, it makes a great sugar-free snack when you’re craving something sweet (and it’s lightweight for on the go), but it’s also great to use as a topping for desserts. Put some on your rice pudding, chocolate mousse, even your cakes!

You can also add dehydrated fruit to your cooking. Add dried apples to your breakfast oatmeal, for example, and they’ll become soft and infuse your oats with that unmistakable holiday apple flavor.

And lastly, you can always use dehydrated fruit to make fun, homemade holiday decorations! Hang them on your tree or make a festive garland out of them (apples are the best for this since they have a hole in the middle!).

Note: The thickness of your fruit slices will determine how fast they dehydrate. For best results, we recommend slices that are about 1/8”-thick. Make sure all your slices are the same thickness for even drying — the best (and fastest) way to do this is using a mandolin (we use this one).

Scroll down for the recipe ↓

 

 

Watch the recipe video here:

 

Easy Dehydrated Apples & Pears

Makes 2 cups (1 cup of each fruit)

2 cups | 440ml water

1 lemon, halved

1 apple

1 pear

1. Preheat oven to 150ºF. Place water in a large bowl and squeeze both lemon halves into it. Set aside.

2. Core the apple and slice horizontally into thin slices using a knife or a mandolin. Place the slices into the bowl with the lemon water.

3. Slice the pear in half vertically. Remove seeds and stem with the knife and cut into thin vertical slices. Place the slices into the bowl with the lemon water.

4. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Drain the apple slices on a paper towel and pat dry. Place them about 1 inch apart on the baking tray so that they’ll have plenty of room to dry. Fill the whole baking tray and repeat with the pear slices on the other tray.

5. Place in the oven and dehydrate for about 2 hours or until completely dry. After 1 hour, flip each slice. If any of them are already completely dry, take them out and set them aside.

6. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely before storing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 months.

 

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