These Homemade Chia Seed Fruit Snacks are made with just a few simple ingredients and are such a fun snack for kids! They’re great for packing into lunchboxes, and snacks on-the-go, and you can easily turn them into homemade gummy worms or gummy bears using different molds. I’ve shared three flavour options to try, Classic Strawberry, Citrus Orange, and Mango.
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Forget about kids for a second, fruit snacks are just as fun for adults! I LOVE fruit snacks, they take me right back to childhood. Now I’m not here to say we need to always make homemade and not ever buy packaged snacks – packaged snacks can be incredibly convenient and helpful. But making homemade versions of these childhood favourites can be a lot of fun. My older daughter loves helping pour the liquids into the molds and then seeing how they transform into a gummy like texture. And bonus, you can mix up the molds that you use – think heart shaped for Valentine’s Day, or bunnies for Easter!
These homemade fruit snacks are part of my Homemade Snacks For Kids Copycat Favourites Series! Be sure to check out these yummy Chia Seed Fruit Rolls ups, or Oven-Baked Apple Chips, or my very popular Healthy Homemade Pop Tarts!
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Ingredients for Homemade Fruit Snacks for Kids
Here is what you’ll need to make these fruit snacks – flavour variations are provided below!
- fruit (strawberries, mango, or orange are the flavour options provided)
- orange juice (Freshly squeezed or good-quality store-bought)
- chia seeds
- honey*
- gelatin
*No honey for little ones under the age of one. This snack is intended for older toddlers and kids.
Pro Tip: If you have those mandarin orange fruit cups in the pantry, don’t toss the liquid! You can drain the juice (make sure it is juice and not a syrup) from the cups and use it here. It’s a great way to reduce waste, and kids love the flavour.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Fruit Snacks for Kids
Here is an overview on how to make these fruit snacks, or you can skip down to the recipe card.
Add the fruit (I used frozen) to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth. Pour the fruit purée into a medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
While the fruit is cooking, bloom the gelatin by sprinkling it over the orange juice in a small bowl and whisking together. Let it sit for 4-5 minutes.
Add the bloomed gelatin mixture to the pot with the warm fruit purée. Stir continuously for 3-5 minutes, until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in chia seeds.
Carefully fill the silicone molds using a food dropper or squeeze bottle. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or until fully set. Once firm, pop the snacks out of the molds.
You can enjoy them immediately, or let them rest on a wire rack for a few hours; this extra drying time deepens the flavour and creates a firmer, chewier texture.
Hint: For the smoothest texture, “bloom” your gelatin in the orange juice before heating it, rather than adding it directly to the saucepan. Using juice instead of water to bloom the gelatin is an easy way to keep the flavour as concentrated as possible. When it comes to filling the molds, a food dropper or squeeze bottle is definitely the easiest method, but don’t worry if you don’t have one, a small spoon works just fine!
Substitutions
- Gelatin – Please note that gelatin is an animal-based product. If you are looking for a vegetarian alternative, you would need to use a plant-based thickener like pectin or agar agar. I’ve been testing these alternatives, but I haven’t quite mastered the thickness yet! I’ll keep experimenting so I can share a plant-based version with you soon.
- Honey – You can use maple syrup if you prefer, but I find honey provides the best taste and “chewy” texture for these snacks. Important Safety Note: Never give honey to babies under one year of age. This snack is intended for older toddlers and kids!
Variations
- This is the base recipe, but you can get creative with the flavours! I’ve provided strawberry, mango, and orange flavour options, but other fruits like blueberries make a fun colour twist that kids will love.
- The only fruits to be aware of when making gelatin-based snacks are pineapple and kiwi. These fruits contain natural enzymes (bromelain in pineapple and actinidin in kiwi) that can prevent the gelatin from setting properly. If you’d like to use pineapple or kiwi, simply boil the fruit for a few minutes first. This deactivates the enzymes and allows the gelatin to set as expected.
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
- Silicone molds – I love this pack that includes gummy bears, hearts, and animals! This pack also contains two droppers to make it easier for filling the molds!
Here are the fruit snacks using the heart shaped mold.
Storage
Store in the an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them! Place in an airtight container and freeze for a month. When ready to eat, let soften at room temperature for ~10 minutes first.
Toddler Tip
These fruit snacks are a fun snack for kids, but we will want to pair them with something else to provide our kids with a bit more lasting fuel. Try pairing these fruit snacks with a hardboiled egg, some cheese, or a few peanut butter crackers.
Here is my daughter eating a few homemade fruit gummy bears with a muffin and some cut-up pineapple for a snack.
FAQ
Yes. These homemade fruit snacks should be stored in the fridge to keep their texture and freshness. Because they’re made without preservatives, they’re best kept in the fridge.
You can experiment with other fruits, but keep in mind that pineapple and kiwi need to be cooked to a boiling point first so the gelatin can set properly. Most other fruits work well once blended and gently cooked.
I used frozen fruit in this recipe but fresh also works. It can be helpful for frozen fruit to let it thaw slightly before blending so it’s easier to purée.
Recipe
Homemade Chia Seed Fruit Snacks (3 Flavours!)
Equipment
- 1 Blender or Food processor
Ingredients
Base Recipe
- 1¼ cup fruit Strawberries or orange pieces, or mango cubes (I used frozen but fresh also works)
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 1½ tablespoon honey
- 2 tsps chia seeds
- 2 tablespoon gelatin 2 packages
Instructions
- Add the fruit to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Pour the fruit purée and honey into a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
- While the fruit is cooking, bloom the gelatin by sprinkling it over the orange juice in a small bowl and whisking to combine. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the bloomed gelatin mixture to the warm fruit purée. Stir continuously for 3–5 minutes, until the gelatin is fully dissolved. Once the gelatin is added, keep the heat low and avoid boiling, as high heat can prevent it from setting properly.
- Remove from heat and stir in the chia seeds.
- Carefully transfer the mixture into silicone molds (a food dropper works well here).
- Refrigerate for 1.5-2 hours, until fully set before removing from the molds.
- I like to pop them on a drying wrap for ~5-6 hours to dry them out a bit more. They will shrink a little and firm up a bit more but you can also go ahead and eat them now!
Notes
Troubleshooting Tips
My fruit snacks didn’t set. What went wrong?This can happen if the mixture was boiled after adding the gelatin, if pineapple or kiwi were used without boiling first, or if the gelatin wasn’t fully dissolved. Keep the heat low once the gelatin is added and stir until completely smooth. They’re too soft. How can I fix it?
Try chilling them longer, or slightly increasing the gelatin next time. Measuring the gelatin carefully also helps ensure the right texture.
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Heather says
Love this idea! We have a little silicone star mold that I’ve never found a use for before now. Would this be appropriate for a 16-month-old, or should we wait a bit yet? Thanks!
Ali Ellis, MSc., RD says
They are so fun! The star mold would work great. Texture-wise, these are fine for a 16-month-old who can already manage foods like berries since they’re quite soft and easy to chew. This recipe does include a little honey (which counts as added sugar), and many guidelines suggest keeping added sugars minimal before age two, but the realistic mom in me has definitely served these to my 18-month-old as part of a snack with something like crackers & peanut butter, or yogurt, or a hard-boiled egg!