Homemade Chia Seed Fruit Snacks (3 Flavours!)
A simple, homemade fruit snack made with real fruit and chia seeds. Soft, flexible, and perfect for snacks or lunchboxes.
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Servings: 4 (recipe makes ~40 fruit snacks)
Calories: 94kcal
Equipment
- 1 Blender, food processor, or immersion blender
Ingredients
Base Recipe
- 1¼ cup fruit Strawberries or orange pieces, or mango cubes (I used frozen but fresh also works)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoon gelatin 2 packages
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions
- Add the fruit to a blender and blend until completely smooth.
- Add the fruit purée and honey to a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture comes to a simmer, (about 5-7 minutes), stirring often.
- While the fruit mixture is simmering, bloom the gelatin. Sprinkle the gelatin over the orange juice in a small bowl and whisking gently to combine. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes, until the gelatin has absorbed the liquid and thickened.
- Remove the fruit purée from the heat and allow the bubbling to stop. Add the bloomed gelatin mixture to the warm fruit purée. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes, until the gelatin is fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
- Stir in the chia seeds.
- Lightly grease the silicone molds with non-stick spray or a little oil. Carefully transfer the mixture into the molds. A food dropper works well for this, although I often use a spoon - it’s just a little messier!
- Refrigerate for 1-1.5 hours, until fully set before removing from the molds.
- The fruit snacks will continue to firm up and shrink slightly as they chill in the fridge.
Alternatively, if you are using fresh fruit, you can add it directly to the saucepan and purée it with a handheld immersion blender.
Make sure the fruit mixture is no longer boiling before adding the gelatin, as very high heat can affect how well it sets.
Notes
Pineapple and kiwi contain natural enzymes that can prevent gelatin from setting properly (bromelain in pineapple and actinidin in kiwi). If you’d like to use either of these fruits, be sure to boil the fruit for a few minutes first to deactivate the enzymes before blending and continuing with the recipe. Most other fruits, including mango, work well without any extra steps.
Note: Because this recipe contains honey, it is not suitable for babies younger than 12 months.
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.
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 94kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 267IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg