These pear fruit leathers are a fun snack to have on hand for hikes and lunch boxes. With just a few simple ingredients and some patience, you’ll be treated to homemade fruit roll ups that could last for weeks (but we guarantee they will be eaten before that!).

One of our favorite simple snacks for hiking is fruit leathers. They are nostalgic and fun, provide a quick hit of energy, and we love that we can make them ourselves.

We have some great apple ginger and strawberry fruit leather recipes on our site, and we decided that pear would make an excellent addition to the collection.

In this post we’re sharing how to make pear fruit roll ups with just THREE ingredients. You don’t need any special equipment to make these—we’ll show you how to make them in both an oven and in a dehydrator if you have one.

Ingredients

Pears: You’ll want your pears to be extra ripe. If they aren’t quite ripe when you buy them, let them sit on the counter, ideally in a paper bag, for a few days until they get there. You’ll know they are ripe when their necks are soft. If using Bartletts (what we use in ours), they will change from green to yellow as they ripen.
Lemon juice: Brightens flavor and adds pectin to help with the final texture of the fruit leathers.
Sugar: We like to start with just half of what our recipe calls for and will add more at the end if needed. It really depends on how sweet your pears are to start with and how sweet you personally like your fruit roll ups.

A four-step collage shows cooked pears in a pot, smooth puree being spread on a tray with a knife, dried fruit leather on a baking mat, and a hand peeling the finished sheet from the mat.

How to make fruit leathers

Peel the pears and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Add them to a pot with the lemon juice and sugar. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the pears are soft and have released their juices.
Carefully transfer the pears into a blender or food processor and process until completely smooth. Now, you can taste for sweetness and add additional sugar if you want.
Spread the puree on a lined baking sheet or solid dehydrator tray. The trick to fruit leathers is to spread the puree so the edges are a little thicker than the middle—it will dry from the outside in, so this helps to ensure it will all finish at the same time.
– To dry in the oven: Place the baking sheet in the oven at the lowest temperature the oven can go. Prop the door open with a wooden spoon to allow moisture to escape (be careful if you have curious pets or children!).
– To dry in a dehydrator: Place the puree in the dehydrator and set it to 135°F.
Dehydrate for a few hours until the fruit leather is no longer tacky and can be peeled up in one piece with no wet or soft spots (approximately 3 hours in an oven or 4 ½-5 hours in a dehydrator). These times are just guidelines—the exact time will depend on if you use an oven or dehydrator, the humidity level in your house, etc. It’s best to judge doneness by look and feel, not just by time.

Hands prepare fruit leather by spreading it on a tray, peeling it off parchment, rolling it up, and cutting the rolls with scissors; a yellow fruit and finished fruit leather rolls are also shown.

Transfer the leather to a piece of parchment paper and roll it up. Using a pair of scissors, cut into snack-sized pieces.
Store in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to a few weeks.

Top Tips for Making Fruit Roll Ups

This recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc., to fill all the trays in your dehydrator. As written, it will fill one 10”x12” tray (we use these in our Cosori dehydrator) or one half-sheet baking pan.
Heating the pears releases extra pectin, which helps give the fruit leathers a stretchy, elastic texture.
If you’re making these in an oven, use a silicone bake mat! It makes peeling up your finished fruit leather a breeze.
An offset spatula makes shaping your fruit leather puree so easy.
Aim to make the edges of your fruit leather slightly thicker than the center. It will dry from the outside in, so building up a little extra on the edges helps it all finish at the same time.
After you have spread out the puree on your sheet, tidy up the edges by turning the offset spatula on its side and pushing the puree back (like a squeegee).
If the edges end up too dry/crispy and crack when you try to peel it off the tray, dabbing the dry spots with a damp paper towel can help add just enough moisture back to make it pliable again.

Storage Tips

For short-term storage (a week or two), homemade fruit roll ups can be stored on the counter in a ziplock bag or resealable container. Excessive exposure to air will start to dry them out.
For longer-term storage (up to a few months), we’d recommend placing them in a tightly sealed mason jar and placing them in a cool, dark place.

Five rolled strips of light golden fruit leather are stacked on a light surface, with two whole yellow pears behind them.

Pear Fruit Leathers

These pear fruit leathers are a fun snack to have on hand for hikes and lunch boxes. With just a few simple ingredients and some patience, you’ll be treated to homemade fruit roll ups!

Author: Fresh Off The Grid

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Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Drying Time: 3

Total Time: 3 15

pieces

Ingredients

1 pound pears, (about 3)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

Peel the pears and cut them into 1-inch chunks. Transfer to a pot with the sugar and lemon juice. Simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the pears are soft and have released their juices.
1 pound pears, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Carefully transfer the pears into a blender or food processor and process until completely smooth. Taste for sweetness and add additional sugar if needed.
Spread the puree on a lined baking sheet or solid dehydrator tray. The trick to fruit leathers is to spread the puree so the edges are a little thicker than the middle—it will dry from the outside in, so this helps to ensure it will all finish at the same time.
To dry in the oven: Place the baking sheet in the oven at the lowest temperature the oven can go. Prop the door open with a wooden spoon to allow moisture to escape (be careful if you have curious pets or children!).
To dry in a dehydrator: Place the puree in the dehydrator and set it to 135°F.
Dehydrate for a few hours until the fruit leather is no longer tacky and can be peeled up in one piece (approximately 3 hours in an oven or 4 ½-5 hours in a dehydrator¹).
Transfer the leather to a piece of parchment paper and roll it up. Using a pair of scissors, cut into snack-sized pieces.
Store in an airtight container or zip-top bag for up to a few weeks.