Homemade Pumpkin Apple Fruit Leather

If you’re looking for a fun way to use pumpkin this fall, you have to try this homemade pumpkin apple fruit leather! It’s made with pumpkin purée, applesauce, pure maple syrup, and plenty of warm pumpkin spice.

These little fruit leather roll ups are sweet, chewy, full of fall flavor, and surprisingly easy to make at home. You simply mix everything together, spread it onto a baking sheet, and let the oven do the rest.

Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Apple Fruit Leather

There are so many reasons to make a batch of these homemade fruit leathers this fall!

Simple Ingredients: You only need five ingredients to make them.

Easy to Make: There’s no fancy equipment required. Mix, spread, bake, cool, and slice!

Full of Fall Flavor: Pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice make these taste like fall in fruit leather form.

Naturally Gluten Free and Dairy Free: They’re also vegan when made with pure maple syrup.

Great for Snacking: Cut them into strips and roll them up for an easy grab and go snack.

Fun for Fall Parties: These would be adorable served at a Halloween party, fall get together, or even as a fun little Thanksgiving snack.

Ingredients You’ll Need

One of my favorite things about this recipe is how short the ingredient list is.

Pumpkin Purée

You’ll need one 15 ounce can of pumpkin purée. Make sure you’re using 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which already contains added sugar and spices.

Unsweetened Applesauce

Applesauce adds natural sweetness and gives the fruit leather its apple flavor. I like using unsweetened applesauce so I can control the sweetness with maple syrup.

Pure Maple Syrup

Pure maple syrup adds just enough sweetness while pairing perfectly with the pumpkin and apple flavors.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

This is where all that cozy fall flavor comes in! Pumpkin pie spice typically contains a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and other warm spices.

Cinnamon

I add a little extra cinnamon because you can never have too much cinnamon in a fall recipe!

How to Make Pumpkin Apple Fruit Leather

Making homemade fruit leather sounds much more complicated than it actually is.

Start by preheating your oven to 200°F.

Add the pumpkin purée, applesauce, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon to a bowl. Stir everything together until the mixture is completely smooth and the spices are evenly distributed.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the pumpkin apple mixture into an even layer.

You don’t want the mixture to be too thin or too thick. If it’s spread too thin, the edges can dry out before the center is ready. If it’s too thick, it will take much longer to dry.

Try to keep the layer as even as possible so everything finishes around the same time.

Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for approximately 3 to 4 hours.

How Do You Know When Fruit Leather Is Done?

The fruit leather should look dry rather than wet and should no longer have a soft, wet center.

Don’t panic if it still feels a little gummy when you first remove it from the oven. I remember thinking I had messed mine up the first time I made this recipe! Once it cooled completely, it developed that chewy fruit leather texture I was looking for.

I recommend allowing it to cool completely before trying to peel it away from the parchment paper.

Once it’s cooled and set, carefully peel away the parchment paper, cut the fruit leather into strips, and roll them up!

Tips for the Best Homemade Fruit Leather

Spread the mixture evenly. This is probably the most important part of the recipe. An uneven layer can leave you with crispy edges and a center that isn’t finished.

Don’t rush the baking time. We’re essentially removing moisture rather than traditionally baking something, so low and slow is the way to go.

Let it cool before peeling. If the fruit leather is sticking to the parchment paper, give it more time to cool and dry before trying again.

Keep the oven door closed. There’s no need to prop the oven door open while making this recipe.

Watch the edges. Depending on your oven and how evenly the mixture is spread, some areas may finish sooner than others.

Can I Use Pumpkin Pie Filling?

I recommend sticking with 100% pure pumpkin purée.

Pumpkin pie filling already contains sweeteners and spices, which would change the flavor and sweetness of the recipe. Plain pumpkin purée lets you control everything yourself.

A Fun Fall Snack

I originally made this pumpkin apple fruit leather on one of those early fall days when I was ready for everything pumpkin, even if the weather hadn’t quite gotten the memo yet.

Years later, I’m still the same way. The second fall rolls around, I’m ready for pumpkin recipes, apple desserts, chilly walks, and anything that makes the house smell like cinnamon.

And this recipe definitely checks that box. Your kitchen smells incredible while the pumpkin, apple, maple, and spices slowly bake in the oven.

These are such a fun alternative to the usual pumpkin muffins, breads, and cakes, and they’re especially cute rolled up and served for a Halloween party or fall get together.

If you make my pumpkin apple fruit leather, let me know how it turns out! And if you’ve been around long enough to remember when I originally shared this recipe back in 2015, thank you for sticking around and cooking through all these years with me.