We’ve been brewing kombucha on our kitchen counter for years, long before it was available in grocery stores. It turns out you can do more with kombucha than just drink it… you can turn it into a favorite kids’ snack that they won’t even know is good for them!
This SCOBY fruit leather recipe doesn’t require any special equipment and gets all of its yummy flavor from fresh fruit.
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SCOBY Fruit Leather Made From Kombucha
If you’ve brewed kombucha you know that with each new batch the brewing culture, called a SCOBY (which stands for Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast), creates a “baby” or daughter culture that can be used to brew its own batch.
While this is an awesome way to continue the procreation of the kombucha species, these baby SCOBYs can add up and a new kombucha brewer may wonder what to do with them all!
When I first started getting into making kombucha, I tried to pass on these baby SCOBYs to friends and family so they could brew their own kombucha as well. Truth be told, I only had a few friends who were interested in trying it, so I eventually ended up composting most of my SCOBYs because I didn’t have another use for them.
Fast forward a few years and I met Hannah and Alex (who my kids call “The Kombuchas”) at a health conference. They own Kombucha Kamp and are the authors of the fantastic book The Big Book of Kombucha, which is a gorgeous and informative encyclopedia of everything about this delicious fermented drink.
Hannah and Alex gave me a sample of a delicious treat that they make: fruit leather with leftover SCOBYs! I thought it was a brilliant way to use excess SCOBYs and get the benefits of the enzymes and probiotic cultures it contains.
SCOBY Fruit Leather Recipe
This recipe is similar to my original fruit leather recipe, but has the added benefits of the kombucha cultures. It is so simple to make and my kids love these as snacks or an after dinner treat.
You can easily make this in a dehydrator or oven and it is the perfect way to use up extra kombucha SCOBYs. If you brew kombucha, give these a try!
If you’ve never made kombucha… what are you waiting for? Use this simple tutorial to get started (or this one for a continuous brew) and save your extra baby cultures for this recipe.
SCOBY Fruit Leather Recipe
Servings
Nutrition
Notes
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Recipe excerpted from The Big Book of Kombucha © Hannah Crum © Alex LaGory. Photographs by © Matt Armendariz. Used with permission of Storey Publishing.
I’m curious about the sugar too is it for the SCOBY? I make fruit leathers with out all the time.
This is amazing! I’ve given away so many scobys and feel bad about booting the extras out of the hotels, but I’ve run out of room. Now I’m going to try this recipe, it’ll be a great treat for camping trips, along with homemade venison jerky! With this being strawberry season, what better purpose to use fresh fruit? Thanks so much for posting! I never would’ve thought that you can eat the scoby!
Do we wait for the strawberry/sugar mix to cool to room temperature? Or can we just wait 5 minutes or so?
I don’t understand if the sugar is necessary to continue to feed the SCOBY, or if I can omit the sugar because the SCOBY is dried.
Does anyone have an answer to this question?
The scoby won’t need the sugar unless its fermenting which obviously this isn’t.
Just finished making a batch using pears for the fruit and omitted the sugar. It turned out sweet and very tasty although a little different in texture than plain fruit leather.
I’m curious, too, could you use stevia or honey instead of sugar. I’d be glad to hear from anybody that has used no sugar. Also, I have 2 gal jars with SCOBYs that I haven’t add any new kombucha in over a year to feed them, they look great, nice & thick & creamy white…but are thy still good to use , being that I haven’t fed them in so long? I’ll look for an answer from you good people!! 🙂
I’m surprised that sugar is in the mix as well. Especially in a day when we are all trying to get off sugar…
I definitely want to try this!!! Can you use parchment paper in the dehydrator instead of waxed paper?
I used parchment paper and it worked fine. Instead of removing the paper, I rolled the fruit and paper up together and cut with scissors or a sharp knife. The parchment peeled right off and the Grandkids loved it!
Made it kinda like a fruit roll-up. it also helped keep them from sticking together in the storage jar.
Could you substitute honey for the sugar?
yes
Brilliant! Thank you so much for this. It’s time to clean out my kombucha crock and I didn’t know what to do with all the SCOBYs. This is perfect..
I’m curious if you can substitute honey for the sugar in this recipe?
yes
I heard that I shouldn’t use Kombucha if I’ve had Candida problems. Can you share anything about that, Katie. Plus, thank you for all the helpful information. I’m listening to the Truth about Cancer episodes and they are incrediblely helpful!
I’m curious about that as well, since she listed ‘kills candida’ as one of the benefits. I’ve only seen candida diets suggest to avoid kombucha because of the airborne yeast but I’m interested in learning more. What is the source for that benefit @Wellness Mama?
Could you use scobys from water kefir to make this?
water kefir technically has “grains” not a leathery SCOBY like Kombucha so I’m not sure if this would work.
Do you think this is ok for kids to eat?
Is the sugar necessary to “feed” the SCOBY or do I have the option to omit this? I noticed a few people have asked, but I don’t see an answer yet.
This recipe isn’t fermenting, but the sugar helps it hold together. It will work without the sugar though.
I just found out about this wounderful tea from your new book. I’m getting my first SCOBY from a health food store here. Can’t wait to try making my first batch. Love your new book and thank you for sharing your gift with others.
Lucy
We neglected our Kombucha for a long time this winter and we ended up with a totally healthy, but gigantic 8 pound scoby. It was almost 5 inches thick and as large as a dinner plate. OOPS! Totally wish I had seen this article before we composted it!!!!
I so hear you!
Wish I’d seen this ealier. Mine was like something out of a hippy horror movie. Eventually, we went out of town, and the fruit flies got to it. I put it outside in the garden. It was like burying a beloved pet!
Katie,
I think this is a wonderful idea. I’ve been drying fruit for years and appreciate this recipe. One question: Do you have any idea of what remains in the prepared leather of probiotic culture? Does it at all survive the drying? I have found that drying at a fairly low temperature for a longer period preserves the enzymes, but I suspect the probiotics won’t survive. Any thoughts?
At this low of a temperature, a good amount should survive, though I haven’t tested it to be sure.
Really,really good idea. I hate to throw scobys out which feels like I’m throwing my own children away. I have a dehydrator and will try this although I think I may omit the extra sugar and see how it turns out.
What a great idea. I was brewing Kombucha about 20+ years ago for a while and couldn’t figure out what to do with all the babies. I gave some away, blended some up in smoothies wondering if they were healthy or not. Most of them got composted. There wasn’t too much info back then about kombucha. I thought scientists should maybe make artificial skin for burn victims with it or dollmakers or dry it for lampshades.
Hahaha!!! Or perhaps used for art canvas, or processed into a sustainable form of plastic…or is anyone up for a game of slippery frisbee??
Won’t the heat kill all of the beneficial prebiotic? We’re instructed to let the tea come to room temperature before adding the scoby so it doesn’t die
Wellness Mama instructed us to dehydrate it at lowest setting or use the oven with the door propped open. That will leave the temperature below 105F, which keeps all enzymes alive.
Could you add protein powder to the mix to make it a protein-rich snack as well?
Sure, or collagen…
Do you have to include the sugar? Seems like a no-no in fruit leather…
I am wondering the same. We have very ripe tropical fruits and never have to add sweetener khoney or sugar), so I’m also wondering the purpose it serves in this recipe other than sweetening. Which now that I’m thinking about it, when stuff is dehydrated or dried, it would concentrate the sweet or salty flavour. It just seems a bit excessive.