This recipe for healthy pixie sticks combines freeze dried fruit and natural sugar to make one delicious treat! Homemade pixie sticks are so simple--serve them at parties, give them as gifts or keep them for yourself.
Growing up I didn't know a Ding Dong from a Ho Ho from a Twinkie.
When you don't get to enjoy foods like that, you don't know they exist. Until Valentine's Day. Halloween. Christmas. Easter. Any kid's birthday at school or home. Okay, I think you're getting the idea.
Sometimes it really stinks to be that kid.
I've made it a personal mission to make sure all kids with allergies get to enjoy treats. This is one treat that your kids will NEVER know the difference or feel deprived.
Homemade pixie sticks are all over the internet. Most of them are made with paper straws. Which are cute, but there had to be something more. Something more...authentic looking.
The idea we came up with uses BPA free plastic straws. If that doesn't matter you can find colored plastic straws pretty well at any store by the soda or in the party or utensil aisle.
Freeze dried fruit is becoming pretty popular. Freeze dried fruit extracts the water from fruit without removing nutrients. We found our freeze dried fruit at Target in the snack aisle. Look for the Simply Balanced brand. Funky Monkey also sells a brand geared towards kids--we found that brand at our local health food store.
Ingredients
- ½ cup freeze dried fruit (we did strawberry, raspberry/blueberry and peach)
- ½ cup raw sugar (can use regular sugar too)
- 1 tsp powdered citric acid (you can totally omit this but it does provide the tanginess that traditional pixie sticks have. Look at your local health food store or baking store).
- Needle nose pliers
- Plastic straws
- Lighter
- Small funnel (we made a paper funnel)
- Toothpick
Instructions
- To seal the bottom of the pixie sticks, use the needle nose pliers to make a seal with ⅛ of an inch of straw left open on the bottom. Take the lighter flame to the straw and heat until the ends are closed and sealed. Remove heat from the straw and hold for several seconds with the pliers to allow plastic to seal and cool. Remove pliers.
- In a blender, combine the freeze dried fruit, sugar and citric acid until smooth. Place the funnel onto the top of the open end of the straw and pour a small amount of the sugar into the funnel, using the toothpick to push down the sugar into the straw if necessary. Leave ¼ of an inch of space at the top of the straw to seal.
- Continue filling straws until done. Seal the top of the straw the same way that you filled the top. There may be some burn marks if there is sugar or fruit residue left. Don't be alarmed!
Notes
You can totally omit the citric acid but it does provide the tanginess that traditional pixie sticks have. Look at your local health food store, baking store or food storage supply facility. To make with paper straws, simple fold over one end of the straw and tape if desired, then fill with sugar mixture. Fold over the top edge of straw to seal. Amount of pixie sticks made may vary depending on the size of the sticks used.
Photo Tutorial on Making the Pixie Stick Seal:
Recipe from Love and Olive Oil
Wow, I never would have thought to do something like this. So cool! I've been meaning to find a few things to do with freeze dried fruit and pick some up, I think this will be one of my first experiments. Thanks for sharing!
This is a great idea and awesome treat! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
This will be a fun thing to try. Would love for you to link it to my Craftastic party: http://www.sewcando.com/2014/03/show-off-your-crafts-at-craftastic.html
Who knew that "healthy" and "pixie sticks" could coincide?! Great idea. I'm going to have to check for freeze dried fruit the next time I'm at Target.
Wow! What a fun way to get kids to eat some healthier food!!