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Turn your favorite fruits into a healthy sweet addition to your kid’s school lunchbox. A quick, easy, and convenient recipe you can even make ahead!
DIY Fruit Cups for School Lunches
Have you ever wished those store-bought fruit cups were made with fresh fruit? Those cups are convenient but high in sugar. With this homemade fruit cup recipe, kids can enjoy something yummy and sweet with their school lunch. This cup is made with their favorite fruit and no weird ingredients.
Since these cups must be nutritious and appealing, I use lemonade to prevent fruit from browning. You can prep them ahead, and kids will enjoy a colorful, fresh cup of fruit without complaints!
Any in-season fruit, fruit leftovers, and even a little ripe fruit can be used to make this quick and homemade recipe you can pack along with your favorite bento box school lunches!
Ingredients
This easy fruit cup recipe is made with fresh fruit and none of the added sugar you find in the store-bought version. They’re easy to make with:
- Fresh fruit: your kid’s favorite fruits, washed, pitted, and diced bite-size.
- Lemonade: helps slow down the browning process.
You’ll find the measurements in the recipe card below.
The Best Fruits for Homemade Fruit Cups
The best fruits to make this recipe are the ones you have on hand and your kid enjoys eating. Apples, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, baby oranges, pineapple, watermelon, kiwi, grapefruit, nectarine, just to name a few! I like to keep it colorful to make the fruit cup even more appealing!
How to Make Fruit Cups
This fruit cup recipe is so simple that you won’t purchase the store-bought version ever again! Just mix fruit and lemonade, and this healthy snack is done. Check out the steps:
- Prep the fruit
Wash, prep, and dice your child’s favorite fruits. - Fill the cups
Fill each lidded container about ¾ full with fruit. Pour and divide the lemonade inside all 4 cups. You don’t need to fill each cup to the top to cover the fruit. - Shake it!
Close the lid, and give the contents a quick shake to coat all the fruit with the lemonade. The citric acid in the lemonade helps slow down the oxidation (browning) process. - Store
Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Packing Homemade Fruit Cups for Lunch
Packing anything liquid may seem a little more challenging, but following these tips, you can add these fruit cups to the lunch bag leak-free!
Use a leak-proof container
Prep this fruit cup recipe in a small, leak-proof, lidded container. This is the best way to pack it and prevent any lemonade spill.
Don’t fill it too much
When pouring the lemonade, don’t fill each cup to the top to cover the fruit. This way, kids can open the container without spilling liquid everywhere.
Prep ahead
The citric acid in lemonade helps keep fruit from browning, so you can pack these fruit cups up to 2 days ahead. Before storing them in the fridge, give each container a quick shake to coat all the fruit with the lemonade and slow the oxidation process.
Best containers
Stainless or plastic leak-proof containers with twist lids are the best to pack these fruit cups for school. They prevent any spill and are easy for kids to open!
How long do homemade fruit cups last in the fridge?
Store these homemade fruit cups in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Homemade Fruit Cups for Lunches
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh fruit, washed and diced
- 8 ounces lemonade
Instructions
- Wash, prep, and dice your child's favorite fruits. 2 cups diced fruit is the equivalent of 4 large strawberries, 1 medium orange, 1 medium apple or nectarine, for example.
- Fill each lidded container about ¾ full with fruit. Pour and divide the lemonade inside all 4 cups. You don't need to fill each cup to the top to cover the fruit.
- Close the lid, and give it the contents a quick shake to coat all the fruit with the lemonade. The citric acid in the lemonade helps slow down the oxidation (browning) process.
- Refrigerate up to 2 days.
Priscilla Romans says
Awesome recipe. I’m on a calorie deficit and this is the perfect breakfast with no sugar added
Kaley Westby says
To reduce waste, I use juice from a fresh lemon or orange to keep the fruit from browning. By using unpackaged fruit I avoid the waste of all of the foil pouches or plastic bottles of lemonade.
K.B. Owen says
I’m really late to the party, but I’m hoping you’ll see my question…can you make a bunch of these cups and freeze them? When I’ve done that with other things (e.g., yogurt tubes), they’re usually thawed by the time the kiddo is eating lunch, but I don’t know if that would be the case with fruit. Thanks!
MOMables says
some fruits can be frozen but have not tried freezing these. You can make a big bowl for the week and portion it out daily.
Jaqueline says
Wo_Ow!!! Can’t be more easy!!! :)
Cassandra Watson says
What container do you have pictured in these photos? Did they stay leakproof enough with this recipe?
MOMables says
It’s a Sistema container. It’s not lunch bag leakproof – just from my fridge to snack time table.
Jecca says
What size containers did you use specifically for this recipe? I have 1 cup containers, but the ones in the picture look bigger.
MOMables-Laura says
I’m unable to recall the specific container, but a 1 cup container is plenty of room for these fruit cups!
Jecca says
Awesome thank you.
Sosomomma says
How long will these last in fridge in tight fitted lid containers?
MOMables says
Up to 3 days.
Cheryl says
For those that do not like juice our lemon we keep our cut up fruit fresh with a produce preservative (its just powder vitamin c) found in the canning section of your grocery store.
That being said, we recently tried fruit salad in orange juice and it was so delicious! My girls love lemonade so we will definitely try it this way soon.
jamie says
Can I use the other Honest juice flavors? I don’t have the lemonade one on hand.
nicole says
I make lemonade from fresh squeezed lemons, water, raw sugar and honey. Could I use that or will the honey react eith the fruit weirdly?
MOMables says
Absolutely Nicole! :) that would be great!
Deborah says
Hi! I was wondering if water could be used when there is no juice?
MOMables says
you could use water, but it won’t prevent the fruit from browning. add a squeeze of lemon juice in there.
Maureen says
My kids love their fruit in orange juice.
MOMables says
Orange juice will work for this too Maureen! Great job giving them fruit!
Cheryl says
Can I use any lemonade or a different juice? I have not seen this type of juice near me (Ontario).
MOMables says
Absolutely Cheryl. :)
Vanessa says
Just out of curiosity, why would you not add lemon juice? Is it just a taste preference thing? I was wondering why people would request a recipe with no lemon.
MOMables says
Vanessa, people requested it because their kids don’t like it.
Lauren says
Curious: how long did the fruit last before browning?
MOMables says
It didn’t brown. You pack the fruit with the “juice”
Katie says
This is great. Question, after you coat the fruit do you leave the liquid in the container or pour it out before packing the lunch for school?
MOMables says
I leave it in there. Just make sure the container is leak proof. They love drinking the “lemonade juice”
shannon at Gidgets Bookworms says
Could you drain the liquid after coating the fruit?
MOMables says
I leave it in there. Just make sure the container is leak proof. They love drinking the “lemonade juice”
shannon at Gidgets Bookworms says
going to try leaving it out since my girls don’t like lemonade or juice of any kind. will do a trial run at home before sending it to school :)
MOMables says
if you don’t add lemonade or any juice your fruit might turn brown (depending what fruits you are using) otherwise, feel free to mix berries and other fruits.