9 Creative Uses for Fruit Purees

Who doesn’t love fruit purees? Not only are they healthy and delicious, but they can also be versatile additions to any recipe whether it’s for your craft beverages or food products both sweet and savory. If you’re stumped on what to do with fruit purees, Fierce Fruit is here to help you with a little bit of inspiration to get your creative juices flowing. We’re all about shaking things up to create bold flavor profiles that will make your taste buds sing.

The best fruit purees are aseptic and all-natural with no artificial sweeteners or sugar added. Let your imagination run wild with the possibilities! Here are some creative uses for fruit purees:

Homemade salad dressing

Salads make for great additions to achieve a greener lifestyle. Fruity dressings can add a splash of color to your plain old greens and strike a balance with the overpowering vinegar. While everyone has their own version of what to do with a fruit puree marinade, we're going with something a little more classic. Passion fruit puree is the star of this recipe known for its sweet and tart aftertaste. Just add white vinegar or even white balsamic for this one. Next is extra virgin oil and honey to balance the acidity; just a small amount would do if you're using the freshest puree. Don't forget salt and pepper and you're all set to use this fruit puree-based drizzle after mixing.

Glaze for roasted dishes

While there are glazes for sweet desserts, we’re going down the less conventional route and making glazes for savory meals. With fruit purees, there is no limit to what you can do to diversify your menu. Add a delicate balance to your meat, poultry, and fish with a bit more saucy twist. It doesn’t take much to create this one; you’ll simply need to heat cranberry or another fruit puree in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Gradually add water and a few drops of lemon or lime juice. Let it simmer and you’re done.

Breakfast treats like crepes, waffles, pancakes

A hearty breakfast is a perfect way to start a day, and incorporating fruit purees into traditional breakfast options like waffles and pancakes isn’t limited to the toppings. Wondering what to do with your fruit purees if not that? Add your favorite fruit purees directly into the batter! By mixing in vibrant and flavorful puree, your pancakes will become more colorful and more delicious. Even the kids will be more excited to eat breakfast! Our favorite additions would have to be peach, blackberry, strawberry, and raspberry. If you want an even fruitier breakfast, you can even add fruit-based syrups or real fruit slices.

Frozen desserts like ice cream or sorbet

Making your own frozen treats is a creative and refreshing way to cool off on a hot day. Using fruit purees as the base will make your treats even more refreshing, and dare we say more decorative. From adding delicious flavors to fun swirling patterns, there is no limit to what you can do with fruit purees in your frozen treats.

Confections like candies and lollipops

Have you ever thought to use fruit purees for pate de fruits? It’s basically a fruit-paste type of candy. They’re fairly easy to make but there’s plenty of stirring so get those arms ready. You can use just about any fruit puree from banana, to black currant, to blood orange and beyond. The most important thing is not going overboard or skimping on your thickening powder (pectin). The amount you need differs for every fruit, so don’t forget to look it up. If you get it right, you’ll get a perfectly balanced fruity sweet paste that’s delicious without being too gummy.

Icings and mousses for cakes and cupcakes

Typically, fruit purees don’t mix easily with buttercream. You can end up with a watery frosting or lose the flavor altogether. What you can do with the fruit puree is to add cornstarch before mixing it with buttercream that has been beaten until light and fluffy without being greasy. Then add heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar before mixing well. Popular puree choices can be made of strawberry or passion fruit. Alternate between mixing and adding powdered sugar until it loses the glossy texture.

Preserves, jams, jellies, marmalades

When it comes to these spreads, you don’t have to settle for just one flavor. You can try out several combinations and find the next big idea your customers would love. Preserves, jams, jellies, and marmalades may all have distinguishing features. However, what they have in common has to do with fruit purees potentially serving as the base. For the recipe, first pick which consistency and add-ons (e.g. no fruit or with juice) you prefer before you start adding pectin-rich varieties including but not limited to plum and pear purees.

Cocktails and mocktails

Cocktails made with a fruit puree base leave a fresh aftertaste which can balance out the acidity of some spirits while adding a more complex flavor profile. This is one of the more traditional uses for fruit purees, and you’ll find lots of tried and tested mixes. Try mixing spicy ginger beer with cherry and lime purees. Or what you might want to do is a zesty mojito with lime and pineapple fruit purees. 

Refreshing beverages like juices and teas

While craft alcoholic brews like sours and beers are fan favorites, you don’t always have to include alcohol in the mix for a fun drink. Juices and teas are lighter options that don’t have a lot of fussy preparations involved. If you want to go the extra mile, you can even dabble with herbal infusions such as chamomile, rosehip, or peppermint for an extra-relaxing tea. Use fruit purees such as grapefruit, oranges, apples, raspberries, and mangoes in place of sugar and steep them in hot water inside a mason jar. Once done, strain them and serve hot or with ice.

When you’re unsure what to do with your next masterpiece, shop now and let Fierce Fruit’s aseptic fruit purees be your canvas. Versatile in flavor profiles and flexible in ingredients that can be paired, your imagination is the only limit.