• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Good For You Gluten Free

Information about living with celiac disease, gluten sensitivities, and the gluten-free diet

  • View GoodForYouGlutenFree’s profile on Facebook
  • View g4uglutenfree’s profile on Twitter
  • View goodforyouglutenfree’s profile on Instagram
  • View goodforyouGF’s profile on Pinterest
  • View goodforyouglutenfree’s profile on YouTube
  • Home
  • About
    • About Good For You Gluten Free
    • Events
    • FAQs
    • Team
  • Subscribe
  • Giveaways
  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Celiac Disease
  • Eating Out
  • Shop
  • Resources
    • My Book
    • Recommended Celiac Nutritionists & Practitioners
    • Safe Dining Card
    • Quick Start Guide
    • Ultimate Guide to Eating Out Gluten Free
  • Contact
Home » Dessert » How to Make Gluten-Free Fruit Sushi Rolls

How to Make Gluten-Free Fruit Sushi Rolls

Last Updated October 29, 2020. Published July 26, 2016 Good For You Gluten Free

Sharing is caring!

2008 shares
  • Share
  • Email
How to Make Gluten-Free Fruit Sushi Rolls
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

I love making fruit sushi as a fun dessert for my family and guests. My guests rave about it and it adds so much fun when I’m entertaining friends. This post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by Sprouts. Please see my disclosures.

I can just imagine myself in Rio de Janeiro right now, sipping on some pina coladas and laying on the beach (and even eating some of the gluten-free tropical fruit sushi I share below).

When Sprouts asked me to share a recipe my readers could make for their summer Olympic viewing parties, I jumped at the chance to channel the tropics in this fruit sushi adventure celebrating the 2016 host country of Brazil.

Sprouts Farmers Markets provided me with all the ingredients I needed to create this delicious fruit sushi recipe.

Creating fruit sushi takes a bit of time – so I’m going to try to explain things step-by-step. Don’t get overwhelmed or discouraged.

Once you get the hang of it, you’re going to love making this naturally gluten-free and oh-so-delicious dessert at your Olympic viewing party or for any occasion. Your guests are going to go crazy for it, and they will admire your mad sushi rolling skills too.

(Before you get started, I recommend you purchase a bamboo sushi mat. It’ll make your life easier. They are less than $5 on Amazon.)

How to Make Fruit Sushi

Here’s a step by step process of how to make fruit sushi.

Make the Sushi Rice

The first step to making fruit sushi is figuring out how to make the perfect sushi rice. You’ll need short grain rice labeled “sushi rice.”

It’s very important to use sushi rice as it has a high starch content and is sticky or “glutinous” (not to be confused with gluten – rice is naturally gluten-free). When making your sticky rice, make sure you rinse the uncooked rice well with cold water about 5-6 times until the water runs clear.

In my recipe, I use 2 cups of sushi rice + 3 cups of water + 3 tbsp sugar + a pinch of salt. I add all the ingredients to a medium pot and bring to a boil. Once it boils, I give it a quick stir, reduce the heat to low/simmer, and cover for about 20 minutes.

Adding coconut milk to sushi rice

Once the rice is finished cooking, remove it from heat and take off the lid. Mix the rice a few times to allow it to begin the cooling process. The rice will cool in about 20 minutes. You can speed up this process by laying out the rice on a baking sheet or piece of parchment paper.

Once cooled, you’ll want to add 1 cup of organic coconut milk + 1 tablespoon of vanilla. Mix everything well and set aside.

Create the Fruit Sushi and Toppings

The next thing you want to do is cut up the fruits into the desired shapes. Here are my suggested fruits and shapes – the sky’s the limit so do not feel like you have to use my suggestions. Any fruit you like will work.

  1. Peel off skin of mango (discard), and then peel about 5-6 strips of mango (using your peeler) and set aside.
  2. Cut strawberries into long sticks.
  3. Cut kiwi two ways, one half into slices and one half into strips.
  4. Peel and then cut papaya and pineapple into long strips.
  5. Cut blackberries in half lengthwise.
Fruit Sushi Ingredients

You’ll want to crush some toasted shredded coconut by rolling a rolling pin over the bag.

You’ll also want to prep the fruit tape (I used Annie’s Really Peely Fruit Tape) into desired length (about 3-4 inches long) so each segment is long enough to wrap around the sushi roll. You’ll need 8 pieces to cover a full-length sushi roll.

Design Your Fruit Sushi

Place your bamboo mat on a clean and dry countertop. Cover the mat with cling wrap. The cling wrap is essential to keeping the sticky rice in place (otherwise it’ll stick in the bamboo mat and won’t hold together well).

Next, you’ll want to place a large scoop of the sushi rice on the mat, and then shape it into a rectangle that takes up two-thirds of the sushi mat. Once a thin layer of the rice is in place, gently press it down so it sticks together and stays in place.

Sushi Just Prior to Rolling

Now the fun part!

Line up strips of papaya, pineapple, kiwi and strawberries on the lower third of the rice. Using your bamboo mat as your guide, gently roll up the bottom of the rice rectangle over the top of the fruit, and gently but firmly continue to roll your sushi.

Fruit Sushi Roll 11 Rolling

Once rolled, you have a few options for the wrap:

Mango Rolls:  Coat the sushi roll with the peeled mango strips. Then cut into 8 sushi bites.

Fruit Sushi Mango Roll Upclose

Coconut Rolls:  Roll the sushi roll in crushed coconut (or GF graham crackers) until well coated. Cut into 8 sushi bites.

Fruit Sushi Coconut Close Up

Fruit Tape Rolls:  First cut the sushi into 8 bites, then cover each individual roll with a piece of the fruit tape.

Fruit Sushi with Rollup upcloase

Cut the Sushi

When cutting the sushi roll, use a wet, serrated knife. You will want to wet the knife every 1-3 cuts to ensure clean cuts. Be gentle.

The leftover rice makes fantastic sushi bites. To create fabulous sushi bites, simply grab a small handful of rice (using wet hands) and shape into small, rectangle bite-sized pieces.

Top each rice ball with fun designs, such as a slice of kiwi topped with a half blackberry (looks like fish eggs). You can get creative and have fun with your designs!

Fruit Sushi Bites 1

Create the Perfect Fruit Sushi Dip

No sushi is complete without its own dipping sauce. I make a sweet and colorful raspberry dipping sauce from scratch. It’s so good. I could seriously drink this stuff.

To make a raspberry dipping sauce (from scratch), add two pints/containers of raspberries + 3 tablespoons sugar + 1 cup water to a pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower heat to medium to allow raspberries to continue to gently boil for about 7-8 minutes. Once the raspberries are broken down, remove mixture from heat.

Fruit Sushi Roll draining raspberry sauce

Next, you’ll want to strain the seeds from the sauce by pouring the mixture through a colander and into a large bowl. 

Once the seeds are removed, add the raspberry sauce back to the pot. Bring mixture to a gentle boil and then add a cornstarch slurry (1 Tbsp. cornstarch, 3 Tbsp. water).

Whisk mixture for 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened, then remove from heat and set aside until sushi is assembled and ready to go.

Fruit Sushi Beauty Shot 2

And You’re Done!

OK, I know that was a lot… whew! That said, this dessert is so worth the effort! It’s loaded with fresh, sweet fruits, and your friends will be oohing and aahing all night long. Pat yourself on the back – you deserve it for a job well done. How did I do?

Fruit Sushi Roll 8

Additional Recipes

Love sushi? Make my gluten-free California sushi rolls.

Gluten-free sushi rolls header
Picture of fruit sushi with strawberries, kiwi and blackberries over rice

Gluten-Free Fruit Sushi

Making your own fruit sushi at home can be fun and will have your guests impressed with your mad sushi making skills. In this recipe, I use tropical fruit, coconut-infused rice, and a raspberry dipping sauce.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: fruit sushi, sushi dessert, sushi rice
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 32 pieces
Calories: 100kcal
Author: Jenny Levine Finke

Equipment

  • Bamboo sushi rolling mat

Ingredients

Sushi Rice

  • 2 cups sushi rice
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • Pinch Kosher salt
  • 1 cup organic coconut milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Raspberry Dipping Sauce

  • 2 pints raspberries
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch diluted in 3 tablespoons water (cornstarch slurry)

Sushi Stuffing

  • 1 pineapple
  • 1 papaya
  • 1 kiwi
  • 4-5 strawberries
  • 1 mango
  • 3-4 blackberries
  • 1 cup toasted coconut
  • 1-2 Annie’s Really Peely Fruit Tape

Instructions

To prepare sushi rice:

  • Rinse 2 cups of sushi rice in cold water until water runs clear (about 5-6 rinses). Add rice to medium stockpot along with 3 cups of water, 3 tbsp sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil.
  • Once water boils, cover rice and set heat to low. Simmer rice for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Allow rice to cool for about 20 minutes uncovered.
  • Once cooled, add 1 cup of organic coconut milk + 1 tbsp vanilla. Mix rice and milk mixture well. Set aside.

To prepare fruits and toppings:

  • Cut all fruits into desired shapes. See blog post for more instructions.
    -Peel off skin of mango (discard it), and then peel about 5-6 strips of mango and set aside.
    -Cut strawberries into long sticks.
    -Cut kiwi two ways, one half into slices and one half into strips.
    -Peel and then cut papaya and pineapple into long strips.
    -Cut blackberries in half lengthwise.
    -Crush toasted shredded coconut by rolling a rolling pin over bag. Set aside.
    -Cut fruit tape into desired length (about 3-4 inches long) so each segment wraps around the sushi and set aside. You’ll need 8 pieces to cover a full-length sushi roll.

To prepare sushi rolls:

  • Lay bamboo sushi mat on countertop. Cover mat fully with cling wrap.
  • Add single layer of sushi rice to cling wrap. Rice should cover about 2/3 of the sushi mat. Shape a thin layer of rice into a neat rectangle, pressing down on the rice to allow it to set and hold together.
  • At the bottom third of the rice rectangle, add strips of pineapple, papaya, kiwi and strawberry.
  • Carefully bring the bottom of the rice rectangle over the fruit layer and begin rolling, gently but firmly, using your sushi mat to guide you.
  • Once rolled, either wrap with flat mango strips or roll in crushed coconut. (If you want to wrap the sushi with fruit tape, you’ll want to first cut the sushi and then cover individual pieces with tape.)
  • Using a wet serrated knife, gently cut sushi into bite-sized pieces. Each roll makes about 8 slices.
  • Use leftover rice to create fruit sushi bites. To do this, using wet hands, grab a large chuck of rice. Shape the rice into a small log. Top sushi bites with kiwi chips, halved blackberries, and other leftover fruits and toppings.

To prepare raspberry dipping sauce:

  • In a small pot, add two pints of raspberries + 3 Tbsp. sugar + 1 cup water. Bring to boil and then lower heat to medium to allow raspberries to continue to gently boil for about 7-8 minutes.
  • Once raspberries are broken down, remove mixture from heat. Strain seeds from the sauce by pouring mixture through colander and into a large bowl.
  • Once seeds are removed, add raspberry sauce back to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil and then add cornstarch slurry. Whisk mixture for 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and set aside until sushi is assembled and ready to go.

Notes

Please see the full blog post for complete instructions.
Use any fruit you like. Just cut fruit into strips so they roll neatly inside the sushi rolls.
You must purchase a bamboo sushi mat to make these rolls. It will make the process so much easier.

Nutrition

Calories: 100kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 102IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @GoodForYouGlutenFree or tag #goodforyouglutenfree!

Filed Under: Dessert Leave a Comment

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Good For You Gluten Free

Hi, I'm Jenny Levine Finke and am passionate about the gluten-free lifestyle. I'm a certified integrative nutrition coach and self-taught expert on [most] gluten-free things. I have celiac disease and know the struggles you're going through first-hand. This is why I've dedicated this blog to serving the celiac and gluten sensitive communities with important information, product and restaurant reviews, and simple recipes I hope you'll love. Read More…

Check Out My NEW Book!

Dear Gluten Book Cover

Download My Safe Dining Card

Free download - gluten-free safe dining card
Logos of publications that Good For You Gluten Free has been featured in

My Trending Blog Posts

  • List of Gluten Free Cereals - Tested for Hidden Gluten
    List of Gluten Free Cereals - Tested for Hidden Gluten
  • Can You Use Almond Flour in Place of Regular Flour?
    Can You Use Almond Flour in Place of Regular Flour?
  • 5-Ingredient Gluten-Free Bagel Recipe
    5-Ingredient Gluten-Free Bagel Recipe
  • Crap, I Was Glutened! How Long Does It Take Gluten to Get Out of Your System?
    Crap, I Was Glutened! How Long Does It Take Gluten to Get Out of Your System?
  • Fast Almond Flour Bagel Recipe
    Fast Almond Flour Bagel Recipe
  • My Daily Apple Cider Vinegar Shot Challenge
    My Daily Apple Cider Vinegar Shot Challenge
  • Easy Gluten-Free Oat Bread
    Easy Gluten-Free Oat Bread
  • 17+ Classic Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour Recipes
    17+ Classic Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour Recipes
  • Does Subway Have Gluten-Free Bread?
    Does Subway Have Gluten-Free Bread?
  • How to Make Gluten-Free Pasta With Two Ingredients!
    How to Make Gluten-Free Pasta With Two Ingredients!

Graduate of the:

Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach Badge

Before Footer

You may not reproduce or publish any content on Good For You Gluten Free without written consent.

Copyright © 2023 Good For You Gluten Free. All Rights Reserved.

  • Home
  • About
    • About Good For You Gluten Free
    • Events
    • FAQs
    • Team
  • Subscribe
  • Giveaways
  • Recipes
  • Articles
  • Celiac Disease
  • Eating Out
  • Shop
  • Resources
    • My Book
    • Recommended Celiac Nutritionists & Practitioners
    • Safe Dining Card
    • Quick Start Guide
    • Ultimate Guide to Eating Out Gluten Free
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Disclosures & Disclaimers
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us
2008 shares