You’re here to learn to make pate de fruits, right? I will teach you how to make them using raspberry as the example flavor, but first, I really want you to read this whole post (I promise it’s not too long).
In it, I’ll share some tips and tricks I learned while making these in a commercial kitchen, how to store them long term, and how to make them low-sugar.
You can also download my “cheat sheet” of 25 pate de fruit formulas optimized for Boiron purees while you’re here.
Tips and tricks for success
While pate de fruits are not hard to make, there are some tricks to being successful with them. And I want you to be successful!
They have a short list of ingredients, but the way you mix them together can have a big impact on your finished candies. Here are some of the points to keep in mind and what I will teach you:
- The correct proportions of puree, sugar, glucose, citric acid and pectin
- How to add the pectin so your guy stay nice and smooth
- What to expect when you’re heating the puree
- How to stay safe while making them
Stick with me, and when you make perfect “fruit paste”, you’ll be rewarded with simply beautiful
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- texture
- flavor
- mouthfeel
The magic of making pate de fruits is making sure you have just the right amount of thickening power, in the form of pectin, to let them set up into slick, slice-able jewel-toned tiles of fruit flavor without overdoing it and ending up with something boingy. We are not going for boingy.
The Formula
The basic pate de fruit recipe is pretty straightforward.
The trick is in knowing the perfect amount of pectin to use for each kind of fruit. Since most fruit already contains pectin at different concentrations, the amount you must add differs for most types of fruit.
Professional pastry chefs have access to formulas that are specifically formulated for each type of fruit puree a particular manufacturer sells.
I have one of these formula sheets at my disposal, and I am going to share it with you now.
NOTE: Right click on the image below and choose “Open in a new tab.”
Okay, we’re getting to the recipe. But first, to address some possible issues before they come up:
How Hard is it to Make Pate de Fruits?
While it’s not hard to make these little candies, it’s not really easy, either.
Or rather, it’s a fussy process.
There is a lot of stirring and cooking of thick, viscous, bubbling molten fruit and sugar.
I’ve gotten some lovely burns from exuberantly burbling pre-pate-de-fruits, so if you’re going to make some, be careful and be prepared for it to take quite a while–maybe up to 45 minutes to an hour of stirring.
Can I use my own fruit puree?
Yes, you can, although if you do, I cannot guarantee that you will get perfect results with this particular formula since it is optimized for use with Boiron puree.
Having said that, I know of some folks who have used homemade puree with good results.
Just know that you may have to tweak the amount of pectin and/or citric acid to get the perfect set and balance.
Equipment
As I have said, the equipment list is not very long.
You’ll need a heavy bottomed saucepan, an accurate instant read thermometer, a Silpat for pouring and a half sheet pan.
This LavaTools instant-read is a great choice. It reaches temperature in a matter of seconds, is easy to read, and more important, it's accurate. An excellent thermometer for most home uses, from deep frying to candy making to checking doneness in meat, bread, and other baked goods.
I also like a pizza wheel for cutting your candies once they’ve set up, but you could also go for one of those fancy multi-wheel cutters if you know you’ll use it a lot.
I recommend storing pâte de fruits in an airtight container with a couple of desiccant packs in it to keep them nice and dry. Note that the desiccant packs I link to are rechargeable, meaning you can dry them out for repeated use.
I love this feature because you’re not just throwing them away after one use.
How Much Citric Acid?
In the formulas, the citric acid needs to be dissolved in an equal amount of water. So, if the formula calls for 15 grams of citric acid called for in the formula, dissolve 7.5 grams citric acid in 7.5 grams of water.
If the formula calls for 20 grams of citric acid, dissolve 10 grams citric acid in 10 grams of water before adding it when the formula specifies.
My favorite Boiron purees
I really recommend purchasing Boiron puree to make your pates de fruit, especially since the formulas come from Boiron and were optimized for their puree formula.
The pureee is pretty pricey, but it is fantastic. Plus, your results are all but guaranteed, as long as you follow the formulas exactly.
To begin with, I recommend just purchasing one flavor and making 1 tray of candies. If you cut them into small squares, you can easily get 400 candies, plenty for hooking up everyone on your gift list!
Start with the raspberry and then try passion fruit, strawberry, or mango. Those are some of my favorites!
These formulas also work very well with Perfect Puree and CapFruit brands.
I’d caution you about using homemade puree, since it’s not standardized. You run the risk of your pate de fruits setting up either too firmly or not firmly enough.
What kind of pectin to use
We always used powdered pectin from the “regular grocery store,” and never had any problems.
Do not purchase the low- or no-sugar needed pectin, and you should be fine. Ball and Sure-Jell are two trusted brand names that provide consistently good results.
I don’t know how to change the formula to use liquid pectin, so please stick with powdered to make your pate de fruit recipe.
Can I make low-sugar pate de fruits?
I wouldn’t suggest you make low-sugar pdfs using these Boiron formulas, but here is a recipe for and a discussion of making low sugar blood orange pate de fruits. It is also a small batch rather than a ton.
Note Janice’s recipe also uses liquid pectin rather than powdered.
Other candy recipes to try
Here are some other candy recipes you might enjoy–either for eating yourself or for gifting. Enjoy!
- Butter Mints are on the opposite end of the candy spectrum from Pate de Fruit. No cooking at all. This easy version of butter mints is really just a stiff American buttercream that you can shape into mints
- Crunchy Butterfinger Candy Bars This is another pretty exacting recipe, but the result is a crispy, crunchy, layered candy bar, much like store-bought Butterfingers. But better because you can use better chocolate!
- Bourbon Honeycomb Candy Made using Bourbon honey, this is classic “sponge” candy.
- Old-Fashioned Creamy Cocoa Fudge About as old-fashioned as you can get, this cocoa fudge was from a reader’s grandmother. All she had was the ingredient list, so I worked with it to give her the instructions. Et voila!
- Chewy Butterscotch Candy Traditional butterscotch from a very, very old recipe, I cook this only high enough so it sets into a chewy candy. If you’re interested in crunchy butterscotch, this butterscotch hard candy is right up your alley.
Questions?
If you have any questions about this post or recipe, I am happy to help.
Simply leave a comment here and I will get back to you soon. I also invite you to ask question in my Facebook group, Fearless Kitchen Fun.
If your question is more pressing, please feel free to email me. I should be back in touch ASAP, as long as I’m not asleep.
A Note About Measurements
Don't let its small price and small size fool you. The Escali Primo is an accurate and easy-to-use food scale that I have used for years. It's easy to store, easy to use, has a tare function, and easily switches between grams and ounces/pounds for accurate measurements.
It will help me and other readers so much if you take a moment to rate and leave a review for this recipe.
You can use the stars to rate 1-5 (5 is best), and leave a review in the comments. It helps me make adjustments if any are needed, and comments help others decide whether the recipe is worth making.
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Thank you so much for taking the time!
The raspberry pate de fruit formula
Generalizable to 25 formulas in the downloadable list.
To be clear, each formula requires slightly different amounts of sugar, citric acid, and pectin, so please refer to the chart. All formulas are based on 1 kg or 1000 grams of Boiron puree.
NOTE: I have had good luck using these formulas with both Perfect Puree and Cap Fruit. Note that perfect puree comes in 30 oz containers, so you will need to Do Math to scale the recipe from 1000 grams of puree to 850 grams.
NOTE ABOUT CITRIC ACID: Either use lemon juice in the same amount as called for in citric acid (for example, 15 grams citric acid = 15 grams lemon juice). If using citric acid, dissolve it in an equal amount of water before adding it to your candy (for example, 15 grams citric acid = 7.5 grams citric acid dissolved in 7.5 grams of water).
Raspberry Pate de Fruits
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1000 g . Boiron raspberry puree (1 container)
- 1140 g . sugar
- 200 g . corn syrup
- 7.5 g . citric acid diluted in 75 g. water (or 15 g. lemon juice)
- 20 g . powdered pectin
Instructions
- Mix about 100 g. of sugar with the pectin. Whisk them together really well. This helps keep your pate de fruits from having pectin globs in it. So do it.
- Heat the puree to 120 degrees. F.
- Whisk and whisk, and add the pectin/sugar mixture. Bring to a boil and let boil one minute.
- Add the corn syrup and the rest of the sugar. Cook to 223 degrees, F. This could take a very long time. Your thermometer will read 218, and you'll think, "Oh, I'm almost there!" Wipe that grin off your face; this is going to take some time, so settle in and make sure you're wearing long sleeves.
- One the mixture reaches 223F, stir in the citric acid/water mixture or the lemon juice. Cook one more minute.
- Pour the molten pate de fruits mixture into a half-sheet pan which you have lined with heavy duty plastic wrap or Silpat. Let set up at room temperature until cool and sliceable. This could take a few hours.
- Once firm, slice them into small squares, or cut out fun shapes with tiny cookie cutters. Roll them in granulated sugar. For "Sourpatch" pate de fruits, mix a little citric acid in with the sugar (to taste) and roll them in that mixture.
Did You Make Any Changes?
Notes
Clarification on Citric Acid
If the formula calls for 15 grams citric acid, you can use EITHER 7.5 grams citric acid dissolved in 7.5 grams water OR 15 grams of lemon juice. If the formula calls for 25 grams citric acid, you'll need 12.5 citric acid dissolved in 12.5 grams water OR 25 grams lemon juice.Nutrition
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I made this recipe at least 15 times. It is perfection! The raspberry is great and also the passion fruit! I would love the ratios for their watermelon puree!
I am so thrilled that you love the pate de fruits! They are definitely worth the time they take to make! Unfortunately, I don’t have a watermelon formula. I’d suggest starting with the melon formula as a good starting point.
Hey Jenni! Thanks for this recipe. Ran my first batch today. New induction burner makes these go so fast! Can’t wait for my tasters group to try!
My pleasure, Amy! I do love a good induction burner. 🙂 Is there anything I can do to this recipe or directions to earn 5 stars from you? Just wondering why 4. I’d appreciate the feedback!
Technical question here–What is the role of the corn syrup/glucose in determining the final consistency of the pâte de fruits?
Hey, Alison. The corn syrup, or glucose if you have it, is mainly there to inhibit crystallization so you end up with a nice, smooth jelly