Tried and tested by Kidspot parents
4.4 out of 5: Kidspot parents were pleased with New Zealand Apple Products Freeze-Dried Apple Sticks & Fruit Medley and would recommend them to their friends and family.
New Zealand Apple Products have been producing innovative snacks for almost two decades now, providing additional local value to New Zealand fruit.
Knowing how important it is for you and your whole family to have a good balance of nutritious foods and healthy products in your diet, they have developed various fruit-based snack products with some of the most amazing processes to create a unique and yummy experience for everyone. The New Zealand Apple Products range includes Freeze-Dried, Air Dried, and Pouch options.
Freeze Dried products
The range of Freeze Dried products includes:
- Freeze Dried Apple Sticks
- Freeze Dried Gold Kiwifruit
- Freeze Dried Fruit Medley
- Freeze Dried Mixed Berry
The Freeze Drying process is one of several techniques for food preservation and is considered one of the best drying methods. Due to the nature of this process, there is minimal alteration to the physical structure, colour and negligible loss of nutrients.
New Zealand Apple Products Freeze Dried products are:
- 100% New Zealand fruit
- Gluten-free
- No sulphites, preservatives, additives, or allergens
The Freeze Dried range are an exceptionally healthy snack for those who prefer a nutritious alternative to satisfy their sweet cravings. The natural profile of the New Zealand Freeze Dried Products, provide great value and convenience for parents to include these in lunchboxes, morning, or afternoon snacks. The Freeze Dried products can also be added to cereal, porridge, smoothies, many sweet and/or savoury recipes and along with a topping on your baking for that unique look. You will find that these not only have a unique flavour but are delicious and hard to resist.
Follow New Zealand Apple Products on Facebook or Instagram or find out more on the New Zealand Apple Products website.
Read the reviews below!
We gave 200 members the chance to trial and review two products from the New Zealand Apple Products range of Freeze Dried fruit snacks.
- If you have received product for review, please scroll to the bottom of the page and add your feedback as a new comment. Upload your review photos to this Dropbox folder.
- NOTE: To take part in this product trial, you will need to confirm in the form below that you agree to your name and email address being shared with New Zealand Apple Products who will add you to their mailing list. You may unsubscribe at any time.
- Each selected reviewer will receive 1 x 34g bag of Freeze Dried Apple Sticks and 1 x 34g bag of Freeze Dried Fruit Medley.
- JOIN the Kidspot NZ Product Trials page and keep an eye out for review updates
- PLEASE NOTE: You will be required to post photos of the products as part of your review
Please note
- If you are selected to trial, the product will be sent to the address on your profile.
- Please check your address now to ensure that it is up to date.
- Not registered yet? Then sign up now.
- Kidspot Terms and Conditions: Open to Kidspot members 18+ only. Only available for NZ residents. If you are selected, you will be required to use the product as soon as possible plus supply a review, as set out in our review instructions. Your name, postal address and email address will be given to the supplier for the purpose of delivery of the product and addition to their database, as agreed upon registration.
- Click here for full Terms and Conditions.
See photos from our reviewers below
We received these apple snacks right before morning tea time, so the kids were very excited to try them out straightaway! I had only seen dried apple slices before, not freeze dried, so didn’t quite know what to expect. The packaging was very colourful, which was a reflection of the fruit inside. The kids loved the fruit medley, and the fact that all the fruits were recognisable. They thought the fruit was absolutely delicious, they loved it paired with yoghurt. I think it’s definitely a great option for a quick, healthy snack. I personally thought some of the fruit was on the sour side, and you don’t need much to satisfy yourself, because the flavours are definitely intense. I was very surprised to see that there was no added sugar, because especially the apple sticks were super sweet while still tangy. So I thought this was a very interesting product and a good option for the future. The most convenient way of purchasing would be at the supermarket.
My kids (12,9 & 2) were all super excited to try these. Each has their favourite fruit but they are happy to munch away on everything in there. Lovely crunch & super yummy.
Thank you so much I’ve received the mixed berry and apple sticks today. When I was busy with dinner and the kids said they are hungry, I thought it was the perfect time to try it out. The smell was a bit off putting for the kids, but they did try it in the end and their favourite is definitely the apple sticks. The did try the berries, but wasn’t very keen. I’m actually going to give it another go tomorrow morning in some yogurt for them. It is the perfect snack for the kids, without feeling guilty. I love the resealable bags, not that it is going to last very long in our house.
Q1. Had you heard about New Zealand Apple Products before this trial? No
Q2. Which product did you/the kids like the best and why? My kids love the apple sticks, I think the berries were a bit too sour for them.
Q3. Where would you like to buy this product from? I would love to buy it from any supermarkets.
Q4. Would you purchase from the New Zealand Apple Products online store? Yes, if the postage is reasonable.
Q5. Would you purchase other products from this company? if so, which ones? Oh yes, I would like to try all the snacks type of foods for my kids. I’m always looking for healthy snack and lunchbox ideas.
Q6. Would you recommend New Zealand Apple Products to friends and family? Yes definitely, I already did mention it to a few mums at school.
Both my daughters love the Apple sticks and fruit medley! Such a convenient and healthy snack for on-the-go hunger! I’ll definitely be looking out for these products in the supermarket.
We were lucky enough to try these. I was a bit warry that my 2 year old would turn up his nose to these as he can sometimes be a bit picky with textures (he doesnt like puffed rice biscuits). But after the first bite he was hooked and tried to demolish the whole bag. Even after I tried to hide them in the cupboard he stood infront and just pointed at them on the shelf so needless to say they were a hit. Impressed that the ingredients are just fruit and no other additives so a great way to sneak in the fruit. Also great that there is a variety of different fruits with different textures to explore. Would definitely add this to the weekly snack options within our lunch box.
Wow was my reaction when I opened the Freeze Dried NZ Fruit Medley as the contents were so colourful. So light and dissolved in my mouth when I tried the different fruits. The whole strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries with sliced gold kiwifruit and apples.
Both the Apple Sticks and Fruit Medley had intense flavour with quite a high natural sugar content. There is no added sugar, but now dehydrated are so flavoursome. These would go well on our porridge or cereals.
My daughter said that she would snack on these while doing homework and they are great for finger food. Great to hear they are 100% New Zealand fruit
I have not heard about these Freeze Dried New Zealand Apple Products before.
We all loved the Fruit Medley the best as there was a great choice and these would also look superb on muffins or wafers which we put them on for the photos then all shared.
Love to buy these from our local New World store.
Yes I would buy from the online store again depending on price and shipping cost, but would prefer to buy from the local supermarket.
We all enjoy Gold Kiwifruit so would also love to buy this product. Mixed Berry would also go down well in our family.
Definitely will recommend New Zealand Apple Products to friends and family
Upon arrival, I liked the packaging it came in.
This product is really unique to me so I was intrigued to know what the inside goods looked like.
My husband and I tried the apple slices and berry medley and found they were full of flavour! Because the berry medley has berries in it of course, i noticed staining on my fingers, so would be watchful of that with messy little fingers. I preferred the apple to mixed berry, it was like there was more product inside and tasted like eating potato chips – healthier options.
I hmmed and aahh’d over giving them to my 11mo son as he only has 2 teeth and these would be a choking hazard. Under supervision he was completely fine and really enjoyed them! Although he threw half of it on the floor, as he must have sucked it to a socked mess. I would definitely buy these for myself to add add my rolled oats for brekkie and share with my son once he is older. Price pending; I haven’t checked out the cost, but as a single income family, this would be a big deciding factor.
Thank you for this awesome opportunity 🙂 I would rate them 8/10 for adults and not recommend for children under 3.
So delish! Package arrived just before we left for school, my daughter was so excited we had to put them in her lunch box right away!
Q1. Had you heard about New Zealand Apple Products before this trial? Yes
Q2. Which product did you/the kids like the best and why? Apple sticks!
Q3. Where would you like to buy this product from? Supermarket
Q4. Would you purchase from the New Zealand Apple Products online store? Yes
Q5. Would you purchase other products from this company? if so, which ones? Berries
Q6. Would you recommend New Zealand Apple Products to friends and family? Yes
I was excited to receive these products to review – I have a very fussy eater and my other child doesn’t like fresh fruit in their lunch box as it gets bruised and is unappealing, so this seemed like a great product to try!
I hadn’t heard about NZ Apple products before this trial, although had tried other similar snacks previously.
My DD13 ripped into the packets when they arrived and was very eager to try them, I had to take the apple sticks away from her, or I’m sure she would have eaten the whole packet at once! The apple sticks were our favourite, they were very crunchy and more-ish. I did like the variety of fruit in the other packet but I’m not sure I would the fruit medley, although the golden kiwifruit was surprisingly nice.
I would buy this product from supermarkets. I did look at the online store but once you add shipping, it is not really any cheaper than buying in store, and to get free shipping you need to purchase quite a lot at once, which I would not do.
In terms of other products, I might try the apple chips but think I would probably stick to the Apple sticks for future lunch box purchases.
I would definitely recommend these products to other people I know, and will be purchasing more of them myself.
Thanks for the chance to try them, they are really yummy!
We absolutely loved the freeze dried fruits, my son is super picky with food so it was just amazing seeing him try it, he especially loved the apple chips, amazing gir little hands!
No sugar or sulphites is a big winner for me, its great to see healthy options available.
Previous to this trial i haven’t heard of these products before, although what a great option over sugar loaded snacks! My son loved the apple chips as they were not as tart as some of the fruit in the fruit medley. Having seen the products available on
The nz apple products website i am keen to try the ape chips and the apple noodles (the no added sugar is amazing). I haven’t seen these products before but reading some of the comments I think some supermarket stores have these in the baking section (the section we normally skip) so we will be making a trip down that isle soon. The online ordering is super user friendly and to be honest if I cant find these in my local supermarket I probably will order online.
These were so yummy I even gave some to my elderly neighbors to try, who were thrilled with no sulphite or sugar claims too.
We were picked to try these, my toddlers who are 2 ans 4 love these, my kids and dairy and gluten intolerant which makes it harder to find nice things for them but they LOVED these snacks!!
Q1. Had you heard about New Zealand Apple Products before this trial? Yes
Q2. Which product did you/the kids like the best and why? The berries, they were so delicious
Q3. Where would you like to buy this product from? Supermarket
Q4. Would you purchase from the New Zealand Apple Products online store? Yes
Q5. Would you purchase other products from this company? if so, which ones? Dried apples
Q6. Would you recommend New Zealand Apple Products to friends and family? Yes
Was great to have the chance to try these products, thank you! It wasn’t a brand I had heard of before and it’s always great to try new things. There was a good amount of product in each bag and the texture was very crunchy and a bit different to get used to initially. We all loved the apple chips the best but also liked the kiwifruit slices in the mixed fruit bag. The berries had a stranger texture, I don’t think I would have them again as a snack but they would be nice added to crumbles or porridges.
I would buy at the supermarket when we do groceries and will keep an eye out for them in the future as they were a nice treat. I think I’d rather buy with groceries than as an online order, unless there was a particular promotion.
Overall it was great to try, my children (2 and 5 year olds) really enjoyed them and the dried fruit snacks will be making an appearance in their lunchboxes this week, yum, thank you!
Our family loved the NZ Apple Sticks and NZ Fruit Medley that we were sent to trial! They lasted two days in our pantry, they were so yummy and we couldn’t stop eating them! We loved that they were literally just fruit, with no nasties added to them which meant we could share them with our 14mo. Being a NZ company with NZ fruit, we would definitely purchase these 🙂
We were so grateful to receive the NZ Apple Products goodies to try! My 21 month old daughter seems to have an aversion to fresh fruit so these are a great option for any child like her.
As soon as I showed her the packet, she was into them haha! Love the light, crunchy texture and the different options available in the Fruit Medley bag. They have been a great snack for on the go as they are easily portioned into a lunchbox or snack box. I also really appreciated the fact that they didn’t go soggy like other dehydrated fruit options we’ve tried before. They stay crunchy all day in a lunchbox which is unique to this range and they’re a snack I don’t mind giving my daughter in the car as there’s no mess with them, another plus!
Our house hold consists of Mr 6 and Miss 1.5.
Initial thoughts were very tangy almost sour but a good texture. Definitely preferred in small doses. Miss 1.5 was not a fan at all. Nor was I personally. But Mr 6 liked them and they are mostly intended for his school lunch anyway. He sees them as a bit of a treat which works for me! Guilt free treats. Perfect
Hadn’t heard of these prior to the trial, have not seen them at my local super market before or anything from this brand. But would be keen to try other varieties good alternative to snacks in lunch box or when out and about. Price point would be an important factor for whether I considered buying them again to be honest. I wouldn’t personally buy from the online store but would from local supermarket.
Recommend if you have a kiddie with a sweet tooth. They’re almost like apple chips which is cool
My 3 children loved trying the New Zealand Apple products. We had never heard of these products before. My kids favourites were the apple sticks. They loved having them just as a snack, or we added them to other foods as a topping. We would usually buy them from pak’n’save, however would buy them from the online store if they weren’t available at the supermarket. We are looking forward to buying the other products to try like the apple chips.
We would definitely recommend these products to other families.
This was the first time we’d seen or tried the fruit hitz apple and fruit products. My older boy (4 years) liked them a lot, my younger (2 years) wasn’t so keen. I believe he preferred the apple sticks because they were sweeter. We had them as part of afternoon tea, but would probably keep them in our snack containers in the nappy bag as an alternative to fresh fruit. If I saw it in countdown supermarkets I would seriously consider buying them. I probably wouldn’t buy online from the apple products website because I wouldn’t remember it was available. I would consider purchasing the apple chip or rings or the noodles, but not the pouches just because I don’t really like pouch products in general. I would recommend the nz apple products to others as a longer lasting alternative to fresh fruit.
I hadn’t heard of or seen this brand before but as soon as I saw the attractive packaging I was keen to try! My son loved the fruit medley best because there was a variety of fruits including his favourite- berries! The apple sticks were nice and crunchy and very sweet which appealed to my son and I. I would love to see this at my local pak’n’save in whakatane, it would definitely be a staple in our weekly shop and in my sons lunch box. I will order some from the New Zealand apple products online store but I would definitely prefer to buy instore. I would love to try the apple chips, I think my son would love them because they are “chips”. I would also like to try the baby fruit purees with my youngest son when he starts solids, I like that there isn’t any preservatives and additives. I will definitely be recommending this product to friends and family who also struggle to get fruit into their kiddies!
It was great to trial the fruit medley and apple sticks. My three kids loved them both and it’s a great quick snack to have on the go. Will definitely be buying in the future.
I had never heard of this product before being selected for the trial but both my daughter and I thought they were delicious. The crunch is very satisfying and these could easily replace lollies or potato chips in a lunch box. The apples were our favourite but the fruit medley was lovely as well. I would definitely purchase these again if they were available in my local supermarket and would possibly order online. I’d recommend these to anyone looking for a healthy alternative snack that kids will definitely enjoy.
The first thing that struck me was how light the freeze-dried fruit is. It’s more lightweight than popcorn. The Apple Sticks have a crunchy texture halfway between a shortbread biscuit and biscotti. They are slightly sweet with a tangy aftertaste and made a tasty addition to my son’s lunchbox. I liked the fact that they were minimally processed and still had the skin on and even parts of the core. They were my favourite.
The fruit in the Fruit Medley were similar in texture but the individual tastes varied. The blueberries had a delicate flavour, more like cooked blueberries in a muffin than fresh blueberries. The apple pieces were again sweet and tangy. The strawberry was a sour-sweet mix, while the gold kiwifruit was surprisingly sour. My son’s favourite, to my amazement, was the dried boysenberry which was mouth-puckeringly sour! For kids who like sour gummies, this could be a healthier alternative. One of the pifalls of eating dried fruit is that you can eat more than you would if it were fresh. These sour-tasting pieces of dried fruit are intense flavour hits so you can’t eat a lot at one sitting. As the company suggests, they would be great added to porridge or cereal.
I looked out for this product in my local supermarket and found it in the baking aisle in the dried fruit section. I think I will keep an eye out for their Fruit Hitz purees and apple chips and give them a try. Buying online is not an option I would consider as the supermarket is more convenient. I would recommend the Apple Sticks when you want to make sure some fruit gets eaten at school and the Fruit Medley to give your morning cereal some punch.
Hi there,
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to review your produce.
My two toddlers Emerald 3 1/2 and Onyx 2, really enjoyed snacking on the apple sticks, they did want to eat the whole bag at once, but we have managed to save half the bag for lunches. The medley fruit snacks were also great as there were a lot of variety and the fact that they weren’t all sweet was also a great alternative to snacks.
I love these new snacks, something different to add to the preschool lunches. We will definitely be buying these for future lunches.
I have some great photos and video of them enjoying the apple sticks too that I will share.
Thanks again.
I live these Freeze Dried Appple and Fruit Medley Sticks. They don’t use any sweetener or preservative. A great way to have a healthy snacks while watching tv or having guests over.
Thanks so much for giving us the opportunity to trial these NZ Apple products. These arrived on Friday and I was hoping to use them in my two children’s school lunches but by Sunday they were all gone. We ended up using some on our Saturday night movie night platter. Both of my children (12 & 10) really liked these, in particular the apple chips were a hit aswell as the freezer dried berries. I would buys these again as I think they would be a great healthy option to use in lunch boxes or as an after school snack.
We were chosen to review these and we are very glad we were. Mr 7 and Mr 3 loved them. So nice to have healthy snacks that the kids loved. We tried the Apple sticks and the fruit medley, the kids preferred the medley for sure.
Great for lunch boxes and hungry tummies
We got to try the fruit medley and apple sticks packs. I opened them without the kids and could have eaten all of them! So yummy. Today I’ve shared with both kids and my 4 year old gave them both the thumbs up. I think we liked the medley pack the most. They won’t last much longer! I’ve brought the apple chips in the past and though they were great. Next time I’m at Pack and Save up be buying more for lunches. Already told a couple of friends and my mum lol. Love they are made in NZ. I will have to look online as well maybe bulk buy. Very impressed.
We received these today, and my son coudn’t wait to try them! He loved the crunchiness of them. He preferred the medly with all the different fruit for variety, but I couldn’t stop snacking on the apple chips! We managed to stop eating them so we have some left for school lunches next week! They’ll be a wonderful addition as I love the fact they’re so healthy but taste like a bit of a treat. I’m confident they’ll be eaten at school & not come home at the end of the day. He’s so busy playing he struggles to eat a whole apple (takes too much of his playing time, he tells me!) so this way he has the goodness of the fruit in an easier form.
We were so lucky to receive the trial for the Freeze Dried fruit and our boy LOVES fruit so to have a selection like apples, blueberries (his FAV fruit), kiwi fruit and mixed berries was awesome! They’re so enough for him to eat and they crumble so easily. Needless to say he jumped straight in to trialing these 2 bags and was in his element. Had a hard time tearing the bag away from him that’s for sure. I tried an apple stick and a strawberry and they were delicious! Would consider buying them definitely if we have them available in our supermarket. Highly recommend.
We’re always looking for new ways to increase the kids fruit and vegetable intake. These look delicious and definitely something we’d be keen to try
Our family loves to try new prducts. We love to try this new product because we believe it it fresh as it comes, nutrious and good for ones health and well being. My daughter loves fruit as part of her snack and lunches in school. thanks
Super excited to try these healthy snacks! Perfect for lunchbox.