Dehydrated Apple Chips

Name: Dehydrated Apple Chips
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 185 min
Ingredients: apples; cinnamon ((optional)); cardamom ((optional))

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Do you find yourself struggling to find healthy snacking ideas? Dehydrated Apple Chips are sweet, crunchy, and make a healthy snacking option. I'll show you how to make them using a dehydrator, an oven, or an air fryer. You may also want to try my Pineapple Chips recipe!

dehydrated apple chips, cinnamon sticks and apples

Why This Recipe Works

Dehydrated apples are surprisingly delicious and sweet. Eaten in moderation, dried apples are a wonderful low-calorie snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth and nourish your body at the same time. This Dehydrated Apple Chips recipe won't break the bank either!

Are you ready for the ingredients list? We're talking APPLES, people! That's it! If you're feeling adventurous, sprinkle the apples with cinnamon, cardamom, pumpkin pie spice, or any spice you fancy!

Although you can sprinkle them with brown sugar, why take away from the natural sweetness of the apples, or add additional calories?

What you need for this recipe

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

Apples: For this recipe, I'm using Gala apples. I've tried various apples and have always had success. Obviously, the sweeter and tastier the apple the more concentrated flavor it will have. Whenever possible, use fresh apples instead of old, bruised, or mushy apples. Save those for making Cardamom Apple Pie Preserves.
Lemon Juice: Soaking the sliced apples in lemon water can prevent the fruit from discoloring. I rarely do this but tried it for this recipe and did not notice a big difference. Although, I do work at a fast pace. If the apple slices will sit a bit before you start dehydrating them, it might be helpful to soak them. Soaking them in a bowl of water with a pinch of citric acid is another option.
Spices: Spices are totally optional, but I decided to use cinnamon powder and cardamom powder. I usually don't add spices, especially since I like to share them with my dogs. After you slice the apples, you can sprinkle them with your favorite baking spice, or a combination of spices. You may also want to leave some unseasoned.
Other Ingredients: Sometimes people season the apples with salt or sugar. Others spray the apple slices with cooking spray to make them crispy. Personally, I don't find any of those steps necessary. The beauty of making dehydrated apples is in the simplicity of the recipe.

Tools Required

mandoline slicer
dehydrator
oven (optional)
air fryer (optional)

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How to make Apple Chips with a Food Dehydrator

Step 1: Before you slice the apples, twist the stem off and wash thoroughly to remove pesticides or wax. Using a mandoline slicer or a very sharp knife, slice apples into ⅛" thin rounds. There is no need to peel the apples unless you want to.

apple getting ready to be sliced with mandolin — Optional: Soak apples in lemon water if preferred.

apple slices soaking in water — Optional: Soak apples in lemon water if preferred.

Tip: Although you can core the apples first, I skip that step and find that the apple slices look more beautiful with the star shape in the center and there's less waste.

Step 2: Arrange apple slices in a single layer, onto clean dehydrator trays. Leave plenty of room for air circulation. Sprinkle apple slices with cinnamon and cardamom, if you'd like.

Step 3: Set the dehydrator's temperature to the fruit/vegetable setting, which is usually 135-degrees F). Set a timer for two hours.

Step 4: After two hours, start checking the apples periodically, until the desired texture is achieved (either soft and pliable or crispy). Dehydrating times will vary based on how juicy the apples are, the thickness of the slices, and the model of the dehydrator being used. However, the longer you dehydrate them the crispier they will become.

How to Make Oven Dehydrated Apple Chips

Step 1: After preparing the apples (see above for instructions), arrange them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Do not overlap. Sprinkle with spices, or leave as-is.

apple slices on parchment paper sprinkled with cinnamon

Step 2: Bake in a preheated oven at 225°F for 30 minutes. Flip the apples and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until dried to your liking (either chewy or crispy).

Tip: The apples will get crispier as they cool off so don't overbake them expecting them to come out crispy right out of the oven. If they are not as crisp as you'd like, bake them a little longer or turn off the oven and leave the apples in there until the oven cools off.

How to make air-fried Apple Chips

Step 1: Slice apples into 3/16" rounds. Arrange them in a single layer in an air fryer basket. Don't overcrowd. Sprinkle with spices if desired.

The thinner slices dried unevenly and burned.

Note: Slicing the apples too thin will cause them to be blown around in the air fryer, causing them to overlap and cook unevenly and even burn.

Step 2: Air fry at 325 degrees F for 5 minutes on each side. Reduce the temperature to 300 degrees and cook for an additional 3 minutes per side, if needed. Their texture will get crispier as they cool off.

How to Store Dried Apples

To store the dried apples, first, make sure they have completely cooled off. If the apples are even slightly warm, they will leave condensation in the bag or jar that they are stored in. As a result, the texture will become soft and mold can also grow.

Ziplock bags are great for storing dehydrated apple chips. Snack-sized bags are especially a good idea and might help with portion control.

Another option is to store the apple chips in airtight containers such as mason jars. This has the added advantage of keeping the fragile crispy slices from breaking.

The air fryer apple chips were dipped in lemon water and the other slices were not. Notice the dehydrator slices are not discolored even though they were not soaked first, and the oven dehydrated ones came out the darkest.

Recipe FAQs

What are the best apples to dehydrate?

Any apples that you love can be dehydrated. Once dehydrated, the apple's flavor is concentrated. Here are some apples that you can try dehydrating:
• Pink Lady
• Fuji
• Honeycrisp
• Golden Delicious
• Gala
• Granny Smith
• Anna Apples

Should apples be peeled before dehydrating?

You can put away your apple peeler. You won't need it when dehydrating apples unless, of course, you prefer them peeled. Unpeeled dehydrated apples are much prettier and tastier in my opinion.

Do you need to core apples before dehydrating them?

Whether you core the apples or not before dehydrating them is totally up to you. Use an apple corer to easily core the apples. Otherwise, go directly to slicing them.

How long should I dehydrate apple chips?

There is no specific time required to dehydrate apples. There are many variants that could affect the dehydrating time. This includes the type of apples being dehydrated, their moisture content, the thickness of the slices, and the dehydrator being used. That said, there is an average time, usually somewhere between 2-4 hours.

Are dehydrated apple chips good for you?

When it comes to healthy snacks, dehydrated apple chips are definitely on the list! Apple rings are good for you in moderation and definitely better than chips, pretzels, and other processed snacks.

Although they are all-natural, they do contain a higher amount of sugar than fresh apples do. According to Nutritionix.com, one ring contains 16 calories, 4.2 grams of carbs, and 3.7 grams of sugar.

What is the shelf life of dehydrated apple chips?

Dehydrated apple slices have a long shelf life, up to 6 months or more if stored properly in an airtight container. Keep the container in the pantry or a cool, dark location.

What can you do with dehydrated apple rings?

Dehydrated apples can be eaten as a snack. However, they have other uses too. Here are just a few possibilities:

• Dried apples can also be used as embellishments. For example, some people make wreaths with them, while others make garlands to adorn a Christmas tree.
• Tie a single dried apple slice with ribbon around a wrapped gift for an extra special touch.
• Dehydrated apple slices also make great gifts! Just place the slices in a mason jar and wrap jute under the lid to make a ribbon.
• Dogs love dehydrated apples too, keep in mind to only feed them in moderation.

Pro Tips

It's a good idea to use a mandoline to slice the apples so that the apple slices have a consistent thickness. This will allow them to dehydrate at the same rate. Always use the food holder when slicing the apples so that you don't slice your hand accidentally.
One apple makes approximately 20 slices when sliced into ⅛ " thickness.
Thinner slices are much easier to slice with a mandoline than thicker ones.
Add apple chips to your Broccoli Salad, Overnight Oatmeal, homemade granola, or yogurt.
If you're trying to make crispy apple rings, keep in mind that the slices will get crispier as they cool off.
Slicing the apples too thick or too thin will cause them either to burn or remain chewy and take longer to dehydrate.
Make more than one batch and season with other spices. Try cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and apple pie spices.

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