Apple Chips
Fall is the perfect time to make this delicious 3-ingredient apple chips recipe. These crispy, chewy dehydrated apple chips are naturally vegan, gluten-free, and easy to prepare. Serve them as a light snack or dessert dipped in homemade vegan caramel sauce! I’ll show you how to make apple chips in the oven, and I also include air fryer directions.
This homemade apple chips recipe has quickly become my go-to fall snack. It’s such a wonderful way to use up the last of my fresh fall apples after making the rest into apple butter and apple crisp. Dehydrating apple chips is easy to do in the oven, and they come out chewy and crunchy, with concentrated sweetness. I season these baked apple chips with cozy cinnamon sugar, which makes them taste a little bit like apple pie. It’s a quick, affordable snack that everyone loves!
Why This Apple Chips Recipe is a Favorite Fall Snack
I make this apple chip recipe all the time, and they never seem to last long. Here’s why they should make it on your fall to-do list this year:
- You only need 3 ingredients, with the option to customize the spices.
- They’re naturally dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly.
- All you do is season the apples with cinnamon and sugar, then bake. That’s it! You can also make them in the air fryer, like my veggie chips.
- Making apple chips is a great way to use leftover apples.
- Crispy baked apple chips are perfect for fall, whether they’re for snacking or an easy vegan dessert.
- This apple chips recipe tastes so much better than store-bought. The flavor and texture are fresher without preservatives. Plus, making apple chips at home is much more affordable!
Notes on Ingredients
You only need 3 ingredients to make this easy fall snack (scroll to the recipe card for the exact measurements):
- Apples – I recommend using small apples, and it’s important to use crisp, sweet-tart apples that are ripe. If they’re not yet ripe, the apple chips will be too sour and bitter. And if they’re floury or mealy, the apple chips won’t get as crispy or chewy in the oven.
- Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon gives the apples a warm spiciness.
- Sugar – You can use any sugar for this recipe. For a more caramelized flavour, use brown sugar.
Cut the Apples Into Thin Slices
The best way to cut apple slices thinly is to use a mandolin. Start by removing the core from the apples, then carefully slice them with a thin setting on your mandolin. Use a guard to keep your fingers safe. If you don’t have a mandolin, use a sharp kitchen knife to cut the apples as thin as possible.
How to Make Apple Chips
Dehydrating the apples in the oven is a low-and-slow process, but the prep work is quick and easy. Here’s what you’ll do.
- Lay out the apples. While the oven preheats to 200ºF, arrange the thinly sliced apples on a lined baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Meanwhile, mix cinnamon with sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the apple slices. You don’t need to season both sides.
- Bake. Position the baking sheets on the highest racks in your oven. Bake for 2 ½ hours. Switch the positions of the baking sheets halfway through to keep the apples cooking evenly.
- Switch off the oven. Leave the apple chips inside the warm oven for 1 more hour, so they can finish dehydrating. Afterward, take the apples out and let them cool completely before storing or serving.
Air Fryer Apple Chips
The air fryer is a great alternative to the oven that also speeds up the crisping process. To make apple chips in the air fryer, slice the apples and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar as directed. Next, arrange the apple slices in a single layer, and air fry at 300°F for 15-20 minutes. Shake the basket every 5 minutes or so to ensure that the apple chips cook evenly.
Helpful Tips
- You can use any type of apple for apple chips. As the apples dehydrate, the natural flavors become stronger, so sweet apples get even sweeter, and tart apples become more tart. I like to use Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Golden Delicious apples, as these varieties offer a nice balance of sweet and tart.
- Don’t crowd the baking sheets. When placing the apple slices on the baking sheet, make sure that the apples aren’t touching or overlapping. Crowding prevents the apples from drying out properly, and they may become stuck.
- Cool the apple chips completely. The whole kitchen smells amazing whenever I bake these apple chips, so it’s tempting to eat them as soon as they come out of the oven. For best results, though, let the apple chips cool completely before you eat them. It allows the chips to firm up and become crispy.
- Make consistent cuts. Do your best to cut the apple slices to the same size. If the apples are different sizes, some will be undercooked while some will be overcooked. Make sure to keep the mandolin on the same setting until you’ve sliced them all. If you’re using a knife, try to make sure that each slice is a similar size.
- Peeling the apples is optional. I don’t peel my apples when making this apple chips recipe, because I like the flavour and the texture of the peel. If you’d prefer them skinless, peel the apples before slicing.
How to Store Homemade Apple Chips
- Room temperature. Store the apple slices in an airtight container or bag, and keep them out of direct sunlight. They’ll last at room temperature for 3 days.
- Refrigerate. If you want your apples to last a little longer, store them in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freeze. You can also store apple chips in the freezer. Store them in a double layer of airtight bags, making sure to remove the excess air from the bags. They’ll last in the freezer for 6 months. Thaw the apple chips in the fridge overnight, or eat them straight from the freezer.
More Apple Recipes to Try
Enjoy friends! If you make this apple chips recipe, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Apple Chips Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-5 small apples
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons sugar, any type of sugar will work
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200F, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Core the apples and then thinly slice them with a mandolin.
- Place the apple slices on the baking sheets, making sure that they're not overlapping.
- Add the cinnamon and sugar to a small bowl, and stir to combine. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the apples.
- Put the baking sheets in the oven, one on the top rack and one right below it. Bake for 2½ hours, switching the position of the racks halfway through.
- Turn off the oven, and leave the apple chips in the oven for another hour while they finish cooking and drying.
- Remove the apple chips from the oven and let them cool completely before eating.
Notes
- Store leftover apple chips in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for 3 days, in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for 6 months.
- You can scale up or down the recipe as much as you want.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Oh my, I discovered your page only today, but oh, so many goodies .
I grew up in England, during WW2, at a time of rationing; and I remember my Mum would get dried apple rings, for baking – and my sisters and I each had one ring for a nosh/snack. As I recall, they were not crispy, but flexible, and very sweet.
Thanks for a happy memory of a grim time.
Wow this warms our heart! Thanks for sharing Christine.
Excited to try this! How long will they keep for?
Hi Erika,
I would definitely bake them when you want to eat them, but they should stay crispy maybe 2-3 days in an air tight zipped bag!
Hi, I have just read over the recipe. How thick do you slice your apples? My mandolin has multiple settings.
Thanks!
Hi Sara it should be 1/16 of an inch thick. I hope this helps!
Do you peel the apples: when do you remove the seeds? Looking forward to making this with small gala apples I just purchased at the store. Thank you
Hi Phyll,
I didn’t peel them, and I cored the middle so the seeds were naturally removed I hope that helps so much!
What tool do you use to get the core out? My apple corer is to narrow to get the entire core out and my chips still have some of the hard, tough parts of the core that stick between the teeth and under the gums. Ouch!
Hi Luciellenc,
I used an apple corer too — mine came in a set from my grandma (from Wolfgang Puck), so it might’ve had a slightly wider center than most. That definitely sounds uncomfortable! I hope you get to try it again with a different tool. In the meantime, you could try coring as usual, then use the edge of a small knife or the corer at an angle to scoop out any of the tougher center parts that remain. Kind of like going off-center to get those last bits. Hope that helps!