Apple Chips

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Apple chips are light, crispy, easy to make, and surprisingly full of flavor! Turn them into a sweet snack with a dash of cinnamon, or crumble them into bits as a topping for a delicious fall salad.

Apple chips in a bowl.

As the seasons change, so do my cravings for a new snack. Summer was filled with sweet berries and juicy peaches. And now it’s time to dive into autumn’s fruity harvest. Fall fruits like cranberries and figs can be found in my cranberry almond biscotti or blueberry chia pudding with figs.

But today, we’re transforming fresh fall apples into delicious baked apple chips. Although this recipe has to be slow cooked for 2 hours, it only takes 10 minutes to prep and doesn’t require a dehydrator. Trust me, the wait will be worth it when you take the first crunchy bite.

What Are The Best Types of Apples To Dry?

With the large variety of apples out there, it can be difficult to figure out which ones provide the best taste and texture. But it all really comes down to if you like more of a sweet or tart flavor.

If you’re looking for more of a sweet flavor, gala, fuji, and honeycrisp apples are great. If you’re more of a tart person, then you’ll want to go for gavenstein, pink lady, cortland, or empire apples.

Making apple chips with a mandoline.

Are Apple Chips Healthy?

I will admit these apple chips are addictive. But are they bad for you? Not necessarily. Unlike store-bought alternatives, this recipe uses no additional sugar, and the chips are baked instead of deep fried. Not to mention, apples are a great source of fiber and promotes a healthy digestive system.

Tips on How to Make Your Apple Chips Crispy

When it comes to chips, it’s all about the crunch. So how do you make your apple chips extra crispy? Take a look at a few tips I have below.

  • Cut the apples as thinly and evenly as possible. I recommend using a mandoline to slice the apples. But, you can also use a spiralizer with the flat blade or simply with a knife.
  • Do not speed up the baking process or turn up the temperature. Your goal is to slowly reduce the moisture in these apples. If you turn up the heat and bake it in a shorter amount of time, your apples will most likely be soft and even a bit mushy. Trust the slow process and you will have crispy bits in no time.
  • After it’s done baking, let your apples cool in the oven for about 30 minutes. This will be sure to take out the last bit of moisture left in your apples and maximize the crispiness.
Apple chips in a bowl and on a napkin.

How Long do Baked Apple Chips Last

While apple chips are best eaten straight out of the oven, you might want to save some for the week. Leftovers should be sealed in a an airtight container right away and can be stored for up to one week. Just make sure to keep your chips out of humidity to maintain the freshness and crispiness.

Crispy apple chips all stacked on top of each other.

How To Make Baked Apple Chips

  1. Slice the apples 1/8 inches thick using a mandoline on the thinnest setting. Make sure to slice from the bottom of the apple.
  2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat mat and arrange the apple slices in a single layer on top. Feel free to place the apples close to each other as they will get smaller while baking.
  3. Sprinkle cinnamon on both sides of the apple and bake for one hour. The cinnamon or additional sugar is optional, but I recommend giving your apples a little cinnamon love for extra flavor.
  4. Flip the apple slices while they are still warm and bake for 1 more hour, or until the pieces are fully dry and crispy.
  5. Let them cool in the oven for 30 minutes to finish off the dehydration process.
  6. Test the apple chips by letting them sit on the sheet pan for about 5 minutes. If they taste crispy enough, they are ready. If not, place them back in the oven for 15 more minutes.
Apple chips in a bowl.

Looking for More Apple Recipes?

If you have an abundance of apples, make sure to check out these other delicious apple recipes…

Apple chips in a bowl.

Easy Apple Chips Recipe

5 from 6 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

These baked apple chips are crispy, fresh, and the perfect fall snack. Not to mention how easy it is to make and healthier than store bought chips.

Ingredients 
 

  • 3 large apples , such as Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (90 Celsius).
  • Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
  • Wash and thinly slice the apples using a mandoline to about 1/8-inch thick. Remove the seeds from each slice.
  • Spread the apple slices closely in one layer onto the baking sheets. Sprinkle with cinnamon on both sides.
  • Bake the apples for 1 hour. Flip the apples over and bake for 1 more hour.
  • Turn the oven off and let the apples cool in the oven for about 30 minutes before taking out. If the apples are not crunchy, continue baking them in 15 minute increments.
  • Remove the apples from the baking sheet and enjoy, or store immediately in an airtight container.

Lisa’s Tips

  • I recommend using Fuji, Honeycrisp, or Gala apples for a sweeter and more crisp taste.
  • The thinner your slices are, the crispier they will get! Make sure to keep your apples slices at 1/8 inches thick, or smaller.
  • This is the mandoline I’ve used (and loved) for years.

Nutrition

Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple chips, apple chips recipe, baked apple chips, baked apple chips recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




30 Comments

  1. Oh em gee! These are so good and easy to make. I’m not a fan of store-bought apple chips, but these are so fresh and amazing. Looking forward to apple picking season and experimenting with different seasonings. I sprinkled these with some maple sugar I had lying around. I think ginger would be great too!

    1. Hi Kelly – Thanks for leaving a review and I’m so glad you love these apple chips! They’re great for adding different seasonings on top.

  2. I made this receipe this year because my friends’ apple trees had a harvest. It was absolutely delicious and healthy! While I am kinda sick of the heavy sugar in American foods, this receipe definitely does not have that and the apple chips turned out so naturally sweet!5 stars

  3. Couldn’t get my mandolin to cooperate so I used a core/peel/slice contraption. Thought these would last longer than they did. They were sooo good they were gone in 2 days!!5 stars

  4. Apple season and time for another batch. This time dried apples tossed in maple sugar once out of the oven. Highly recommend.5 stars

  5. Like others who have commented, I too went apple picking recently and used my granny smith apples to make chips. So delicious! Another great LB recipe! :)5 stars

  6. Hi Lisa! I’m so happy this recipe popped up because I went apple picking today and I have a ton of apples. My house smells like apple pie! Do you have a Thanks again for your hard work, great recipes and fantastic videos. I would love a recipe for apple crisp : )5 stars

  7. Hi I hope you had a great vacation. I just meet up with the Peach Truck and got a case of peaches, I was wondering if you had things I could do with them before they go bad. Thank you Penny

    1. Hi Penny! I have a grilled peach and burrata salad that’s perfect for summer! Also, you can blend it up into my breakfast peach smoothie :)

    1. Hi Lacy – Leftovers should be sealed in a an airtight container right away and can be stored for up to one week. Just make sure to keep your chips out of humidity to maintain the freshness and crispiness.

  8. If you wanted to make beet chips would you follow the same directions, only replacing the apple slices with beet slices?

    1. Hi Cherylnn – I haven’t made beet chips just yet, but I believe for beet chips you should first slice them with a mandoline, toss them is olive oil and salt, then place them on a baking sheet to bake :)

    1. Hi Judy – You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of the page, but it is 200 degrees Fahrenheit!

    1. Hi Kate- the oven temperature is listed in my recipe card at the bottom of the post :) It is 200 degrees Farenheit.

  9. Made a 2 apple batch. I lightly sprinkled leftover pumpkin spice on each side, during the hour each turning stage.  So good.5 stars

    1. Hi Hillary – Yay! I’m so glad you loved these apple chips :) They’re seriously the best fall snack that’s all natural and delicious!

      1. Hi Hillary – Yum! Love how you applied this method to other fruits :)