Cinnamon Apple Chips

With these sweet, crunchy, dried apples, you can enjoy the taste of autumn even longer.

Top 10 reasons to try these:

1. They are delicious.
2. It’s healthy–it even works with the whole 30 diet.
3. Your house will smell amazing–best potpourri ever!
4. These are crisp like a chip.
5. No sugar added in this snack; it’s all natural.
6. They are still delicious.
7. It’s easy to make and easy to snack on.
8. Your kids will love it.
9. You will love it.
10. Did I mention that they are delicious?

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Directions:

Cut apples.

Place on a drying tray or a baking pan with a wire rack and parchment paper.

Sprinkle with cinnamon (if desired).

Dry apples.

Eat.

Repeat.

 

I used a Johnny Apple Peeler by Victorio to core and slice the apples.  If you have lots of apples, this tool will be your new best friend.  Apple pies, crisps, and cakes are a cinch with it.  (Warning: it is very sharp.) Using a knife, cut one side of the spiral-cut apple to get rings.

Drying apples work best in a food dehydrator with heat and a fan to circulate the air. But, I have used my oven on the warm setting too.  It will take about 24 hours (twice as long to dry the apples), and they will come out browner– from the sugar in the apples oxidizing in the air before the apple dries out.  Prop the oven open ever so slightly with a small towel to allow for better air circulation.

Right now, I’m using a Nesco Gardenmaster, and it is great.  The apples are drying so quickly, that they aren’t really turning brown (even without dipping them in any acidic liquid and changing the flavor).  I am drying them for about 10 hours.  When they are still warm, they feel a little soft.  But when they cool off they are crisp.

IF THEY AREN’T CRISP, PUT THEM BACK IN TO DRY LONGER.

Store in an air tight container.

If the apple chips lose their crispness, due to the humidity of your house, just pop them in a warm oven for a 15-30 minutes and they will crisp right up.

 

Update (9/2017): Something to keep in mind–not all apples dry the same.   This year I dried a bunch of summer McIntosh apples.  While they taste delicious, they don’t have the crisp texture my dried apples last year had.  Sadly, I don’t know last year’s variety; I just know that they are from a tree in the corner of my mother’s yard.