Dehydrator Apple Chips [+ Air Fryer| Cinnamon Apple Slices]

How to make dehydrated apple chips in a dehydrator or air fryer. These cinnamon apple slices can be made into apple rings or crispy, crunchy dried apple chips with just 3 ingredients and two effortless methods!

Whether you’re looking for new ways to preserve apples during the peak season to enjoy year-round (great for those with apple trees or a cheap local farmers market) or simply a new delicious, fruity snack, these dehydrated apple chips are a must-try! They’re sweet, crispy, and doable with a dehydrator OR air fryer.

Even better, I’ve included the methods for preparing crispy dehydrated apple chips or chewy, dried apple slices, no matter what you’re in the mood for. And either way, they’re fresher and less expensive than commercial versions, with no added preservatives or chemicals!

Best of all, these dehydrated cinnamon apples are suitable for more than just snacking. Store them in your pantry and use them to sprinkle over all sorts of breakfasts, snacks, and desserts. I love them as an on-the-go snack for road trips, lunch boxes, hiking, and more. What a great way to eat more fruit and reduce food waste!

What Are Apple Chips?

Apple chips are exactly what they sound like—chips made from apples. The apples are thinly sliced and then dehydrated until crispy, making for a delicious snack AND preserving their shelf life up to a year!

I’ve flavored this version to make delicious homemade cinnamon apple slices with no added oil or sugars! In fact, these cinnamon apple rings are gluten-free, dairy-free, Whole30, paleo, keto, sugar-free, etc.

Plus, if you don’t have a dehydrator, no worries. I’ve also included a method for air fryer apple chips that takes just 20 minutes from scratch!

The Ingredients

All you need for this recipe for apple chips is just 4 ingredients, water included:

• Apples: I used Honeycrisp, but any firm, crisp apples will work well (sweet or tart). Use organic when possible.
• Water: Tap water will be fine.
• Lemon: Use fresh lemon juice. Lime juice will work too.
• Cinnamon: Apple and cinnamon are the perfect combination.

Read the FAQs for more ways to flavor these dehydrated apple chips, including caramel apple chips, pumpkin spice apple chips, etc.

What Are The Best Apples for Dehydrating?

Unsurprisingly, when you plan to dehydrate apples, it’s best to avoid the juiciest apple varieties and any that are mealy or mushy, as they’ll take longer to dehydrate or won’t dehydrate well. Soft, sweet apples also tend to shrivel more upon dehydrating.

Other than that, though, the type of apples you use comes down to personal taste, and you can basically dehydrate any apple! Just note that whatever you choose, the flavor will intensify as they dehydrate.

For naturally sweeter dehydrated apples: Use Honey crisp, Fuji, Pink Lady, Golden Delicious, Gala, etc.

For sharper results: McIntosh, Jonagold’s, and Granny Smith apples would work.

I prefer to use sweeter varieties, as I don’t need to add any extra sweetener to the recipe. Also, use unwaxed apples. If they are waxed, you can remove it by placing them in hot water with a splash of vinegar and rubbing.

How to Make Apple Chips?

I’m sharing two methods below, depending on what you have available and the results you’re looking for. First up, how to make apple chips in a dehydrator (or apple rings).

Dehydrated Apple Slices

• 1) First, wash and dry the apples and then remove the cores (no need to peel them). At the same time, juice the lemon, and combine the water, lemon juice, and cinnamon in a bowl.

If you don’t have an apple corer, you could slice the apple then use a small paring knife to remove any seeds, etc.

2. Using a sharp knife or mandoline slicer (our preferred option for perfectly even, thin slices), slice the apples into ⅛-inch pieces.

You can make the pieces thicker if you’d prefer, like ¼-inch—but note that the dehydrating time will increase. Thicker pieces are better for making soft dried apple slices.

• 3) Add the apple slices to the lemon water bowl and toss until they’re evenly coated.

• 4) Then, line the apple slices in single layers (with space between) on your dehydrator trays (I use an Excalibur dehydrator).

• 5) Dehydrate the apple chips at 125F/52C for between 9-10 hours, rotating the trays every few hours if necessary. You can then enjoy them straight from the dehydrator or store them for later.

For more tough apple slices, dehydrate them for between 4-6 hours. They’re ready when you can tear an apple slice and no moisture beads up at the tear mark.

Air Fryer Apple Chips

Unlike the dehydrator apple chips, this method uses higher heat to cook the apples until crispy. This means they don’t retain as many nutrients, but they’re also ready in under 20 minutes!

1. First, prepare the apple slices as written above. At the same time, preheat your air fryer to 375F/190C.
2. Then, place the apple slices in a single layer in your air fryer basket, ensuring the pieces aren’t touching.
3. Air fry the apples for 10-12 minutes (flipping them over every 3-4 minutes). Then transfer them to a wire cooling rack until completely cooled—enjoy!

The homemade apple chips will still be soft straight out of the air fryer, so they must cool first. If they are still slightly bendy/not crisp enough after cooling, return them to the air fryer for a few minutes.

FAQs

Top Recipe Tips and Notes

• Slice the apples evenly: This is important in ensuring they dehydrate evenly. For that reason, I recommend using a mandoline instead of a knife when possible.
• Don’t overcrowd the slices: No matter which method you use to make the dried apple chips, make sure they’re placed in a single layer, with space around each slice, for airflow. If they’re too close or overlapping, they’ll likely stay limp and slightly moist. Dehydrate them in batches if necessary.
• Drying time will vary: Based on the type of apple, the thickness of the slices, ambient temperature, and your dehydrator or air fryer model. It also varies on how crispy you aim for the cinnamon apple chips to be.
• Allow them to cool completely: The dehydrated apples will continue to crisp up as they cool down from the dehydrator. For that reason, it’s best to allow them to cool before enjoying them.
• The yield: On average, one medium apple will yield around 1oz (28g) of dried apple. However, this will vary.

Storage Instructions

Store: As long as the water is entirely dehydrated (aka the dried apple chips snap in half), they will last for up to 8 months! Store them in airtight container/s in a cool, dark location.

Check the jar in the few days after dehydrating to look for any signs of moisture. If there is any, dehydrate the chips for longer.

For the most extended shelf life, only keep some of the cinnamon apple chips in a jar and store the rest in vacuum-sealed bags. It’s better to store them in several smaller containers/bags since moisture will enter the package every time you open one.

In comparison, the air fryer apple chips will last around 7-10 days at room temperature, for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. Once again, this depends on how much moisture is remaining in the slices, though.

Freeze: Store the dried apple chips in an airtight container or Ziplock/Stasher bag for up to a year (and possibly longer). Ensure the container remains airtight, though, as any moisture will ruin them.

Serving Recommendations

As well as enjoying dehydrated apple chips for snacking, there are plenty of ways to introduce them into your life. Either as whole slices, crumbled pieces, or blended into a powder.

• Crumble/chop and add to homemade granola and muesli
• Add to homemade trail mix
• Use as a topping for oatmeal and overnight oats
• Crumble over pancakes, waffles, and French toast
• Sprinkle into parfaits
• Add to tea for extra flavor and natural sweetness (especially great with green tea)
• Add to apple cider

If needed, you can also rehydrate the apple to make a compote, applesauce, or add to various baked recipes. To rehydrate the dried apple slices, use one cup of boiling water or juice per cup of apple chips and allow them to soak for 45-60 minutes.

More Fruity Recipes

• 2-Ingredient raspberry syrup
• Simple blueberry banana smoothie
• Blueberry zucchini muffins
• Simple strawberry juice
• Easy blueberry vinaigrette
• Strawberry smoothie with yogurt
• Banana milkshake
• Blackberry orange cupcakes
• Easy vegan lemon cake

If you try this dehydrated apple chips recipe, I’d love to know what you think in the comments below. I’d also really appreciate a recipe card rating!

Photos by Alfonso Revilla