Dehydrating Apples

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Dehydrating apples is so easy! You can use an oven or a dehydrator to make these delicious, healthy dehydrated apple chips.

My family has a tradition of going apple picking every fall. We love the cider donuts and fresh applesauce that result from those excursions. But the best part is coming home and dehydrating apples.

Dehydrated apple chips are a great substitute for candy. They’re simple to make in the oven or in a dehydrator. Sprinkle them with cinnamon for an irresistible gluten-free, vegan snack. These dried apples are a great addition to apple granola, too.

Tips for Dehydrating Apples

Apple chips are incredibly simple to make, especially if you have an apple corer that just removes the core and leaves the rest of the apple intact. These can be baked with the skins still on them, and a sprinkle of cinnamon gives them the best flavor.

It’s important to slice the apples into uniformly thin rings. I like a thickness of about ¼ inch, but you could go thicker or thinner if desired. Just be sure they’re all about the same thickness, or cook times will vary from one slice to another.

Grease the baking sheet with olive oil to keep the apple rings from sticking to it. If you’re using a dehydrator, there’s no need for the oil.

These dried apples can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for at least 2 weeks. If they’re crispy and most of the water has been removed, they’ll last even longer.

How Long Does It Take to Dehydrate Apples?

In the oven, it takes about 2 hours at 225 degrees to dehydrate apples to a chewy texture. For crispy apple chips, leave them in the oven for about 2 ½ hours.

If you’re using a dehydrator, set the temperature to 135 degrees. Place the sliced cinnamon apple rings on the dehydrator trays. For chewy dried apples, it will take about 6 hours. They’ll be crispy in about 8 hours.

Dehydrating Apples

Dehydrating apples is a great way to preserve them as a quick snack.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:5 minutes mins

Cook Time:2 hours hrs

Total Time:2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Recommended Equipment

• baking sheet

Ingredients

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 4 medium apples any variety
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees and grease 2 baking sheets with the olive oil.
• Remove the cores from the apples. Slice the apples into uniformly thin rings, then place them in a single layer on the baking sheets. Sprinkle the apple slices with cinnamon.
• Bake for 2 to 2½ hours, or until desired level of crispiness is achieved. A shorter cook time will yield chewy apple rings, and a longer time will give you crisp chips. Cool on a wire rack.
• Store the apple chips in an airtight container.

Approximate Nutrition Info

Calories: 51kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 78mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 39IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 6mg | Iron: 1mg

Servings: 10

Calories: 51kcal

Author: Annemarie Rossi

Cost: $.18 per serving

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Price Breakdown

This recipe costs a total of $1.97 to make using apples priced at $1.50 per pound. This comes out to $.18 per serving (4 dried apple chips). Try dehydrating apples the next time you go apple picking!

For a similar treat, make my dehydrated banana chips when you have an abundance of ripe bananas on the counter. 

Note: This recipe was first published in 2016, and it was updated in 2020.