Dried Apples

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Dried apples are easy to make at home with your oven. They’re lightly flavored with cinnamon to complement the natural sweetness. Enjoy as a snack, add to granola, or use to decorate desserts! 

One of my go-to snacks when I’m busy or traveling is crispy dried apples. 

It’s probably because I also love potato chips, and dried apples are like a sweet potato chip!

OK, that’s not the only reason I like them. They’re also great for travel, and the light cinnamon flavor invokes all the cozy fall feelings for me.

Plus, dried apples are incredibly easy to make at home — even without a dehydrator — which is great, because they can be pretty pricey at the grocery store!

What kind of apples should I use for drying?

There are so many apple varieties out there, it can be a bit overwhelming to choose what to use.

I like to make apple chips from sweeter apples like Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji.

The flavor of the apple becomes more concentrated as you dry it, so you get the sweet flavor without needing to add any sugar to the recipe.

If you prefer a less sweet apple, go with Granny Smith or Braeburn.

In short: use your favorite type of apple!

Make sure the apples are firm and crisp without soft spots. If your apple has any brown spots on the inside, you can simply cut those away and discard.

Slicing apples for drying

It’s important to slice the apples thinly when you want to dry them. The thicker the slice, the longer it will take for the apple to fully dry. 

You do not need to peel the apple, but if you like, you can use a rotating apple peeler which will also slice the apple into ¼-inch-thick pieces.

I use a santoku knife and slice the apple through the middle into thin rings.

You can also use a mandoline or the slicing side of a box grater. Whichever method you use, be careful to not slice your fingers!

I find it is easiest to halve the apple from top to bottom and then slice into half-moons. That way you have a flat edge to rest the apple on as you slice.

Don’t forget to remove the core. You can either do this first using an apple corer, or cut away the core afterwards.

A great tool for removing the core from each slice is a small round cookie cutter, or even the larger hole on a piping tip!

How to dry apples in the oven

Preheat the oven to 250°F. 

Line a baking sheet or two with parchment paper or a reusable silicone liner.

You can dry as many or as few apples as you like, but keep in mind that depending on the size of your slices, you might need an entire baking sheet for a single apple. I recommend cutting just enough apple that will fit in your oven at the same time.

Core and slice the apple thinly into rings or half-moons. 

Add the apple slices to a bowl and sprinkle on ground cinnamon. You only need about ¼ teaspoon or less per apple.

Use clean hands to toss the apples and cinnamon together in the bowl, coating the slices evenly. This method will ensure the cinnamon is distributed equally on the slices better than just sprinkling it directly on each slice.

Lay the apple slices on the lined baking sheet in a single layer, making sure to not overlap any pieces. 

Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Flip apple slices, then return to the oven for another 30 minutes.

At this point, pick up an apple slice or two to see how dry it is. The slices should be somewhat wrinkled, but might not be crisp yet.

Continue baking in 15-30 minute increments until the apples are dried to your liking. 

Remove from the oven and let cool. The apples will crisp a little more as they cool.

Storage tips

If you don’t plan to eat all of your dried apples in one day, wait for them to cool completely before storing.

Apple chips that have dried completely and are crisp will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. 

Ways to enjoy dried apples

While I love eating dried apples right off the baking pan, you can also use them in recipes.

Dried apples are delicious in granola, and it’s a great way to use any smaller pieces you end up with. Use my homemade granola recipe and swap the apricot pieces for dried apple pieces.

Eat the apple chips with peanut butter fruit dip or pumpkin cream cheese dip.

Use them as decorations for apple spice cake or snickerdoodle cake.

Try these easy oven-dried apples at home today!