Dehydrating Apples in a Food Dehydrator {Cinnamon Apple Rings}
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Dehydrated cinnamon apples are a fantastic healthy snack that requires minimal effort for a big payoff! They’re a great way to store your harvest for later and have a great snack on hand any time.
We absolutely love these dehydrated apple slices! They’re incredibly easy to make, especially with the mandolin, and they’re absolutely delicious. I’d rather sit down with a bowl of these than potato chips!
They’re also really convenient, perfect for hiking or adding to trail mix. Plus, you’ll be surprised by just how many slices you’ll get out of a couple of apples. A little goes a long way!
What are dehydrated cinnamon apples?
These cinnamon apple chips are made by coating very thin slices of apple in a mixture of maple syrup and cinnamon, then drying them in a dehydrator (or oven) until completely dried. They’re a little bit crunchy, but not crispy, and they have a really nice chewiness. They’re fun to eat and absolutely delicious!
Why you’ll love these dried apple rings
Equipment
To make this dehydrated apple chips recipe, you’ll need a few common supplies:
- Mandolin slicer (highly recommended!)
- Food dehydrator
- Dehydrator trays
- Medium bowl
- Pastry brush (optional)
Ingredients
- Apple slices: Start with really firm, fresh apples. Choose a good snacking variety. I used first-of-the-season Gala apples, which were really firm and very sweet.
- Water & lemon juice: To keep the apple slices from browning, it helps to soak them in a bit of lemon water. You can also use apple cider vinegar instead.
- Maple syrup: Instead of regular sugar, this recipe uses a bit of pure maple syrup for a little sweetness without the added sugar.
- Cinnamon: Use regular ground cinnamon. I used Ceylon cinnamon as it is anti-inflammatory.
How to Dehydrate Apples in a Food Dehydrator
- Wash and dry 2-3 fresh apples. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, cut them into very thin slices (approximately 1/8 of an inch).
- Mix together the water and lemon juice. Place the apple slices into the mixture to prevent browning.
- In a separate bowl, stir the syrup and cinnamon together. Remove the slices from the water and dip them into the syrup mixture. Use a pastry brush to coat each side.
- Set the dipped apple slices onto the dehydrator tray. Leave some space around the slices to help them dry quickly.
- Dehydrate at 135 degrees F for 8-10 hours or until the slices are completely dry.
- Store in an airtight container, like a mason jar, and enjoy!
Storing
These homemade dehydrated apples last for about a year stored in an airtight container like a mason jar. It’s very important to keep them away from moisture. You can even add a food-safe silica pack to the jar to help keep them fresh. Store the jars in a cool, dark place.
You can also seal them with a vacuum sealer to really extend the shelf life.
Tip: If there is any moisture left in the dried apple chips, be sure to keep processing them. Otherwise, they’ll rot in storage and ruin the whole batch.
Tips for Dehydrating Apples
- Try a different spice. Instead of apple pie spice, use pumpkin pie spice or Chinese 5 spice for a different flavor profile.
- Cut apple slices. I prefer to slice the apples from the top down, but you can cut them into any shape you’d like. Just be sure to monitor the thickness of the slices. They should be as thin and consistently sized as possible.
- Make air fryer apple chips. Set your air fryer to 375 degrees and arrange the apple slices in a single layer. Cook them for about 7-12 minutes and flip them halfway. Let them sit for about 20-30 minutes to firm up before eating.
- Use any apple variety. The best apples are firm, crisp varieties like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, etc. However, you can really use any apples. I used fresh Gala apples and they were perfect!
- Try citric acid or vinegar. No lemon juice? Try apple cider vinegar (equal parts), or use 1/4 as much citric acid as lemon juice.
- Use honey. Instead of maple syrup, use honey for a caramel-like flavor.
- Make small batches. You can really make batches of any size! I find that about 2-3 apples are plenty to fill my entire 5-tray Excalibur dehydrator.
FAQs
That’s entirely up to you! Although I’m picky about apple cores, the little star-shaped insides were so tiny I could eat them without removing the center. Feel free to use an apple corer to remove the cores first, if you’d like.
Absolutely! The trick is to line your baking trays with parchment paper and set the oven to the lowest temperature possible. If your oven has a convection feature, this can help, too. Let the apple slices dry out slowly and keep going until they are completely dried (approximately 2-3 hours).
If properly dehydrated, you can store your dehydrated apple slices like any other dehydrated food – in an airtight container at room temperature for about 6 months. For longer storage, use a vacuum sealer. Store them in a cool, dry place like a pantry. Make sure you’ve removed all the moisture from the fresh fruit to avoid the batch going bad.
Nope! The apple peel will be so thin anyway; there’s really no point. If you prefer to remove the skin, you certainly can use an apple peeler first.
More Apple Recipes
Turn your harvest into something exceptional with these delicious apple recipes.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment or ask a question below! I’d love to hear what you think or troubleshoot any issues.
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Dehydrated Cinnamon Apples
Equipment
- Mandolin slicer
- Dehydrator trays
- medium bowl
Ingredients
- 2-3 apples, washed, dried, and sliced into 1/8 in slices
- 1 cup water
- t tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Wash and dry 2-3 fresh apples. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, cut them into very thin slices (approximately 1/8 of an inch).
- Mix together the water and lemon juice. Place the apple slices into the mixture to prevent browning.
- In a separate bowl, stir the syrup and cinnamon together. Remove the slices from the water and dip them into the syrup mixture. Use a pastry brush to coat each side.
- Set the dipped apple slices onto the dehydrator tray. Leave some space around the slices to help them dry quickly.
- Dehydrate at 135 degrees F for 8-10 hours or until the slices are completely dry.
- Store in an airtight container, like a mason jar, and enjoy!
