How to Make Apple Chips

Store-bought apple chips can be pricey and may contain added sugar. They also often include other additives and preservatives to keep them shelf-stable. Follow this simple — and modifiable — recipe to make them at home.

Any apple you enjoy eating will work, but sweeter varieties, such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, Pink Lady, and SweeTango, tend to taste best and call for only a sprinkle of cinnamon. You may want to experiment with different flavors like cardamom or star anise and use a drizzle of honey or maple syrup for tart apples.

The key to a crisper chip — and faster cooking time — is its thickness: 1/8-inch slices are ideal. A mandoline or the slicing blade in a food processor works best.

Ingredients

• 2–3 sweet apples
• 3/4 tsp. cinnamon

Method

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.
• Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (optional) and set aside.
• Wash apples and remove the core, stem, and seeds with an apple corer, small cookie cutter, or paring knife.
• Set a mandoline to slice apples into 1/8-inch-thick rounds. ­Arrange apples in a single layer on baking sheets, making sure slices don’t overlap.
• Sprinkle with cinnamon.
• Bake for one hour. Flip each apple chip over and bake an additional one to one-and-a-half hours, until apples begin to brown and start to curl at the edges. Different apple varieties will produce slightly darker colors, so test your apple chips to determine when they’re ready to eat.
• Baked apple chips transport well for lunches, hikes, and on-the-go snacks; store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

Tips:

• Choose organic and local apples whenever possible, as conventionally raised versions of the fiber-rich fruit rank high on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list.
• For a sweet-and-spicy version, combine 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 tablespoon honey, and dash of kosher salt as a topping.