Apple Crisp Recipe

These homemade apple chips are the perfect healthy snack for the whole family. Simple and easy to make, you can dehydrate them in your oven or in the air fryer. Seasoned with cinnamon, they are naturally sweet with no added sugar.

Preparing the apples

What are the best apples for apple chips? Opt for apples that are naturally sweet so there’s no need to add sugar. Honeycrisp, pink lady, fuji and gala work very well in this recipe.

  • Core the apples if preferred and slice thinly.

  • Toss the apple slices in the cinnamon to coat.

Cook in the oven

  1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Spread apple slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets.
  3. Bake for 1 hour, then flip apple slices over and bake another 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  4. Bake until crispy and let cool on a baking rack to crisp even more.
  5. Remove a single apple chip and let sit on the counter for a few minutes. Take a bite and see how crisp it is. If it’s crispy, proceed with the next step. If not, continue baking a bit.
  6. Leave the apple chips in the oven, but turn it off and let them sit there for another hour. This helps them cool gradually, and crisp up even more.

Cook in the Air-fryer

Set air fryer to 300°F and pre-heat for 3 minutes. Air fry for 15 minutes, flipping apple slices every 5 minutes (and more often towards the end of the cooking time) to ensure even cooking and prevent burning, until golden brown and almost crispy.

Tips for making Apple Chips

  • Make sure to thinly slice the apples. Using a very sharp knife or a mandolin will help with this and the thinness of the apple slices is what helps them get crisp.
  • Don’t crowd the air fryer or the baking dish. Some overlap is ok especially in the air fryer but keep them apart allows for more crisping.
  • Skip the oil. There’s no need to add oil whether you’re baking in the oven or air frying the apple chips. The oil adds moisture and because of the long cooking time and low heat, it can slow down the crisping process.
  • Don’t skip the cooling process. When the apples are done cooking, whether in the oven or the air fryer, make sure to place them on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes. When the cool air circulates around the thin apple chips, it helps them firm up and become more crisp.