Crispy baked apple chips are a super easy snack that only requires 3 ingredients! Cinnamon & nutmeg enhance the natural sweetness of apples, while creating an amazing smell throughout your home. And for selecting apple varieties, read my guide to the best apples for baking.
You can satisfy your crunchy chip cravings and your sweet tooth at the same time with these homemade baked apple chips! Plus they're lightweight, so they're great to pack for lunch on the go, or add them into DIY trail mix for a hike outdoors.
The perfect crunchy texture is achieved by baking thin apple slices at a low oven temperature for about 2 hours. This process dries out the apple slices, so they crisp up into perfectly crunchy apple chips.
And if you're hungry for more apple recipes, be sure to try my apple frangipane tart, moist cinnamon apple streusel bread, buttery German apple pie, cozy German baked apples, and authentic German apple strudel.
Notes from Recipe Testing
Ever since I started this blog in 2020, I've been dedicated to testing and developing foolproof recipes for beginner home cooks. And these apple chips are no different! It took several test batches to develop the perfect recipe.
The first time I made apple chips, they ended up really chewy, more like apple jerky. And my ratio of spices was way off, because each bite was like a mini cinnamon challenge. My second batch didn't include rotating the baking sheet after the first hour, so the front apple chips were okay, but the ones at the back of the oven got burnt.
This apple chip recipe now produces the perfect crunchy apple chips each time. So enjoy! Just be warned, they are really tasty and won't last long!
Ingredients
- Apples - I usually use sweeter, firmer varieties like Fuji and Honeycrisp
- Cinnamon - Ground cinnamon adds a warm spice that enhances the natural sweetness of apples
- Nutmeg - Ground nutmeg adds a nutty, warm flavor
How to Make Oven Baked Apple Chips
Below are the general steps to making this recipe. For the full step-by-step directions and ingredient measurements, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prepare the oven: Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Option 1 - Slice the apples with a mandolin: Using a mandolin, slice the apples from the bottom to the top on the ¼-inch setting.
Option 2 - Slice the apples with a knife: Use a knife to slice the apples into ¼-inch rounds, from the bottom to the top.
Remove the core: Using a kitchen knife or small cookie cutter, remove the core with the seeds and tough center from each apple slice.
Season the apples: Place apple slices in a large bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss until all the apple slices are coated in the spices on both sides.
Prepare to bake: Spread the seasoned apple slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Make sure none are overlapping.
Bake until crispy: Bake the apple slices for one hour. After an hour, take the baking sheets out of the oven and flip over each apple slice. Place the baking trays back in the oven, rotated 180° degrees. Bake your apple slices another hour.
Recipe Tips
- Prep: Line your baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat like a Silpat, to ensure your apple slices don't stick to the pan.
- Slicing: Cut your apple chips as evenly as possible so they bake at the same time. If some slices are thicker, they'll take longer to bake. And if some slices are thinner, they risk getting burnt while the rest are still chewy.
A mandolin is helpful, since it creates the same sized slices each time. - Crispy: Your apple chips are done baking once you can break them apart with a snap. If they aren't quite crispy yet, bake them in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, and check again.
Recipe Variations
- Sugar: Sprinkle cinnamon sugar onto the apples made with granulated sugar, brown sugar, or powdered sugar to enhance the apple's sweetness further.
- Spices: Change up the spices - ground cardamom, cloves, and ginger also taste great on apple chips.
- Toppings: Dip your baked apple chips in peanut butter then sprinkle with crushed nuts, seeds or chocolate chips!
Storing
- Store baked apple chips at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Don't store them in the fridge, since that could cause them to absorb moisture and lose their crunchy texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why aren't my apple chips crunchy?
If you don't bake apple slices long enough, they won't get crunchy. Put them back in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes, and check them again.
How long does it take to dry apple chips?
Low heat over about 2 hours in the oven dries out the apple slices so they become crunchy and delicious.
What else can I make with fresh apples?
I make several batches of my chunky homemade applesauce every year after we go apple picking. Some of my other favorite apple recipes include apple crisp, homemade caramel apple dip, and apple and hazelnut baked oatmeal.
More Fall Recipes
Apples ripen in the Fall in the Northern Hemisphere, so you can enjoy their sweet, juicy flavors throughout the season with these delicious Fall recipes.
Baked Apple Chips
Ingredients
- 3 medium apples
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Option 1: Using a mandolin, slice the apples from the bottom to the top on the ¼-inch setting. Option 2: Use a knife to slice the apples into ¼-inch rounds, from the bottom to the top.
- Using a kitchen knife or small cookie cutter, remove the core with the seeds and tough center from each apple slice.
- Place apple slices in a large bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. Toss until all the apple slices are coated in the spices on both sides.
- Spread the seasoned apple slices on the prepared baking sheet. Make sure none are overlapping.
- Bake the apple slices for one hour. After an hour, take the baking sheets out of the oven and flip over each apple slice.
- Place the baking trays back in the oven, rotated 180° degrees, so the apple slices that were at the back of the oven are now at the front. This will help them bake more evenly, since the back of the oven is usually hotter than the front of the oven. Bake your apple slices another hour. Check them often during the last 15 minutes of baking on the second side, and pull out any smaller slices to avoid them from being burnt.
- The apple slices are done cooking once they are crispy and you can break them in half with a snap. If they're still tough and chewy, bake them for another 10 to 15 minutes and check again.
Notes
- Cut your apple chips as evenly as possible so they bake at the same time. If some slices are thicker, they'll take longer to bake. And if some slices are thinner, they risk getting burnt while the rest are still chewy. A mandolin is helpful, since it creates the same sized slices each time. But you can also use a sharp kitchen knife.
- Your apple chips are done baking once you can break them apart with a snap. If they aren't quite crispy yet, bake them in the oven for 15 minutes and check again. If they're underbaked, they'll have a hard, chewy texture.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
chocolatesandfeelings
Hey these look so delicious!
strawberryandcream
Thank you!! Fresh picked fruit and veggies are the BEST!!! â¤ï¸
Azilde Elizabeth
🤩 Oregon looks beautiful!! Im here in MA. Wish we had those mountain views to go apple picking!
strawberryandcream
Nice! What is Massachusetts weather like right now in late October? Do you have snow yet? â„ï¸
Thehealthyrabbitsrecipes
Those Apple chips look delicious! I'll have to try them with some cinnamon.
strawberryandcream
Definitely!!! ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜€
Yum-number1
This large apple looks like the broskies that I see at the gym.
Also thank you for the healthy apple chips recipe! 🙂
strawberryandcream
Hahaha! I think that apple has been hitting the roids for sure 💪ðŸ½ðŸŽ
Jim
Beautiful pictures of the mountains and Columbia River Gorge. Apples were nice too! Chips look yummy but the fresh apples look the best!
strawberryandcream
I agree, nothing beats a fresh apple! 😊