Cinnamon Apple Chips
A couple years ago, on an impulse, I bought a food dehydrator. Admittedly, I haven't used it much, but I do need to break it out every once in a while to actually make it worth storing on all the other days I don't. And dried apples are one of the easiest things to make! Apples, cinnamon, and 6 hours worth of patience are all you need. Oh, and a food dehydrator.
As I sit here typing, about to make more applesauce too, I'm thinking to myself, maaaaaybe I'm not the best at buying apples in less-than-bulk quantities. But if it results in so many delicious treats that are (at the same time) healthy, how could it really be a bad thing?
There's not much to say about this recipe, because it's honestly too easy – you just have to have a food dehydrator. That's the most difficult part of this. I have a Waring model that now appears to be branded by Cuisinart (they're exactly the same, aside from the brand name on the metal plate), and it's a simpler model, but this means it's not as pricey as some other dehydrators can get.
If you're interested in trying a new kitchen gadget, this is a good one to try if you have a couple dollars to drop! The best thing you can make is actually not apple chips, though – it's homemade fruit roll-ups. They're not as easy as apple chips, but man do they taste amazing. Maybe one day I'll do a post for that too! In the meantime, though, I'll enjoy munching on my cinnamon apples, magically consuming multiple apples in one sitting!
CINNAMON APPLE CHIPS
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: ~6 hours
Ingredients
3/4 t cinnamon
3 medium apples (I used Gala)
Directions
Prep about 3 dehydrator trays by spraying with a little canola oil on them.
Wash the apples. Place the apple on its side, and slice. Cut into slices that are about 1/4-cm, on the thin side, or if you have a mandoline, use that to keep the slices as uniform as possible!
When you finish each apple, core the slices, either using a knife, or if you have something like an icing piping tip, just use that to cut the core out more easily!
As you go, place the cored slices in a medium bowl. Once you're done, sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon over them, and mix it all up with your hands to get the cinnamon on each apple slice, distributed as evenly as possible.
Lay the slices out on the dehydrator trays in a single layer. Turn the dehydrator on to around 140F (which is the Medium setting on mine), then let it run for 6-7 hours! When done, let the chips cool, then remove from the trays. Enjoy your healthy snack!
Happy Eating,
Natalie