Cinnamon Apple Chips - So Crispy!

 

It's fall!  My most favorite time of year.  A few months ago my mom gave us a food dehydrator and we have been drying everything we can.  I am not, however, a big fan of dried apples.  I think they are spongy and I don't like the texture at all.  There is a company that makes crispy dried apples, that are delicious, but they have a lot of sugar.  I thought I'd try to make my own, without the corn syrup. You don't need a dehydrator to make these, I ended up using my oven instead.

My main goal was to get them crispy, like a chip.  The key to the crisp, is thin slices and a simple syrup.  I haven't been using much white sugar at home lately, so I used coconut sugar instead.  It is granulated coconut nectar.  It's not nearly as sweet as white sugar, but it still did the trick!

Start with apples. Obviously.  You can use whatever apples you like. I've been using red delicious apples.  Wash and dry them before you start.

For the best results, you should use a mandolin slicer. This allows you to get really thin, even pieces.  They are not expensive, I think they are worth every penny.  This one has julienne slicing option, which I use all the time.

I know a lot of people core their apples before they slice, but I like the look of the un-cored apple.  Just make sure you remove the seeds when you are done.  I also like the skins on, you could remove them before you slice, if that's what you like.

Once you get the apple sliced, soak the slices in a bowl with a little bit of lemon juice. They don't need to soak long, and make sure you don't use a lot of lemon, you don't want the lemon flavor.

Now for the simple syrup.  I used 1.5 cups water and 1 cup coconut sugar.  Bring this to a simmer until the crystals dissolve.  The measurements are the same even if you are using white sugar.  Once it simmers, submerge the apple slices in the pan.  Let them sit for a minute.  Bring them out one by one and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Now sprinkle them with cinnamon or a cinnamon sugar mix. I don't think they need the extra sugar, but I did try it both ways.

Bake them at 225 degrees for 45-60 minutes.  They feel soft right out of the oven.  At 45 minutes I remove one chip from the pan and set it on the counter.  Once it cools, it gets crispy!  Sometimes it takes an hour before they crisp up.  I keep removing one every 5 minutes until I get the crisp and then I remove the pan and remove the apples from the parchment paper.  Once the pan is out of the over, it's best to remove the apples before they completely cool, so they don't get stuck to the paper.

 

You can try to store them in an airtight jar, but I don't think they will last long enough for you to get them into the pantry!