Ingredients
Scale
- 4 medium Apples (firm, crisp varieties recommended): Such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, Gala, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith for a tarter chip. The firmness helps them hold their shape and crisp up beautifully. Avoid softer apples like Red Delicious, which can become mushy.
- 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar (or adjust to taste): Provides the classic sweetness and helps create a slightly caramelized, crispy coating. You can substitute with coconut sugar or brown sugar for different flavor profiles, or reduce/omit for a less sweet chip.
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon: The star spice, delivering that warm, cozy flavor synonymous with apples. Ensure your cinnamon is fresh for the best aroma and taste.
- Optional: 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice: Tossing the apple slices in a little lemon juice immediately after slicing can help prevent browning (oxidation) and adds a very subtle brightness, though it’s not strictly necessary for flavor if baking immediately.
Instructions
- Preheat & Prepare: Preheat your oven to 225°F (110°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using parchment paper is crucial to prevent sticking and ensures easier cleanup. Avoid using foil directly, as the sugars can caramelize and stick stubbornly.
- Wash and Core Apples: Thoroughly wash the apples under cool running water. Remove the cores using an apple corer or by carefully cutting around the core with a paring knife after slicing. Leaving the peel on adds colour, nutrients, and contributes to the chip’s structure.
- Slice Apples Thinly: This is the most critical step for achieving crispy chips. Slice the apples as thinly and uniformly as possible, ideally about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick (1.5mm to 3mm). A mandoline slicer is highly recommended for consistency and speed, but you can achieve this with a very sharp knife and careful slicing. Consistent thickness ensures even baking; thicker slices will remain chewy while thinner ones might burn. If using a knife, cut the apple in half first for a stable base.
- Optional Lemon Juice Toss: If using, place the thin apple slices in a large bowl and drizzle with the lemon juice. Gently toss to coat. This step helps minimize browning, especially if you aren’t immediately coating them with the sugar mixture.
- Prepare Cinnamon Sugar: In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon until well combined. Ensure there are no clumps of cinnamon.
- Coat the Apple Slices: Add the apple slices to a large bowl (if not already there from the lemon juice step) or a large zip-top bag. Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the slices. Gently toss the slices (or shake the bag) until they are lightly and evenly coated. Avoid over-handling, which can break the delicate slices.
- Arrange on Baking Sheets: Lay the cinnamon-sugar-coated apple slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Make sure the slices are not overlapping, as this will prevent them from crisping up properly due to trapped moisture. You might need multiple batches depending on the size of your apples and baking sheets. Leave a little space between slices for air circulation.
- Bake Low and Slow: Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour.
- Flip and Continue Baking: After 1 hour, carefully remove the baking sheets from the oven. Flip each apple slice over using tongs or a spatula. Return the sheets to the oven, rotating their positions (top to bottom, front to back) for even baking.
- Bake Until Dry and Edges Curl: Continue baking for another 1 to 1.5 hours, or even longer, depending on the thickness of your slices and the moisture content of your apples. The chips are ready when they appear dry, the edges are slightly curled, and they are mostly flat. They might still feel slightly pliable or soft in the center when hot, but they will crisp up significantly as they cool. Keep a close eye on them during the last 30 minutes to prevent burning, especially the thinner slices or edges.
- Cool Completely: Turn off the oven. You can leave the apple chips in the cooling oven with the door slightly ajar for about 30 minutes to an hour to help them dry out further and become crispier. Then, carefully remove the baking sheets from the oven and transfer the apple chips to a wire rack. Let them cool completely at room temperature (this can take 30 minutes to an hour). This cooling step is essential – it’s when they transform from slightly soft to perfectly crisp.
- Store: Once completely cool and crisp, store the cinnamon sugar apple chips in an airtight container at room temperature. Properly stored, they should stay crisp for up to a week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: one normal portion
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 25g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 4g