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Nibble on a batch of crisp Apple Chips the next time you want a sweet snack! Perfect for lunchboxes, after school, or just whenever you want something to munch on, all you need to make these air fryer apple chips are apples, a little sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon!
Why You’ll Love These Air Fryer Apple Chips
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Air Fryer
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
You know, I love a bowl of Air Fryer Tortilla Chips as much as you do, but sometimes I want to go a bit sweeter. These crunchy apple chips in air fryer are made in, you guessed it, the air fryer, which helps them to turn out beautifully light and crisp and never soggy. You can make them more sweet with a touch of added sugar or maple syrup, but you can also leave them plain if you’re trying to avoid added sugar – and I swear they will be perfectly sweet enough! This easy, gluten free snack option is one of our favorites. Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Light. There’s hardly any added sugar (and like I mentioned, you can omit it and you priobably won’t even notice) and no butter or oil to weigh these beauties down.
- Easy ingredients. Just 5 ingredients are needed to make these chips, with the star of course being ripe apples. They’re balanced with a little lemon juice and a dash of ground cinnamon for extra flavor. You probably have all of these ingredients in your kitchen right now!
- Many uses. First off, my favorite way to eat apple chips is plain and simple! These are a great snack option for picnics and school lunches, too. You can also use freshly made air fryer apple chips as a vehicle for dessert dips, a garnish for pie, or fancy them up with a decadent sauce.
Recipe Ingredients
From minimal ingredients comes an easy and crunchable snack. I’ve outlined what you need for apple chips in air fryer below. Don’t forget to check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Apples: See my notes on the best kind of apples to use to make apple chips below. You can use your favorite apple variety, although there are a few that are better suited to being turned into chips.
- Sugar: Either granulated sugar or light or dark brown sugar will work to lightly sweeten the apples.
- Ground Cinnamon: A touch of ground cinnamon adds warmth. You can substitute ground ginger or omit the spice altogether if you wish for a plainer apple chip.
- Lemon Juice: Either freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice works fine.
- Spray Oil
What Apples Should I Use?
You can use your preferred apple variety in this recipe, but some types of apples stand out as being better for being turned into chips. These include Golden Delicious, Gala, Fuji, and Pink Lady apples because they are naturally more sweet and keep their structure well during cooking. If you wish for less sweet apple chips, tarter Granny Smith apples are a good choice. You can also do a mix of apple varieties.
How To Make Apple Chips in Air Fryer
Here’s a look at how to make this wonderful snack. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Core the apples. Use a sharp knife to core the apples.
- Slice. Now slice the apples very thinly.
- Season. Add the sugar and cinnamon to the apple slices. Squeeze in the lemon juice.
- Toss. Make sure to toss the apples slices to evenly coat them with the seasonings.
- Add to air fryer. Preheat your air fryer to 300°F and add the apple slices in an even layer. Spray them lightly with oil.
- Cook. Air fry the apple slices for 30-40 minutes until the apple chips are starting to crisp. Shake the tray every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking. As they cool, they will crisp up more.
Tips & Variations
A few simple variations can help you change up the flavor of your apple chips if you want to try something different! I’ve also included some tips to help you make this recipe below.
- No need to peel the apples. I like to leave the apple skin on the apples – I think it helps them retain their structure during the cooking process. But, if you don’t care for apple skin on your apple chips, go ahead and peel the apples before slicing them.
- Slice the apples thinly. Try to slice your apples thinly (about 1/8-inch and not much thinner or they can burn) and as uniformly as possible. Doing this will help the apples cook evenly.
- Don’t overcook. Keep a close eye and don’t let the apple chips get too dark. You don’t want them to be moist or pliable, but you also don’t want them to get very brown or they will taster burnt. They will crisp up more as they cool.
- Use an oven. If you don’t have an air fryer, you can use this general method to bake apple chips in the oven. To bake in the oven, preheat your oven to 200°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Spread out the apple slices in a single layer on the sheets, then place them in the oven and bake for 2 ½ hours until the chips are done to your desired level of crispness.
- Try any apple type. If you do try different apple types than the ones I recommended, note that each will have different amounts of sweetness or texture. It’s a good idea to taste the apple first before you add the sugar so that you can add more or less sugar if you wish.
- Omit the sugar. For a less-sweet version of apple chips, you can leave out the sugar. Or, substitute it with a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup.
- Add more spice! A dusting of homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice makes these apple chips perfect for fall. Or, try Mexican Hot Chocolate Spice Mix in place of the cinnamon for a flavor boost.
Proper Storage
Store any leftover apple chips in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. The apple chips may lose some crispness the longer they are in storage, but they will still taste good.
Ways To Serve Them
Here are a few of my favorite ways to serve apple chips in air fryer (beyond just snacking on them by the handful, of course), from dips to garnishes.
- With dips. Make a dessert dip and scoop it up with homemade apple chips! Some of our favorites include sweet hummus like Sweet Peanut Butter Dessert Hummus and Dark Chocolate Hummus, or make a sweet dip like PB&J Cooke Dough Dip, Gluten Free Monster Cookie Dough Dip, Strawberry Fruit Dip, or Cherry Cheesecake Dip.
- Drizzle with sauce. A dip or drizzle of dessert sauce will make apple chips into a true dessert! Try my recipes for homemade Caramel Sauce or Hot Fudge Sauce.
- As a breakfast topping. Crumble up air fryer apple chips and sprinkle them on a hot bowl of fresh oatmeal. You can also use them in yogurt parfaits – substitute the fresh apples in my Apple Crisp Yogurt Parfaits with apple chips. Or, try them as a topping on Oatmeal Pancakes.
- To garnish desserts. Decorate Gluten Free Pumpkin Cupcakes, Gluten Free White Cake, or even Dulce de Leche Ice Cream with homemade apple chips in air fryer. I also like them on Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie or Gluten-Free Dutch Apple Pie.
More Apple Recipes To Try
Air Fryer Apple Chips
Ingredients
- 4 medium apples
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ Tablespoon lemon juice
- Spray oil
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to core the apples, then slice them about ⅛ inch thick.
- Place the apple slices in a mixing bowl. Add sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice to the apple slices.
- Toss the apple slices to ensure they are evenly coated with the sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice.
- Preheat your air fryer to 300°F (150°C).
- Arrange the apple slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket, avoiding overcrowding to ensure even cooking. You'll likely cook about one-third to one-half the batch at a time, dependong on the size of your apples. Spray the apple slices lightly with spray oil.
- Air fry for 30-40 minutes, shaking the tray every 10 minutes, until the apple chips are starting to crisp and lightly golden brown. They will crisp up more as they cool, so don't overcook them.
Notes
- You can use any variety of apples, but keep in mind that different types may vary in sweetness and texture.
- You can skip the sugar or substitute it with a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup.
- Store any leftover apple chips in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. They may lose some crispness over time.
Did you make this?
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