Maple Cinnamon Apple Chips

After all, apple picking season is right around the corner... along with fall camping.

Turning those fresh fall apples into sweet, warmly spicy apple chips is a great way to use up any extra apples you may have, and it’s a fantastic sweet snack to bring on the road for the whole family.

I have a wicked sweet tooth, and this is a great recipe for my situation. It’s super tasty, scratches the candy itch, lasts a long time (in theory, anyway!), and cheap to make.

A few minutes of prep - and a little patience while they dry - and BOOM - you’ve got a bag of one of the best snacks for road tripping, hiking, camping, or just enjoying in general.

Just make sure to have enough apples on hand. I usually make at LEAST twice what I think I’ll need for a trip, because neither of us can stay out of the stash *before* the trip.

One batch tends to experience significant shrinkage, even as the next batch is still in the dehydrator.

Anyway, my apple chips addiction issues aside, this is a great recipe.

If you’ve got a food dehydrator, be sure to give it a try - it may just end up YOUR new favorite snack to take on your adventures!

A Note on Nutrition

Being on a medically restrictive diet - currently on an autoimmune diet - doesn’t have to suck. Depending on your specific restrictions, these maple syrup apple chips are a perfect healthy snack!

Some people laugh about such things being touted as a healthier alternative to potato chips, but really... I prefer these.

The big thing to keep in mind is that you can’t really take the data at the bottom of the recipe card as being really accurate nutritional information.

Your choice of apples will make a difference.

Also, I never actually measure the maple syrup, and - even if I did - not ALL of it stays on the apples. Also, I have no idea what an actual serving size is. Left to my own devices, I could make a meal out of a batch of these.

Would I live to regret that choice? Possibly in part. I’d enjoy every minute, though!

Anyway, my point is... consider the nutritional information a guideline only.

Ingredients

One of the really nice things about this easy recipe is that you can get everything you need in pretty much any grocery store. Super simple ingredients!

A few ingredient notes for you:

Fresh Apples

You can use pretty much any variety of apples for making this delicious snack - and I’ve made it with several different varieties of apples - just know that the
type of apple you choose can affect the final flavour a little.

Also, some are just more pleasant to prepare. Personally, I prefer cutting crispier apples in terms of cutting.

When you’re cutting a LOT of them - as I do - I just find that certain varieties cut nicer. These usually end up being the same apple types I prefer for flavour - somewhat tart apples, like Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, and Mutsu.

(Mutsus are my favorite apples in general, so I’ve made a TON of these apple chips using them!)

I’ve never made them with Honey Crisp, for example, because I’m just not that bougie. No sense paying the extra cost, when the flavour/sweetness won’t really make much of a difference over, say, pink lady, ambrosia apples, and/or gala apples.

IMHO the best apples are the ones you like to eat, that are convenient to acquire and - ideally - are on sale.

I go through so, SO many apples during camping season... that “on sale” thing really ends up mattering!

Maple Syrup

When I first started making apple chips, I’d use lemon juice or calamansi juice. This was partly as a flavour thing, and partly to prevent browning.

The nice thing about using maple syrup is that not only does it prevent browning, it also adds flavour AND sweetness. Apples + Maple syrup + cinnamon is a super classic, super addictive combo, after all.

As far as what kind of maple syrup to use goes... again, I go affordable with this, as I’m working in bulk. I’m not going to use the really good stuff, when I’m plowing through it like I do when I’m making these apple chips.

Honestly, the Frank brand Maple Syrup at Canadian Tire is my go-to!

Not as into maple syrup? You can coat the apples with brown sugar instead.

You won’t get the same coverage, though, so I’d recommend tossing the slices with a bit of lemon juice beforehand.

Seasoning

I use regular ground cinnamon for this, but feel free to use your favourite apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice instead. Whatever you like on a baked apple, will go well on these chips.

I also use a little salt, just to kick up and brighten the flavours up a bit.

Equipment

There are a few pieces of equipment that can come in handy for making these cinnamon apple chips:

Apple Peeler and Apple Corer

These are optional - Personally, I don’t bother with either. I leave the skins on, and just cut the slices right off the apple, around the core.

Mandoline Slicer

Also optional, but can be helpful when it comes to getting your slices to an even thickness.

I have a Mueller Multi Blade Adjustable Mandoline Slicer.

I don’t use it for this recipe - I just freehand it - but I ABSOLUTELY love it for everything else.

Food Dehydrator

When I first started making dehydrated apples, I didn’t have a fancy dehydrator.

I don’t remember the brand name, but it was one of those stacked tray ones with no temperature or time controls. It worked fine for this recipe, I’d just check it after 6 hours, then after every hour or so til they were ready.

I’ve since upgraded to a Cosori 6 Tray Food Dehydrator, and LOVE it.

While it probably doesn’t matter as much for this recipe, it’s been especially amazing for all of the jerkies I’ve been making this year (recipes are coming soon!).

Porter was hesitant to buy a new dehydrator, as the last one didn’t get a ton of use, outside of apple season... but he’s ALL for it now, seeing the constant use it’s gotten.

10/10, no notes.

How to Make Maple Cinnamon Apple Chips

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post, here is the pictorial walk through:

Prepare the Apples

Wash your apples, and peel if you like - we don’t bother.

There are two main ways I recommend slicing your apples - with a mandoline slicer, or with a very sharp knife.

If you’re using a mandoline, I recommend using apple corer to core your apples, before slicing them.

Personally, I find hand slicing to be the easiest way. I’ll slice apples from one side, JUST until I reach the core...

I like doing it this way, as you end up with the most full apple rounds - solid ones.

If you prefer apple rings, I find the mandoline to work best.

Either way, slice your apple into thin slices. I’ll usually aim for about 3/16" thick. Thicker than ⅛", but not ¼". For really crispy chips, you can go a bit thinner.

Place apple slices in a large bowl.

Season the Apple Slices

Drizzle the apple slices with a generous amount of maple syrup. You want enough to more or less coat the apple slices - use the ¼ cup as a rough suggestion only!

Using clean - or gloved hands - gently hand mix the apple slices, flipping and separating them to coat.

If they’re not quite covered - or you like them on the sweeter side - add a little bit more maple syrup, and toss to coat.

Again, gently stir, separating the slices and making sure everything is covered with maple syrup and cinnamon.

Taste, and add more maple syrup, cinnamon, and/or salt, if you like.

Dehydrate your Apple Chips

Arrange apple slices in a single layer on your dehydrator racks, being sure to leave some space between each - you want the air to be able to circulate.

I like to flip mine after about 2-3 hours, just to help prevent sticking in the end.

Condition your Apple Chips

Once cooled completely, transfer your apple slices to a resealable plastic bag. Keep an eye on them for the next 3 days or so, shaking the bag once or twice a day. This is to allow any moisture to redistribute itself, safely.

If you see any evidence of residual moisture in that time frame - apple slices sticking to each other (more than will break up with a shake of the bag), droplets on the bag, etc - return the apple slices to the dehydrator and let them dry a bit more.

If at any point you see any evidence of mold, throw the batch out.

Once you’re sure the apples are dry and moisture isn’t coming out, transfer them to an airtight container for longer term storage.

More Camping Recipes

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Banana Protein Pancakes
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Camping Tacos, 2 Ways
Dutch Oven Pulled Chicken
Egg Roll Soup Mix [Just Add Meat and Water!]
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Hot Chocolate Mix [Protein Powder Mix]
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