I’m not going to gloss over it. This recipe requires many hours in the oven for a small amount of food. The apples need to be in one layer to crisp up, and the end result will disappear faster than you want it to. If only you had three ovens to fill, then we could call this preservation. But. BUT, those apple chips! They are wonderful, and the prep is minimal enough that it really is an easy recipe.
Apple chips are irresistible, and they seem to inspire a certain snacking mania in anyone who comes in contact with them. I’ve learned that these are one of the few snacks I have to hide and bring out a tiny jar at a time. Many thanks to Aimee Wimbush-Bourque and her blog Simple Bites for introducing me to the wonder of the apple chip. I use granulated maple sugar in this recipe because it sweetens without adding moisture, but if you don’t have any, just leave it out.
Note: Apple chips keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.
3 baking sheets full of apple chips ( 10 dozen chips)
- Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. If your oven has only a 2-tray capacity, you can cut the recipe in half.
- Core the apples, but do not peel them. If you don’t have a corer, just cut the sides away from the cores in pieces that are as large as possible. Slice the apples between 1/6 and 1/8 inch with the slicing blade of a food processor, a mandoline, or a knife. I prefer the food processor for this job, as it gives me just the right thickness. And if your apples are small enough, they should be able to fit into the feeding chute of the food processor.
- Lay the apple slices in a single layer on the baking sheets. Combine the cinnamon and maple sugar, if using, in a small bowl and sprinkle over the apples.
- Bake until the chips have just a touch of chew to them but mostly crunch, between 2 1/2 and 4 hours, flipping the apples after the first hour. The timing really depends on the apples. They will continue to crisp up as they cool.
Alana Chernila
Alana Chernila is the author of "The Homemade Pantry: 101 Foods You Can Stop Buying and Start Making" and "The Homemade Kitchen: Recipes for Cooking with Pleasure." She has contributed to Martha Stewart Living magazine and Food52. For more of her writing, visit eatingfromthegroundup.com.