These oven-baked dried apple rings are soft and chewy - almost like candy! But with no added sugar, these apple rings are a healthy and delicious treat.
Is there a secret to coring apples? Please tell me that there is and I'm doing it wrong.
I have an apple corer and I can never get it to go in through the stem and out through the bottom - it always goes out slightly to the side of the bottom and then I have to core my apples twice. And twice-cored apples are not as nice looking as once-cored apples.
Anyways... I made apple chips last fall and I decided to revisit that idea, but with the addition of chai spices - cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and just a pinch of cloves.
Instead of baking the apples until they were crispy, I baked them until they were soft and chewy.
Because the only descriptor I like more than spiced is chewy. Chewy is never not good! Yes, I said never not!
You Don't Need a Dehydrator!
Apple rings and chips are really simple to make at home. While it's nice to have a food dehydrator for these sorts of things, you don't need one - an oven set at a low temperature works too.
When you make your own dried fruit, you can avoid adding sugar (a lot of dried fruit has added sugar!) and sulfites.
Sulfites are added to dried fruit to help make it last longer, but they can be a trigger for migraines, so I try to avoid them as much as possible.
So homemade dried fruit might not last as long as the kind you buy at the store, but it's so tasty, you'll probably want to eat it all within a day or two anyway. (Maybe even within an hour or two!)
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Apples (the best apples for drying). Firm, sweet, crisp apples make the best dried apple rings because they hold their shape and don't need any added sugar. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji, Braeburn and Gala are all great choices. Granny Smith works too if you like a tart, tangy ring. Skip soft, mealy varieties like Red Delicious or McIntosh, which tend to turn leathery and flat instead of pleasantly chewy. One extra-large apple makes about a dozen rings; use two medium apples if that's what you have.
- Ground cinnamon. The backbone of the chai spice blend. I like Ceylon cinnamon here because it's warm and gently sweet, but regular cassia cinnamon is fine.
- Ground ginger and cardamom. These give the rings their chai flavor. If you don't have cardamom, a pinch of nutmeg or allspice is a good stand-in.
- Ground cloves. Just a pinch! Cloves are strong and can taste bitter if you overdo it.
- Shortcut spice option. No time to measure four spices? Use ½ teaspoon of apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice instead.
Helpful Tips
Slice evenly. Rings that are all the same thickness dry at the same rate, so you won't end up with some slices burnt and others still soggy. A mandoline slicer makes quick work of it, but a sharp knife and a little patience work too. Aim for somewhere between ⅛ and ¼ inch.
Core first, then slice. Push the corer straight down through the stem end while the apple is whole, then slice crosswise into rings. If your corer wanders off-center like mine does, just trim out any leftover bits of core with a paring knife.
Give them space. Arrange the rings in a single layer on parchment so they aren't touching. Overlapping slices steam instead of drying and stick together as they bake.
Flip halfway and check often. Turn the rings over halfway through baking so both sides dry evenly. Thin slices can be ready in about an hour, while thicker ones may need the full 90 minutes or a bit longer. They're done when the edges are curled and shriveled but the centers still bend without snapping.
Let them cool before judging. Warm apple rings feel softer than they really are. They firm up a little as they cool, so give them 10 minutes on the pan before you decide whether they need more time.
Variations
- Oven vs. dehydrator. The oven method in the recipe below is quickest, with chewy rings in 60 to 90 minutes at 225°F. If you have a dehydrator, spread the spiced rings on the trays and dry them at 135°F for 6 to 10 hours. It takes longer, but the low, steady heat gives you evenly chewy rings with no risk of browning, and you can dry several apples' worth at once.
- Crispy apple chips. Slice the apples thinner (about ⅛ inch) and leave them in the oven longer, until they're dry all the way through. Turn off the oven and let them cool inside so they crisp up.
- Cinnamon-only. Keep it simple for kids or picky eaters with just cinnamon, or a dusting of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
- Lightly sweetened. Brush the rings with a thin layer of maple syrup before adding the spices for a candied, caramelized edge.
- Pear rings. Firm Bosc pears slice and dry beautifully with the same chai spices.
Serving Ideas
Dried apple rings are a perfect grab-and-go snack for lunch boxes, hikes and road trips. Toss a handful into a jar of fall snack mix, or chop them up and stir them into trail mix with toasted nuts and pumpkin seeds.
They also make a pretty topping for breakfast. Pile a few on a bowl of apple ginger steel-cut oats or apple and cinnamon bircher muesli, or tuck them into a yogurt parfait. For dessert, serve them alongside a cheese board, dip them in melted dark chocolate, or pair them with a mug of warm mulled apple cider on a chilly afternoon.
Storing & Freezing
Because they're still soft and have no added sugar or preservatives, these apple rings are best within a few days. Once they've cooled completely, store them in an airtight container or zip-top bag at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. If they start to feel sticky, a few minutes in a 200°F oven will dry them out again.
To freeze, lay the cooled rings in a single layer on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag with parchment between the layers. They'll keep for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes; they're also surprisingly good straight from the freezer as a cold, chewy snack.
More Apple Recipes
If you love these apple rings, be sure to check out these other delicious ideas:
- Crispy Apple Fritters
- Apple Crisp
- Apple Cake
- Vegan Apple Oatmeal Cookies
- Sneaky Green Apple Fruit Leather
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- mandoline slicer optional
- food dehydrator optional, for the dehydrator method
Ingredients
- 1 extra-large apple, (Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji, Braeburn, or Gala work well)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 pinch ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Wash the apple and remove the core with an apple corer, pushing it straight down through the stem end. Use a mandoline slicer to slice the apple crosswise into rings between ⅛- and ¼-inch thick. (If you don't have a slicer, don't worry, you can do it by hand with a sharp knife; just keep the slices as even as you can.) Place the apple rings in a large bowl.
- Combine the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and cloves in a small pinch bowl. Sprinkle the spices over the apple rings and use your hands to gently toss to coat.
- Arrange the apple rings in a single layer on the baking sheet so they aren't touching. Bake for 60-90 minutes, flipping the rings halfway through, until they're dried and shriveled at the edges but still soft and tender.
- Let the apple rings cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes; they'll firm up a little as they cool. Serve or store in an airtight container.
Melanie says
Really appreciate having the UK converted measures! Just need a lower heat for a fan-assisted oven.