Healthy Baked Apple Chips

It seems like I had myself an apple tasting one afternoon. I spent another beautiful fall morning at the farm picking apples and pumpkins, but the best part about going again is the abundance of many more varieties. There were endless rows of colorful Macintosh, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious that were still green, Macoon, and my new favorite Jonagold. I could eat fresh crisp apples all the time, but since cutting back my intake of processed sugars, raw fruits can become quite boring. So I decided that the perfect way to use up some of these delicious apples, were to bake them and make some apple chips. These are so simple to make, and so healthy too. You don’t even need to core the apples! If you don’t have a mandoline, like I myself didn’t, it can be more difficult to consistently cut very thin slices. Instead of crispy chips, the thicker slices will give you dried chewy fruit pieces. I left most slices plain, wanting the apple’s natural sugars and flavors to shine once baked. But I did sprinkle a few with cinnamon, allspice, and ground cloves for a seasonal touch. These are a great, gluten-free, swap for crackers on a cheese platter, and make for a perfect fall snack that are satisfying and wholesome.  

Baked Apple Chips

Ingredients {Makes about 6 dozen}

5 small to medium – Apples {use your favorite variety}

Optional: Cinnamon, Ground All Spice, Ground Cloves

Recipe  

Pre-heat oven to 225 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice your apples paper-thin using a mandolin or very sharp knife. Arrange the slices in a single layer onto the prepared sheets. Sprinkle with spices if using. Bake, turning over the slices twice, until slices are dry and edges begin to curl {about 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on thickness of slices}. Let the slices allow to cool completely on a wire racks. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.