Dried apples are a chewy, sweet treat great for packing in lunchboxes, trail mix, or mixing into oatmeal or yogurt for an easy breakfast on-the-go. Plus, they’re a great way to use up the outrageous amount of apples you picked this weekend (50 apples is too much for two people? Who knew?!).
To make dried apples, you truly just need apples, an oven, and time. If you have a dehydrator you could certainly use it instead, but most people I know don’t have a dehydrator. I certainly don’t.
Here’s how you do it:
1. Turn on your oven to it’s lowest setting (mine goes down to 170 degrees Fahrenheit), then thinly slice 8 apples. I used galas but you can use whatever sweet eating apple you love. I also opted to keep the skins/cores, and just removed the seeds. The texture of the skin and inner core-y parts don’t bother me, plus I’m a little lazy. If you’re neither lazy nor a texture lover, go ahead and remove them. My apples will already be in the oven while you partake in that operation.
2. Lay out your apple slices on 2 parchment-lined sheet pans. Sprinkle some of them with cinnamon, if you want.
3. Put the sheet pans in the oven on the top and bottom racks, and leave them in the oven for 5-7 hours. Yes, I know it’s a long time, but you don’t have to actually do much during those hours. Sometime about halfway through, flip the apple slices and let them carry on drying out. You’ll know they’re done when the apples are shriveled and leathery. They will still be soft, but shouldn’t look wet at all.
4. Let the apple slices cool completely, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month. If you’re worried your apples aren’t dry enough/might spoil at room temp, go ahead and store them in the fridge. I’ve never had any molding issues, though.
Thats it! I know the time commitment seems daunting, but it truly isn’t. I put my apples in the oven after breakfast, went out to the gym/grocery store, and came home about 3 hours later. The apples were still drying away, not at all bothered by my absence.
If you make a batch of dried apples this week, let me know how they turn out! Comment below or tag me #bakedgreens on Instagram so I can see the fruits of your labor (ha).