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How to Dehydrate Apples
With a soft chew and intense apple flavor, dried apple chips are a healthy and delicious snack that can be enjoyed year-round. Dehydrating apples is also a great way to store seasonally harvested apples for long-term storage.
Ever wondered how to capture that perfect fall apple flavor and make it last all year? Let us introduce you to dehydrated apples—a tasty, portable snack we can’t get enough of. Dehydrating apples at home isn’t just easy; it’s a simple way to keep a stash of your favorite fruit on hand, even when apple season is long gone.
If you’re new to dehydrating, don’t worry—we’ve spent nearly a decade perfecting our dehydrating technique, so we’ve got all the tips and tricks to share!
Whether you’re looking for a healthy snack, something to add to your trail mix, or just a way to use up those extra apples, we’ve got you covered. Dehydrated apple chips are deliciously chewy, packed with concentrated apple goodness, and ready to fuel all your outdoor adventures, stock your pantry, or just have on hand for snacking.
So, why wait? Apple season is here, and there’s no better time to stock up, dehydrate, and enjoy. Follow along, and we’ll walk you through how to dehydrate apples step-by-step and help you turn fresh apples into perfectly crisp, sweet dehydrated apple chips you’ll love all winter long!
You can dehydrate any type of apple! It’s important to know that the flavor of the apple will concentrate when it’s dehydrated—so super tart or super sweet apples will be intensified.
Sweet varieties: Fuji, Gala, Ambrosia
Sweet-tart: Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, Braeburn, Envy, Jazz, Sweetango, Pink Lady
Tart: Granny Smith, McIntosh
Peak season for apples in the United States runs from late July through mid-November. Choose organic apples if possible, as apples are one of the “dirty dozen” fruits and vegetables more likely to contain pesticide residues.
Before you start prepping your apples, make sure your counters, equipment, and hands are clean and sanitized to prevent contamination, which can spoil your batch down the line.
Clean the apples: Thoroughly wash the apples and dry with a towel.
Remove the seeds and core. An apple corer is helpful for this, but a paring knife will also work.
Slice the apples: Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the apples ¼”-⅜” thick. You can cut the apple into rings or slices—whatever will work best for your project. If you’re making apple chips, slice as thin as possible to make them crispier.
Pretreating the apples will help prevent them from turning brown. To do this, mix 4 cups (1 quart) of water with 2 tablespoons of ascorbic acid powder, or equal parts water and lemon juice, and soak the sliced apples for 3-5 minutes.
Optional: Sprinkle cinnamon (and maybe a touch of sugar for tart apples) over the apple slices to make apple chips.
Dehydrating apples is super easy and a great beginner dehydrating project. Once your apples are prepped, set up your dehydrator and follow these steps:
Arrange the apples on your dehydrator trays. Leave space between the pieces to allow air to circulate.
Dehydrate at 135ºF (57ºC) for 6-12 hours until the apples are dry.
Depending on your machine, you may need to rotate the trays every so often to promote even drying.
If you’re dehydrating apples for snacking and plan on eating them within a week or two, you can store them in a sealed container or zip-top bag on the counter or in your pantry. Just let them cool and place them in a sealed container.
However, if properly dried and stored, dehydrated apples can last up to a year! Here are our tips for long term storage:
Cool: Let the apples cool completely before transferring them.
Condition: Loosely pack the apples in a transparent, airtight container. Check it daily for a week to check for signs of moisture or condensation, and shake to help prevent the apple slices from sticking together. If signs of moisture appear, stick them back into the dehydrator (as long as there’s no mold—in that case, toss the batch). After a week, if there’s no signs of moisture or mold, you can package them for long-term storage.
Store in a clean, airtight container. For longer shelf life, vacuum seal.
Use a moisture absorbing desiccant packet if you anticipate opening the container often, or if you live in an area with high humidity.
Label the container with the date and any other important details
Place the container in a cool, dark, and dry place—inside of a pantry cabinet works well.
Dehydrated apples are great to have on hand as a healthy snack, but here are more ideas on how to use them:
Add to trail mix
Use them to scoop peanut butter or yogurt for a more substantial snack
Chop and add to oatmeal or muesli
Chop and rehydrate before adding them to scone or muffin batter
Chop and simmer with a little water, cinnamon, and some sugar to create a compote for pancakes or ice cream
Add to mulled wine as it simmers
Add to apple cider or a hot toddy as a edible garnish
Use them in these camping and backpacking recipes:
- Backpacker’s Apple Crisp
- Dehydrated Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Porridge
Note 1: You can treat up to 15 pounds of apples with the ascorbic acid solution before you’ll need to mix up a new batch.
Note 2: Total time will depend on your machine, total dehydrator load, humidity in the air, air temperature. 6-12 hours is a range and you should rely primarily on the feel and texture of the apples to determine doneness.
Apple slices should be pliable or crisp (depending on thickness) in texture when properly dried. To test, remove a slice and let it completely cool. They may have some bend but if you tear one in half and squeeze it, there should be no moisture that seeps out. If they have any signs of remaining moisture, put them back into the dehydrator or oven to dry longer.
