Dehydrated Cinnamon Apples Recipe

Name: Dehydrated Cinnamon Apples Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 740 min
Ingredients: 5 apples, (Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, or Pink Lady); 1 lemon, (juice of); 2 Tablespoon sugar, (granulated); 2 teaspoon cinnamon, (ground); ½ teaspoon nutmeg, (ground); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Yield 8 servings

Prep 20

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Dehydrating apples has never been easier. I'm going to tell you everything you need to know about a food dehydrator, plus simple step-by-step instructions on how to make these amazingly delicious dehydrated cinnamon apples!

Dehydrated Apple Cinnamon apples on a marble counter and in a mason jar.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Cosori. All opinions are my own.

Kitchen gadgets are amazing and make my life so much easier. Slow cooker, air fryer, and Instant Pot recipes have literally saved me hours in the kitchen and now I've fallen in love with my food dehydrator because I can now make all these delicious and easy-to-make dehydrated recipes!

And I especially love making these dehydrated apples. They're full of flavor, perfect for snacking, and are super nutritious. I literally can't keep them around because they get eaten so quickly! Dehydrated cinnamon apples are my favorite right now, especially this time of year because the favor reminds me of the holidays.

I would have never thought dehydrating apples would be so easy, but the process is simple. You cut the apples, prep the cinnamon sugar lemon glaze, and let the dehydrator do all the work. I'm going to show you step-by-step how to make these dehydrated cinnamon apples.

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Why This Recipe Works
Best Food Dehydrator
🤷 How Does A Food Dehydrator Work?
The Difference Between Dehydrated and Freeze Dried Foods
🛒 Ingredients You'll Need
📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
📖 How Long To Dehydrate Apples
🙋🏼‍♀️ Recipe FAQS
💭 Expert Tips
🍽️ Looking For More Dehydrator Recipes?
Dehydrated Cinnamon Apples Recipe

Dehydrated cinnamon apple rings on marble counter.

Why This Recipe Works

1. These dried apples are easy to prepare and only call for 6 simple ingredients!

2. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can dehydrate apples in an oven. Most food dehydrators range from 95°F to 165°F which is the temperature range needed when dehydrating. Many ovens don’t drop below 200°F, so it's harder to use the oven to truly dehydrate food. If you're dehydrating apples in the oven, set the oven to 200°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and bake the apples for 2-3 hours until desired texture.

3. If sealed well, they will last about 6 months. Make sure you store them in a dry, cool place. To make them last longer, just throw them in the freezer and thaw when you're ready to eat or use them.

Best Food Dehydrator

I am thoroughly enjoying my Cosori Dehydrator, mainly because it's so intuitive and easy to use. It's made of stainless steel and easy to clean with its 6 dishwasher safe trays.

It has a built in timer which allows me to set the time to 30-minute increments and shuts off when done, which allows me to dehydrate foods overnight while I'm sleeping. The adjustable thermostat is easy to use by clicking the + or - button. The temperature range will allow dehydrating anywhere from 95°-165°F. It's easy to clean and easy to store.

I never thought dehydrating food could be this easy!

🤷 How Does A Food Dehydrator Work?

Dehydrating food is basically a process of removing moisture from food. Also called "food drying", it's a method of preserving different types of food such as fruit, vegetables, meats, and more.

A food dehydrator uses a heat element and air vents to allow air circulation. The dehydrator heating element, fans, and vents work together to remove moisture. The heating element warms the food causing its moisture to be released.

The dehydrator fan then blows the warm, moist air out of the appliance via the air vents. This process continues for hours until the food is dried to a lower water content.

Dried apple ring on a food dehydrator wire rack.

The Difference Between Dehydrated and Freeze Dried Foods

I often get asked what's the difference between dehydrated and freeze dried foods. It boils down to moisture content. When it comes to any type of food preservation, moisture needs to be removed. Here's what you need to know.

Dehydrated food: Dehydrating Process

Dehydrated food usually contains less than 20% moisture content. Dehydration of food has been around for thousands of years and used to be done with fire. Today, the process involves circulating hot and dry air across the food. This removes a lot of the water. The moist air is then dried so that water continues to be removed. The temperatures are high enough to remove water but not high enough to cook the food. Dehydrated food is usually withered and pliable.

Freeze-dried food: Freeze-Drying Process

Freeze drying removes about 98% of moisture in foods. You'll need a freeze-dryer for this process. When it comes to freeze-drying, you first need to cut and freeze the food. When you start the process, it takes the temperature from freezing level and then is slowly raised. The water in the food moves from a solid state to a gaseous state while maintaining the structure of the food. You also keeping the nutritional value during the freeze-drying process.

🛒 Ingredients You'll Need

Four gala apples, vanilla extract, lemons, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar on a counter.

I use 4-6 apples. The best apples for dehydrating are honeycrisp, fuji, gala, and pink lady. The acid in the juice of a lemon helps keep them from browning. Lemon juice also helps absorb more of the cinnamon.

I love using a tart apple when dehydrating and the granulated sugar helps cut some of the tart flavor from both the lemon and apples. Ground cinnamon and nutmeg provides the spice flavors while the vanilla extract pairs really well with the ground spices and sugar to provide a hint of vanilla flavor.

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Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions!

📋 Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions

To make dried apple slices, you'll first core the apple and slice into rings that are ¼" thick. Expert Tip: You can use a paring knife to cut the apples into rings and then cut the core out by making a circular motion.

If you want dehydrated apple chips, just cut the apple rings into pieces, about ¼" inches thick. Expert Tip: They will reduce in size as they dehydrate.

You have the option to peel the apple before dehydrating or leaving the apple skins on. My preference is to leave them on. My son likes his apples peeled so I often do a combination of both for this recipe.

Next, mix the lemon juice, vanilla extract, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Whisk until well blended. It's ok if some of the mixture is a bit lumpy.

Glass jar containing lemon juice, spices and a wire whisk.

In a colander, rinse the apples. Place the apple slices in a gallon size plastic bag. Pour the lemon juice cinnamon sugar mixture into the bag and seal. Make sure all the air is removed before sealing.

Shake the bag until the mixture is well coated on the apples. Let them marinate on the counter for 10 minutes.

Gallon Ziplock bag containing sliced apple rings with a cinnamon marinade.

Remove each apple slice from the bag and place them on the wire rack. They should not be touching and should not overlap. Place the wire racks into the dehydrator and close the door.

Cinnamon apple rings on a food dehydrator wire rack.

I've seen articles and read books advising to that the temperature for dried apple rings can be at either 130°F, 135°F, and 145°F. I prefer dehydrating apples at 135°F.

The key is this - if the temperature is too hot, it breaks down the vitamins and enzymes and actually starts the process of cooking the food. This element becomes more important when dehydrating meats. When it comes to dehydrating apples, I've found that 135°F works best for this recipe.

📖 How Long To Dehydrate Apples

Depending on the desired texture depends on how long you will dehydrate the apples.

Crisp - I like mine more on the crisp side, so I run my dehydrator for a full 12 hours.
Pliable - run the dehydrator for 5-6 hours.

Once they are done to your desired texture, let them cool. Remove them from the tray and enjoy!

Apple slices dehydrating on 3 trays in a food dehydrator.

🙋🏼‍♀️ Recipe FAQS

Can I dehydrate apples in my oven?

If you don't have a dehydrator, you can dehydrate apples in an oven. Most food dehydrators range from 95°F to 165°F which is the temperature range needed when dehydrating. Many ovens don’t drop below 200°F, so it's harder to use the oven to truly dehydrate food. If you're dehydrating apples in the oven, set the oven to 200°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper and bake the apples for 2-3 hours until desired texture.

Can I dehydrate apples in the sun?

Yes, you can actually dry apples in the sun. All you need is a low humidity environment. Since I live in Arizona, this works really well when we have 120 degree days in the summer. To dry them in the sun, simply lay the sliced apples on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. After 6 hours, turn each slice over. Allow to dry in the sun for 6 more hours until they reach the desired texture.

Jar filled with dried apple, apple rings on table.

💭 Expert Tips

You "technically" don't need to add any sweeteners when making this dried apple recipe. The natural sugars in the apples get more intense during the drying process, but because I like to use tart apples and this recipe calls for lemon juice, I like to cut the tart with a little bit of sweet.
Do not package the dehydrated apples for storage until they are completely cool. You don't want to trap any moisture.
Label your storage containers with the date of when you dehydrated the apples.
By vacuum sealing the apples, you increase the shelf life and reduce any chance for mold to grow. You can also store dried apples in airtight containers or airtight storage bags. You can also use jars or glass storage containers. Using gallon plastic freezer bags are also safe to use, just make sure all the air is removed so mold can't grow.
Dehydrated apples and dried apple chips make the perfect gift for teachers, co-workers, and friends!

🍽️ Looking For More Dehydrator Recipes?

If you tried these dehydrated apples or any other recipes on my website, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below. I love hearing from you! And, please leave a 🌟 rating while you're there!

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