Air Fryer Cinnamon Apple Chips – Easy Crispy Snack

Air Fryer Cinnamon Apple Chips need three apples, a mandoline, and a hot air fryer. The slices dry at 150°C (300°F) for 25 minutes, then crisp at 135°C (275°F) for 10 minutes.

Slice thin and even. A 2 mm slice dries in the stated time; a 4 mm slice stays leathery in the middle. Weigh the apples at 600 g to keep the batch size constant.

Cinnamon goes on before drying, not after. The spice sticks to the wet cut surface and stays put through both heat stages.

About the Ingredients

600 g (about 3 medium) firm apples, such as Honeycrisp or Braeburn

Firm, low-moisture apples slice cleanly and brown slowly. Substitute Granny Smith for a tarter chip; avoid Red Delicious, which turns soft.

2 g (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon

Fresh cinnamon smells sweet and woody; stale jars taste dusty. Substitute 1 g ground nutmeg plus 1 g cinnamon for a warmer profile.

12 g (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar, optional

Sugar speeds browning and adds crunch but can burn at high heat. Substitute brown sugar only if you lower the second stage to 120°C (250°F).

1 g (1/4 teaspoon) fine sea salt

Salt balances the sweetness and keeps the chips from tasting flat. Substitute kosher salt, crushed fine, in the same weight.

15 ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice, optional

Lemon juice slows oxidation on pale apple flesh. Substitute 15 ml white vinegar if you have no lemon; the effect is the same.

Tips & Tricks

Slice evenly at 2 mm

uneven slices finish at different times and the thin ones scorch before the thick ones dry.

Do not crowd the basket

one layer with small gaps lets air move; stacked slices steam and stay chewy.

Shake at the halfway mark

loosening the slices prevents them sticking and dries both faces evenly.

Cool before judging

chips firm up in 5 minutes off the heat; a warm chip always feels soft.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Heat the air fryer

Set the air fryer to 150°C (300°F) and run it empty for 3 minutes. A preheated basket starts drying immediately instead of warming up slowly.

2. Core and slice the apples

Core 600 g of apples and slice them 2 mm thick on a mandoline. Uniform slices dry at the same rate, so nothing burns at the edge.

3. Toss with cinnamon

Toss the slices with 15 ml lemon juice, 2 g cinnamon, 12 g sugar, and 1 g salt in a bowl. Every slice should show a light, even coat of spice.

4. Arrange in one layer

Lay the slices in the basket in a single layer with 5 mm gaps. Overlapping slices trap steam and stay limp.

5. Dry at low heat

Air fry at 150°C (300°F) for 25 minutes, shaking the basket at 12 minutes. The slices are done when the edges curl and the surface looks dry, not glossy.

6. Crisp at lower heat

Lower the setting to 135°C (275°F) and cook 10 minutes more. The chips are ready when they are golden brown and rattle when you shake the basket.

7. Cool and test

Spread the chips on a rack for 5 minutes. A cooled chip snaps cleanly in half; a bendy one needs 3 more minutes at 135°C (275°F).

8. Store airtight

Pack fully cooled chips into a sealed jar. Warm chips release steam and soften the whole batch.

Delicious Variations

Apple pie chips

add 1 g ground ginger and 1 g allspice to the cinnamon for a spiced pie flavor.

Maple chips

brush slices with 10 g maple syrup instead of sugar and dry at 135°C (275°F) for the full 35 minutes.

Savory chips

skip sugar and dust with 2 g smoked paprika and 1 g garlic powder after cooking.

How to Store Air Fryer Cinnamon Apple Chips

Frequently Asked Questions

Slice a batch tonight, dry it at 150°C (300°F), and keep the jar on the counter. Weigh, watch, repeat.

Air Fryer Cinnamon Apple Chips

Air Fryer Cinnamon Apple Chips turn three apples into a crisp, sweet snack with no oil fryer and no added sugar rush, ready in 50 minutes.

★★★★½ 4.7 (214 ratings)

15 minPrep time35 minCook time6Servings78 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 600 g (about 3 medium) firm apples, such as Honeycrisp or Braeburn
• 2 g (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
• 12 g (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar, optional
• 1 g (1/4 teaspoon) fine sea salt
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) lemon juice, optional

📋 Instructions

1. 1Heat the air fryer — Set the air fryer to 150°C (300°F) and run it empty for 3 minutes. A preheated basket starts drying immediately instead of warming up slowly.
2. 2Core and slice the apples — Core 600 g of apples and slice them 2 mm thick on a mandoline. Uniform slices dry at the same rate, so nothing burns at the edge.
3. 3Toss with cinnamon — Toss the slices with 15 ml lemon juice, 2 g cinnamon, 12 g sugar, and 1 g salt in a bowl. Every slice should show a light, even coat of spice.
4. 4Arrange in one layer — Lay the slices in the basket in a single layer with 5 mm gaps. Overlapping slices trap steam and stay limp.
5. 5Dry at low heat — Air fry at 150°C (300°F) for 25 minutes, shaking the basket at 12 minutes. The slices are done when the edges curl and the surface looks dry, not glossy.
6. 6Crisp at lower heat — Lower the setting to 135°C (275°F) and cook 10 minutes more. The chips are ready when they are golden brown and rattle when you shake the basket.
7. 7Cool and test — Spread the chips on a rack for 5 minutes. A cooled chip snaps cleanly in half; a bendy one needs 3 more minutes at 135°C (275°F).
8. 8Store airtight — Pack fully cooled chips into a sealed jar. Warm chips release steam and soften the whole batch.

👨‍🍳 Chef's Note: A mandoline is the only tool that matters here; a knife gives uneven slices and uneven browning. Weigh the apples, not the slices, for a repeatable batch.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: American

Course: Snack

Nutrition (per serving): 78 kcal · 0g protein · 20g carbs · 0g fat

Written by Tomasz Wiśniewski

Tomasz writes precise, method-first recipes for breads, ferments, and slow braises, drawing on Polish and Central European home cooking. He cares about weights, temperatures, and timing, and explains the reason behind each step so cooks can repeat results. His angle is turning fussy techniques into clear, checkable instructions.