Perfect Air Fryer Apple Chips (with chocolate dip)

Tired of the same old chips and dip? Surprise everyone's taste buds with these always-perfect, crispy Air Fryer Apple Chips. And for an extra treat, make sure you try the Chocolate Tahini Dip.

These healthy apple chips are insanely easy to make in an air fryer. They're a naturally sweet, healthy treat that satisfies your snack craving or a healthier sweet treat for dessert.

What Are Apple Chips?

Apple chips are dried, dehydrated apples and a far healthier alternative to potato or tortilla chips. They're also much healthier than those packaged veggie chips, which have lots of fat and salt but few actual vegetables. And, when you make them yourself, you don't have to add sugar, unlike many packaged brands of dried fruit slices.

These quickly cook in the air fryer, but you can also make them in a regular oven (they'll take about 2 hours or twice as long to dry out in the oven).

Here's how a serving of apple chips stacks up against potato chips (and FYI a serving of potato chips is ONLY 16 chips!):

The thing I like best about apple chips (and apples in general) is that much of the fiber is the soluble kind that lowers your cholesterol, balances your blood sugar, and keeps you full so it's helpful for maintaining a healthy weight. I guess that's why they say, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away..."

And can we talk about the chocolate tahini dip? It's like Nutella. If Nutella was full of antioxidants and healthy fats, that is. The chocolate dip I've included in this recipe makes the whole thing more of a treat.

But it's a healthy treat.

How to Make Perfect Crisp Air Fryer Apple Chips

Air fryer apple chips are incredibly easy to make. All you need is an apple or two, some cinnamon, nutmeg, and an air fryer. You don't have to coat your chips with oil because they aren't fried. They're dehydrated.

My son gave me an air fryer a few years ago for a birthday gift, and I honestly thought it would sit in the pantry gathering dust. But I use it all the time! And this recipe is one of my favorite air fryer recipes.

Here's the newest version of the air fryer I have. I love all the accessories it now comes with — I may have to upgrade!

If you want your apple chips to be thin and light like potato chips, it's important to slice your apples very thinly. Aim for about ⅛ of an inch or 3 mm.

You can use a sharp chef's knife, but it's so much easier to use a mandoline slicer like this one. It cuts ultra-thin, even slices in a few seconds. Just make sure you use the safety shield because mandoline blades are SHARP!

For perfect apple chips that get crisp but don't burn:

• Make sure you have evenly sliced apples. If some are thick and others are thin, they won't cook evenly. The thin ones will burn, while the thicker ones will still be too chewy. I set my mandoline to the 3 mm setting. If they're much thinner (like paper thin) they will cook faster but they may be more likely to burn.

• The temperature is important! I've had much better success using lower heat and cooking these for a few extra minutes. Many recipes call for baking your chips at 375-400ºF for a short time, but I always find they burn at that temperature. Instead, I opt for 200ºF for a total of an hour. It sounds like a long time, but you have to check and flip them after 30 minutes, and it goes fast. Just check your email or scroll around on Facebook or Instagram, and you'll be surprised at how fast 30 minutes flies! If you want to crank up the heat so they cook faster, just keep a close eye on them.

• Just like ovens and microwaves, air fryers can vary. Some run hotter or heat up faster than others. The first time you make these, check them more frequently and toss them in the basket so they cook evenly and don't burn.

• Some apples have a higher water content than others, so you may need more or less time for optimal dehydration. The only way you'll know is by checking them as they cook.

• Make sure you don't stack the raw apple chips together. Lay them in a single layer as best you can and toss them at least once or twice as they cook. That helps them cook evenly.

• To prevent the apple chips from sticking to the basket, you can lightly spray the bottom of the basket with cooking oil. Or use one of these parchment paper air fryer liners. They're a life-saver for anything that sticks or might slip through the little holes in the basket.

What Type of Apples Make the Tastiest Chips?

My favorite apples for apple chips are Gala because they're a nice blend of sweet and tart. Macintosh is also a great choice for the same reason. I think both of these are sweet enough so that you don't have to add any sugar.

If you want more natural sweetness, choose Honeycrisp apples. If you want a more tart/sour apple chip, go for green apples, like Granny Smith. But honestly, I would choose your favorite apple variety — red, yellow, green, and pink — they all work well.

In fact, sometimes I'll get a bunch of dry and mealy apples, even though I choose each one individually vs. buying a whole bag. When that happens, turn them right into perfect, crispy, dried apple chips. You can't go wrong!

Frequently Asked Questions

What's your favorite apple dessert?

Eat well!