Welcome to apple season, my fellow fruit-fiber lovers! I’ve taken to eating a lot of fruit and veggie-based chips lately, and making my own cinnamon apple chips has become one of my favorite late-summer traditions and go-to healthy snacks.
As our evenings turn cooler again, there’s nothing like whipping together a batch of these, waiting as the house fills up with apple-scented goodness, then watching the sun go down as I crunch through my bowl of fresh, fragrant apple chips on the back porch.
When it comes to cooking of any kind, simplicity is my style, and it couldn’t possibly get simpler than these 2-ingredient chips. They’re also easy to transform into a snack with more unique flavors too!
Hate cinnamon? You can make a delicious spice substitution (I have some unique suggestions for you! ) for a totally unique sweet or savory healthy snack. No matter how you choose to spice these up, one constant remains…the smell of these baking is pure autumn goodness!
This is a fantastic snack to let little ones help with. Once you’ve cut up the apples, put the kiddos to work sprinkling seasonings or stirring together a healthy dip.
For a BIG collection of more kitchen play activities, our favorite kids’ kitchen tools, and printable safety rule templates, visit our hands-on kitchen learning list!
Homemade Cinnamon Apple Chip Ingredients:
BASIC INGREDIENTS:
- Apples
- Cinnamon
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:
- Pumpkin, apple pie, or other favorite spice blends or herbs
- Greek yogurt for a simple and healthy dip
Simple Homemade Cinnamon Apple Chips Recipe: Instructions
Slice apples.
Wash and thinly slice your apples. Or, if you feel like being fancy, core the apples and slice them to make apple rings (typically, I just cut my apples in half and slice, but the rings really do look nice!).
Note: if you use a mandolin slicer, please be careful! Mine apparently hates me. and I’m always catching myself on it!
Spread slices on a cookie sheet.
Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper, then lay out the slices on it, making sure not to overlap them.
Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Lightly sprinkle your apple slices with cinnamon. I’ve also used a few different kinds of pie spice blends, and WOW, they make delicious chips!
Bake the apple chips.
Bake at 250 degrees for one hour, flip them, sprinkle with cinnamon again, and put back in for another hour. If they’re not crispy enough after the 2nd hour, leave them in the oven until they’ve crisped up to your liking.
Serve a big bowl with a little nut butter caramel dip, crunch up, and sprinkle over oatmeal or yummy peach applesauce. You can also toss these on a salad, make them into healthier nachos (GENIUS!) or simply pack them into a paper bag for an easy school or on-the-go snack.
To take these to the NEXT level, I highly recommend this caramel yogurt dip from Super Healthy Kids. Prefer something savory? Check out this recipe for sweet and spicy apple chips from Cooking Light – hello, ancho chile powder!
Unique sweet and savory apple chip ideas
For interesting flavor combinations that will delight little foodies, try these inspired flavor pairings…
- Sprinkle (before baking) with chopped fresh rosemary and serve with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.
- Sprinkle (before baking) with freshly grated ginger, spread with lemon Greek yogurt, and top with a drizzle of honey and almonds.
- Sprinkle (before baking) with five-spice and kosher salt.
- Sprinkle (before baking) with ground nutmeg or cardamom, spread with peanut or almond butter, then top with banana slices.
- Sprinkle (before baking) with rosemary, spread with mashed sweet potatoes, and top with a bit of crumbled Cotija cheese.
- Toss (before baking) with mint, basil, and grated parmesan cheese.
10 Ways to Get Your Kids Involved in Making Apple Chips
Inviting your kiddos to get involved in the kitchen and food prep work can be a fun and educational experience, especially when creating yummy snacks. Here are 10 creative ways kids can help make or serve apple chips, so you can enjoy quality time together and foster their love for cooking as a family.
- Picking out the apples: Invite your kids to pick apples at the store or visit a U-pick orchard where they can pick apples right off the trees.
- Washing and drying the apples: Kids can be in charge of gently washing the apples under running water and patting them dry with a clean towel.
- Decorating serving bowls: Allow your little ones to get creative by garnishing serving bowls or plates with seasonal fruits to make the presentation more fun and personal.
- Sprinkling cinnamon: Kids can help measure and sprinkle the cinnamon onto the apple slices before they are baked.
- Layering apple slices: Let the kids arrange the apple slices on the baking sheet.
- Setting the timer: Teach kids about cooking times and temperatures by letting them set the oven timer and check on the apple chips as they bake.
- Playing chef: Let your kids come up with their own flavor combinations and spice blends to sprinkle over the apples.
- Taste-testing: Have the kids be the first to taste-test the apple chips to determine if they need more cinnamon or time in the oven.
- Assembling snack packs: Kids can help portion out the cinnamon apple chips into small, reusable containers or bags for on-the-go snacking.
- Creating dipping sauces: Let the kids get creative by helping them make simple dipping sauces, such as yogurt with honey or a nut butter mix, to accompany the apple chips.
This is such a great kid snack for easy back-to-school snacks. If you’re looking for more great ways to get your kids excited for a new school year, visit our collection of easy back-to-school countdown ideas for parents.
For more fall apple fun, try this easy DIY apple pie playdough recipe, or make your own set of handmade paper-mache apples – a simple process for children that uses basic kids craft supplies. Visit our full collection of harvest season kids’ activities for more kid-friendly recipes, fall crafts, and harvest-inspired art projects.
GETTING READY TO TRY this?
I love seeing all the ways people make these ideas their own! If you're sharing the results of one of our projects, mention or tag me with @barleyandbirch, or share it in the comments of one of our Pinterest project pins.
WOW! Another stellar, seasonal, remarkably s-i-m-p-l-e and healthy idea! I think even your old Dad could bang out a few canisters of these to take to practices of our “Savannah’s World-Famous Crabettes and Jimmy Crabs.” Thanks and keep the creative ideas coming.
HaHA, dad ! At the very least these are REALLY good incentive to come to practices! ;-D SIMPLE is my favorite (only?) style of cooking!