Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips

I'm happy to say that the first post of 2014 is a healthy one!

I've been looking for a healthy snack to satisfy the sugary cravings I've been getting lately.  These apple chips are the perfect thing to munch on when the mood strikes.  I feel less guilty eating apples with a touch of sugar and cinnamon than I do eating chocolate or cookies.  And since they are thin and crispy like potato chips, it gives the illusion of indulging in a "bad for you" treat, but in reality, your just eating apples!
Also, I used less than 1 tbsp of sugar to sweeten both sides of the chips.  Everything in moderation, right?

To attain a perfect crispy apple chip, you must slice the apples as thin as possible.  The thinner the apples, the crispier they will be.  I luckily have a mandoline which certainly aided in the process.  I did use a knife for a few slices, just to see how thin I could get it.  It's doable, but not nearly as perfect as the ones cut with the mandoline.  The thicker ones still turned out and are delicious, just slightly chewier than the thin ones.  

I did a little research before making these chips, especially when it came to the types of apples to use for dehydrating.  Gala, Fuji and Granny Smith are the best to use.  Red delicious (as the name suggests) are delicious, however, are not good for dehydrating.  I had one  Honey Crisp and one Gala apple left and used both and they turned out fabulously.

Baked Cinnamon Apple Chips

2-3 apples (Gala, Fuji or Granny Smith) 

ground cinnamon

granulated or coconut sugar  *I used less than 1 tbsp of sugar and sprinkled sparingly.  

Directions

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.   Line two large baking sheets with parchment and set aside.

Wash and thinly slice the apples using a sharp knife or mandoline.

Place the apple slices onto the baking sheets in a single layer, making sure they do not overlap. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake for 1 hour, then flip the apples over.  Feel free to sprinkle with more cinnamon and sugar.  Bake for another 1 to 1.5 hours. 

Turn the oven off and keep the apples inside as the oven cools down for 1 hour.  **This will help them get crunchy.   This idea is from Sally's Baking Addiction and it works like a charm.

Store apple chips at room temperature in an airtight container.