Dehydrated Cinnamon Apples Recipe (2024)

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!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf ofCosori. 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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