Fruity, sweet, crisp and spicy, these spicy apple chips are a real healthy treat, especially if you’re the “on the go” type. Put a handful into a Ziploc bag and go! They’re perfect for lunches and afternoon snacks.
🌶️ Quick recipe snapshot
| Flavor profile | Sweet, fruity apple with warm cinnamon up front and a little cayenne heat on the finish. |
| Primary heat source | A quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper powder. 30,000 to 50,000 SHU. |
| Heat level | Mild. A quarter teaspoon spread over two apples gives you a gentle tingle more than a burn. |
| Texture | Crisp and light once they’ve cooled, with a little chew if the slices are on the thick side. |
| Best uses | Lunchboxes, afternoon snacks, a cheese board, or crumbled over yogurt and oatmeal. |
| Customization ideas | More cayenne for heat, a pinch of nutmeg or allspice, or a tart apple like Granny Smith. |
| Before you start | About three hours in a low oven, with two flips along the way. Slice the apples as thin as you can. |
Flavor notes
We mix cinnamon and cayenne pepper powder here. It’s a perfect pairing in our book: earthy, sweet and spicy without being over-spiced, so the apple’s natural flavor still shines through.
Cayenne runs 30,000 to 50,000 Scoville heat units, which makes it far hotter than a jalapeño, but a quarter teaspoon is split between two apples’ worth of chips, so each one only gets a light dusting. If you are packing these for kids, cut the cayenne back or leave it off their batch.
Fuji apples are sweet and firm, which makes them easy to slice thin. But any sweet, crisp apple will work here, so go with one you like to eat fresh.
Slice the apples thin and even, about an eighth of an inch, and a mandoline makes that easy. Thicker slices take longer to dry and can stay chewy in the middle, and uneven ones won’t all be ready at the same time.
Don’t judge them straight out of the oven. They are still a little soft while they’re hot and crisp up as they cool on the sheet, so if they still bend once they have cooled completely, give them another 15 to 30 minutes.
Adaptation ideas
Most of these change the spice or the apple.
- Want more heat? Double the cayenne to half a teaspoon, and taste a chip after the first flip, before you add the rest of the spice mix.
- Want a warmer spice mix? Add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice to the cinnamon and cayenne for a flavor closer to apple pie.
- Want some smoke? Swap the cayenne for chipotle powder. It is milder, so you can use a little more of it without making the chips any hotter.
- Prefer them tart? Use Granny Smith apples for a sharper chip that plays well against the sweet cinnamon.
- Want rings? Core the apples before you slice them, or slice straight through and pick out any seeds as you go.
Serving ideas
They make a great grab-and-go snack, but they work well in a few other places too.
- In a lunchbox. A handful in a small bag or container, packed next to a sandwich.
- On a cheese board. With a sharp cheddar, which stands up well to both the cinnamon and the heat.
- Over breakfast. Crumbled over yogurt or oatmeal to add a little crunch and spice.
- With a dip. Peanut butter or almond butter turns them into a quick afternoon snack.
- On dessert. Broken over vanilla ice cream, or used as a garnish on a slice of apple pie.
Storage notes
Let the chips cool completely before you store them. Then keep them in an airtight container at room temperature, and eat them within about a week for the best texture.
If they soften, a few minutes back in a low oven will crisp them up again, as long as you let them cool before they go back in the container.
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Apple Habanero Hot Sauce: Apples and habaneros pair very well together. Just take care, because there is much bigger heat here.
- Spicy Apple Chutney: As delicious with chicken and pork as it is atop waffles or pancakes.
- Spicy Candied Citrus Fruit: Want a tasty fiery topping for your desserts or ice cream? This is one of our faves.
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Spicy Apple Chips
Ingredients
- 2 Fuji apples sliced
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the cinnamon and cayenne pepper powder. Stir to fully mix.
- Evenly space the apple slices across two parchment paper lined baking sheets.
- Dust the apple slices with the cinnamon/cayenne mix. Leave some for sprinkling when you flip the apple slices.
- Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake the apple slices for 1 hour.
- Flip the apple slices and sprinkle them with the remaining cinnamon/cayenne spice mix.
- Place the baking sheets back in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from the oven and flip the apple chips one last time. Place the baking sheets back in the oven and bake for 1 hour.
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the spicy apple chips to cool. Serve or store in an airtight container for future use.
