Apple chips are one of the snacks I most often keep on the kitchen counter during apple season, when the fruit bowl is overflowing. In the air fryer, thin apple rings turn into light, crisp chips with a natural sweetness, and with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar they taste almost like apple cake – just in a version you can eat with your fingers. No oil is needed, only apples, low heat and a little patience.
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Here I share what I have learned about cutting the slices properly, keeping them in place in the basket and getting them completely dry, so they crunch once they have cooled down. You will find the recipe with all quantities and times at the bottom.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love apple chips in the air fryer
It is hard to find a simpler snack. You only need two apples and, if you like, a little cinnamon and sugar – no oil and no additives. As the slices dry, the natural sweetness of the apples becomes more concentrated, so they taste surprisingly sweet, even without sugar. I leave the skin on because it gives colour and a bit more bite, and at our house the chips vanish just as fast, whether they are eaten as an afternoon snack or sprinkled over the morning’s skyr.
What makes the air fryer better than the oven?
In an oven, the apple rings lie on a baking tray, where the underside dries more slowly than the top. In the air fryer, the hot air whirls around every slice, so the moisture disappears from both sides, and you do not have to heat up a large oven for two apples. The price is that there is only room for one layer at a time, so you bake in batches, but each batch only requires you to turn the slices over once along the way.
My kitchen test of apple chips
I tested the apple chips in my Cosori Dual Blaze, where heating elements both above and below the basket give an even heat from both sides. At 140 °C, each batch got 10 minutes, after which I turned the slices over and gave them another 10 minutes – so 20 minutes per batch. Two apples made three batches, and with 15 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooling, the total time comes to 85 minutes. Most of the time, the air fryer takes care of itself.
I have also made them in my Philips XXL, where the large basket has room for more slices in a single layer. The most important thing I learned was to place a rack on top of the slices – without it, the airflow lifted the light apple rings up towards the heating element.
Never judge the crispness while the chips are still warm. They always feel a little soft when they come out of the air fryer, but after 10 minutes on a wire rack they turn crisp on their own.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is cutting the slices too thick or too uneven. Then the thin slices turn brown while the thick ones are still chewy, and no number of extra minutes can fix that. Use a mandoline, and cut rings of 1-2 mm – always with the finger guard on. The second mistake is turning up the heat to finish faster. The edges have time to turn brown and bitter before the middle is dry, so stick to 140 °C, and it is better to give the slices 2-3 extra minutes if there are still soft spots. The third mistake is putting too many slices in the basket. If they lie on top of each other, they steam instead of drying, and they stick together. Lay them in a single layer, and it is better to bake one more batch.
How to serve apple chips
Apple chips are great on their own, but they can be used for so much more:
- As a snack in the lunch box or on the go
- Sprinkled over yoghurt, skyr or porridge for breakfast
- As crisp decoration on apple cake, cheesecake and other desserts
- Crushed over a scoop of vanilla ice cream
Storage and reheating
Let the chips get completely cold before you put them away. If they are even slightly warm, moisture collects in the container, and then they turn soft. In an airtight container at room temperature, they keep for up to a week. If they have gone soft anyway, you can crisp them up in the air fryer at 140 °C for 2-3 minutes and let them cool again. Apple chips are not suitable for freezing.
Apple chips in the air fryer show that the best snacks often need the fewest ingredients. Get out a couple of firm, tart apples, slice them thinly, and let the air fryer do the rest – then you have a bowl of crisp chips that rarely have time to go stale.
FAQ
Firm, tart apples such as Elstar or Granny Smith are the best. They hold their shape as they dry, and the chips get a fresh flavour. If you use red apples with the skin on, the chips get a beautiful red edge.
Apple chips feel a little soft when they come out of the air fryer, and only turn crisp as they cool. If they are still soft after 10 minutes on a wire rack, give them 2-3 more minutes at 140 °C. Thick slices dry more slowly, so cut them thinner next time.
Recipe
Apple Chips in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Step 2:
Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
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Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Small knife
- 1 Mandoline
- 1 Paper towel
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Rack - optional
- 1 Cooling rack
Shopping list
Ingredients
- 2 pcs apples (firm and tart, e.g. Elstar or Granny Smith)
For sprinkling (optional)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp sugar
How to make it
Preparation
- Remove the core with an apple corer. If you do not have one, cut it out with a small, sharp knife from top to bottom, so you end up with a round hole through the apple.
- Cut the apples into very thin, even rings of 1-2 mm, preferably on a mandoline – always use the finger guard. Without a mandoline you can use a sharp knife. Cut as thinly and evenly as possible, so all the slices dry at the same time.
- Spread the slices out on kitchen paper and pat them dry. The less moisture there is on the surface, the faster they turn crisp.
- If you want cinnamon sugar on top, mix 1 tsp cinnamon and 2 tsp sugar in a small bowl, and sprinkle it lightly over the slices.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 140 °C fan.
- Place a third of the slices in the basket in a single layer, so they do not overlap. Optionally, place a rack on top, so the light slices do not blow around and touch the heating element.
- Bake the slices at 140 °C for 10 minutes. Turn them over and bake for another 10 minutes, until they feel dry and light and the edges have started to curl. If there are still soft spots, give them 2-3 more minutes, but keep a close eye on them so they do not turn brown.
- Lay the chips in a single layer on a wire rack and let them cool for about 10 minutes. Only now do they turn properly crisp.
- Bake the rest of the slices in the same way at 140 °C for 20 minutes per batch. This normally makes 3 batches – in a small air fryer you may need a fourth.
Serving
- Serve the apple chips once they are completely cool and crisp. Store the rest in an airtight container so they stay crisp.
Our notes for the recipe
Choose firm, tart apples – they hold their shape and give chips a fresh flavour. Cut the slices evenly thin so they dry at the same pace, and keep the temperature low: at a high heat the edges turn brown before the middle is dry. The chips still feel a little soft when they come out of the air fryer, but they turn crisp as they cool. Keep the slices in place:
The thin slices are so light that the airflow can lift them up towards the heating element. Place a rack that fits in the basket on top of the slices. Variation:
Leave out the sugar and use only cinnamon, or give them a pinch of cardamom or ginger. Red apples with the skin on make beautiful chips with a red edge. Serving:
Eat them as a snack, sprinkle them over yoghurt, skyr or porridge, or use them as a garnish on cakes and desserts. Portion size:
How many slices fit in a single layer depends on the size of the basket. In a small air fryer, you should count on an extra batch.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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