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Dehydrated Apples Recipe {Dehydrator or Oven}

By Sarah Cook

5 from 3 ratings

Oct 09, 2021, Updated Jun 21, 2025

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Learn all about dehydrating apples in a food dehydrator or in an oven. This dried apples recipe is a simple project for adults and kids and makes amazing snacks.

a jar of dried apples tipped on its side with a bowl of apples on a white board

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Dried apples are a favorite snack in our house. The best part of drying apples yourself? The process is so simple, and you only need two ingredients – apples and lemon juice.

Easy to find varieties such as Gala, Fuji, Gravenstein, and Honeycrisp are all great. Look for firm and flavorful apples that you would enjoy for fresh eating.

Even though the drying process concentrates the sweetness of the apples, sour apples still make sour dried apples.

a note from sarah

Sustainability Tip

If you have extra apples after this, don’t let them go to waste!

Some other ways to preserve/use apples are canning applesauce, canning apple butter, freezing apples, or puff pastry apple turnovers.

four photos showing how to use a hand peeler to make dried apples

apple slices in a bowl and on dehydrator trays for making dried apples

How Do I Know When Dried Apples Are Done?

Apples are done when they don’t feel wet anymore (4-8 hours). Some apple slices will finish before the others on the same tray. Remove those that are done and set them aside to prevent them from getting too dry.

Even finished apples might feel a bit sticky when warm. Allow the apples to cool for an hour and then fold a slice between two fingers. If the apples aren’t sticky/tacky and there is some give when you fold one, they’re done.

If the apples fold in half like a piece of paper, they are overly dried. They’re still edible and delicious, but likely a little tougher.

demonstrating how to check to see if dried apples are finished

Storage

Allow the apples to FULLY COOL before storing them in an air-tight container like a mason jar for up to a year.

If you see any condensation inside the container after a day or so, the apples were not dried long enough.

The condensation can produce mold if left in the container. It would be best to store the dried apples in the fridge or freezer at this point.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

Avoid the temptation to increase the heat on the dehydrator or oven to speed up the process. Low and slow wins in the race on this one.
Dried apples will last for up to a year if stored in a cool dry place.
You do not have to peel the apples, but the peels may get very hard during the drying process and could detract from the taste.

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Dehydrated Apples Recipe {Dehydrator or Oven}

By: Sarah CookServings: 20 Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 8 hours Total: 8 hours 20 minutes

Learn all about dehydrating apples in a food dehydrator or in an oven. This dried apples recipe is a simple project for adults and kids and makes amazing snacks.

Equipment

Cutting Board
Knife
Mixing bowl
Dehydrator

Ingredients 1x2x3x

▢ 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
▢ 10 apples {choose firm apples like Fuji}

US Customary – Metric Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Fill a bowl with cold water and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. 1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
Set up a workstation with a peeler, cutting board, sharp knife, and a bowl for the peels and cores.
Clean apples, peel, core, and slice the apples thinly.10 apples
Place the apple slices in the water/juice mixture.

Dehydrator Instructions

Arrange the slices on dehydrator trays so that there is space around each slice, and the slices are not touching.
Set dehydrator to the "fruit/vegetables" setting (135˚F) and dry for 4-8 hours. Rotate trays every few hours.
The length of time the apple slices need to dry will vary based on how many trays you have going on at once, and how thick the slices are.
Apples are done when they don’t feel wet anymore. Some apples will finish before the others on the same tray. Remove those that are done and set aside.

Oven Baking Instructions

Place soaked apple slices on baking drying racks set into baking sheets.
Place in the oven at the lowest temperature possible (usually 140-170˚F) and prop open the door with the handle of a wooden spoon. This allows condensation to escape instead of just settling back onto the apples.
Bake for 5-8 hours.

Notes

Avoid the temptation to increase the heat on the dehydrator or oven to speed up the process. Low and slow wins in the race on this one.
You do not have to peel the apples, but the peels may get very hard during the drying process and could detract from the taste.
Allow the dried apples to FULLY COOL before storing them in an air-tight container. They will keep for at least a year if not exposed to too much light or heat.

Nutrition

Serving: 40gCalories: 95kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 0gFat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1mgPotassium: 199mgFiber: 4gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 100IUVitamin C: 10.1mgCalcium: 11mgIron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: SnackCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @sustainablecooks or tag #sustainablecooks!

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About Sarah Cook

I'm here to help you make easy, seasonal, and no-fuss recipes for yourself and your family.

Whether it's a quick one-pot dinner or if I am teaching you how to can and preserve local produce, you can consider me your elder millennial grandma

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24 Comments

Hi Sarah, I’m excited to try this, because of course, I overpicked apples already this year. And the dried ones are so useful for granola and scones! Question – why do you specify bottled lemon juice? Does it not work with fresh lemon juice? And I see the citric acid option but how much and how to use it? Thanks! Laura
Reply
1. Hi Laura, what a great “problem” to have – too many apples!
  
  Fresh lemon juice works fine. In canning recipes you need bottled lemon juice for consistent pH balance, but not so in dehydrator. The main reason I recommend bottled is that citrus season is in winter and apples are a late summer/fall crop. 🙂
  
  Also, if you have a can of pineapple juice kicking around, that works too!
  Reply
Thanks for sharing this amazing dried apple recipe with all of us. I really like this recipe.
Reply
The link you have for oven drying racks links to racks that are not oven safe.
Reply
1. Amazon changes links over the years without letting us know. I’ll update. Thanks!
  Reply
How do I do the apple slices in the oven? I don’t have a dehydrator.
Reply
1. Hi Felicia, there is this info in the post:
  
  HOW DO YOU DRY APPLES IN THE OVEN? Follow the peeling and soaking instructions above and then place apple slices on baking drying racks. Place in the oven at the lowest temperature possible (usually 140-170 degrees F) and prop open the door with the handle of a wooden spoon. This allows condensation to escape instead of just settle back onto the apples. Bake for 5-8 hours.
  Reply
I received a lovely gift of schnitz foldovers for Christmas, made with rehydrated dried apples and spices. Oh, they are so delicious – taste a bit like mincemeat. They were so tasty that I just had to find out how to dry apples without a dehydrator. I look forward to trying your recipe as well as the one reader’s suggestion for the cinnamon sugar apple peels.

Thank you!
Reply
1. That sounds absolutely delicious Jean! Do you top it with ice cream or anything like that?
  Reply
  1. No ice cream. Just enjoy it as it is!
    Reply
    1. Delicious!!
Delish!! Making these for the third time so we will have a healthy after-dinner snack around!
Reply
1. So glad you’re enjoying them, Lana! They’re one of our favorite healthy snacks too.
  Reply
I can’t wait to try this. I just bought the peeler / corer you recommend and it does a wonderful job. My son asked if we could try drying apples, so this post is very timely. Have you ever tried dusting them with cinnamon before drying them? It sounds good, but I am not sure if it would impact how they come out.
Reply
1. Kids loooooove the peeler!
  
  I’ve heard of people doing cinnamon and it would be delicious. Shouldn’t impact the process at all.
  Reply
I don’t know if they keep zombies away, but they keep my 5 year old happy! Thanks!
Reply
A friend shared a treat this weekend that I cannot believe I never thought of! She took all her apple peels and tossed into a large bowl with cinnamon and sugar… then she spread on parchment lined trays and dried in the oven on 250… OH they are like CRACK! Crispy and sweet!
Reply
I have the same peeler, but it does not stick well to the table. I do better with the old style clamp. No tips for you except these apples slices are great !
Reply
1. I wonder if it depends on the type of counter? We have horrible laminate. But I find that the peeler sticks better if I get the suction cup on the bottom of the peeler a little damp before flipping the lever.
  Reply
Good to know about leaving the door open. I don’t have a dehydrator so I would go the oven route.
Reply
I worked on the committee for our 3rd graders to present Colonial Day at school. There was so much friggin prep. Each child did about 7 Colonial Day craft projects, including sewing his/her initial onto cloth, tin punch, making butter, baking muffins, cooking preserves, dipping a candle, and making dried-apple wreaths. The moms had to cut out one million cardboard circles (no mean feat), and then dry 8 million apple pieces to be glued onto said circle, said glue being runny which made the apples soft as it dried, thus creating a bug feast. I ruined the window in the door of my oven because I had no idea you’re supposed to leave the door ajar when you dry apples. The moisture couldn’t escape so it went between the glass. So I say “fie” on dried apples and purchase them at Target when I wish to eat them!
Reply
My mom and I dry apples by covering the floor of large shallow boxes with foil, laying out the prepared apples, covering with tulle or and old sheer that we clip in place with clothespins, and setting out in the sun to dry. If the weather is uncooperative, transfer foil to large baking sheets and dry in a low oven (though this is a last resort for us).

We make dried apple stack cakes and fried apple pies with ours.
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Good idea! I’m always on the hunt for extra dehydrator trays at the thrift store. And apples are such a good value this time of year!
Reply
Those look awesome! I really need to use my dehydrator more. I made some green powder over the summer that I put in everything, but I never ended up making any dried fruit. Might have to get on that next week.
Reply