How long to cook apple chips in an air fryer

At-a-glance cooking parameters

Temperature

300 °F

149 °C

Total time

18 min

per single layer

Turn at

9 min

turn once

Internal temp

—

use visual cue

Apple chips are thin rounds of fresh apple dried in the air fryer into a sweet, crisp snack — no oil, no frying, just low heat for about 18 minutes at 300 °F (149 °C) with a turn halfway through. Core the apples and slice them about ⅛ inch thick (a mandoline makes this far easier), lay the rings in a single layer, and cook low and slow until they're dry and curled at the edges. The catch is patience and temperature: too hot and the edges scorch before the centres dry, so keep it gentle, and remember the chips finish crisping as they cool — pull them while they're still slightly bendy rather than waiting for a snap in the basket. Distinct from Baked Apples (whole or halved apples cooked soft and warm), Apple Pie (pastry-crusted), and Apple Fritters (battered and fried) — apple chips are the dehydrated, shelf-stable, snackable form, alongside the air-fryer's other dried snacks like Kale Chips and Dehydrated Strawberries. 4 ways to finish: plain, cinnamon, cinnamon-sugar, and caramel-spice.

Per serving

Approximate values for a single portion of apple chips (USDA baseline, cooked, includes light air-fryer oil spray).

Calories

95 kcal

Protein

0 g

Fat

0 g

Carbs

25 g

Apple Chips in popular air fryer brands

Adjusted for how each brand actually heats. Tap a brand name to see every food we calibrate for it.

How to tell it’s done

The slices should be dried out, their edges curled, and the surface no longer wet or sticky — they will still feel slightly bendy when hot and crisp up fully as they cool, so judge by dryness, not by snap-in-the-basket. Slices that are still soft and damp in the middle need more time; slices browning hard and fast at the edges mean the temperature is too high — drop it and slow down. For shatter-crisp chips, leave them in the turned-off air fryer for a few minutes after cooking.

Step-by-step method

1. 1

   Prep

   Bring ingredients close to room temperature. None — apple chips are dry-cooked, not oiled. A light spritz of lemon juice on the cut slices keeps them from browning, and a dusting of cinnamon (or cinnamon-sugar) before cooking is optional.

2. 2

   Season

   Season with Plain (the benchmark): nothing but the apple — a sweet-tart crisp that lets the variety's own flavour show., Cinnamon: dusted with ground cinnamon before cooking for classic spiced apple chips., Cinnamon-sugar: tossed in a little sugar and cinnamon for a sweeter, candied-edge chip., Caramel-spice: dusted with a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of brown sugar for a caramel-apple note..

3. 3

   Load

   Arrange 2 apples, cored and sliced about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick (roughly 30–40 rings), cooked in a single layer in batches for best convection airflow.

4. 4

   Cook

   Set the air fryer to 300 °F (149 °C) and cook for 18 minutes total, flipping once at 9 minutes.

5. 5

   Check & rest

   Check the visual doneness cue and serve immediately for best texture.

6. 6

   Store

   Cool completely (this is when they crisp), then store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week — any trapped warmth or humidity turns them leathery. If they soften, re-crisp at 300 °F (149 °C) for 2–3 minutes. Do not refrigerate; the moisture makes them chewy.

Watch out for

• !Slice thin and even — about ⅛ inch (3 mm), ideally on a mandoline. Thick or uneven slices stay chewy in the middle while the thin edges scorch.
• !Cook low and slow: high heat browns the edges before the centre dries. 300 °F (149 °C) is the ceiling; some air fryers do better at 250–280 °F for a few extra minutes.
• !Single layer, no overlap — stacked slices steam and fuse instead of drying.
• !They firm up as they cool, so pull them while still slightly flexible rather than waiting for them to crisp in the basket (overcooking turns them bitter and brittle).
• !A light spritz of lemon juice keeps the slices from oxidising to brown before they cook.

FAQ about apple chips in an air fryer

What temperature should I cook apple chips at in an air fryer?

Cook apple chips at 300 °F (149 °C). The convection air at this temperature cooks the food gently — higher temperatures dry it out or scorch the surface.

How long do apple chips take in an air fryer?

Apple chips take 18 minutes total at 300 °F (149 °C). Flip the food once at 9 minutes so both sides cook evenly.

Do you need to flip apple chips in an air fryer?

Yes — flip apple chips once at 9 minutes. The side touching the basket grate develops a darker, more crusted surface; flipping evens out the cook so both sides match.

Do you need to preheat the air fryer for apple chips?

Preheating is optional for apple chips — most modern air fryers reach temperature in under 2 minutes and the food's total cook time already accounts for the ramp-up. If you do preheat, reduce the total time by 1–2 minutes and check earlier than usual.