Oven-Dried Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Peel Chips

While making a large pot of applesauce, I chose not to discard the nutrient-rich peels but instead bake them into apple chips. It turned out to be an deliciously successful experiment. These apple chips are lightly sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar and oven-dried on parchment paper. To ensure even drying, it's important to make sure the peels are of equal/uniform thickness. Thicker peels will take longer to dry, and you need them to be completely dry for food safety reasons. For best results, use a counter-mounted spiral apple peeler; or just keep an even hand while peeling your apples. My family enjoyed these crispy treats, and I hope yours does too!

• Ready In: 2 hrs 10 mins
• Serves: 2-4
• Yields: 3 cups

Ingredients

• 8 -10  large apples, peels of
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 225°F.
2. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle apple peels with cinnamon-sugar mixture and toss to coat evenly.
4. Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until peels are thoroughly dried and snap-crisp when bent.
5. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes or until cool enough to touch. Gently break dried peels into 1 to 2-inch long pieces.