Cardamom Pear Chips

Easy to make, seriously addictive... it quickly became one of our favorite snacks. We would buy HUGE bags of Mutsu apples from a local farm, and just churn out batch after batch... disappearing almost as fast as we could make it!

It fit my AIP diet at the time, was gluten free, super convenient to bring on the road... what’s not to like?

Anyway, we eventually expanded out trying the same idea, but with different fruits.

Rather than using cinnamon for the spice, though, I went with cardamom.

I’ve always been a fan of the cardamom and pear flavour combination. I’m honestly a little shocked that I’ve only published one recipe featuring it - Cardamom Pear Muffins.

I’ll have to change that at some point.

It’s amazing the difference it makes. While the cinnamon apple chips feel like a fun, casual snack... these cardamom pear chips feel more refined. Not quite exotic, but definitely more elegant than the apple chips they were inspired by.

A fantastic variation on a traditional snack!

Anyway, let’s take a look at what you’ll need in order to make your own cardamom pear chips...

Ingredients

This recipe uses only a few really simple ingredients. You won’t have any trouble finding everything you need at pretty much any grocery store.

A few notes for you:

Fresh Pears

You can use pretty much any kind of pear you want - we tend to use D’Anjou pears - but there are a few things to keep in mind:

You’ll be cutting them pretty thin, so aim for a relatively firm pear that will hold up to slicing.

You’re also going to be coating them in a sugar mixture, so you don’t even need to use particularly sweet pears.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Granulated Sugar
Ground Cardamom (Can sub Ground Cinnamon)
Salt

... I just really don’t have anything else to add, as far as these last few ingredients go!

Equipment

You’ll also need a few basic pieces of equipment to make these Cardamom Pear Chips:

A Food Dehydrator

While you can apparently make pear chips in a regular home oven, I’m not a fan of running one for hours on end.

I’ve had food dehydrators before - the basic kinds with no time or temperature controls, but I’ve since upgraded to a Cosori 6 Tray Food Dehydrator, and will never go back!

It was only like $200 Canadian, and it’s paid for itself MANY times over, between all the Maple Cinnamon Apple Chips and jerkies I’ve been making!

Having the control over temperature, being able to set a time... it’s given us a lot more options, and it’s great to not really have to babysit a dehydrator like we used to.

Anyway, we’re using a dehydrator a LOT more, now that we have a nice one!

Apple Peeler

This is optional - Personally, I don’t bother. We like to leave the skins on - it looked prettier, is a bit healthier, and adds a little flavour.

Mandoline Slicer

Also optional, but can be helpful when it comes to getting your pear slices to an even thickness.

I have a Mueller Multi Blade Adjustable Mandoline Slicer.

I ABSOLUTELY love it. We use it all the time, no complaints!

How to Make Cardamom Pear Chips

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, here is a visual walk through:

Prepare the Pears

In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cardamom, and salt. Set aside.

Wash your pears, and peel if you like - we don’t bother.

There are two main ways I recommend slicing your pears - with a mandoline slicer, or with a very sharp knife. I recommend cutting each pear in half and coring it, before slicing.

Arrange pear slices in a single layer on your dehydrator racks, being sure to leave some space between each - you want the air to be able to circulate.

Season the Pear Slices

Sprinkle about half of the cardamom sugar mixture over the pear slices. Flip the slices and sprinkle remaining sugar mixture over the second side of each pear slice.

Dehydrate your Pear Chips

Dehydrate at 135 degrees F for about 8-10 hours.

I like to flip mine after about 2-3 hours, just to help prevent sticking to the wire rack at the end. Really crispy ones tend to take 10-12 hours - but it will vary wildly based on how thick you cut them, and what type/ripeness of pear you used.

Once your pear slices are as dry as you’d like them, remove from the dehydrator and let them cool - on the wire rack - to room temperature.

Condition your Pear Chips

Once cooled completely, transfer your pear slices to a resealable plastic bag.

Keep an eye on them for the next 3 days or so, shaking the bag once or twice a day -This is to allow any moisture to redistribute itself, safely.

If you see any evidence of residual moisture in that time frame - pear slices sticking to each other (more than will break up with a shake of the bag), droplets on the bag, etc - return the pear slices to the dehydrator and let them dry a bit more.

If at any point you see any evidence of mold, throw the batch out.

Once you’re sure the pear chips are dry and moisture isn’t coming out, transfer them to an airtight container for longer term storage.

Other Dried Fruit Recipes

Looking for fruit leather and other dried fruit recipes? Here are a few to get started:

Bananas Foster Banana Chips
Bananas Foster Fruit Leather
Caramel Apple Fruit Leather
Mango Fruit Leather
Maple Cinnamon Apple Chips
Pumpkin Spice Chicken Jerky
Strawberry Banana Fruit Leather