Dehydrated pineapple chunks - well that sounds fancyyy.

But it's not, at all.

What they are instead are -

A. Pretty and bright and yellow! Perfect for Spring. <3

B. An awesome sweet snack to have on deckkk whenever the sweet cravings kick in.

C. The easiest thing to make, ever.

D. A much cheaper alternative to buying store-bought dried fruits.

Pineapple benefits

As much as I loveee food, I also loveee learning about them and what their benefits are. I get excited knowing that this delicious food is also super good for me.

So what are some pineapple benefits:

• They contain a ton of vitamin C, which helps boost your immune system, and your immune system keeps you healthy and free of disease. Taking your vitamins never got easier, or tastier!
• Promotes eye health, an anti-inflammatory properties, anddd aids in digestion. Okay, I'm sold.

Check out this article we wrote to learn more about pineapples and its anti-inflammation benefits, and a few other things you might not know about pineapples - like how easy they are to grow at home!

Let's talk about dehydrating

To make dehydrated pineapple chunks, you will need a dehydrator. If you don't have one, the Excalibur Dehydrator is my tried and trusted brand and one that I highly recommend.

Dehydrators are very useful in all kitchens, but even more so in a vegan kitchen, because you get to make all sorts of goodies with this drying machine, including dehydrated pineapple chunks. 😉

Some other recipes that you can make with a dehydrator include my favorite vegan cheezy broccoli chips anddd these vegan spicy kale chips!

How to make these dehydrated pineapple chunks

Basically, all we're doing is cutting up the pineapple, placing them in the dehydrator, and letting them dry overnight.

Yes, while you're having sweet dreams, you're pineapples will be magically transforming into delicious chewy chunks of dried fruit.

Don't over think the cutting process - it's real simple. Cut and peel your pineapple as you normally would, and then cut up the rounds into chunks, slices, or leave them as is. It's up to you. Remember to cut the core out of the pineapple.

As far as thickness - I aimed for 1/4 inch thickness on the majority of my slices. You don't want them too thick nor too thin. But you can totally experiment.

I assume that  thicker chunk will yield a more chewy, less dehydrated piece. On the other hand, a very thin slice might shrink to nonexistence. Remember that when you dehydrate fruit, the water is pulled out of it so it will shrink and become smaller.

For a more detailed process on how to cut the pineapples for dehydration you can check out this article by Jennifer Osuch from Self Reliant School: How To Dehydrate Fresh Pineapple. She goes into great detail on how to peel and cut the pineapples and provides perfect visuals!

When I first started dehydrating pineapples - she was my go to resource! Thank you Jennifer!

Dehydrated pineapple chunks never really last that long around here, but feel free to keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days.

Are you a dried fruit fan? Which fruit is your favorite to dehydrate? I'm excited to try dehydrating different fruits this summer, will you join me? ...