I am always looking for ways to replace some of my “creature comforts” with smarter options. A friend told me about this healthier alternative. It is super easy to make and oh so good!
Red Pepper Candy
Ingredients:
Red Bell Peppers
Pure Canadian Maple Syrup
Instructions:
- Slice clean red peppers lengthwise into approximately ¼ to ½ inch wide strips, no larger. Optional: you may then cut these strips in half again if you choose.
- Place sliced peppers in a dish and sprinkle with pure maple syrup – approximately 1 tsp per pepper – give or take depending on your sweet tooth. *
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight to marinate.
- Dry into candy using a dehydrator or an oven.
Dehydrator Instructions:
- Place slices on dehydrator screens ensuring that none of the peppers are touching.
- Dehydrate at 125F until the peppers are crispy and brittle. (Time will vary depending on a number of factors – air humidity, uniformity and overall thickness of your slices – it could be anywhere between 10 to 24 hours so keep an eye on them the first time you are making them.)
Oven Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 150F.
- Cover a wire rack with parchment paper and and place it on a cookie pan.
- Arrange the sliced peppers making sure that none are touching.
- Place this on the middle oven rack, leaving the oven door ajar a few inches.
- Dry until crispy and brittle (approximately 6 to 10 hours or more depending on the oven, air humidity, uniformity and thickness of your peppers.)
Enjoy!
*Pure Canadian maple syrup is a natural sugar and a healthier alternative to refined sugar, containing antioxidants and trace minerals that refined sugars do not. Be aware however, that it is still a sweetener with a calorie content averaging around 50 calories per tablespoon.
