Banana chips are the perfect food. They're crispy and a little sweet, but because they don't have any added sugar, are actually good for you. You can toss them in yogurt (try adding peanuts and chocolate chips, too), or in granola, or just eat them as is. They're great for road trips and party snacks and pretty much every snacking occasion in between. Banana chips are also super easy to make, and you don't even need a dehydrator.
Our banana chips recipe starts with three ripe bananas. You can use overripe bananas, like the kind you would use in banana bread, but your dried fruit will be sweeter and a little more difficult to slice up. Slice bananas into thin slices, about a 1/4 and 1/16 of an inch thick. The thinner the slices, the crunchier the banana chips will be. Add a 1/2 cup of lemon juice into a shallow bowl or cup, then dip each banana slice into the lemon juice. Lay the banana slices in a single layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, be sure to grease the baking sheet to avoid sticking.
Preheat oven to 225 degrees F. Bake the banana chips for a total cook time of two to three hours, or until the chips are dry and slightly brown. Halfway through, you'll want to flip the banana chips over. Don't worry if they stick at that point; bake them 20 minutes or so more and then try again. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. The longer they cool, the crisper they get. They may even be a little soft when they first come out of the oven, but they'll continue to dry out. Store your healthy snack in an air tight container and enjoy!
Baked Banana Chips
Ingredients
- 3 bananas, ripe but not bruised (Overripe bananas, like for banana bread, can be used too, they'll just be sweeter)
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225 F.
- Thinly slice the bananas, somewhere between 1/4 and 1/16 inch. The thinner you slice them, the crunchier they'll end up.
- Dip the banana slices in the lemon juice, then transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, be sure to grease the baking sheet to avoid sticking.
- Bake until dry and slightly brown, about 2-3 hours. Take them out to flip halfway through. If they're sticking and too hard to flip at the halfway point, just bake them 20-30 more minutes before flipping.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. The longer they cool, the crisper they get. They may even be a little soft when they first come out of the oven, but they'll continue to dry out. Store in an air tight container and enjoy!
