Make your own banana chips for an easy, healthy snack. Image Credit: Santy Gibson/Demand Media
Banana chips are dried, bite-sized banana slices that are rich in potassium, vitamin A, fiber and other essential vitamins and nutrients. While store-bought banana chips are readily available, making them at home has several benefits. Preparing them yourself helps maximize the chips' nutrients and taste and ensures that no fats, oils or sugars are added to this already delicious snack.
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There are two easy ways to prepare these bite-sized treats — dehydrated or baked. It's best to wait until your bananas are ripened and brown-flecked to obtain the sweetest concentration of flavor.
How to Make Banana Chips With a Food Dehydrator
It\’s easy to dry bananas in a food dehydrator. Image Credit: Santy Gibson/Demand Media
Things You\’ll Need
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2 ripe bananas
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Lemon juice
Step 1
Peel and cut each banana into 1/8-inch slices. Thin, uniform slices allow for even drying inside the food dehydrator.
Step 2
Dip each banana slice into lemon juice. This lessens browning of the banana chip and adds vitamin C back into the banana. Shake off excess lemon juice before placing the bananas in the dehydrator.
Dip each slice in lemon juice. Image Credit: Santy Gibson/Demand Media
Step 3
Place the lemon-dipped slices onto the banana tray, making sure there is enough space in between slices to allow for sufficient air flow while drying.
Step 4
Fill the available dehydrator trays with banana slices, and then put the trays into the dehydrator with the temperature set to 150 F for the first two hours. If your dehydrator does not have variable temperatures, use the normal setting.
Place the slices on the dehydrator tray without allowing them to touch. Image Credit: Santy Gibson/Demand Media
Step 5
Reduce the temperature to 130 degrees after the first two hours, and leave it on for six hours, until the bananas are fully dry. Stop the dehydrator halfway through and flip the slices to ensure even dryness.
Step 6
When the timer is done, check on the bananas' firmness. If they are leathery to crispy, they are done.
Check for a leathery to crispy firmness. Image Credit: Santy Gibson/Demand Media
Step 7
Let the chips cool for a few hours on the dehydrator trays before removing them and packing the chips in plastic bags.
Tip
Dehydrated banana chips can last at room temperature for up to two weeks.
How to Make Banana Chips in the Oven
Bake banana chips in th eoven if you don\’t have a food dehydrator. Image Credit: Rina Summer/Demand Media
Things You\’ll Need
-
2 ripe bananas
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Lemon juice
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Nonstick cooking spray
Step 1
Heat the oven to 150 F.
Step 2
Peel and cut the bananas into 1/8-inch slices. Thin, uniform slices are optimal for baking the bananas evenly.
Cut all of the slices at the same thickness. Image Credit: Rina Summer/Demand Media
Step 3
Dip each banana slice into a dish of lemon juice, making sure to shake off any excess liquid. This prevents the chips from browning while they bake.
Coat the slices with lemon juice to prevent browning. Image Credit: Rina Summer/Demand Media
Step 4
Spread the bananas in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with nonstick spray.
Step 5
Bake the banana slices for one to two hours, until dry.
Tip
The bananas will still be flexible while hot out of the oven, but they will become crispier as they cool.
Step 6
Fully cool the banana chips before carefully removing them from the baking sheet. Store in an airtight container for two weeks.
Store baked banana chips in an airtight container. Image Credit: Rina Summer/Demand Media
