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Learn how to make Banana Chips at home with this easy 2 ingredient recipe. Sweet and crunchy, dehydrated banana chips are the perfect healthy snack for kids and adults. They’re just like the ones you buy, but baked, healthy, sugar-free, oil-free and budget-friendly.
Banana chips have been one of my favorite snacks since childhood. When my mum used to get the trailer mix, little Matteo would always pick all the bananas in the bag, leaving the rest for my brother. Same for our breakfast muesli, all those crunchy chips in my mouth. Luckily there was my grandma, she used to get us entire bags of just dried bananas. Still nowadays, they’re one of my to-go snacks. But sadly the ones you buy are often overpriced and loaded to the brick with sugar. So, let’s make them at home. Even better than my beloved Trader Joe’s banana chips, I promise!
After trying this recipe, you won’t ever buy pricy banana chips anymore. Homemade dehydrated bananas are such a quick and easy snack to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Why you will love this recipe
- Healthy and not fried. These unsweetened banana chips are sugar-free, oil-free, gluten- free, salt-free and low sodium. Oh, and let’s not forget that they’re also vegan.
- Sweet and crunchy. Kids and adults will all love these healthy banana chips made in the oven. They’re sweet and tasty like the ones you buy, perfect to satisfy your cravings with their crisp texture.
- Easy and budget-friendly. This is a simple recipe with just 2 ingredients. Slice two bananas, brush with lemon juice and bake until they get nicely crispy. Anyone can make dried banana chips at home.
- Customizable and versatile. From sweet cinnamon to savory combinations, there are so many ways how you can personalize these snacks. And there are also thousands of ways to enjoy them, whether as a morning pick-me-up or in yogurt bowls for breakfast.
What are banana chips made of?
The recipe for oven baked banana chips is very simple, it only requires 2 ingredients. Bananas and lemon juice, which means no oil, no added sugar, no preservative and no nasty foods. Here are some more details:
- Bananas. The best banana chips are made with medium ripe bananas. They’re sweet enough and hold their shape very well without getting soft or mushy like overripe bananas. Pick 3 yellow bananas, sliced into ⅛ inches round.
- Lemon juice. Brushing banana slices with lemon juice improves flavors and helps them preserve for longer. Lemon juice is not strictly necessary, but highly recommended for making banana chips without dehydrator.
Although the basic recipe is very simple, you can flavor your baked chips with additional spices or seasonings. For sweet banana chips, try sprinkling them with ground cinnamon and a hint of brown sugar. If you prefer them savory instead, season with kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika or chili powder for a spicy kick.
How to make banana chips in the oven
Making dried banana chips in the oven without dehydrator is as simple as the ingredient list. Slice your bananas, line them over a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake for about 2 hours. Let them cool down completely and enjoy your crispy snack. Here are the complete directions:
- Step 1 – Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Depending on the size of your baking sheet and oven, you may need to prepare 2 baking sheets to accommodate all the bananas.
- Step 2 – Prep the bananas. Peel and slice bananas into rounds of about ⅛ inches. Brush each slice of banana with lemon juice, on both sides. Line over the prepared baking dish, spacing them apart.
- Step 3 – Bake and let cool. Bake in hot oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the bananas can be flipped. Flip and bake on the other side for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely until they get crispy.
How to store baked banana chips?
To store, you will need to let the dehydrated bananas cool completely after they come out of the oven. This step prevents condensation, ensuring that the snack remains crispy and crunchy. Once they have cooled, transfer into an airtight container sealed with lid or pack into zipper bags. At room temperature, banana chips banana will last for up to a week. When you crave something sweet and crunchy, grab a handsome and enjoy as a a healthy munch.
Success tips
- Prefer medium ripe bananas, the ones that are yellow and nicely sweet but still pretty firm. While you should avoid green unripe fruits because they won’t be tasty enough, black overripe bananas are too soft and won’t hold their shape.
- Cut the bananas into slices that are about ⅛-inch thick. If they are any thinner than this, the baked chips will tend to get overly crispy and burn before they’re ready. If they are too thick instead, they won’t get crispy. Changes are that the bananas will burn outside while remaining uncooked inside.
- Bake in multiple batches, in case that your baking sheet or oven are too small. When arranging banana chips in the tray, make sure to leave some space in between them so that they will all bake and crisp up evenly.
- Adjust the baking time if it is necessary. I tested out this recipe a couple of times in our oven at home, and it took around 1 hours and 45 minutes hours in total – 1 hour 15 minutes on one side, and 30 minutes on the other side. But when I made them at my parents’ house, they took a bit longer. Each oven heats differently, so make sure to adjust the baking time to your needs.
- Let cool before eating. After baking, allow the chips to cool completely to room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. This ensures that they get crispy and delicious like the ones you buy.
- Customize oven dried banana chips with your favorite spices or seasonings. Some tasty ideas include ground cinnamon and vanilla extract for the sweet tooth, or kosher salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika, onion powder and curry powder for a savory munch.
Recipe variations
- Spicy banana chips. Add some fire to your snack with smoked paprika, chili powder, Italian peperoncino or some drops of hot sauce.
- Indian banana chips. Before baking, season your bananas with a mix of Indian seasonings such as curry powder, tikka masala, ground cumin, cardamom and turmeric.
- Italian banana chips. For a Mediterranean snack, try this recipe with the addition of dried Italian seasonings and herbs like dried basil, dried oregano, garlic powder and onion powder.
- Cinnamon sugar banana. If you have the sweet tooth, sprinkle the slices with some brown sugar or coconut sugar and ground cinnamon. Of course, regular sugar can be replaced with calorie-free sweeteners such as erythritol or monk fruit.
Don’t worry if your homemade banana chips are not crispy after baking. This is completely normal, they will crisp up once they have cooled at room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Yes, they are a nutritious alternative to store-bought chips. First of all, this crunchy banana snack is baked in the oven and not fried. Actually, in this recipe you won’t find any added sugar, oil or salt. Additionally, bananas are a great source of vitamins and minerals, such as potassium.
More easy healthy snacks
- Banana bark
- Roasted almonds
- Banana bites
- Protein banana brownies
- Honey roasted peanuts
- Frozen banana snickers
- Air fryer tofu
- Air fryer chickpeas
Baked Banana Chips Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 bananas, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel and slice bananas into ⅛-inch rounds.
- Brush each slice of banana with lemon juice, on both sides. Line over the prepared baking dish, spacing them apart.
- Bake in hot oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the bananas can be flipped. Flip and bake on the other side for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely until they get crispy.
Outstanding???
Hey dear Judie,
thanks a lot for your kind feedback! I’m so glad you appreciated my banana chips recipe 😉
Have a great day,
Matteo
Thank you Matt for the Banana Chips recipe, versatile, healthy and good for snack!
Hey my dear Liza,
thank you so so much! I am so glad you liked these healthy banana chips baked in the oven 😉
Have a great day,
Matteo