Homemade Banana Chips Recipe (2024)

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Homemade Banana Chips are inexpensive, easy, and healthy snack the entire family will love. Fresh bananas are sliced and dried in a dehydrator, oven, microwave or air fryer!

Homemade Banana Chips Recipe (1)

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This banana chips recipe is a great way to use overripe bananas when you don’t feel like making banana bread or chocolate chip banana bars. They are also a healthy snack the kiddos will love! Eat them on their own or dip into chocolate, salsa, hummus, or even guacamole!

How to Make Banana Chips

The basic premise of making banana chips is to slowly dry out the bananas until they are crisp like a chip. You can do this in the oven, in a dehydrator, air fryer, or even the microwave!

Air Fryer

I’m always looking for new air fryer recipes so this is my favorite way to make banana chips!

With the air fryer I recommend using barely ripe bananas that are firm. Peel and slice the banana thinly and soak the slices in lemon water for five minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees. Spray the inside of the air fryer basket with nonstick cooking spray to make sure the chips don’t stick. Layer the chips in a single layer in the air fryer and air fry for 12 minutes.

Tip: Work in batches if you need to so that they are in a single layer not touching each other.

Check and if not yet crisp fry an additional 3 minutes.

Dehydrator

To make these chips in the dehydrator, prepare a bowl with 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Slice bananas evenly and add to bowl. Allow to soak for 5 minutes before adding to dehydrator tray.

Dehydrate at 135 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 hours. After 10 hours flip the chips and dehydrate another 2 hours or until dry.

Oven

In the oven we prepare the bananas the same as the dehydrator, letting them soak in the lemon water five minutes before placing in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.

Heat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 2 hours or until dry, flipping after 30 minutes.

Homemade Banana Chips Recipe (2)

Microwave

Again prepare the banana chips as above, soaking in the lemon juice. Place in a single layer on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 1 minute. Flip chips and season if desired, then microwave 1 minute wait 30 seconds and microwave one additional minute.

If bananas are not fully dry add 30 second intervals until they are the desired crispness.

Regardless of which method you use, chips will crisp more as they cool.

Seasoning ideas & flavor variations

You certainly don’t need to season the bananas before drying but there are a lot of fun flavors to experiment with if you choose to change up the taste!

  • soak in lime juice instead of lemon juice
  • sprinkle with cinnamon
  • add salt to enhance the sweetness
  • 2partsgaram masala & 1partchili powder sprinkled over chips
  • sprinkle with brown sugar
  • sprinkle with powdered peanut butter
  • soak in water with salt & turmeric instead of lemon water
  • season with pepper
  • sprinkle with savory spices like garlic powder or paprika

The possibilities are endless!

Tips for best results

  • Slice the bananas thinly and evenly, a mandoline slicer is helpful for this (link below in the tools section)
  • the harder the banana, the easier it is to make the chips

FAQs about this Banana Chips Recipe

What kind of bananas do you use to make chips?

You can make banana chips with fresh or overripe bananas, firm bananas are the best however. You can even use plantains or green bananas that have yet to ripen.
If you use green bananas or plantains you will need to take an extra step of soaking the chips in water and lemon juice for 2 hours before drying. (Directions in recipe card below.)

How do you keep them from browning?

The secret to avoiding brown banana chips is to brush the chips with lemon water. This keeps them nice and fresh looking!

How to store banana chips

Store these chips in an airtight container up to two weeks.

Why are my banana chips soggy/mushy?

If your banana chips turn out soggy you have not cooked them long enough. Cooking time will vary depending on your oven/microwave and the thickness of your slices. Cook until dry. They will crisp more as they cool.

What is the difference in banana chips and plantain chips?

They are very similar but plantain chips have a slightly higher calorie count and more carbohydrates. They will also have a greener hue when dehydrated.

These are tools I use to make banana chips: (affiliate links)

You might also like these Chocolate Chip Banana Bars, Strawberry Banana “Ice Cream,” and this Banana Pudding recipe.

If you’ve tried this recipeplease comment and rateit below, I love hearing from you!

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Homemade Banana Chips Recipe (3)

Homemade Banana Chips

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

2.8 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Melissa Riker
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 24 chips 1x
Print Recipe

Description

Homemade Banana Chips are a healthy, inexpensive, and easy snack the entire family will love. Fresh bananas are sliced and dried in a dehydrator, oven ,microwave or air fryer!

Ingredients

Units Scale

  • 2 bananas
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice

Instructions

Dehydrator

  1. To make these chips in the dehydrator, prepare a bowl with 2 cups of water and 1/2 cup lemon juice.
  2. Slice bananas evenly and add to bowl. Allow to soak for 5 minutes before adding to dehydrator tray.
  3. Dehydrate at 135 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 hours.
  4. After 10 hours flip the chips and dehydrate another 2 hours or until dry.

Oven

  1. In the oven we prepare the bananas the same as the dehydrator, letting them soak in the lemon water five minutes before placing in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.
  2. Heat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 2 hours or until dry, flipping after 1 hour.

Microwave

  1. Again prepare the banana chips as above, soaking in the lemon juice.
  2. Place in a single layer on a microwave safe plate and microwave for 1 minute.
  3. Flip chips and season if desired, then microwave 1 minute wait 30 seconds and microwave one additional minute.
  4. If bananas are not fully dry add 30 second intervals until they are the desired crispness.

Air Fryer

  1. With the air fryer I recommend using barely ripe bananas that are firm. Slice the banana thinly and soak the slices in lemon water for five minutes.
  2. Meanwhile preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees.
  3. Spray the inside rack with nonstick spray to make sure the chips don’t stick. Layer the chips in a single layer in the air fryer and fry for 12 minutes.
  4. Check and if not yet crisp fry an additional 3 minutes.

Notes

  • You certainly don’t need to season the bananas before drying but there are a lot of fun flavors to experiment with if you choose to change up the taste!

    • soak in lime juice instead of lemon juice
    • sprinkle with cinnamon
    • add salt to enhance the sweetness
    • 2partsgaram masala & 1partchili powder sprinkled over chips
    • sprinkle with brown sugar
    • sprinkle with powdered peanut butter
    • soak in water with salt & turmeric instead of lemon water
    • season with pepper
    • sprinkle with savory spices like garlic powder or paprika
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: snack
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 6 chips
  • Calories: 53
  • Sugar: 7.3 g
  • Sodium: 0.6 mg
  • Fat: 0.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 13.7 g
  • Protein: 0.7 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg

This recipe was originally shared in February 2018 and updated with additional information and new photos July 2020.

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Homemade Banana Chips Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why aren t my banana chips crunchy? ›

A common reason behind dehydrated bananas not being crispy enough has to do with the ripeness of the fruit before the drying process. Starting off with bananas that are a bit firm is best, as overripe bananas can take longer to dry and, as a result, become sticky rather than crispy.

How long to dehydrate bananas for chips? ›

Dehydrator Instructions: Arrange banana slices in a single layer on dehydrator racks. Set dehydrator to 135 °F; takes 6 to 12 hours.

Are homemade dehydrated banana chips healthy? ›

Health Benefits of Dried Banana Chips

It also provides magnesium, vitamin A, iron, phosphorus, and potassium in small quantities. These nutrients benefit your eyes and may prevent high blood pressure. Like most foods, this snack supplies your body with energy. A serving provides about 165 calories.

Which banana is best for chips? ›

Nendran, a variety of banana growing in some parts of South India is the most suitable variety for making chips. Traditionally, raw Nendran bananas are skinned, made in to thin slices and then deep fried in coconut oil.

How do you dehydrate bananas and make them crunchy? ›

Making banana chips in a dehydrator is even easier, but takes longer (it's hands off time). Slice the bananas thin, just like above, and toss with an acidic juice if desired. Spray your dehydrator trays with oil, then place the bananas on the trays, and dehydrate at around 135° F for 8-24 hours.

How do you know when banana chips are done? ›

How to tell when bananas are done. Bananas should be leathery when they are completely dried. To test, remove a slice and let it cool. It may have some bend but if you tear one in half and squeeze it, there should be no moisture that seeps out.

Do I need to pretreat bananas before dehydrating? ›

Pretreating some fruits like bananas help keep them from turning brown when dehydrating. Pretreat the sliced bananas with lemon juice or a product like Fruit Fresh to prevent the dried banana chip from turning a dark brown to black color during the dehydrating time.

Do you need to soak bananas in lemon juice before dehydrating? ›

If you want your dehydrated bananas to have a light colour, you will have to pre-treat them with a solution that helps prevent browning before you dehydrate them. We use a simple mixture of lemon juice and water. The juice will not affect the taste of the bananas and bonus, it acts as a preservative.

Is eating dried bananas good for you? ›

Ounce for ounce, dehydrated bananas are about four times higher in fiber, potassium, carbohydrates, sugar and calories than the fresh variety.” Freeze dried banana chips are high in: Potassium, which is great for lowering your blood pressure.

Is it OK to eat banana chips everyday? ›

While they may seem healthy at first glance, banana chips can be loaded with calories, saturated fat, and added sugar. For a healthier alternative, look for dehydrated, non-fried banana chips made without added sugar. Better yet, choose a whole banana. If you decide to eat banana chips, be mindful of your portion size.

Why are store-bought banana chips crunchy? ›

Store-bought banana chips are extra crisp because they are fried in oil. To achieve a similar crunch without frying, there are two secrets. Slice the bananas as thinly as possible. We started with 1/4-inch-thick slices but the chips browned too fast and the texture was more like dried apricots than crisp chips.

Do banana chips increase blood sugar? ›

The preparation of some processed banana products might make them less suitable for people with diabetes. For example, some food manufacturers market dried banana chips as a healthy treat or snack. However, these may contain added sugars or syrups to enhance flavor, which could increase blood sugar levels.

Why my banana chips are not crispy? ›

If you want to get crispy banana chips, you'll need to dry them a bit longer. The individual chips tend to finish dehydrating at different times, so check regularly and remove them as they reach the texture you want.

Which oil is best for banana chips? ›

Heat 1.5 cups coconut oil in a kadai for deep frying. If you do not have coconut oil, then you can use sunflower oil or any oil for frying. Keep the flame to medium. For slicing bananas its better to use a mandoline slicer as the slices are thin.

What kind of banana is used for banana chips? ›

Banana chips or crisps are processed primarily from plantains. It is also possible to utilize the cooking-type cultivars, viz., 'Bluggoe' ('Saba' and 'Monthan'). In Cameroon, 'Popoulo', 'Pelipita', and plantains, viz., 'French Clair', 'Bâtard', and 'Big Ebanga', are used for the preparation of crisps.

How to make banana chips crispy again? ›

Allow the chips to get warm for about 5-10 minutes, take them out and wait for them to cool down. You'll then notice that all the moisture has evaporated, giving you crisp chips back again.

Are banana chips supposed to be hard? ›

How do you like your banana chips? If you like thick and chewy banana chips slice the banana into ¼ inch thick slices. If you like hard and crunchy banana chips slice the banana into ⅛ inch slices (this is pretty difficult to do) or dehydrate the ¼ inch thick banana chips longer to get that crunchy texture.

How do you get Crispier chips? ›

Turn the heat up under the oil and return one blanched chip to the oil as a guide again. Once it's floating and golden the temperature should be about 180°C, which is perfect for frying and will give you chips with those all-important crispy outsides and fluffy middles.

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