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

Are homemade banana chips healthy? ›

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 my banana chips are not crispy? ›

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.

Are banana chips just dehydrated bananas? ›

"Banana chips" are fried (in oil) banana slices. "Dried banana", "dehydrated banana", or "sun dried banana" is a different product, and is what you get when you dehydrate banana at home. It is sold commercially as well, but is rarer than the banana chips.

Is it OK to eat a lot of banana chips? ›

They are not totally unhealthy. Also, banana chips have high calories, sugar content, and saturated fats. They are okay for a mid-time snack, but one needs to consider the over and excessive consumption.

Do banana chips increase blood sugar? ›

Consuming banana chips can result in a rapid increase in blood sugar levels, especially for individuals with diabetes. It's essential to monitor portion sizes and choose healthier snack options like fresh fruits, nuts, or seeds to better manage blood sugar levels.

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.

How long do homemade banana chips last? ›

Banana chips are best stored in an airtight container or zip bag for up to a week. If they last that long! You can also season them with salt or a dash of cinnamon, making this snack even better.

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.

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').

Can you dry bananas in an air fryer? ›

Preheat your air fryer to 135°F (or 57°C). Arrange the banana slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket, ensuring that they are not touching or overlapping. Dehydrate the banana slices for 2-3 hours, checking on them periodically to ensure they are drying evenly.

How to dry bananas without a dehydrator? ›

Oven Instructions: Set oven to lowest temperature possible (175 to 200 °F). Use convection bake if available. Arrange banana slices in a single layer on a wire rack or baking sheet. A wire rack will help the banana dry faster.

Do you put anything on fruit before dehydrating? ›

Citric Acid Pretreatment: Citric acid is available in the canning section of many supermarkets. Stir 1 teaspoon of citric acid into 1 quart of cold water. Add the fruit and allow it to soak for 10 minutes, then remove it with a slotted spoon, drain it well and dehydrate it.

Are homemade chips healthier than store bought? ›

Store-bought potato chips can put you at risk of obesity and many deadly diseases. However, if you are a potato chip lover and looking for a healthier version of this sinful food, you can make it at home by using minimal oil, less salt, and herbs and spices for seasoning.

Is it healthy to make your own chips? ›

Once you go homemade – there is no turning back! Forget the bag, this homemade baked potato chips recipe bakes up perfectly crispy and delicious. Plus, they are so much healthier than packaged potato chips since you control the amount of oil and salt!

Are dried banana chips high in calories? ›

There are 374 calories and over 40 grams of carbohydrates in a cup of banana chips, which generally contains a few servings. One cup also provides about 5 grams of fiber and about 25 grams of sugar.

Why are banana chips so addictive? ›

The reason these chips are so tasty — and you cannot stop after eating just one — is because they are essentially dried-and-fried fine slices of bananas. Before being fried, these chips are coated with sugar syrup, salt and some spices which enhance the taste.

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