Dried Banana Chips Are The Easy, Crunchy Snack To Have On Hand

Layers of banana chips can add a tantalizing crunch to sandwiches or be served on the side of a classic Cuban. When sweet cravings strike after a meal, banana chips can be dipped into caramel pecan cheesecake spread or be used to add texture to your next grilled PB&J. While you can pick up banana chips from the store, you can also easily make them at home, putting both flavors and oil content into your own hands.

First soak bananas in pineapple, orange, or lime juice before baking to reduce oxidation and add subtle flavor to the chips. You can also brush the chips with simple syrup to turn up the dial of sweet caramelization on your snacks. If you don't have time to soak the bananas, swipe a quick coating of lemon juice over the pieces before slicing them into 1/8-inch pieces. A Mandolin slicer can be used for more consistently-sized crunchy snacks.

Choose to make more savory recipes using salt and masala seasoning powders or bake sweeter chips with cinnamon, coatings of vanilla extract flavored simple syrup, and coconut oil. Separate batches of banana chips to flavor and season for a range of snack cravings. Smoked paprika sprinkled on top of one batch can build a spicier-tasting profile, while cardamom can bring earthier flavors to chips. While you can choose to use oil to create the chips, you can also use cooking spray for a lighter batch and will still have crispy chips to munch on. 

Add a pinch of salt and the flavors of your choice — feel free to experiment with barbecue seasonings for a hotter kick — or simply place plain banana slices in a dehydrator or oven. If you're using an oven, bake trays of banana pieces at low temperatures for several hours. It will take around four hours in most ovens for the banana chips to crisp. Alternatively, a dehydrator can also be used, but it will take at least double the amount of time to achieve a similar textured crunch. Throughout the process, you will want to keep an eye on your banana chips and check them around the eight-hour mark to decide how crunchy you want them to be before placing them back into the dehydrator for extra time.

Once made, cooled banana chips can be placed in airtight containers and be snacked on for six months. Toss pieces on top of bowls of ice cream, add a handful to the homemade trail mix, garnish morning oatmeal, or press the banana chips onto the surface of iced cupcakes. With so much versatility in the kitchen, one of your biggest challenges will be simply not eating all of these tasty snacks in one sitting.