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.

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.

Unsweetened dried banana chips are made from whole bananas, sliced and dehydrated with no sugar added. Enjoy the healthy taste of these naturally sweet, non-GMO, all natural, premium unsweetened dried banana chips conveniently packed in a resealable pouch.

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.

One cup banana chips have much higher calories, total fat, saturated fat and sugar than potato chips. Yes, you read that right. But you need to be careful and limit your intake no matter which chips you buy. For a healthier option, choose baked over fried banana chips that are flavoured only with herbs and spices.

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.

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.

A baking sheet takes longer and pieces need to be turned part way through drying. Takes about 1 to 3 hours. Dehydrator Instructions: Arrange banana slices in a single layer on dehydrator racks. Set dehydrator to 135 °F; takes 6 to 12 hours.

Pretreating Fruits

Place cut fruits in a solution of 3¾ teaspoons of powdered ascorbic acid (or crush 20 500-milligram vitamin C tablets) or ½ teaspoon of powdered citric acid in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes before placing on trays to dry.

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 eat too many banana chips? ›

However, these chips are high in sugar and saturated fat, leading to obesity, high cholesterol, and other health issues. Fried banana chips have a much higher calorie, fat, and sugar content than potato or vegetable chips. So keep track of how many chips you are eating.

Because of their different levels of starch and sugar, the two fruits also behave quite differently when cooked. Bananas get soft and pudding-like when heated, perfect for an oozy, boozy dessert like bananas foster. Plantains — especially green ones — are dry and dense, turning crispy if you fry them long enough.

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.

Pretreating banana chips

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. Both pretreatment methods will slightly alter the flavor of the banana chips.

It will take 6 hours to to make air fryer dehydrated bananas. Just arrange the banana slices in a single layer in the air fryer basket, select the dehydrate function and set your time to 6 hours. Personally, I think actually air frying the chips is the way to go because it's so fast, but dehydrating will work as well!

They are an excellent energy boosting snack, contain vitamins B6 & C, and provide a healthy dose of dietary fiber. On top of the benefits of the banana chip itself, bananas have antibiotic properties to help fight off infections and viruses.

Make your own: The best way, as always, to ensure that you're getting the healthiest food possible is simply to cook your own at home. Preparing your own chips from scratch can be done fairly easily, though it's best to avoid the conventional method which uses a deep fryer and copious amounts of vegetable oil.

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.