How to Make Banana Chips: 4 Ways to Make Banana Chips

Banana chips are slices of ripe bananas you crisp up or dry out by baking, dehydrating, or frying them. You can enjoy crispy banana chips as a snack—for example, add them to granola, dip them in peanut butter, or enjoy them plain—or use them as a garnish on banana bread or other dishes.

To make dried bananas, you only need a few ingredients. Keep in mind that additional sugar isn’t necessary, since bananas already contain sugar. Here are the ingredients you need to gather if you want to make crispy, crunchy banana chips:

• Bananas: The most necessary ingredient for banana chips is bananas; however, not all bananas will work. Look for ripe or slightly under-ripe bananas—they should be slightly firm to the touch. Overripe bananas will be too soft and mushy to hold up to slicing and drying. A good indicator of a ripened banana is a yellow peel that is free of any brown spots and very little green.
• Lemon juice: Prior to cooking the banana slices, mix four parts water and one part lemon juice for a lemon-water solution. Then soak the banana slices in the mixture to prevent them from discoloring while they’re cooking.
• Oil: For every preparation method other than dehydrating, use oil to ensure a crispy banana chip. A neutral oil works best, but coconut oil and olive oil are also common. Coat the banana slices lightly in oil, or spray them with a cooking spray.
• Spices: Adding cinnamon, nutmeg, and even turmeric can amp up the flavor of your banana chips, although spices aren’t absolutely necessary. You can customize your banana chips with your own flavor combinations if you wish.
  

Grocery store banana chips are most likely dehydrated, but you can make your own at home whether you have a dehydrator or not. Here are four methods for making crispy banana chips:

1. 1. Air-frying: An air fryer works similarly to a convection oven in that there is a fan that blows hot air all around the food inside. The air fryer method can lead to more even cooking and consistently crispy banana chips.
2. 2. Baking: For home cooks, baking might be the easiest and most accessible way to make banana chips. After you slice the bananas and soak them in a lemon-water solution, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake them for ninety minutes to two hours or until you’re satisfied with their level of crispness. Many recipes call for greasing the baking sheet or parchment paper with coconut oil.
3. 3. Dehydrating: If you have a food dehydrator, it will yield a chewy banana chip. Slice the bananas about ¼-inch thick and lay the slices in a single layer on the dehydrator rack. Dehydrated bananas don’t require oil, as the goal is to rid the banana slices of as much moisture as possible.
4. 4. Frying: A common and quick way to make homemade banana chips is to deep-fry or shallow-fry the slices in oil. A neutral oil like vegetable or canola oil works best, as they can both withstand a higher heat than olive oil.