These crispy zucchini chips are a healthy snack perfect for pairing with your favorite dip! Hereās how to make dehydrated zucchini chips at home.
When I need a snack, my goal is to find something quick and healthy, easy to eat on-the-go, and tasty. I've posted a few of my favorite snacks already, including Puffed Rice Cakes with Sliced Apples & Almond Butter and my Vegan Cheezy Kale Chips. But when it comes to versatility, itās hard to beat homemade zucchini chips!
You can add seasoning, or just go with a basic salt-and-pepper flavor. Theyāre perfect for dipping in Vegan Kimchi Queso Dip, or for tucking into a silicone snack bag and keeping in your desk at work for an afternoon snack. You can even use them as a crispy topping for a salad! (Theyāre especially good with my Quinoa Black Bean Salad with Cilantro and Lime.)
A Note About Food Dehydrators
While you can make dehydrated zucchini chips in a standard oven, they can burn easily and often bake up uneven, so a dehydrator is a worthwhile investment if youāre interested in making things like zucchini chips, kale chips, jerkies, and homemade fruit leather.
The Excalibur brand is considered the gold standard, but itās pricy, so I did my homework and selected one that was in my price range, had great reviews, and seemed to be everything I was looking for: the Nesco FD-75PR. It's powerful, dries things fairly quickly, and it's super easy to assemble and clean.
What Youāll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Zucchini ā A yellow summer squash can be used instead; the flavor is almost identical!
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
What Should I Look for When Buying Zucchini?
Avoid zucchini that are too large when making zucchini chips; theyāll have larger seeds and theyāll also take longer to dehydrate. Choose squash that are medium-sized, firm, and free of any nicks, gashes, or soft spots.
How to Make Dehydrated Zucchini Chips
A mandoline slicer will help you get perfectly even zucchini slices, but a sharp knife will do the trick too!
Prepare the zucchini. Place the zucchini rounds in a bowl and toss them with the olive oil, salt and pepper, until theyāre evenly coated.
Add the zucchini to the food dehydrator. Arrange the zucchini on the dehydrating sheet; they can be close to each other, but they shouldnāt overlap.
Dehydrate. Set the dehydrator between 135Āŗ to 140ĀŗF. Let the zucchini dry for 4 to 5 hours, or until theyāre dry and crispy.
Tips for Success
Here are some hints and tips to help you get perfect crispy zucchini chips.
- Make sure the chips are completely dry. You donāt want any residual moisture in the chips, or they wonāt be crispy!
- Remove the zucchini chips as theyāre finished. If you donāt use a mandoline slicer, itās very likely that some chips will be finished dehydrating sooner than others. Take those out as theyāre done and let the rest continue dehydrating.
- Adding seasoning. If you want to add herbs or spices to your chips, do it before you dehydrate them, not after. This way, your seasonings will stick!
How Do You Keep Zucchini Chips from Getting Soggy?
Donāt remove the zucchini chips from the dehydrator until theyāre completely dry. Then, donāt transfer the chips to a storage container until theyāre completely cool. When storing, keep the container in a cool, dry place, like a pantry or cabinet.
How to Store
First, let the zucchini chips cool. Then, transfer them to a Mason jar or airtight container. Dehydration is a long-term storage method, so some people claim theyāll last up to 5 years, but the National Center for Home Food Preservation says to expect a 4 to 12 month shelf life, depending on the storage conditions.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
No, dehydrated zucchini chips canāt be frozen; theyāre already preserved through dehydration! If youāre looking for a freezer-friendly snack idea, try my Salted Caramel Energy Bites.
Healthy Zucchini Chips
Ingredients
- 1 zucchini medium
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Slice the zucchini into thin rounds. Add the rounds in a bowl and toss with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Place each round on the dehydrating sheet, flat and separated. You don't want them to overlap or they won't dry properly.
- Turn the dehydrator on to 135 or 140 degrees F and let them dry for 4 – 5 hours, until they're nice and crispy.
- Serve with guacamole, bean dip, hummus, you name it. Or eat them plain, as is. They're delicious no matter what.
Notes
Nutrition
