A short while ago, I spied zucchini chips at the farmers market and thought the idea was brilliant. I bought a bag of chips spiced with basil and found them an unusual, creative snack that would be simple to make on my own.
I didn’t use my new food dehydrator to bake these, as it hadn’t arrived yet. Instead, I tossed them in the oven at its lowest temperature (which is around 180 degrees F) and let them dry out.
Let me tell you, these did not last long. They were polished off in just a few minutes – they were that addictive. You might want to double or triple the recipe, especially since they shrink in the oven.
These were totally easy to make and you can use whatever spices you want. I would definitely make a big batch of these for a party, as an alternative to fried potato chips.
What other spices do you think would work well on zucchini chips?
Baked Zucchini Chips
Adapted from Klippers Organic Acres
1 small zucchini
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you like)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 ½ tsp coconut oil, melted
Thinly slice the zucchini using a mandolin or sharp knife. Toss the slices in the coconut oil, then coat them with spices. You can add additional spices if the zucchini isn’t coated to your liking.
Cover a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper and then spread the slices on top. They can be close together, as they will shrink when baking.
Bake at your oven’s lowest temperature until they are crisp to the touch. (Mine took about two hours).
can’t wait to try this recipe! i bought some yellow zucchini from the farmers’ market on the wknd and this is just the ticket! thanks for sharing.
Let me know if you try a new spice combo!
I’ve wanted to make something like this for a while, but I didn’t know you could do them in the oven. I thought a dehydrator was necessary! I’m going to make these this summer when there is too much zucchini. I think they’d be excellent with some garam masala to spice them, or maybe some ras el hanout.
Yep, these worked just fine in the oven. Kale chips work really well in the oven, too. If you use your oven’s lowest temperature, they won’t be officially ‘raw’, but they’ll still taste good and you’ll still get some nutrients.
I’ve never heard of ras el hanout – thanks for the suggestion!
YUM – thanks for sharing! I can’t wait to try it!
thank you for this! My zucchini plants are goiing wild and I needed something to do with them all!
I had some at my farmers’ market this morning that were seasoned with cinnamon. They were really good. I might just try this.
Would not have thought of putting a sweeter spice on these. Thanks for the suggestion!
I would try a chili/cumin/garlic powder spice mix with a touch of salt.
Yes, I’ll bet that would be really good.
I’m totally going to make these. I wonder how i could store them. Granted I know that they will probably get softer but thats fine. I need a good yummy snack!
These actually didn’t last long enough in my house to worry about storage. I’d put them in a glass mason jar in the cupboard – if they’re completely dry, they should still stay crisp.
I wanted to let you know. I made these last night. I put salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. I have to say these were seriously AMAZING! I can’t get over how good they were. I made 4 zucchinis. However, I cut them really thin. I didn’t realize how thing until they were done. They were paper thin. I used this old school grater that my grandparents had from 50+ years ago. Next time I won’t cut that thin. But you are right. I didn’t get a chance to save!! SO AMAZING!!
Next Im going to try Sweet Potatoes!! 
I’m so glad!! They are amazing and your spice combo sounds great. I didn’t mind them thin, as that made them more chip-like. I’ve used sweet potatoes too, and I’d recommend you slice those thing because they are a pretty dense veggie.
Hi. I made these again and tried to not make them so think however they were more chewy then afterwards. I’ll do them paper thin again next time. They were definately chip like. Also, when you do the Sweet Potatoes how thick do you do them? Should they be as thin as the zuchini. If you’d rather you can respond via email juliatravelino@gmail.com. I love to talk more about cooking. I went to culinary school so I love cooking.
Paper thin slices definitely produce crispier chips. Will send you an email to say hi!
I made these today, and I once heard that sugar goes really well with chili powder. I, being the experimental little cook that I am, prepared these exactly as you did. After taking them out if the oven, I sprinkled some sugar on them. Such a good idea! It tastes amazing!
Sugar? Hmm…interesting. Will have to give that a try!
If you were going to try these and use a dehydrator, how long would you dehydrate them? I’m a real novice at this kind of stuff, but trying to learn. Your website is absolutely awesome!
Thank you! I would try these in a dehydrator at 105 for at least 8 hours. It would depend on how thick your slices are, and how much moisture is in them. I find drying times can be different depending on where you live, too. Just keep checking on them – they can’t burn in a dehydrator!
Another question: If you don’t have coconut oil, can you use something like olive oil? I need to get to the store…
Sure, you can use olive oil.
I tried these and they were delightful, I prepare them for the week and eat them with my Tuna Ceviche as a healthy alternative to tortilla chips. Thanks for the recipe. If anyone is interested in a simple ceviche recipe you can find the link here: http://thefoodpornographersguide.com/2012/06/08/summer-checklist-tuna-ceviche/