How to Make CRISPY Dehydrator Banana Chips Recipe

Learn how to make this Crispy Dehydrator Banana Chips Recipe. It’s a simple recipe that you can throw together real quick. They are a sweet and healthy snack that can be a bit addictive. You might go bananas!

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One of my kids doesn’t care to eat fresh peeled bananas but they will eat them other ways, like in smoothies or popsicles but they love these banana chips. Sometimes, you just want something crunchy. Well, these banana chips are just the ticket. I always struggled to make my banana chips more crunchy and chip like. A fruit leather banana slice is okay but its just not as good without the crunch. So, look no further, I have figured out the best way to get crunchy banana chips without cooking them for 12 – 24 hours with constant check-ins and flipping or rotating them. 

​Why You Will Love This Dehydrator Banana Chips Recipe

Homemade banana chips are a great way to use up some extra bananas and eliminate food waste. Dehydrated fruit, like bananas helps to make your food last so much longer then if they were sitting on your counter or in your fridge. They are great for taking on trips for a quick and easy snack or using in recipes. You can make them chewy or crunchy, though the chewy version won’t last as long as one that is crunchy. They are just an overall great snack.

What are the Best Bananas for Crispy Dehydrator Banana Chips Recipe

You want fresh bananas that are firm but you don’t want any green. To get the most sweetness out of them you want them to be yellow with some small brown spots. When you slice the banana they should be pretty firm but if they start to mush and not hold their shape completely, they are too ripe. So, no brown bananas here, save those overripe bananas for some banana bread or smoothies. Having some brown spots means that the banana has started to form some sweetness.

How Thick Should the Bananas be

Ideally you want pretty thin slices, at most, a 1/4 inch thick. You can make them thicker, it will just take them longer to completely dry out. I find best results to get them crispy is to slice bananas a 1/4 inch thick or thinner. 

Do I Have to Use a Lemon Juice Mixture

This part is optional, it’s only to keep their light color so they don’t turn brown during the dehydrating process. I don’t find it changes the flavor at all, they still have that great banana flavor. Some recipes call for Fruit Fresh or Citric acid which can be used instead of the lemon juice. I find I tend to have lemon juice on hand already for making things like homemade mayonnaise. 

How Many Bananas do I Need for Banana Chips

To fill 2 trays in my Excalibur dehydrator it took 5 medium bananas. I was able to fill a pint wide mouth mason jar from the two trays. 

What do I Need to Make Dehydrator Banana Chips Recipe

• ​Bananas
• A dehydrator, preferably one that has an adjustable temperature.
• Lemon Juice 
• Filtered Water
• A Basting/Pastry Brush

How to make this Dehydrator Banana Chips Recipe

First, you want to make your lemon juice mixture and get your pastry or basting brush.

Gather your bananas, remove the peels and discard in your compost and slice the bananas 1/4 inch slices or thinner.

Lay out the sliced bananas on the dehydrator trays in a single layer so that they have space in between each slice. 

Brush the top of each slice of banana with the lemon juice mixture and then flip and brush the mixture do the other side as well.

​Add the trays to the dehydrator

Set the temperature for 160 degrees F and set the time for 10 hours.

Check them for doneness, add more time if needed.

Notes: 

You may need to replenish your lemon juice mixture if your doing a large quantity of bananas. I had some left over after adding 5 bananas to my dehydrator.

I find that the higher temperature is best to make them crispy. I have done lower temperatures in the 130 range and it’s just not high enough. Then running it for a longer period of time still didn’t make them crunchy.

I checked my banana slices at 8 hours and they were still not done. They were at the fruit leather texture.

I do not recommend soaking your banana slices in the juice mixture. This can make them soggy, so their too moist to be able to dry out enough, this goes back to the over ripe banana texture.

Get the banana chips into an airtight container as soon as they are done and cooled. This will keep them from starting to get soft.

PIN IT FOR LATER

SHOP THIS POST

• Excalibur Dehydrator
• Silicone Basting Brush
• Berky Water Filter
• Organic Lemon Juice

Frequently asked questions

How to tell when my dehydrated bananas are done

If your looking for chewy dehydrated bananas they will be very thin but still bendable. They will have a chewy texture similar to fruit leather.

If you want them to be crunchy, they will be very thin but not bendable. If you bend them they should snap in half and have a crunchy texture like a potato chip. 

Why are my dehydrated bananas not crispy

There are a few common reasons that could be the cause if your bananas are still chewy. 

Firstly, they could have been on the thicker side so they may need to be dehydrated longer. 

If your temperature is not high enough which would mean they need a longer timeframe in the dehydrator.  

The banana could have been too overripe and too soft, so they may not work for a crunchy banana chip. These would be better used for baking.

They could be over crowed on the trays. If there is not enough air flow between each banana slice it can prevent them from drying out completely.

If you are lining your dehydrator trays with parchment paper or a plastic lining they won’t get crunchy and will be chewy. They need the air flow to the bottom of the slices to completely dry.

​Other ways to make banana chips

I have not personally tried another method other thana dehydrator but I know others have had success making banana chips in the oven. If using the oven you will want to use a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper to keep the bananas from sticking to the baking tray. You then want to set the oven on its lowest temperature. It may not be able to go down to 160 degrees F, so check them often for their doneness.

I have also seen recipes using an air fryer. I don’t know how crispy they can get in either but I’d think with the right temperature and a long enough cooking time that you should be able to achieve crispy banana slices. 

How to Store Banana Chips

Bananas chips can last for months if stored in an airtight container. A great long term storage would be to store them in mason jars and vacuum seal the jar to keep them airtight. This method can make them last a year or more in glass jars. You can also freeze them in an airtight container.

My favorite way to store banana chips are in mason jars. You can also use ziploc bags or a plastic container with a tight fitting lid. No matter the method you choose, make sure there is no excess moisture in the container. If you see any signs of it the banana slices were done dehydrated long enough and need to go back for a longer period of time. If you don’t plan to keep them around long enough and want to use them right away in a recipe that is fine. Though for longer storage of them, to keep them from molding, you want them to be very dry, unless you plan to freeze them long term.

Different ways to use Banana Chips 

You can add them to ice cream or your favorite trail mix. You could also run the crunchy banana chips though a blender and make it into a powder. This can then be used in so many ways, add it to smoothies, yogurt or oatmeal or mix it in a protein shake.

Other Recipes You May Like

2-Ingredient Animal Based Pancakes – Dairy Free

Naturally Leavened Sourdough Banana Bread

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