Looking for healthy snack? I love the crisp texture and salty flavor of these oven baked zucchini chips. Perfect for snacking, and really great with dip (like this paleo ranch dip). Unlike traditional fried chips, these little oven baked beauties are low in calories. They’re not greasy, either…just light, crispy veggie chips ready for guilt free snacking! What’s really great is that these chips are baked at a low temperature, which helps them keep more of their natural nutrients. It also concentrates the flavor, so they need very little salt but are still delicious!
It’s not hard to make oven baked zucchini chips, and the process will seem familiar if you’ve ever made kale chips. Zucchini chips are a little different, though, because a zucchini has a lot more moisture in it than a bunch of kale. You’ll have to cook them longer, rearrange them now and again, and be careful that you don’t add too much oil. The end result is so delicious, though, that you won’t mind the extra work!
You’ll want to start with a large zucchini. The chips will shrink quite a bit as they dry, so if you want a chip that will hold some dip don’t be afraid to go big! Wash the zucchini and slice it thinly, then press some of the moisture out of the zucchini by pressing the slices between two paper towels. Toss the slices in a bowl with just a bit of extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil and stir to coat. To bake them, line a couple of baking pans with parchment paper and then lay the slices on the paper, making sure they don’t overlap. Then, sprinkle the zucchini with just a touch of salt…remember that the slices will be shrinking a lot (I’d say that they’ll be reduced by at least half) so if you salt them more than just a touch it will end up being too much.
Dry the chips in the oven at 250 degrees, checking in 30 minutes. You’ll want to rearrange them, remove any chips that are already crispy, and then put them back in for another 15 minutes. Keep checking and rearranging until all the chips are crisp and nicely browned…if you’re having trouble getting the chips to dry out, try placing them on a wire cooling rack on the pan and cooking them that way. Let them cool, and then…enjoy!
- 1 large organic zucchini
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, or melted coconut oil
- sea salt
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
- Wash and slice the zucchini into thin slices.
- To remove some of the moisture, press the slices between paper towels.
- In a large bowl, toss the zucchini slices with the olive or coconut oil to lightly coat them. Don't be tempted to use more oil, too much will make your chips soggy!
- Line a couple of baking pans with parchment paper. Lay the slices on the paper in a single layer, making sure that the slices don't overlap.
- Lightly sprinkle the zucchini with sea salt.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then check the chips. Flip and/or rearrange them as needed, removing any chips that are already crispy.
- Bake the chips for another 15 minutes, then repeat the flip/rearrange/remove process above.
- Continue this until all the chips are crisp and brown.
- Allow your zucchini chips to cool, and then enjoy! Store leftover chips in an airtight container.