Zucchini Chips

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Updated Jul 28, 2021

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Zucchini chips are a delicious way to turn summer squash into a healthy and satisfying snack. Fresh zucchini is sliced into wafer-thin rounds, tossed gently with olive oil and seasonings, then baked into delightfully crispy chips.

Zucchini chips are a creative way to make use of an abundance of zucchini for a tasty, healthy snack. They’re thin and crispy and can be jazzed up with your favorite spice blends. Trust me, you’ll want to make a big batch of these because they’re highly addictive.

Picking Out The Best Zucchini

When shopping for zucchini, look for thick, jumbo size squash. Since zucchini are about 95% water, they shrink dramatically in the oven by about 25%.

Also, make sure they don’t have any soft brown spots. You want them to be in their prime, ripe stage that’s more firm than soft.

How to Make Zucchini Chips (Just 3 Easy Steps!)

Baking zucchini into crispy chips takes a few simple steps and some oven time. Here’s how to do it:

Slice the zucchini: Use a mandoline to slice the zucchini into the thinnest slices possible.
Coat and season: Toss the sliced zucchini gently in olive oil to keep the rounds intact. Season them with salt and pepper, or sprinkle with your favorite dried spices.
Bake low and slow: Set your oven temperature to 200 degrees fahrenheit and bake the chips for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

Tips for the Crunchiest Zucchini Chips

If you want your zucchini chips to deliver crunchy goodness without the hassle and health hazards of frying, follow these suggestions:

Use a mandoline. Thin slices that are about 1/16-inch will give you the crunchiest zucchini chips possible. Thicker chips may get crispy on the edges but will remain soft in the middle.
Don’t forget the oil. Coating the chips lightly with olive or avocado oil will help crisp up the chips as they bake. If you find that the chips have a little oil clinging to the bottom, arrange them on paper towels to absorb any extra oil.
Be conservative with seasoning. Go very light on any seasoning, since the spices will become more concentrated when the zucchini shrink in the oven.
Use parchment paper. Don’t line your baking sheet with a Silpat as this will keep the chips from getting crispy on the bottom. If you’re concerned about reducing kitchen waste, you can wipe parchment paper and reuse it. Some brands of unbleached parchment paper are recyclable or compostable.

Seasoning Options

Spice up your zucchini chips with your favorite ground seasoning blends. When seasoning the chips, sprinkle just a tiny amount on each zucchini round. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Smoked paprika, garlic, and marjoram
Cumin, coriander, and chili powder
Dried basil, oregano, and red chili flakes
Curry powder, cardamom, and ginger

Ways to Serve

Dip them into my healthy spinach artichoke dip, roasted red pepper hummus, or vegan tzatziki for a savory party appetizer.
Crumble them on top of a simple salad recipe for additional crunch.
Enjoy them as a healthy snack simply on its own.

More Healthy Zucchini Recipes

This vegetable is undeniably versatile. Here’s a few more reader-favorite zucchini recipes to enjoy!

Zucchini Chips Recipe Video

Want to see how I make these crispy little chips? Watch the video below!

If you make these zucchini chips, let me know how they turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below

A white bowl holding thinly sliced zucchini chips layered on top of one another.

Baked Zucchini Chips (Thin & Crispy)

4.94 from 16 votes

Prep: 10

Cook: 3

Total: 3 10

Servings: 2 servings

Author: Lisa Bryan

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Description

Turn everyone's favorite summer squash into crispy zucchini chips for healthy snacking! Watch how I make them on the video above.

Video

Ingredients

▢ 1 large zucchini, about 3/4 pound
▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
▢ 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees fahrenheit.
Using a mandoline, slice the zucchini on the thinnest setting possible (usually 1/8" or 1/16" thick).
Place the zucchini slices in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the oil over the zucchini slices and toss gently to coat, being careful not to break the slices.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange the zucchini slices on the parchment paper so they are not touching. But you can place them close to each other, as they'll shrink when they cook.
Sprinkle salt very lightly and evenly on each slice.
Place zucchini in the oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Once the chips are crispy, turn off the heat and prop the oven door and let cool for 30 minutes.
Serve chips alone or with your dip of choice.

Lisa's Tips

Every oven bakes differently, so make sure to keep an eye on them after 2 hours.
This is my favorite mandoline slicer. It's super sharp and slices very thin!
And don't forget cut-resistant gloves anytime you use a mandoline. Keeping fingers intact is a good thing!

Nutrition

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crispy zucchini chips, zucchini chips, zucchini chips recipe

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.