Homemade Banana Chips Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why my banana chips are not crispy? ›

A common reason behind dehydrated bananas not being crispy enough has to do with the ripeness of the fruit before the drying process. Starting off with bananas that are a bit firm is best, as overripe bananas can take longer to dry and, as a result, become sticky rather than crispy.

Making banana chips in a dehydrator is even easier, but takes longer (it's hands off time). Slice the bananas thin, just like above, and toss with an acidic juice if desired. Spray your dehydrator trays with oil, then place the bananas on the trays, and dehydrate at around 135° F for 8-24 hours.

The process generally includes deep-frying of thin raw banana slices of about 1–2 mm thickness in suitable cooking medium and salting them. Slicing can be done so as to have required shapes such as wholes, quarters, long cut or slivers, and fine brokens.

The Double-Fry Method

The first round is at a lower temperature to cook the inside of the potato and the second time you'll use a higher temperature to make the fries golden brown and crispy. You can use a home deep-fryer or just heat the oil in a Dutch oven.

The trick to getting the chips to taste like they are straight from the chip shop is to fry them twice in the hot oil. The first fry is at a lower temperature and softens the potato; the second turn in the hot oil is at a higher temp and achieves that signature crispy exterior.

Bananas should be leathery when they are completely dried. To test, remove a slice and let it cool. It may have some bend but if you tear one in half and squeeze it, there should be no moisture that seeps out. If they have any signs of remaining moisture, put them back into the dehydrator or oven to dry longer.

If you want your dehydrated bananas to have a light colour, you will have to pre-treat them with a solution that helps prevent browning before you dehydrate them. We use a simple mixture of lemon juice and water. The juice will not affect the taste of the bananas and bonus, it acts as a preservative.

We are used coconut oil to prepare this Banana Chips. Coconut oil or velichanna as it is known here in Kerala, has been the preferred oil for centuries. It has a very smoky, distinct flavor that has long been associated with Malayali food.

Nendran, a variety of banana growing in some parts of South India is the most suitable variety for making chips. Traditionally, raw Nendran bananas are skinned, made in to thin slices and then deep fried in coconut oil.

Heat 1.5 cups coconut oil in a kadai for deep frying. If you do not have coconut oil, then you can use sunflower oil or any oil for frying. Keep the flame to medium. For slicing bananas its better to use a mandoline slicer as the slices are thin.

How to dry bananas into chips? ›

Dehydrated Banana Slices | Commercial Dehydrators

Soak the slices in the lemon juice solution for about 10 minutes. This is to prevent them from turning brown. Drain the banana slices for about 10 minutes then arrange in a single layer on the dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 130°F for 6 - 10 hours.

Health Benefits of Dried Banana Chips

The good news is that these chips deliver several valuable nutrients. For example, a one-third cup serving contains around one gram of protein and another gram of fiber. It also provides magnesium, vitamin A, iron, phosphorus, and potassium in small quantities.

Why are my banana chips mushy? It's possible that the bananas haven't been dehydrated long enough if they're still soggy after the initial cook time. Also, if you used overly ripe bananas that you weren't able to cleanly slice, they may be too ripe. These bananas are better off being used in banana bread.

Store-bought banana chips are extra crisp because they are fried in oil. To achieve a similar crunch without frying, there are two secrets. Slice the bananas as thinly as possible. We started with 1/4-inch-thick slices but the chips browned too fast and the texture was more like dried apricots than crisp chips.