Baked Apple and Banana Chips

Baked Apple and Banana Chips

Most store bought apple chips and banana chips are either freeze dried or fried! You don't need fat in your apples or bananas! These are so easy to make yourself and you don't have to add a thing to them if you don't want.

This is more of a method than a recipe. It's so easy, the oven does all the work. What you end up with is so organically beautiful. These delicate chips are sweet, crunchy and become a concentrated version of themselves. They make such an awesome and unique snack that your kids will love!

You'll need a mandolin to do this. There are some very expensive mandolins out there and I'm sure they are amazing, but I've got a really cheap one (under $20!) from amazon.com and it works just fine. I'm a little scared of it (well, maybe more than a little), but I try to use the hand-guard when I can.

Baked Apple and Banana Chips

2 organic apples, any variety you like (I found the green Granny Smiths were my favorite)
1 banana, ripe, but not overly ripe, you want it to be a bit firm
cinnamon sugar (optional)

Special equipment:  mandolin set on thin slice

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Line two of your largest baking sheets with parchment.

Wash the apples well. If you like, you can core them, but they are much prettier uncored, with their star centers (My photos only show the cored ones...sorry, I ate all of the uncored ones!) Slice them with your mandolin and spread them out on the baking sheets in a single layer. I like to sprinkle them with a little cinnamon sugar, but they are sweet even without it.

Next, peel the banana and slice using the mandolin. I found it helps to put the mandolin on top of the baking sheet when doing the bananas. They are sticky and hard to move from the cutting board to the baking sheet otherwise. Spread them out in a single layer.

Place the sheets in the oven and bake for about an hour and a half total. After the first 45 minutes, rotate the pans on the racks. Keep an eye on them toward the end. They will not get crispy until they have completely cooled. Once they are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool on the parchment. When cool, they lift right off...you may have to peel the banana chips off, but they do come right up.

Notes:

• The amounts listed are just what I was able to fit into my oven at one time. I had to use both racks. If you can fit more into your oven, don't hesitate to load it up! You may as well make as much as you can...these chips go fast!
• I suggest using organic apples since you'll be eating the skin. If you are OK with nonorganic, they work too!