Zucchini Chips

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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.

Sliced and baked zucchini chips in a white bowl on a table.

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:

  1. Slice the zucchini: Use a mandoline to slice the zucchini into the thinnest slices possible.
  2. 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.
  3. Bake low and slow: Set your oven temperature to 200 degrees fahrenheit and bake the chips for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

Fresh zucchini slices evenly laid out on a baking tray next to a wooden container with salt.

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.

Freshly baked zucchini chips evenly laid out on a baking sheet.

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

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

A hand picking up zucchini chips from a white bowl sitting on a table.

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 minutes
Cook: 3 hours
Total: 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

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.
    A bowl of fresh zucchini slices next to a glass bottle of olive oil.
  • 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.
    Zucchini slices on top of a parchment lined baking sheet next to a bowl of extra zucchini slices.
  • 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

Calories: 79kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1171mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 196IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: crispy zucchini chips, zucchini chips, zucchini chips recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

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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.

4.94 from 16 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




46 Comments

    1. Hi Annie – Correct, 79kcal is 79 calories. The nutritional information will always be per serving.

    1. Yes, you can make other veggie chips with this method. However, the baking temperature and time will differ between veggies. Will do some testing!

  1. i will definitely do this recipe. Can you please tell me how long this lasts in an airtight container?
    Thank you for sharing.
    Evelyn
    ( Vancouver BC ) 

    1. This is best stored in a ziplock bag or container for a few days at room temperature. Just note they will soften over time!

  2. Sounds great, but here in TX we kind of avoid the oven for heat reasons. Guess I’ll slice and freeze then make in cooler season. 5 stars

    1. Slicing and freezing to make these later will not have a good outcome. Freezing zucchini becomes like mush when thawed; therefore will never crisp up. Hopefully you have cooler days ahead to try this with fresh from garden zucchini!5 stars

  3. These are unbelievably delicious. I don’t really like zucchini (except in zucchini bread 😁), but these chips make it a whole different experience!! I just bought some
    zucchini so I can make some more!!!5 stars

  4. This will work for me. Do you have any other very low carb “chip” recipes for the great dips you have?

    I really miss tortillas, but need to limit carbohydrates to <40 grams a day. Thanks

  5. What is the brand of mandoline you are using? I have encountered so many cheaper versions that don’t cut properly.

  6. I’ve tried several ways to make these and they never came out right till I tried your recipe5 stars

  7. These were pretty good but even though I sliced super thin on a mandolin and baked for 3 hours, they never turned “crispy”. Might up the temp to 225 next time. I was hoping to satisfy my crunch-cravings. They were tasty but please heed Lisa’s warning about going light on the seasoning. I sprinkled a very small amount of leftover pretzel salt on each chip which was good for first couple of chips but by the 5th or 6th, it was a bit much. I will make again for sure. 4 stars

  8. I cooked these a little faster on convect bake setting, at 220*, for 1 hour on parchment paper, then flipped them and watched them for about 15 minutes. I then turned off the oven, and let them cool inside the oven with the door open for about 5 minutes. I was in a hurry (hungry) and they came out the very same as when I followed your recommendation for temp and bake time when I first made them… golden and crunchy!! I also kept salt to a minimum, as it tends to make them sweat too much, added ground black pepper and paprika instead. Love these, thanks again for another great recipe idea. I’ve made quite a few of your recipes already and you have knocked it out of the ballpark each time! Your butternut squash soup recipe is AMAZING. My favorite of many.5 stars

  9. Really enjoyed these. Tip for others…don’t use a silicone baking mat like I did the first time!! Those are too thick and it doesn’t dry out right and takes forever cuz it’s thicker.. Once I transferred o parchment it was faster. Use as croutons replacement for crunch in a Salad.5 stars

    1. It actually is listed as 1171mg sodium. A teaspoon of salt contains about 2300mg of sodium. The recipe is for 2 servings.5 stars

  10. I will never get tired of these zucchini chips…no matter how many I eat. Love how simple and healthy they are. You nailed this one…again :)5 stars

  11. This was such a light and refreshing snack; exactly what I was needed in between meals today! Easily, a new favorite recipe!5 stars

  12. Using a mandoline is the BEST idea for such thin chips. Love how they’re baked so they’re all the more healthier and yet still delicious! Thanks for sharing!5 stars