I love banana chips. I used to eat them like candy.
The problem with banana chips, though? They're a pricey snack. So, I decided I should try to make my own, and then decided that I should do it today because the bananas I have are apparently at the perfect stage of banana ripeness for making banana chips.
According to the Internet, this one could be tricky. We shall find out.
Step One: Find recipe
There are a lot of recipes on the Internet for baking banana chips at home. I'm going with the one that has a picture that looks the most like what I buy in the store, although I realize that these professional food people have fancy photography tricks. Most of the recipes I have found are pretty similar, with slight variations in size of banana slice and temperature. You can customize your banana chip to suit your preferences, I guess.
Here's what I picked: Banana Chip Recipe
AND I just discovered this website also has coupons for their products. Awesome. But that's a rabbit trail.
Step Two: 5 minutes If you are not afraid of knives, it will be less than that.
Prepare Bananas
According to most recipes I read, the bananas are best when they have started getting some brown speckles, but aren't covered. Fortunately for me, I picked just the right day to try this, because that's exactly what mine look like, and I didn't know that fact before.
I have to slice these slightly speckled, now peeled bananas. The size varies. I can slice 1/16 inch thick, up to 1/4 inch thick, depending on the recipe. I'm going with the latter. Mostly. I'm actually not measuring.
Step Three: 15 Minutes
Dip Banana Slices in Lemon Juice
This is, according to the Internet, only if you don't want them to turn brown, and for flavor. I don't know what they'll look like either way, so I am going to follow the instructions for pretty banana chips because I will be photographing them.
Meanwhile, Eddie has decided to eat my shoelaces, slowing me down by a few seconds.
Step Four: 3 Hours
Now the banana chips go in the oven, and you get to do other things. Mine are in at 200, though I read that 225 is also fine. Half way through the three hours, I flip them over.
Step Five: a few minutes
Drizzle in Honey? YES. This step is optional, but I love honey.
Step Six: Let them cool completely and store.
Experiment Complete.
A bag of salted plantain chips at the bar where you can get your own bags of food by weight is $7.99 per pound.
Another bag of "Crispy Fruit" in Banana was 1.49 for half an ounce.
A bag of banana chips by the dried fruits was 2.39 for 6 ounces.
What I paid:
Fresh Bananas: at $0.49 per pound, I paid about $0.59 for three bananas
Lemon Juice, store brand: $1.69 per 15 fl ounce bottle, a third a cup (what I used) about $0.30
Honey: Hard to measure a "drizzle" of honey, but I didn't use much
Total: $0.89 plus some cents for the honey
Total Time:
20-30 minutes of work (only 10 if you don't use the lemon juice, which I did not try)
About 3.5 hours total
Difficulty Level: Easy. I did not have any problems beyond telling when and if the banana chips were done.
On Quality: These are really different than what you will get in the store, which I figured would be the case. The ones in the store are often fried, supposedly. These are a lot better for you. They also are softer, and the flavor is a lot stronger. I like them, possibly more than the store bought ones, but don't do this if you want a replica of the store bought banana chips.
The problem with banana chips, though? They're a pricey snack. So, I decided I should try to make my own, and then decided that I should do it today because the bananas I have are apparently at the perfect stage of banana ripeness for making banana chips.
According to the Internet, this one could be tricky. We shall find out.
Step One: Find recipe
There are a lot of recipes on the Internet for baking banana chips at home. I'm going with the one that has a picture that looks the most like what I buy in the store, although I realize that these professional food people have fancy photography tricks. Most of the recipes I have found are pretty similar, with slight variations in size of banana slice and temperature. You can customize your banana chip to suit your preferences, I guess.
Here's what I picked: Banana Chip Recipe
AND I just discovered this website also has coupons for their products. Awesome. But that's a rabbit trail.
Step Two: 5 minutes If you are not afraid of knives, it will be less than that.
Prepare Bananas
According to most recipes I read, the bananas are best when they have started getting some brown speckles, but aren't covered. Fortunately for me, I picked just the right day to try this, because that's exactly what mine look like, and I didn't know that fact before.
I have to slice these slightly speckled, now peeled bananas. The size varies. I can slice 1/16 inch thick, up to 1/4 inch thick, depending on the recipe. I'm going with the latter. Mostly. I'm actually not measuring.
 |
| Note the banana's brown speckles |
Step Three: 15 Minutes
Dip Banana Slices in Lemon Juice
This is, according to the Internet, only if you don't want them to turn brown, and for flavor. I don't know what they'll look like either way, so I am going to follow the instructions for pretty banana chips because I will be photographing them.
Meanwhile, Eddie has decided to eat my shoelaces, slowing me down by a few seconds.
 |
| See the container behind the bananas with the yellow side? Those are Eddie's chicken liver treats, to keep him from eating my shoelaces. |
 |
| I like the taste of lemon juice with the banana, but be warned— you will taste it when they are done. Go light on the lemon juice or don't use it if you don't like it. |
Step Four: 3 Hours
Now the banana chips go in the oven, and you get to do other things. Mine are in at 200, though I read that 225 is also fine. Half way through the three hours, I flip them over.
Step Five: a few minutes
Drizzle in Honey? YES. This step is optional, but I love honey.
 |
| They do not look like the photo I found. I suspected this outcome. But they do look tasty! |
Step Six: Let them cool completely and store.
Experiment Complete.
So was it worth it?
Here's the competition:A bag of salted plantain chips at the bar where you can get your own bags of food by weight is $7.99 per pound.
Another bag of "Crispy Fruit" in Banana was 1.49 for half an ounce.
A bag of banana chips by the dried fruits was 2.39 for 6 ounces.
What I paid:
Fresh Bananas: at $0.49 per pound, I paid about $0.59 for three bananas
Lemon Juice, store brand: $1.69 per 15 fl ounce bottle, a third a cup (what I used) about $0.30
Honey: Hard to measure a "drizzle" of honey, but I didn't use much
Total: $0.89 plus some cents for the honey
Total Time:
20-30 minutes of work (only 10 if you don't use the lemon juice, which I did not try)
About 3.5 hours total
Difficulty Level: Easy. I did not have any problems beyond telling when and if the banana chips were done.
My Final Thoughts:
On Price: Cost-wise, this is certainly effective. I'm pretty certain the amount I made with three bananas more than the Crispy Fruit Bag, but not as much as was in the 6 ounce bag. It's difficult to exactly how much less making your own banana chips is, though, because of the different size and texture of the store bought verses the homemade ones, and the fact that I don't yet have a food scale. A food scale will go on my wish list.On Quality: These are really different than what you will get in the store, which I figured would be the case. The ones in the store are often fried, supposedly. These are a lot better for you. They also are softer, and the flavor is a lot stronger. I like them, possibly more than the store bought ones, but don't do this if you want a replica of the store bought banana chips.
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