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Home » How to » Oven Dried Strawberries -a healthy chip alternative!

Oven Dried Strawberries -a healthy chip alternative!

July 6, 2018 , Updated June 19, 2020 Maria 14 Comments

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A close up of crispy looking oven dried strawberries in a glass bowl.

Are you looking for healthy chips with a tangy taste? These Oven Dried Strawberries might just satisfy that craving!

Oven dried strawberries, in a round glass dish, surrounded by a few fresh strawberries.
Oven Dried Strawberries

Do you like homemade snacks?

If you do, I have a great one for you today!

Strawberry chips!!!

They are fun to make and usually healthier than their commercial counterpart since there are no added preservatives and you can control the amount and the type of ingredients you use. Not to mention the fact that they are usually cheaper to make at home.

It’s true! Another fruit I love to turn into chips are apples. Just look at the price for a bag of apple chips! In my humble opinion, apple chips are one of the easiest snacks to make, even without a dehydrator. Take a look and see how easy it is to make your own Apple Chips.

In fact, with just a little bit of time, a sharp knife, and an oven, almost any fruit or vegetable can be turned into crispy crunchy chips. Here are just a few suggestions:

  • spinach
  • kale
  • Swiss chard
  • plantain
  • beets
  • zucchini
  • potato
  • banana
  • pineapple  …and so many more!

Did you know that if you leave strawberries in the oven long enough, they too can become a fruit chip?

It did take a couple of tries before I got the chips to become crispy -more on that later. But for now, here’s how I was successful in drying out fresh strawberries and transforming them into chips.

An overhead shot of bright red colored strawberry chips.

Instructions

Prepare the strawberries: We begin this whole process of oven drying strawberries by purchasing (or picking) fresh, perfectly ripened strawberries, preferably organic and pesticide-free. Just like choosing the best strawberries to freeze, the best results can be obtained by using strawberries when they are in peak season.

Next, they need to be rinsed, hulled and dried. Please refer to the “how to” section on this DIY on Freezing Strawberries for all the details.

A sliced strawberry on a wooden board.

Place the prepped strawberries on a cutting board, and with a very sharp knife, slice evenly and thinly into approximately 1/8 inch thick (or thinner). I did not have any success with a mandolin and so I cannot recommend it for slicing strawberries.

Needless to say, the thinner you are able to slice the strawberry, the crispier and crunchier the final texture will be. The total amount of time they spend in the oven will also be reduced.

Sliced strawberries placed on a parchment lined baking tray.

Once your strawberries have been sliced thinly and evenly, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Make sure they do not touch each other as they will stick to one another as they dry out. They are now ready for the oven!

I almost forgot to mention …preheat your oven to 350° F as you are preparing your strawberries.

Visibility dehydrated strawberries on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Oven drying: When you are ready to place your strawberries in the oven, immediately reduce the heat to 200°F. Bake for about an hour or two or until the tops are dry. You need to check in on them every fifteen minutes or so just to see how they are getting along. There will be some variations in the total time as the amount of moisture and the thickness of the strawberry will dictate the total amount of time they need to dry out.

Flip them over and take a peak every 15 minutes or just to see how they are coming along. You may need to peel them off the parchment paper.

Before you know it, you have made yourself some strawberry chips.

Please note that if you prefer to have chewy strawberry chips, just remove them from the oven before they get to the “chips” stage.

If you prefer to use a dehydrator to dry out your strawberries, Sue over at The View from Great Island has a great article.

A close up shot at the crispy thin texture of a strawberry chip that has been dried on the oven.

Recipe origins

Despite the fact that my kids are all grown up and on their own, my husband and I still make an annual trip to go strawberry picking. This year, we came back with 16 L of strawberries. As a result, the past couple of weeks have been all about strawberries.

I recently shared that story on Instagram, here is the link to my feed so you too can follow along. I’ve also included a video clip so that you can hear the crispiness of the strawberry chip.

With all the strawberries we picked, I was able to make two batches of this Homemade Strawberry Jam. These preserves make great hostess gifts during the holiday season and they are great to use in desserts like Italian Jam Crostata or a Summer Trifle (recipes to follow).

I recently shared my technique on How to Freeze Strawberries. This is another method of preserving this wonderful fruit. They are great to have on hand for a quick smoothie or to make Macerated Strawberries to serve with my Mom’s Ciambella recipe. It really is so useful to have them readily available, especially in the middle of winter.

Since I still had a few pints of strawberries left, I decided to make banana strawberry muffins (that disappeared even before they had a chance to cool down) and with the rest, I was curious about making oven-dried strawberries aka strawberry chips.

As I previously mentioned, the first two attempts at making these strawberry chips resulted in a chewy texture. Don’t get me wrong, these still tasted great and they make a great addition to homemade Granola or sprinkled in cereals bowls.

But I was looking for a crispy texture, not chewy.

I finally got it right on my third attempt and by mistake. I had just finished baking a batch of muffins and I forget to turn down the oven temperature to the lowest setting.

When I realized I had placed a tray of thinly sliced strawberries in a hot oven, I immediately lowered the heat. When I checked in on them after an hour, the bottoms were stuck to the parchment paper but by carefully peeling them, I was able to turn them over.

Thirty minutes later, I had strawberry chips! I was able to reproduce the same texture again the next day. It is important to note that the total oven time may vary depending on the thickness and moisture content of the strawberry.

So, if you are looking for a homemade snack that is a healthy chip alternative that you can nibble on while you are binge watching on Netflix, these oven dried strawberries might just be for you!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this recipe fro dehydrated strawberries, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Strawberry chips ready to be served.

A close up shot at the crispy thin texture of a strawberry chip that has been dried on the oven.

Oven Dried Strawberries

Are you looking for a tasty little snack with a tangy taste? These oven dried strawberries might just satisfy that craving!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 72kcal
Author: Maria Vannelli RD

Ingredients

  • 1 pound strawberries or as many as you like, washed and dried
  • water
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Line 2 small baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Place the strawberries in a colander and rinse under cold running water.
  • Remove excess moisture.
  • Remove hull from strawberries.
  • With a sharp knife, slice each strawberry 1/8 of an inch thick (or thinner). 
  • Place strawberry on parchment paper. Do not allow strawberries to touch each other.  
  • Reduce oven temperature to 200°F and place the strawberries in the oven.
  • Bake until the strawberry tops are dry. Take a peak after an hour or so just to check how they are getting along.  This can take anywhere up to 2 hours depending on how thick the strawberries were sliced.
  • Flip the strawberries. You may need to peel the strawberries off the parchment paper. Work quickly as they harden once they cool down. 
  • Place the baking sheets back in the oven for another 45-60 minutes. Verify every 10 minutes or so to make sure they don't get burnt.
  • Remove from the oven and loosen them form the parchment paper.
  • Allow to cool down and enjoy. They are best the day they are made.
Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

Notes

Strawberries can be sliced thinner or thicker based on personnel preference.  What is important is that they are sliced evenly. As a result, total baking time needs to be adjusted. The longer the strawberries stay in the oven, the crispier they will get.
 
These strawberry chips are best the day they are made.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 72kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 347mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 25IU | Vitamin C: 133.3mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 0.9mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @shelovesbiscotti or tag #shelovesbiscotti!

 

 

How to, Vegetarian

About Maria

Maria Vannelli is a registered dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

Comments

  1. Aaron says

    September 17, 2020 at 20:10

    How do you store these??

    Reply
    • Maria says

      September 19, 2020 at 20:52

      Thanks for your interest Aaron. To be honest they never last long enough to be stored. I would place them in a paper bag as I think a closed container would probably soften them. Enjoy.

      Reply
  2. Mariann says

    September 12, 2020 at 17:48

    Hello!
    How long are these good for and what is the best storage option? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Maria says

      September 28, 2020 at 20:31

      Thanks for your interest Mariann. They usually disappear within the same day so I have never actually stored them. That being said, I would place them in a paper bag as I think a closed container would probably soften them. Enjoy.

      Reply
  3. Jennifer says

    May 12, 2020 at 11:28

    5 stars
    About to try this and I have a quick strawberry slicing hack: an egg slicer! It squashes the berries a little bit, but they’re fine if not overripe and come out perfectly even, and it’s faster than slicing with a knife!

    Reply
    • Maria says

      May 12, 2020 at 12:58

      This is such a genius idea Jennifer! Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
  4. Kristen Haynes says

    April 25, 2020 at 11:21

    Going to try this out today !
    Thanks for the recipe/procedure and helpful hints.
    Will let you know the outcome!🍓

    Kristen

    Reply
    • Maria says

      April 25, 2020 at 12:30

      Enjoy Kristen!

      Reply
  5. Diane says

    April 18, 2020 at 10:01

    5 stars
    Wow it works

    Reply
    • Maria says

      April 18, 2020 at 11:18

      Thanks Diane!

      Reply
  6. Denise from Urb'n'Spice says

    July 12, 2018 at 10:47

    5 stars
    Thanks for the great preserving idea, Maria! I often forget about drying fruit when the season brings us everything at once! That will be a great activity for the kiddies to help put them on the parchment lined sheet. They will love these oven-dried strawberries! 🙂

    Reply
    • Maria says

      July 12, 2018 at 13:08

      I know what you mean Denise… there always seems to be so little time! Thanks for your kind words and for stopping by 🙂

      Reply
  7. Nathalie-Savoureux Bonheur says

    July 10, 2018 at 17:03

    What a good and healthy snack! Is the texture is more like gummies or even more crispier?

    Reply
    • Maria says

      July 12, 2018 at 13:10

      The texture is definitely dry and crispy however by removing the strawberries before they get to that stage, they will have a chewy and gummy texture. Thanks so much for stopping by Nathalie 🙂

      Reply

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Hello and Welcome to She Loves Biscotti!
I'm Maria: dietitian and full time content creator. Join me as I share traditional Italian recipes from my youth, to modern twists on classics using fresh and seasonal ingredients.

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