Oven Dried Strawberries -a healthy chip alternative!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!