Making sweet potato chips in the dehydrator is one of my favorite ways to turn a couple of sweet potatoes into a big batch of crunchy, salty snacks. You only need three ingredients, and the dehydrator does almost all of the work for you!
These dehydrated sweet potato chips are naturally sweet, lightly salted and so satisfying. They're a great swap for bagged chips in lunchboxes, and they keep well for snacking all week. If you've been searching for sweet potato chips in dehydrator recipes, this is the one I keep coming back to. It's also an easy recipe to start with if you're new to dehydrating. Once you're hooked, try our Homemade Banana Chips next.
What You'll Need
You don't need much to make these, but a couple of good tools make a big difference.
- A food dehydrator. We used an Excalibur food dehydrator, and it's been a workhorse in our kitchen. The trays slide in like shelves in a little oven, and the fan blows across every tray, so the chips dry evenly without much fuss. Any dehydrator with a temperature dial will work, though.
- A mandoline slicer. A mandoline slicer is the secret to chips that all dry at the same rate. It cuts thin, even slices in seconds, which is really hard to do with a knife.
- Cut-resistant gloves. Mandoline blades are very sharp. A pair of cut-resistant gloves (or the hand guard that comes with your slicer) keeps your fingertips safe.
- A vegetable peeler. Peeling is optional, but a good vegetable peeler makes quick work of it if you'd rather skip the skins.
- An airtight container. A glass jar with a tight lid or a zip-top bag keeps the finished chips crisp.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sweet potatoes. Look for medium to large sweet potatoes that are fairly straight and even, so the slices come out about the same size. Orange sweet potatoes give you that classic bright color. Purple or white varieties work too. Just expect a slightly different flavor and texture.
- Olive oil. A small amount helps the salt stick and gives the chips a richer flavor. Avocado oil or melted coconut oil work just as well. You can also skip the oil for oil-free chips. They'll be a little drier, but still tasty.
- Sea salt. Fine sea salt spreads evenly over the slices. Go easy on it, since the flavor gets stronger as the chips dry. You can always sprinkle on a little more at the end.
Helpful Tips
Slice them as evenly as you can. Aim for about ⅛ inch thick. Thin, even slices dry at the same rate, so you won't end up with some chips that are crisp and others that are still bendy.
Pat the slices dry. Lay the slices on a clean kitchen towel and blot them before you add the oil. Less moisture on the surface means a shorter drying time.
Keep them in a single layer. The slices can touch a little, but don't let them overlap. Overlapping spots stay soft and tend to stick together.
Check early and test a chip. Drying time depends on how thick your slices are and how humid your kitchen is. Start checking at about 8 hours. Take one chip out, let it cool for a couple of minutes and give it a bend. If it snaps, they're done!
Let them cool before storing. Warm chips feel softer than they really are, and they crisp up more as they cool. Packing them while they're warm also traps steam in the container, which makes them go soft.
How to Make Sweet Potato Chips in the Oven
No dehydrator? No problem! You can still make crispy sweet potato chips in the oven. It's quite a bit faster, but you'll need to keep a closer eye on them.
Heat the oven to 250°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, toss the slices with the oil and salt, and spread them out in a single layer. Bake for 1 hour, then flip each chip, rotate the pans and swap their racks. Bake for another 20 to 40 minutes, checking every 10 minutes or so, until the chips are crisp and the edges are just starting to brown. Let them cool on the pans.
Oven chips come out a little toastier than dehydrated sweet potato chips, which some people love! Thin slices can go from golden to burnt quickly, so pull out any finished chips early and let the rest keep baking.
Variations
- Cinnamon sugar. Skip the salt and toss the oiled slices with a little ground cinnamon and a sprinkle of sugar for a sweet snack.
- Smoky paprika. Add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika along with the salt for a barbecue-chip flavor.
- Ranch. Sprinkle the oiled slices with a spoonful of our homemade ranch dressing mix before they go on the trays.
- Rosemary and garlic. Toss the slices with finely chopped fresh rosemary and a pinch of garlic powder before drying.
- Spicy. A pinch of cayenne or chili powder gives the chips a little kick against all that natural sweetness.
Serving Ideas
These chips are amazing on their own, straight out of the jar. They're also great packed into lunchboxes, added to a snack board, or served next to burgers and sandwiches instead of regular potato chips.
For a party, set them out with a bowl of dill pickle dip or a creamy ranch dip. They're sturdy enough for scooping! You can also toss broken pieces into a homemade trail mix with our seasoned mixed nuts for a sweet and salty combo.
Storing & Freezing
Store the cooled chips in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. A glass jar with a tight lid works great. If you live somewhere humid, a food-safe silica packet in the jar helps keep them crisp.
If the chips go a little soft, pop them back in the dehydrator at 125°F for 30 to 60 minutes, or in a 250°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes, and they'll crisp right back up.
We don't recommend freezing them. They pick up moisture as they thaw and lose their crunch. They keep so well at room temperature that there's no need to freeze them anyway!
More Snack Recipes
If you loved these sweet potato chips, here are a few more easy snacks you might enjoy:
- Homemade Banana Chips
- Seasoned Mixed Nuts
- Garlic Basil Roasted Chickpeas
- Roasted Pumpkin Seeds 3 Ways
- Birthday Cake Popcorn
Recipe
Dehydrated Sweet Potato Chips
Ingredients
Instructions
- Scrub the sweet potatoes well. Peel them if you like, or leave the skins on.
- Using a mandoline slicer (with the hand guard or a cut-resistant glove), slice the sweet potatoes into even rounds about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick.
- Spread the slices on a clean kitchen towel and pat them dry.
- Add the slices to a large bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the sea salt. Toss with your hands until every slice is lightly coated.
- Arrange the slices in a single layer on the dehydrator trays, with no overlapping.
- Dehydrate at 125°F for 8 to 12 hours, until the chips are dry and crisp. Start checking at 8 hours by cooling one chip for a couple of minutes. It should snap when you bend it.
- Let the chips cool completely on the trays, then taste and add a pinch more salt if you like. Store in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
Teri Dingler says
These look great and we will be giving these a try this week! In your recipe you say to peel the potato but the pictures actually look as if they still have the outer peel on. I want to make sure I am doing them the right way! Thanks!
Jessica McCoy says
You can make them either way. Some people prefer them without the peel, but the peel is great for extra fiber!