These Healthy Zucchini Chips get their crunch from being baked and the naturally gluten-free breading, making them the ideal healthy snacking solution! Perfect vegan snack, appetizer, and side dish for any occasion!
Homemade Baked Zucchini Chips
These Healthy Zucchini Chips are so good and easy enough to make all year long with zucchini fresh from the farmers market or from the grocery store.
My Baked Zucchini Chips recipe make the perfect kid- and adult-approved healthy snack, appetizer, or side dish for summer barbecues, game day parties, friendly get-togethers, or family dinners. That's because these babies are vegetarian- and vegan-friendly! Breaded with quinoa flour, quinoa flakes, and crumbled rice crackers, they're naturally gluten-free and crispy.
Plus, you can make these delectable bites ahead of time and then bake before serving to re-crisp them. And while you can certainly fry them, that wouldn't make them Healthy Zucchini Chips, now would it?
However, the air fryer would definitely fit the criteria to keep these Baked Zucchini Chips crispy and healthy!
Key Ingredients
- Zucchinis — Two sliced into ¼-inch rounds will do the trick. Can also mix in or substitute other squash varieties like yellow squash, delicatta squash, or Japanese eggplant (longer and skinner than regular eggplant; shaped more like zucchini).
- Wet Breading Ingredients — You'll need ⅔ cup of your preferred milk (I used almond) and a tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can add the zest for more lemon flavor, if you like. (Or add it to the Sriracha dipping sauce!)
- Dry Breading Ingredients — To make these healthy Zucchini Chips, I knew I needed to use a gluten-free flour to make them crispy. So you'll need ½ cup quinoa flour (preferably toasted for better flavor), ¾ cup quinoa flakes and ½ cup crumbled rice crackers. You can substitute your preferred gluten-free flour for the quinoa flour and Panko breadcrumbs for the crumbled rice crackers.
- Spices — This Baked Zucchini Chips recipe calls for 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon sea salt, and ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper. But you can add any preferred spices. Chili powder and cumin would also work well here.
- Olive Oil Spray — To keep the vegan zucchini chips from sticking. Could also use any preferred light-tasting nonstick spray like canola or avocado.
How To Make Healthy Zucchini Chips
- Prep Your Workspace — Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Lightly spray with nonstick spray.
- Make the Wet Dredge — Combine almond milk and lemon juice, and set aside.
- Make the Dry Breading — Pulse the quinoa flour, quinoa flakes, rice crackers, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, sea salt and black pepper in a food processor until smooth. Pour into a large, wide bowl, and set aside.
- Prep the Zucchini Chips — Dredge zucchini wedges in quinoa and cracker mixture to allow the milk and lemon juice to adhere to them. Dip in wet dredge, then re-coat with the dry breading and assemble on prepped wire rack. Spray or brush tops with olive oil.
- Bake — For 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
- Serve — Remove from oven, and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve warm with Sriracha Dipping Sauce, and enjoy!
How To Make the Best Garlic Sriracha Sauce
Whisk all ingredients — tofu mayo or Greek yogurt, Sriracha, lime juice, and minced garlic — together in a small bowl until well combined. Then store in the refrigerator until chilled. The longer it sits, the better the flavor!
Not a fan of Sriracha? Pair these crispy Baked Zucchini Chips with any of my favorite dipping sauces like my homemade Avocado Cream, Jalapeño Ranch, or Honey Mustard!
Variations
- Need to use up some yellow squash or eggplant? You can use those with this recipe, too, in place of the zucchini! Any squash should work. Just slice pretty thin.
- Spice up these Baked Zucchini Chips by tossing in your favorite seasoning blend or seasoned salt while hot before serving. Spices like cumin, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and chili powder would work well.
- Add some parmesan cheese to the quinoa breading and serve with marinara sauce for a snackable twist on eggplant parmesan!
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions
- Store cooked and cooled Baked Zucchini Chips in an airtight container or plastic bag in your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze fully cooked and cooled Healthy Zucchini Chips in a freezer-safe, airtight container or plastic bag in your refrigerator for up to 3 months.
- Allow these Healthy Zucchini Chips to thaw in the fridge overnight. Then reheat in the oven at 425 for 7-10 minutes, flipping halfway through, or in the air fryer at 400 degrees for 5-10 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these Healthy Zucchini Chips in the air fryer?
Absolutely! Just spray your frying basket with nonstick spray, and preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees. Assemble the chips as directed, and place in the basket being careful not to overcrowd the battered zucchini wedges.
You want the hot air to circulate around each one, so you may have to cook in batches. Cook for 6-8 minutes, shaking halfway through.
Once golden brown and crispy, transfer to a wire rack on a baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt, and keep warm in a preheated 250-degree oven until it's time to serve.
Do I have to use zucchinis?
Nope! You could easily mix in or substitute most squash varieties for the zucchinis like yellow, delicatta, or even Japanese eggplant. Just slice uniformly at ¼ inch to make sure they cook evenly.
This quinoa baked veggie chip recipe honestly works with most veggies! You could use potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, cucumbers, or cauliflower florets. Have fun with it! Just make sure to par-cook the harder root vegetables if you plan to air fry to ensure they're fully cooked and easy to eat.
What other dipping sauces can serve with these Baked Zucchini Chips?
While I highly recommend my Garlic Sriracha Sauce, you could also use marinara, garlic aioli, ketchup, honey mustard, ranch, pesto ... really any dipping sauce you prefer!
More Recipes To Try
- Quinoa Crusted Onion Rings
- Homemade Kale Chips with Sriracha
- Quinoa Crusted Eggplant Parmesan Bites
- Gluten-Free Caramelized Onion, Spinach, & Goat Cheese Rolls with Quinoa Crust
- Cauliflower Quinoa Fritters with Chive Tahini Sauce
- Healthy Chicken Nuggets
- Zucchini Alfredo
- Quinoa Crusted Chicken Parmesan
Healthy Baked Zucchini Chips
Ingredients
- 2 zucchini sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds
- ⅔ cup almond milk or milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup quinoa flour (preferably toasted - see note) or gluten free flour
- ¾ cup Quinoa Flakes
- ½ cup crumbled rice crackers OR panko breadrumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- Olive oil spray
Sriracha Dipping Sauce
- ⅓ cup Greek Yogurt or tofu mayo.
- 1 - 3 teaspoons Siracha to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 3 cloves minced garlic
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425. Place a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
- Combine almond milk and lemon juice and set aside.
- Place quinoa flour, quinoa flakes, rice crackers, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, sea salt and black pepper in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
- Dredge zucchini wedges in quinoa and cracker mixture. (Only a little bit will stick) Dip in milk mixture and then recoat with the quinoa mixture. Spray or brush with olive oil. Place on wire rack and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown.
Sriracha Dipping Sauce
- Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until well combined. Store in the refrigerator until chilled.
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