Homemade Baked Potato Skin Chips

5 from 7 votes
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Enjoy these homemade baked potato chips with a twist – they are potato skin chips! Enjoy reducing waste and saving money with these super-crispy, flavorful, roasted potato peels. Plus, this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan!

Potato peel chips on a flat surface

I recently posted a whole ton of potato recipes – from Super Crispy Smashed Potatoes (With Herbs) to Creamy Mashed Potatoes. Even if you’re the kind of person who enjoys your ‘tatties with the skin on, at some point you’re going to be left with a counter full of peels. You could compost them or chuck them in a bag in the freezer to make vegetable stock OR, you could use them in a potato skin recipe to make your next favorite new snack – potato skin chips (aka the best baked potato chips ever!).

These roasted potato peels are irresistibly crispy, taste AH-MAZING, and help to reduce waste (because we all love a zero-waste moment!). Better still – since they are a ‘waste product,’ they take no extra money at all to make (and would cost pennies to do so, regardless!). Just like regular chips (crisps), there are also 1001+ ways to flavor these potato peel crisps.

A close up of Potato peel chips on a flat surface

Plus, all you need for this vegan potato chips recipe is just 2 base ingredients: potato peel, oil, and sometimes salt. The rest is up to you – just like any homemade potato chips, there are tons of ways to flavor and customize the flavorings. Whether you want to use herbs and spices or seasonings – the sky is the limit!

I’d say these potato peel chips rest somewhere in the middle of potato chips and fries (i.e., delicious x1000), especially as the peels will change in size so some will be super crispy and others slightly softer – it’s a texture haven!

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Why eat potato skin chips?

Potato peel chips on a flat surface

There are several benefits to this easy roasted potato peels (potato skin chips) recipe:

1. You get to reduce waste and stop those peels going to the bin/compost.
2. They’re super cost-effective – even if you use organic potatoes.
3. They’re super versatile and can be flavored/seasoned in countless ways – yay for homemade potato chips!
4. They taste JUST AS GOOD as regular chips but are healthy potato chips (or healthier at least!). 

Like most veggies, potato peels are a good source of vitamins and fiber (more so than the potato themselves). Potato peels actually contain several nutrients, including B vitamins, vitamin C, copper, iron, calcium, etc. More so, they’re also naturally fat-free, sodium-free, and cholesterol-free (Yay!).

All of this makes these vegan potato chips a wonderful alternative to regular chips or even as a new ‘side’ in place of your ‘fries’ or usual potato side (thank me later!). I bet you’ll love this potato skin recipe so much – I bet you’ll never throw away the peels again!

Top Tips For Prepping your Potato Peels

Potatoes in a bowl
  • Use organics potatoes: pesticides are usually most often found in vegetable skins, so any time you want to eat the peels (like for these baked potato chips), it’s best to use organic.
  • Even when using organic, wash and scrub your potatoes well before using them and cut away any small bits you don’t want to eat (blemishes, little sprouts, etc.)
  • Avoid any green potato peel. Green potato peel may actually contain a toxin called solanine. While it’s usually in low quantities – some people will have a higher sensitivity to it.

The Ingredients

Ingredients for potato peel chips
  • Potatoes: I usually use Yukon Gold or Russet for this, as they’re the potatoes I most often peel. However, any potato peels should work well. If using something like sweet potato peel, then they may take longer to bake (I haven’t tried yet).
  • Oil: Use any neutral oil that works well with high-heat; sunflower, avocado oil, canola, etc.

Seasoning Options

Homemade potato chips can easily be flavored in tons of ways and these potato skin chips are no different. Here are just a few of my top options. 

  • Sea Salt – Simple and delicious
  • Smoked Paprika (with a little salt) or a dash of cayenne for spice.
  • Rosemary (and garlic powder)
  • Nutritional yeast (and optionally some onion and garlic powder) for cheesy vegan potato chips.
  • Parmesan – if you’re not worried about these being vegan potato chips, you could use parmesan or another hard cheese. You may be able to find a dairy-free option. 
  • Sumac
  • Sage/thyme/ dill – or other fresh herbs that you enjoy.
  • Chili powder, chili flakes, cayenne pepper, or peri peri seasoning – for spice!
  • Truffle oil – or some umami seasoning.
  • Za’atar – I use homemade za’atar.
  • Curry powder – chaat masala, etc. 
  • Salt & Vinegar
  • Lemon – including zest with a herb of your choice.
  • Cinnamon & sugar – for a sweet treat. For a sugar-free option, you could use a powdered sweetener like erythritol. 

And tons more….. You can even buy pre-made seasonings (like popcorn seasonings) that come in pizza, sour cream & onion, etc flavors. 

How To Make Potato Chips In The Oven (Using Potato Peel)

Clean the potatoes. Wash and scrub them well to remove any dirt. You can also remove any blemishes or ‘sprouted’ areas now, too, with a small paring knife.

Peel the potatoes. I do this with a potato peeler rather than a knife for peels that don’t contain too much potato flesh.

A hand holding a peeled potato

Soak the peels for 30 minutes in room temp/cold water. This will help to remove excess starch for maximum crispness when baked.

Potato peels soaking in a bowl with water

Rinse the soaked peels and then dry them with a kitchen towel. It’s important to get them as dry as possible so that the potato skin chips really crisp up.
You can do this with a salad spinner and then pat dry or do it by hand with a kitchen towel. Optionally, you could even evaporate some of the excess water by baking the peels for 5 minutes at 200ºC/400ºF or using a dehydrator for a short while.

Potato peels in a colander

Spread the potato skins in a single layer on your baking sheet/s and spray/drizzle with oil. You want enough to coat the potato peels well without weighing them down.
Then, optionally, add your seasonings of choice and toss the skins well to coat them. You can do this step before cooking or after.

Steps for baking potato peel chips

Bake the potato skin chips in the oven for 15-18 minutes at 200ºC/400ºF (fan-assisted). For even crispier results, broil them for a further few minutes in the end – be careful to watch them as they can burn easily.
Since I use dark baking sheets, I find the results are crispier. If you use lighter trays or place them on parchment paper, you may want to flip the peels over half-way through for best results.

Enjoy!

Potato peel chips on a flat surface

To Make Ahead & Store

Make ahead: if you don’t have a large enough stash of potato peels at one go, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge in water for 2-3 days (change the water daily) while you build up more. I haven’t tried using frozen and thawed potato peels yet (I usually save them for veggie stock) – but that may work.

Note* Potato peels will turn pink if left to oxidize too long. While this won’t affect the flavor of the baked potato chips, it can look a bit off-putting.

Store: Store the potato skin chips in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.

How To Serve

Serve these potato peel chips as an appetizer, snack, or finger food with various dips. I like to serve mine with homemade mayonnaise (plain or flavored with sweet chili, pesto, etc.), ketchup, or even this Simple Spinach Yogurt Dip (Borani). 

If you want to serve these vegan potato chips fully vegan then use a dairy-free mayo alternative and other vegan dips. 

You can also use them to accompany meals – replace your usual potato side or use them as a crispy garnish for soups and salads. 

Recipe Notes

  • You can season the potato skin chips before roasting them or toss them with the seasoning post-bake, depending on what flavors you’re using. This is because some spices can burn in the oven (especially when broiling at the end) and make your entire batch of potato skin chips taste off.
  • This recipe works best when you use a potato peeler to peel the potatoes, or at-least cut away the peels avoiding as much flesh as possible, The more flesh that is with the peels, the less crispy they’ll be.
  • Don’t avoid using oil. These baked healthy potato chips are super crispy because of the oil content. If you omit oil then they’ll end up limp rather than wonderfully crispy. 

Let me know in the comments if you want me to share another potato peel recipe or other waste-reduction/zero waste recipes!

If you try this vegan baked potato skin chips recipe, then let me know your thoughts and questions in the comments. I’d also really appreciate a recipe rating and would love to see your recreations – just tag @AlphaFoodie.

Homemade Baked Potato Skin Chips

5 from 7 votes
By: Samira
Enjoy these homemade baked potato chips with a twist – they are potato skin chips! Enjoy reducing waste and saving money with these super-crispy, flavorful, roasted potato peels. Plus, this recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 53 minutes
Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients 
 

  • 1 cup potato peels use more or less depending on how much you want to make
  • 1/2 Tbsp olive oil use oil spray if available
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions 

  • Clean the potatoes. Wash and scrub them well to remove any dirt. You can also remove any blemishes or ‘sprouted’ areas now, too, with a small paring knife.
  • Peel the potatoes. I do this with a potato peeler rather than a knife for peels that don’t contain too much potato flesh.
  • Soak the peels for 30 minutes in room temp/cold water. This will help to remove excess starch for maximum crispness when baked.
  • Rinse the soaked peels and then dry them with a kitchen towel. It's important to get them as dry as possible so that the potato skin chips really crisp up.
    You can do this with a salad spinner and then pat dry or do it by hand with a kitchen towel. Optionally, you could even evaporate some of the excess water by baking the peels for 5 minutes at 200ºC/400ºF or using a dehydrator for a short while.
  • Spread the potato skins in a single layer on your baking sheet/s and spray/drizzle with oil. You want enough to coat the potato peels well without weighing them down.
    Then, optionally, add your seasonings of choice and toss the skins well to coat them. You can do this step before cooking or after.
  • Bake the potato skin chips in the oven for 15-18 minutes at 200ºC/400ºF (fan-assisted). For even crispier results, broil them for a further few minutes at the end – be careful to watch them as they can burn easily.
    Since I use dark baking sheets, I find the results are even crispier. If you use lighter trays or place them on parchment paper, you may want to flip the peels over half-way through for best results.
    Enjoy!

To Make Ahead & Store:

  • Make ahead: If you don't have a large enough stash of potato peels at one go, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge in water for 2-3 days (change the water daily) while you build up more. I haven't tried using frozen and thawed potato peels yet (I usually save them for veggie stock) – but that may work.
    Note* Potato peels will turn pink if left to oxidize too long. While this won't affect the flavor of the baked potato chips, it can look a bit off-putting.
    Store: Store the potato skin chips in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days

Notes

Top Tips For Prepping your Potato Peels
  • Use organics potatoes: pesticides are usually most often held most in vegetable skins, so any time you want to eat the peels (like for these baked potato chips), it’s best to use organic.
  • Even when using organic, wash and scrub your potatoes well before using them and cut away any small bits you don’t want to eat (blemishes, little sprouts, etc.)
  • Avoid any green potato peel. Green potato peel may actually contain a toxin called solanine. While it’s usually in low quantities – some people will have higher sensitivities to it.

  • You can season the potato skin chips before roasting them or toss them with the seasoning post-bake, depending on what flavors you’re using. This is because some spices can burn in the oven (especially when broiling at the end) and make your entire batch of potato skin chips taste off.
  • This recipe works best when you use a potato peeler to peel the potatoes, or at-least cut away the peels avoiding as much flesh as possible, The more flesh that is with the peels, the less crispy they’ll be.
  • Don’t avoid using oil. These baked healthy potato chips are super crispy because of the oil content. If you omit oil then they’ll end up limp rather than wonderfully crispy. 

Check the post for tons of suggestions on how to season your potato skin chips!
Course: Appetizer, Dessert, Party Food, Snack
Cuisine: American
Freezer friendly: No
Shelf life: 1-2 Weeks

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cup, Calories: 145kcal, Carbohydrates: 13.26g, Protein: 1.53g, Fat: 9.98g, Saturated Fat: 2.45g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.19g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1.89g, Sodium: 171mg, Potassium: 262mg, Fiber: 0.9g, Sugar: 1.3g, Vitamin C: 2.1mg, Calcium: 6mg, Iron: 0.39mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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8 Comments

    1. Hi Zac,
      Yes, you can. I recommend placing them in a single layer and then air fryer at 200ºC/400ºF. They will be done faster than when oven-baked.

    1. This question threw me so completely off guard I laughed for like 3 minutes straight! Never heard of someone looking to use the scraps and ask what the main is supposed to be used for. LOL