How to Make Beetroot Chips (Baked or Dehydrated)

These healthy baked or dehydrated beetroot chips make for a delicious, healthy, guilt-free snack or can be ground into a fine powder for baking and other uses. Another great way to use fresh beets!

When it comes to potato chip alternatives, beetroot chips are my absolute favorite. The mixture of sweet and savory flavors, with the crunch pair perfectly with a little bit of sea salt and make for a delicious snack. However, this post will also show you how to make dehydrated beet chips (non-flavored), which you can also use to make beetroot powder too (for edible and cosmetic purposes).

Luckily, for those that aren’t keen on beetroot either, these baked beet chips also magically forego the super-strong ‘earthy’ flavor that many hate and instead have this amazing sweet and savory flavor that even the biggest beet haters in my life have really enjoyed.

Depending on whether you’re wanting homemade beetroot crisps to nibble on instead of potato crisps/chips, or if you want to dehydrate the beetroot, there are tweaks to the method. Though it is still super simple to do at home and I have options for using either an oven or dehydrator for this simple DIY.

How To Make Beet Chips

As I mentioned above, this post contains two methods for making homemade beetroot chips (technically three actually). So, depending on whether or not you want dehydrated, oil-free beetroot either via oven or dehydrator or as a bonus third option for baked beet chips with oil (where the cooking time is massively reduced).

All you need are some fresh beetroot (you can also use different varieties of beet – like candy and golden).

The Step By Step Instructions

First, clean the beetroots well and remove their stems and leaves. Then, peel the beets (this isn’t 100% necessary if it’s not too dirty or has thin skin, or if it’s organic).

You can slice with a mandolin for best results (thin even slices will be dried quicker and more evenly), a peeler, or a knife. Slicing the beets very thin is the key to super crispy results when not using a deep fryer. 1/16th of an inch is thick enough if using a mandoline.

Using a Dehydrator

If using a dehydrator, you’ll need the lay the slices over the dehydrator tray/s making sure not to overlap them at all.

Dry the beetroot slices in a dehydrator at 52ºC/125ºF for about 8-12 hours. The time can vary massively depending on exactly how thick your slices are and how many there are per tray – so check at eight hours and increase the time, as needed.

Using an Oven

To dehydrate the slices in the oven will usually take less time than using a dehydrator, but isn’t as energy-efficient.

Lay the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

If the temperature can go as low as 50-60ºC/120-140ºF, dry for about 8 hours. If the oven’s temperature doesn’t go as low, select the lowest possible and crack open the door while drying them (use a wooden spoon or another heat-proof utensil to prop open the door slightly). Dry for about 4-6 hours, keeping an eye on them not to burn.

Tip: You can (optionally) flip over the thinly sliced beets every hour and this will help them to dry out quicker. It isn’t something I always do though.

The chips are ready when they are brittle and snap (rather than bend) when you break them.

For baked chips

Finally, if you’re wanting chips snacks, rather than just dehydration – then you can massively reduce the oven time required.

Prepare the beetroot slices in the same way as mention above (thinly sliced and in single layers on oven trays). However, this time, first salt the beetroot slices pre-baking, to allow them to sweat and release excess moisture.

Simply toss the beet slices liberally with salt in a large bowl and allow to sit for 15-20 minutes. Drain any liquid and pat the chips with a paper towel to remove excess liquid and salt.

This step will mean less oven time is needed, thus less chance of burning. Plus, less liquid = crispier beet chips.

Once ready, toss with (or brush) a little neutral oil and then place in a single layer on prepared baking sheets.

Then place in the oven and bake at 300ºF/150ºC for between 40-60 minutes. The oven time will vary depending on your specific make/model so I suggest you check on them after 30 minutes, flip the chips over and cook for longer, until the correct texture is achieved.

Top Tip: For even crispier baked beet chips, then allow the chips to cool completely on the oven trays before transferring to another container. They will crisp up more as they cool.

How To Store

Store the chips in an airtight container If completely dried, the dehydrated beetroot can last months, meanwhile, baked beet chips will last 2-3 weeks.

How To Use Beetroot Powder

While the chips can be flavored and eaten as a snack, they can also be used to add texture to salads and other dishes. If you decide to crush some of the beet chips into beetroot powder (using a blender or coffee/spice grinder), then there are several ways you can utilize this product:

• Turn it into a “juice” with a little liquid or add to other juice recipes – like this Green Detox Celery Juice Blend, Ginger Turmeric Immune-Boosting Energy Shots (juicer recipe), or Simple Beetroot And Ginger Juice Recipe.
• Add to shakes or smoothies for additional color and nutrients – like this strawberry & cranberry smoothie bowl or any of these Guide to Healthy Smoothie Recipes.
• Add as a natural colorant to soups and curries.
• Use within baked goods – like this Light and Fluffy Red Velvet Cake.
• Beetroot powder can also be used for cosmetic purposes – such as for a tinted lip balm or blush. Though this isn’t something I know enough about to provide any advice.

Recipe Notes

• If you use the third method for baking snack chips – be aware that without using oil, you’ll never achieve results that are as crispy.
• You should also be able to make the ‘snack’ chips with an air fryer too. Unfortunately, I don’t own one so I don’t know exact settings.
• Feel free to experiment with different seasonings too (for the third method) – such as baking the chips with rosemary, thyme, balsamic, black pepper, etc.
• Some people have found success in slicing the beetroot using the blade in their food processor. Though for others, this can be too thick and you’ll never get crispy chips – so be wary of using that method.

Related Recipes and DIYs

• How to Dehydrate Apples (Dehydrator, Oven, and Air fryer Apple Chips)
• How to Make Chili Flakes
• Oven-Baked Kale Chips
• Gluten-Free Red Lentil Crackers (Lentil Chips)
• Crispy Ginger Chips
• Parmesan Crisps (Keto | Low Carb Chips)
• Easy Homemade Dried Strawberries

If you give this beet chips recipe a go, then let me know your thoughts and any questions in the comments. Also, feel free to tag me in your recreations @AlphaFoodie.