Baked Cinnamon Banana Chips

Here's an alternative to those fried banana chips:

Baked Cinnamon Banana Chips

Since I eat a frozen banana everyday, I wanted to try something different. If you know my eating habits, I do my best to eat healthy, but baked chips and crackers are my absolute weakness, especially Wheat Thins and Triscuits. The sad part is that my friends would even get me Wheat Thins for my birthday!  I know they're not the healthiest snacks, but sometimes I can't overcome my urge for some crunchy carbs. Therefore, I wanted to try baking some banana chips to have the best of both worlds without the guilt.

Banana chips are usually fried and contain preservatives that enable them to retain their yellow color.  Although these don't taste exactly like the fried once (of course), this is definitely a healthier alternative. Since these are baked, the natural sugars from the banana lightly browned and caramelized in the oven. The added kick of cinnamon also complements the caramelized sugar.

Tip: This recipe is very simple, but don't be like me and forget about them in the oven! I went to my room to study and left them in the oven for probably 5 minutes longer than I wanted to. Keep an eye on them! Good thing I saved them before they got burnt.

Banana, lemon juice, and cinnamon

Cooling for a few minutes

Baked Banana Chips:

 Serving Size = 1

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1) Preheat oven to 200F. Spray some non-stick spray or place parchment paper on cookie sheet

2) Peel banana and slice thinly at a diagonal angle. Width = Approx 1.4 inch

3) Squeeze fresh lemon juice into a medium bowl and stir in cinnamon

4) Gently place banana slices into bowl and evenly coat the slices. Be very gentle to avoid breakage

5) Place slices on cookie sheet and bake. Bake for about 2 hours flipping every 30 minutes. Keep your eye on them though to make sure they don't burn because some ovens will make you take them out earlier. Chips won't be crispy right out of the oven, so cool on rack for 5 minutes to get crispy.

Banana chips + my favorite nuts

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Nutrition Facts: Banana

Serving Size= 1 large banana, raw

Calories: 121
Fat: 0g
Carbohydrate: 31g
Dietary Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 17g (all natural!)
Protein: 1

Vitamin B6:  .5mg (25%)
Vitamin C:  11.8mg (20%)
Potassium: 487mg (14%)
Manganese: .4mg (14%)
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