Beet chips are one of those snacks that disappear faster than you can make them. Slice thin, sprinkle with salt, dehydrate, and you have a crunchy, deeply colored chip that’s far healthier than anything from a bag. My daughter Tesla discovered beet chips after finding a free dehydrator on NextDoor, and they’ve become a regular in our household. The hardest part is keeping the pantry stocked.
Note: This is a post from Tesla Stainbrook (my millennial daughter). Her video tutorial is at the end.
Quick Summary: Homemade beet chips are crunchy, nutritious, and addictive. Made with just beets and salt in a dehydrator (8-10 hours at 135°F). Healthier than store-bought chips with no additives. Not low carb due to beet’s natural sugars, but a nutrient-dense snack. From Tesla Stainbrook. Prep: 5 min | Dehydrate: 8-10 hours | Serves: 4
Jump to: RECIPE | Best Dehydrators | Best Dried Veggies | Storing | Serving Suggestions | FAQ
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Best Dehydrator for Garden Produce
A few months ago I downloaded the NextDoor app- not really having any idea how I’d use it. Well, I found the “free” section, and I was hooked! Not even a week into using the app, I found myself the proud new owner of a dehydrator.
Of course, I scoured Pinterest and good ol’ Google for recipes. The only thing I knew you could dehydrate was apples- and I’m not very fond of dehydrated apple chips myself.
If you are just starting to dehydrate, go for something inexpensive until you see whether you will like the taste of dehydrated food. If you find you’re really into it, I would recommend one of the Nesco dehydrators, like the Gardenmaster below. My mom has tried a number of them and this one lasted the longest and produced the best chips.
Just make sure you get one with a temperature control that allows a range of temperatures. Caveat: stay away from the Ivation brand….doesn’t last and has terrible customer service.
Best Vegetables to Dehydrate
After a super quick search on Pinterest I realized you can pretty much dehydrate anything (dehydrated watermelon, anyone?!) I found a list of options on Pinterest and decided to make my way through the massive list. Well, that didn’t work out very well since I got to the Salt & Vinegar cucumber chips and just made them over and over again.
I did get around to trying the beet chips however, and although this was the first time I made these beet chips- it will definitely not be the last!
Because my parents typically follow a low-carb diet, we are going to have to explore all the different low-carb vegetables in the dehydrator.
Next up, I plan on getting my parents as hooked on the salt and vinegar cucumber chips as I am, and then maybe some of the cauliflower popcorn. I’m also curious to try the jerky recipes! The possibilities are endless!
How to Store Dried Beet Chips
Before working remotely during the 2020 quarantine, I loved to take snack-type items to work at the high school. These days, they don’t travel as far, but the beet chips are still the perfect snack in between my many work-from-home meals.
One other snack I rely on heavily (although not made in the dehydrator) is these roasted harissa chickpeas.
I typically store my dehydrated items in a large mason jar, though I know many people will store them in Ziploc bags. We are trying to reduce waste, plastic, and unnecessary trips to the store, so if I were going to store the chips in a bag, I would probably get cloth, breathable bags like these that my principal swears by.
However, for the beet chips I prefer using a mason jar or other glass container so they don’t get squished or broken up in the bags.
Are Beet Chips Healthy?
Beets are chock full of nutrients such as fiber, Vitamin C, and folates. They are also low-calorie and have been proven to lower blood pressure.
So yes, beets are very healthy, but if you are on a low-carb diet, they don’t work well as a compliant vegetable. They are considered a starchy vegetable, as are most root vegetables, and that’s a no-no on low-carb diets.
Although you can buy beet chips in the store, as with other processed foods, there are many additives and preservatives added to the packaged versions. With just beets and salt in the ingredient list, these beet chips are a tasty, crunchy alternative to the store-bought versions and much healthier than potato chips or processed vegetable chips.
How to Serve Beet Chips
Even though there are so many great ways to serve beet chips, I think my favorite is just straight out of the dehydrator!
If you’re not a fan of them straight up, here are some other great options for serving these beet chips:
- With a side of hummus or baba ghanoush
- On a cheese board or with charcuterie
- For all my fellow Midwesterners, ranch or French onion dip would be a “taste treat” (as my dad says)
- Beet chips would be a great lower-carb alternative for croutons in salads
- As a topping for a cold beet gazpacho/ soup
Although I dried these in slices to eat as a “chip”, you could also make the dried beets into a beetroot powder. I love adding the beetroot powder to smoothies, both for the color and taste, as well as the nutrition.
Similar Recipes You’ll Love
Check out the following recipes for more ideas for low-carb snacks we love (and we think you will too):
Grow Your Own Beets
You can easily grow beets in a container (and of course in your garden). As a long-time gardener growing both ways, my post below can inspire you to try it yourself!
FAQ
No. Beets are a root vegetable with natural sugars, making them higher in carbs than most vegetables. They’re not compliant with slow carb or keto diets. However, they’re nutrient-dense and far healthier than potato chips.
Stored in an airtight container (glass jars work best), dried beet chips keep for several weeks. Keep them in a cool, dry place. They’ll stay crunchier longer in a jar than in a plastic bag.
A mandoline makes thin, uniform slices much easier, but you can slice by hand with a sharp knife. The key is consistent thickness so all chips dry at the same rate.
135°F for 8-10 hours. Check at 8 hours. Thinner slices dry faster. They should be crisp, not leathery.
Yes, though the texture may differ. Bake at 300°F for about 30-40 minutes, flipping halfway through. Watch carefully as they can burn quickly.
Cucumbers (especially salt and vinegar style), zucchini, kale, sweet potatoes, and apples all dehydrate beautifully. Tesla’s salt and vinegar cucumber chips are particularly addictive.
Check out this preserving category for more guides on drying, pickling and preserving fresh fruits and vegetables.
Low Carb Beet Chips
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium- large beets
- 1 tbsp salt or to taste
Instructions
- Peel and slice beets using the mandolin (or thinly slice with a knife).4 medium- large beets
- Lay beets out on dehydrator trays in a single layer.
- Sprinkle salt on beets.1 tbsp salt
- Turn on dehydrator to 135 degrees Fahrenheit and leave the dehydrator on for 8-10 hours.
Video
Nutrition
Do you cook the beets first or is it raw before slicing???
They are just sliced raw. Thank you for asking!
What temperature do you bake these in the oven and how long. What is the recipe for baking them in the oven. Please and thank you.
Hi Jacqueline, Set your oven temp to the lowest it will go (usually about 200 F) and dry for 3 1/2 hours. Check them occasionally as some will dry quicker than others. You can turn the pan around every so often. Oven temps are not usually even unless you have a convection oven, which would be optimal.
Thankyou for sharing this beautiful and very helpful post. I really like your post.
Do you have to peel the since there are so many nutrients in the skin. I was wondering what they would taste like if I sprinkle them with ranch seasoning
Sorry for the delay in responding. No, you do not need to peel the beets first, as long as you scrub them well. It would be helpful to use organically grown beets if you can, as the pesticides would be more in the skins than the flesh. I love ranch seasoning and think that would be awesome!
Easy to Do. I dipped bet slices on 50/50 AVC/Filtered Water. Sprinkled lightly with Redmond Real salt. Turned out great. This recipe is a keeper
Thanks for the tips on the water and salt Roger. Appreciate it.
I can’t wait to try this, I love beets. My digestive issues have been on going and without eating a few beets every day to help. This looks like a great alternative. I will be checking out the rest of your web site. Can you recommend a good book for drying and juicing my garden vegetables for storage.
Hi Daris, I’m sorry to hear about digestive issues. I have started getting these issues as I age and have finally self-diagnosed it to be due to slow motility upon aging. Taking Iberogast and watching what eat has helped a lot. Re a book on juicing vegetables, I would recommend The Juicing Bible by Pat Crocker. For drying veggies, try The Beginners Guide to Dehydrating Food, by Teresa Marrone. You should be able to find these at the library before purchasing. Best of luck!