Oven-Baked Zucchini Chips: Calories, Nutrition, and Recipe

4.16 from 105 votes

Why hit the vending machine when you can have a yummy superfood snack?

oven baked zucchini chips

Move over potato chips – there’s a new snack in town! Vending machine chips had a good run, but they’re filled with saturated fat and other unpronounceable ingredients. Even though I know they’re bad for me, I still reach for those processed chips all too often. They seemed to be the only thing that satisfies my urge for a crispy, crunchy snack. Luckily, we figured out a way for you to have your cake and eat it, too. These oven-baked zucchini chips are low in fat and calories, and they’re best described with one simple word: yummy.

Have you ever compared zucchini chips calories to potato chips calories? It’s not even a contest! There’s a good reason that zucchini is one of our favorite vegetables. It grows in abundance in the summertime, and it’s super easy to cook with. You can eat it raw as zoodles, sauté it as a stir-fry, slice it and toss it on the grill, or roast it in the oven. It’s full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In fact, did you know that dark green zucchini boasts high levels of beta-carotene? That helps boost your immune system and promote healthy vision, too.

Potato Chips Calories vs. Zucchini Chips Calories: No Contest

These zucchini chips are a great way to use this versatile veggie!

We love cooking with zucchini, but we wanted to try something new. What if we tossed it with the perfect combination of seasonings and turned this mild-flavored vegetable into a tasty, crunchy treat? If we could pull it off, we could forever skip the processed bag of chips and replace them with these fantastic oven-baked zucchini chips. A crunchy snack with only 99 calories per serving? Sign me up! A small bag of potato chips contains more than three times as many calories! Did you know there was such a huge difference between potato chips calories and zucchini chips calories? You do now!

It was such a great success we had to share it with you. We found a process that is really simple to follow, too, so you can make these chips anytime you have the craving! All you need is to coat them with a crunchy topping (we recommend these healthy homemade breadcrumbs) and bake them in a high-temperature oven. If you want to make them gluten-free, simply swap in some gluten-free breadcrumbs. After only 10 to 15 minutes, your healthy snack is ready to eat!

The Wait Will Be Worth It!

oven baked zucchini chips

We do recommend you exercise a little bit of patience after you bake them, though. The chips continue to crisp up as they cool, and they’re even better at room temperature. It’s hard to wait those few extra minutes, but trust me – it’s worth it! Then, store them in an air-tight container until you’re ready to snack. Check out the video to see how easy it is to whip up this healthy snack!

4.16 from 105 votes

Oven-Baked Zucchini Chips

These oven-baked zucchini chips are low in fat and calories, and they’re best described with one simple word: yummy.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Yield 4 people
Serving Size 1 /4 recipe
Course Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine American

Ingredients

  • 1 zucchini,  large, cut into 1/8 inch – 1/4 inch slices
  • 1/3 cup whole-grain breadcrumbs (optional Panko)
  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, reduced-fat
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Kosher or sea salt to taste
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 tablespoons milk, low-fat

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
  • Combine in a small mixing bowl breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper. Dip zucchini slices into milk and dredge into bread crumbs to coat both sides. Note: It may be necessary to press crumbs onto zucchini slices to ensure the crumbs stick.
  • Arrange zucchini on a non-stick cookie sheet and lightly mist with a non-stick cooking spray.
  • If using a rack, place the rack on a cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, turn over, and continue baking until golden, approximately 10-15 minutes (being careful not to burn). Allow to cool to room temperature before storing in an airtight container.
  • TIP: Zucchini Chips will continue to get crispier while cooling.

Notes

For gluten-free chips, use gluten-free bread crumbs.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1/4 recipe | Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 241mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g |
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 2
Keywords Diabetic-Friendly, Kid-Friendly, Low-Carb, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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Did you know the difference between potato chips calories vs. zucchini chips calories?

If you enjoy this recipe for baked zucchini chips, you might also like to try:

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Editor’s Note: Originally published May 8, 2013 

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Gale Compton

Gale co-founded SkinnyMs. with a goal to provide women with delicious recipes, fitness routines, and ways to reach their ideal weight. Gale has been featured on the Today Show in which she won a cook off for the best Lasagna. Be sure to search for her winning recipe, Skinny Lasagna Rolls.

Guided by her firm belief in healthy eating and the power of exercise, Gale has written two cookbooks and several fitness ebooks. She earned her Fitness Training Certification from, National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association. Gale loves to run with her dog Maggie and has completed numerous half-marathons.

More by Gale

95 Comments

  1. It's great that it yields 4 servings, but how many chips count as 1 serving? Am I missing it somewhere?

    1. That depends on the thickness of the chips and size of the zucchini. Everyone will have a different yield.

  2. Could someone tell me how many ounces would make a serving? That should be easier than size since no 2 zucchini are the same.

  3. I would love to make these for my vegan daughter.

    Do you have suggestions to replace the cheese and milk/egg white parts of the recipe?

    1. Try using a little oil to toss the chips in before breading. I think there are vegan versions of the cheese.

    2. Use vegan cheeses found in your local grocery although you may have to a health food store for a variety of cheeses. A light spritz of oil or grapeseed oil will work or non stick cooking spray then sprinkle the coating on top. You can also try soy or rice milk.

    3. Try Nutritional yeast to replace cheese. It comes in a yellow flakey powder, tastes delicious and is one of the only vegan sources of Vitamin B12, as well as many essential amino acids. It tastes great sprinkled on popcorn that has been drizzled with flax oil and a dash of sea salt. You can sprinkle it on salads, pastas, any dish really to add a nice cheesy flavour boost. It will prob stick to the zucchini without liquid, just the moisture naturally on it after slicing. You don't need bread crumbs as the yeast acts as a light crisp delicate breading. Add some spices to the yeast to add flavours before coating the chips if you like. Try other kinds of vegetable chips too, kale is popular. As always though it is best not to bake them, as all cooking of vegetables destroys the nutrients. It is best to throw these chips in a food dehydrator where they will slowly be dried to a crisp at low temperatures so as to preserve all the nutrients and you don't need any oil.

      Want a creamy dip for these? Take a ripe avocado and blend it with a squeeze of lemon juice, a dash of sea salt. This replaces dips, sour cream for potatoes, sauces for pasta or rice dishes. Zucchini also makes great raw pasta for this sauce when you twist it through a spiralizer. You can then optionally add flax or hemp oil for omega 3's, tahini, nut or seed butters, fresh dill or other spices to taste, tomatoes or other soft veggies like zucchini or spinach. Omit the salt, throw in a banana and add some cocoa powder and you have a delicious chocolate pudding for desert.

      Another tip…for "mac and cheese" get some organic brown rice pasta. put a couple of Tablespoons of Sunflower seed butter, and a couple of flax oil and enough water to make it smooth. Done, yummy! Add some nutritional yeast for an even cheesier taste. Pumpkin seeds have a cheesy taste as well.

      Hope this helps! Happy Healthy Eating!

      1. I've been wondering how to use my brewers yeast. Thanks for all your great ideas. I'm not a vegan but I love vegie dishes.

        1. Linda, I\’ve only used it in baking breads so I\’m not sure as far as vegan recipes go. I recommend googling.

    4. I don't know about the cheese, but I use almond milk for everything. I'm not vegan, I just like that it's actually a bit thicker consistency than skim milk but with 1/3 the calories. I don't notice any taste difference in cooking.

    5. ground flax seed with water is a good egg replacement. Google it to see the ratio of flax to water. I believe offhand it is, 3 TBS water to 1 TBS ground flax seed.

  4. I can't wait to try these! They look scrumptious! Of course I'll likely blow the numbers out of the park because I want to dip them into ranch dressing! I also pinned it to my Pintrest board to share. Thanks!

  5. I use oyster sauce instead of egg or milk with no salt as the sauce is salty enough. You can also get vegetarian oyster sauce.

  6. I made these with 1-1/2 large zucchini and so I added 1/2 again of the other ingredients. They are very good. I ate the entire batch in one sitting. At first I wasn't too upset because they were healthy homegrown, organic veggies and I made my own breadcrumbs with sprouted grain bread to boot. Then made the mistake of counting the calories I just consumed. 600! And 72 carbs. 🙁 At least it was clean, whole food right?

  7. I let my toddler help make these! She had a blast and was excited to try them. I actually used both eggplant and zucchini. I am wondering how you store them? I notice they got very soft the next day.

    1. Dalquirri, They’re best if eating the same day. I put them in a ziplock bag after cooling completely.

      1. I would probably add just a little raw rice to the ziploc or jar if you want to keep them crisp a little bit longer.. rice will absorbs the dampness, if any

  8. Can't wait to try, good for my weight watcher diet. Thank you Also a great thing to take to a party.

  9. Wendy, I cut them very thin with a mandolin and just tossed them in parmesan mixed with the spices. Then I baked them at about 300 for as long as it took. Most were crispy–they were brown but didn't taste burned–but some weren't. They were all delicious. We ate them all–no leftovers to get soggy!

  10. Thank you for this great recipe-this has become my new favorite snack! I have already made them twice this week:)

    1. Hi Angela,

      The answer is I'm not sure. The breadcrumbs do aid in the crispiness, but if you do try it without, let us know how it goes:).

    1. We store them in a ziplock baggie and don't refrigerate. They usually keep about an hour in our house, since we all eat them right after preparing. I would suggest they last a few days but tend to lose some of the crunch when kept in a baggie too long.

    1. Carine, You can but then you will have something more like zucchini nachos. The cheddar cheese will melt, rather than get crisp.

  11. I tried both hi and low heat and the zucchini chips turned out the same way, shrinking to a 1/4 of the original size. They look no where like the chips in any of the pictures (deep fried).
    Any suggestions?

    1. Doug, They will shrink as they lose their water, yes. Though they do not always come out as pretty as the picture, they are certainly delicious. Besides the sprinkled parm, you can sprinkle with paprika or chopped chives to improve the appearance.

  12. Arnie, Low fat products use sugars and other spices to make the food taste similar to the original product. The added things are what isn't good for you.

  13. I'm trying to stay real low-carb (Atkins induction). I'll try the almond milk dip instead of cow's milk. Do you think I'd be able to use ground flax seeds instead of bread crumbs? Would the slices still come out crispy?

  14. Flax seeds won't get crunchy, but ground nuts would. You just need to keep a really close eye on them so they do not burn, and slice the veg as thin as possible

    1. While we haven't made this substitution ourselves, we think it should work. Just watch them carefully while baking to ensure that they don't burn.

  15. Baking in the oven now. I only brushed them with ikuve oil and seasoning. Can’t wait till they are done and I can enjoyt!!

  16. the pain in my knee must be affecting my senior brain..lol..soo..if i have 30 chips (from my 1 zucc.) divide by 4 is 7 servings? so then what??..lol..sry never was good at math..thx ahead..Gail

    1. Carley, The fridge will make them soft. They typically don’t last long enough to get stale, at least
      not in my house. 🙂

  17. Where can you mind reduced fat parmesan cheese? If I can’t find it can I use reduced mozzarella cheese instead?

    1. Unfortunately, mozzarella won’t work as well in this recipe. We find reduced fat parmesan in the dairy section of our local grocery store. If you are unable to find any, we recommend using full fat parmesan.

  18. Just out of the oven~will be a very nice addition to our multi-restructured diet demands. Hubby has to follow FODMAP friendly eats and I’m type 2 diabetic, so with a little adjustment, we both can enjoy! Sliced 1/2 each of zucchini & yellow (summer) squash;tossed them with 1T garlic infused oil (he can’t have garlic powder) with couple shakes of hot sauce; reduced bread crumbs to 1T Gluten Free mixed into zipper bag with rest of ingredients; tossed them in coating and baked about 20 min. Not too crispy, but really good flavor!

  19. Sorry, this may be a stupid question (since I’m not much of a cook)

    But if I don’t have an oven, any alternatives on getting this done?

    1. Hi Mia, the only alternative that is sure to work is a food dehydrator. You could try this in a toaster oven on the lowest temperature if you feel like experimenting!

  20. i won’t lie, when i first encountered this recipe and read all the rave reviews, i thought to myself ‘how good can these really be? they seem too easy.’ if i knew how to insert some type of emoji here to announce what AN IDIOT i was to ever think that i definitely would. cuz these are awesome!! and SO easy! in fact, i only got to eat four of them because my veggie-hating husband came home right after they got out of the oven and ate the entire pan. and i’m not joking. halfway through he stopped for a beat and asked “what even are these? they’re amazing.” that was the only second i had to grab a few for myself. i followed the recipe exactly except used vegan parm and olive oil to toss instead of milk. a note…make a buuuunch of those homemade breadcrumbs, used them on my mac and cheese bake i sent to his work potluck the next day. they’re mighty tasty! making these bad boys again this weekend! first time on your site and definitely won’t be my last! thanks so much for sharing!

    1. Wow, Vanessa! We’re so glad you and your husband enjoyed our Baked Zucchini Chips recipe! I loved your tip for substituting vegan parm and olive oil for the milk. What a great idea! We have a lot of other yummy chip recipes on our site if you’d like to check them out. My favorite are these Baked Parmesan Broccoli Medallion Chips – with a little marinara for dipping!

  21. Hubby has to do low carbs because he is diabetic. So just slice zucchini and place on a parapet towel lined tray. Salt them and continue layering paper towel in between each layer. Let sit about 30 minutes to drain some of the water out of the zucchini. Then line a pan with parchment paper and place slices on the pan. Spray with PAM. Sprinkle very lightly with Pepper and garlic powder. Then roast. They are absolutely delicious and less carbs and calories. Sometimes also sprinkle with a little fresh chopped rosemary and thyme before roasting

    1. Emily, A couple of days should be fine. Keep in mind they aren’t as crunchy afer being stored for an extended period of time.

  22. I’ve been eating these for over 40 yrs now.
    They are amazingly delicious.
    Make a LOT they are addictive.

  23. Good. Two of my three kids (8 & 4 year-old) loved these. I must admit, I thought they would be crispier. The bread crumb mixture gave a bit of crunch, though the zucchini itself was still soft. Definitely will try again, though. Maybe longer in the oven or higher temp.? I am at a high altitude.

  24. I made these last night to go with beans and cornbread; they complimented good. I did end up adding 3/4 tsp. of Italian seasoning.

  25. We tried zucchini sticks and chips, we like chips better since I pile just a tad on top. This is definitely a keeper and will cut down on french fries! Yum!!

  26. Our garden of zucchini has exploded. I’m trying these tonight for the first time. They are in the oven right now.

  27. Things stay crisper if you put them in the fridge. Chips, cookies, anything like that–the fridge dehydrates things.

    1. Yes, this is true for some refrigerators if items are left uncovered so condensation does not occur. However, this is not something we recommend as it can cause cross contamination of food and/or foodborn illness.

  28. I have a dinner party tonight and was going to make the chips before I leave for work. Will they stay crispy for 7-8 hours or is it best to bake right before leaving?

    1. Sara, Always best when fresh. You can bake them ahead of time then pop back in the over for a few, when you get home. Let us know what your guests thinks. 🙂

  29. My Hubby, who cannot boil water for tea, told me to try using the air fryer to see if the Z-slices crisped properly. I did about 10 slices for 10 min. at 400; they dried out so well I put them on a wire rack atop my cookie sheet, and had to watch them closely lest they burned. Crisped very well. A few thicker slices (I just used a chef’s knife) I crisped by turning on the broiler at the “low” setting. again checked every minute and a half. Perfect!

    1. Thank you for they air fryer tips, Julie! I love making new things (like these Zucchini Chips) in my air fryer!

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