Banana chips are deep-fried, dried slices of banana that are coated in sugar or honey. They are pale yellow, round slices and are often sold in bulk and eaten as snacks or sometimes used in baking. The chips are crispy, flavorful and sweet and are quite high in calories and fat.
A portion of 3 ounces (85 g) of banana chips has 441 calories and 29 grams of fat. However, they can be used sparingly to top cereal or muffins. A few chips can go a long way flavor-wise since extra banana flavoring is usually added to the commercial chips. The fat content is high because the chips are deep-fried in oil before being dried. This gives them their appealing crispness.
Banana chips can be made in a food dehydrator and this eliminates the high fat content since no oil or deep-frying is needed. But the crispy texture is usually lost in this method and the chips may be tough and look brown. Some people dry banana slices into chips by baking them in a regular oven, but the flavor may be lost in the oven-drying method.
The chips are also available in organic varieties, meaning that organically-grown bananas are used for the chips. Chocolate-covered ones are also available in some areas. Banana chips are great to have on hand when a bit of banana flavor is desired since fresh bananas don't keep very long.
Banana chips can be used to top ice cream sundaes along with or instead of nuts and many people enjoy them with chocolate ice cream and chocolate syrup. You can also use them on top of chocolate frosting to decorate a chocolate banana cake. A few chips tossed into trail mix can add a lot of flavor. Remember to enjoy them in moderation because of their high fat content. Fresh bananas are much healthier and can be used in many dishes.