A healthy afternoon snack is an absolute must at our house every day. And one of my toddler’s (and my) favorites are Baked Sweet Potato Chips.
[Recipe Updated 11/7/19, originally posted 10/9/18]: To get away from the usual goldfish or pretzel snack, I’m baking these yummy healthy Baked Sweet Potato Chips for my kiddos this week!
We have had a week of visitor with both my dad in town and friends, so we are getting back to eating healthy. Side note: Beany calls Mr. Potato Head “Sweet Potato” 😂 😂 😂
My toddler has been a picky eater for a while. Which for the records, kills me inside. I want nothing more than to offer her the very best foods in the world, but of course she would rather eat the same 5 things every day 😫
But everyday, I remind myself that she is just a kid and it’s totally fine to be a picky eater. Someday her taste-buds will change (fingers crossed) and she will start trying new foods. For now, all I can do is keep offering up new colors, flavors and textures in different ways.
Sweet potato, for example, is one of those foods she use to love as a baby but as a toddler decided, “no thanks.” I’ve tried it baked, roasted, in soup form and nothing. Until I recently tried baked chips. Winner? Oh yea… total winner!
Why I love these chips? Man so many reasons. They are…
Crunchy
Healthy
Delicious
Salty/sweet
Baked
Easy
Toddler-loved
The thing about these Baked Sweet Potato Chips is they don’t require a lot of work, just patience and a good eye. Basically after slicing up the potatoes, they bake in the oven for a while. Mine take 45 min-1 hr usually. The biggest difference between my baked chips and others on the web is that I use a little oil.
I do not believe that a little oil make foods unhealthy. A little olive oil is by no means “bad” for you. And in this recipe it helps the chips crisp up a bit quicker so you don’t have to bake them for 2+ hours as in most others recipes.
I love baking these as a special weekend snack or on a slow afternoon while I fold endless mounds of laundry. They really are the perfect snack. My kid thinks they are the best things ever and I’m just happy she is eating a nutritious natural snack. Win win.
One note about these crispy bad boys, they are really easy to burn. So I like to stir and check them every 5 min to make sure they do not brown too much. They are ready when they are orange with lightly browned edges. Sometimes they don’t feel crispy on the baking sheet, but once set on the cooling rack, they crisp up instantly. Just don’t let them brown completely because they will taste burnt.
Another important note, just eat them. Don’t save them. Sadly they do get chewy if stored overnight. For that reason I always make just enough for my toddler and I to enjoy. No more.
Feeding toddlers is always an adventure or a crapshoot depending on how you look at it. But all we can do is our best and hope they like it right?
Happy crunching friends!
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes (organic preferably)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. With a silicone brush, grease a baking sheet with a little olive oil.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully slice sweet potatoes into very thin half moons. First slice the potato the long way and then with the potato flat side down make little moons.
- Spread out slices on the cookie sheet in a single layer. Lightly brush 1-2 tablespoons of oil over the potato slices with a silicone brush or spray with oil cooking spray. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt.
- Bake for 20-25 min. Check the potatoes after the first 10min, then every 5 after that. When one side is starting to get browned edges and curls, flip them. Remove once crisp and lightly brown. Some may feel a little tender in the middle but take them out and let them rest for 5 minutes or so to crisp up. Serve immediately.
Originally posted 2019-11-07 10:39:18.
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