Butternut Squash Chips - Dehydrator Method

By
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith is a food writer and certified botanist who has written five books on foraging and preserving food.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/22/22
Butternut Squash Chips - Dehydrator Method

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 12 hrs
Total: 12 hrs 10 mins
Servings: 3 servings
Yield: 3 cups
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
242 Calories
1g Fat
63g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 3
Amount per serving
Calories 242
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 24mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 23%
Dietary Fiber 19g 69%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 91mg 457%
Calcium 248mg 19%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 1718mg 37%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Crisp and both savory and sweet, these butternut squash chips are an irresistible snack. Made in a dehydrator, these are much healthier than conventional chips and skip the expense and grease of deep-fried versions.

Ingredients

  • 1 large butternut squash

  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Butternut Squash Chips - Dehydrator Method ingredients

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  2. Cut off the round, seed-containing bottom half portion of the squash and reserve it for another recipe. You will only be using the "neck" portion of the squash in this recipe.

    butternut squash cut in half on a cutting board

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  3. Trim the stem end of the squash's neck. Slice off the thick skin.

    remove the squash skin

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  4. Cut the butternut squash neck into very thin rounds or slices. They should be almost transparent. You can use a mandoline, the slicing blade of a food processor, a vegetable peeler, or a knife (be careful!) to do this.

    squash slices

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  5. Toss the squash slices with the oil, if using. Use your clean hands to separate the pieces and coat each of them with the oil.

    squash slices and oil in a bowl

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  6. Arrange the butternut squash pieces on the trays of your dehydrator, making sure that none of the pieces are overlapping.

    squash slices in a dehydrator

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  7. Dry the squash at 145F/63C (the highest setting on most dehydrators) for 2 hours. Reduce the heat to 110F/43C and dry for an additional 8 - 10 hours.

    food and jerky dehydrator

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  8. The squash chips should be crisp and curling up (like conventional fried chips), but still bright orange and not showing any signs of discoloration. They may not seem fully crisp while they are still warm: let them cool for 10 minutes with the dehydrator turned off. They will crisp up the way cookies do after they come out of the oven. If after the cooling off period they still aren't crisp, turn the dehydrator back on at 110F/43C and dry them for an additional 1 - 2 hours.

    butternut squash chips in a dehydrator

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

  9. Sprinkle the salt, if using, over the chips. Eat immediately or transfer, once cooled to room temperature, into airtight containers.

    Butternut Squash Chips - Dehydrator Method in a container

    The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Tip

The chips will retain their crunch for up to a week, but can be stored for up to a month. If they start to lose their crispness, put them back into the dehydrator at 145F/63C for 15 minutes, or in a 250F/120C oven for 5 minutes.

Recipe Variations

  • Play around with seasonings in addition to, or instead of, the salt. Add a sprinkle of ground cayenne pepper if you like it spicy. Try a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for a savory, cheese-y flavor. Dried sage goes well with butternut squash. A pinch of curry powder is also good.
  • Try this method with other varieties of winter squash. Pumpkin and acorn squashes work well. Thinner fleshed winter squashes such as Delicata are tasty but don't yield as many chips for the same amount of prep time. The only winter squash that is a total no-go for chips is Spaghetti squash.

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