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These vegan cheesy zucchini chips are a light, healthy snack option for the whole family. Get in your veggies in the form of crisp, healthy chips, but without additives or preservatives! Naturally low-carb and gluten-free, they’re also guilt-free, which is good, considering how highly addictive these will be!

Golden zucchini chips fill a bowl beside dipping sauces.

This Vegan Cheesy Zucchini Chips recipe is sponsored by Excalibur Dehydrator.

Why You’ll Love This Vegan Cheesy Zucchini Chips Recipe

If you’re a serial snacker but want to cut down on your calories, fat, and sodium intake, then you are in for a treat with this one! These cheesy zucchini chips deliver the crunch and saltiness that you are craving but in a healthier package.

Zucchinis have three times less calories than potatoes, which is what most commercial chips are made of. They also have more protein and fiber, and are bursting with vitamins A and C. Plus, this recipe uses olive oil, which is one of the healthier oils that you can use. And you can control over how much vegan cheese and salt you put in it. I also used my Excalibur food dehydrator to make these yummy treats, which is a lot better than deep-frying them.

These cheesy zucchini chips are perfect for summer or fall, when zucchini harvests are abundant and grocery store prices are super low. That makes these zucchini chips super budget-friendly, too! They’re the perfect snack for binge-watching your fave TV series or rooting for your team on game day. Bonus: They make the house smell so good while baking!

Ingredients

You only need 4 plant-based ingredients to make this yummy cheesy snack!

  • Zucchinis: Use 6 medium-sized zucchinis or 4 large ones. No need to remove the peel as it is nutrient-dense and will give your snack more nutritional benefits.
  • Olive oil: 3 tablespoons are enough to coat the sliced zucchinis and allow the nutritional yeast and salt to cling to them. This will also help make the chips crunchy as they cook in the dehydrator.
  • Nutritional Yeast: Gives the chips that cheesy flavor that makes them irresistibly good! You can also use vegan parmesan as a substitute for this.
  • Salt: Add between 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons depending on your salt preference. 1 ½ makes really salty chips so you can lessen it as you please. 
Zucchini, oil, nutritional yeast, and salt are arranged before cooking.

How to Make Vegan Cheesy Zucchini Chips

You can have these ready in just 10 minutes. All it involves is slicing and tossing. Here’s how:

Zucchini is cut into thin rounds on a board.

Step 1: After rinsing your zucchinis, slice them in ¼-inch thick slices, or thinner if you prefer with peel-on.

Zucchini rounds are tossed with oil and seasonings.

Step 2: Place the slices in a bowl and add the olive oil, nutritional yeast, and salt. Toss until the zucchinis are fully and evenly coated.

Seasoned zucchini rounds are arranged on a mesh tray.

Step 3: Place each piece evenly in single layers on the trays of your Excalibur Dehydrator.

Zucchini chips dry on stacked mesh trays.

Step 4: Dehydrate at 165 degrees for 5 hours.

Recipe Variations:

No need to stick to just nutritional yeast and salt. If you plan to make these chips as part of your regular movie night or game day treat, variation is a must! You can play around with spices and herbs that you can use to spruce these chips up! You can toss the zucchinis in paprika, basil, thyme, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano onion powder, and a lot more.

Toni’s Recipe Tips

  • Using a mandoline slicer or a food processor with a slicing attachment will make it easier for you to slice the zucchinis evenly and it is quicker.
  • Do not use small zucchinis for this recipe. They will shrink as the moisture is removed and smaller zucchinis tend to have more water content than bigger ones.
  • Use just enough oil to coat the zucchini pieces lightly. Too much oil prevents them from drying out and will result in soggy chips. Not good!
  • The dehydrating time depends on how thin you make the chips to be. Make adjustments by checking on them at least 30 minutes before the suggested cook time.
Zucchini rounds are arranged on a tray inside a dehydrator.

What Else Can I Dehydrate?

Food dehydrators are an often overlooked king of convenience in the kitchen. Think of how many yummy foods are made by dehydrating, that you could make yourself: from homemade granola, bars, tofu jerky, fruit jerky, tortilla chips, greens powders, and even pet treats! Dehydrators allow you to make vibrant, flavorful foods with very little effort. The sky’s the limit to your creativity with this wonderful invention!

Not only are dehydrators easy to use, they’re also a great way to save on money and food waste. A lot of fresh food expires quickly. But by removing the moisture, you can greatly extend the life of your food. Plus, you can make all sorts of yummy food gifts with it! I can’t say enough good things about my Excalibur Dehydrator. It’s rated the best food dehydrator. In addition to my recipe today, there are many other delicious recipes you’ll want to try on their website! 

Golden zucchini chips cool on a mesh tray.

Serving Suggestions – Choose Your Dips!

Of course, chips are always better when served with a delicious dip! Here are some amazing vegan options for you:

  • Pinto Bean Dip: Using only a can of pinto beans, some salsa, fresh jalapeño, nutritional yeast, and cumin, you can whip up a super delicious pinto bean dip in no time
  • French Onion Dip: Perfect for game day, this is a from-scratch veganized version of the French onion dip we’ve all had at parties over the years.
  • Chipotle White Bean Dip: Made using a can of white beans, and a can of chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce with some garlic and seasonings, and I love it.
  • Creamy Tomatillo Avocado Salsa Verde: It instantly elevates your all-time fave snacks or appetizers with its delightful spiciness, smokiness, and creaminess.

More Delicious Vegan Snacks

If you tried this vegan cheesy zucchini chips recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks!

Cookbooks

If you’re loving my recipes and would like a more comprehensive resource, check out my cookbooks!

Vegan Cheesy Zucchini Chips

5 from 5 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 5 hours
Total: 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Golden zucchini chips fill a bowl.
These vegan cheesy zucchini chips are a light, healthy snack option for the whole family. Get in your veggies in the form of crisp, healthy chips, but without additives or preservatives! Naturally low-carb and gluten-free, they're also guilt-free, which is good, considering how highly addictive these will be!

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email & get this sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

Ingredients 

  • 6 medium zucchini
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil
  • 7 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
  • 1-1 1/2 teaspoons of salt (depending on your salt preference – 1 ½ makes really salty chips)

Instructions 

  • Thinly slice zucchinis about ¼-inch thick at the thickest. It’s easier to do this if you have a mandoline or food processor with a slicing attachment.
    Zucchini is cut into thin rounds on a board.
  • Place slices in a large bowl with the olive oil, nutritional yeast, and salt, and toss until all the zucchini slices are evenly coated.
    Zucchini rounds are tossed with oil and seasonings.
  • Line your zucchini slices in single layers on the trays of your Excalibur dehydrator.
    Seasoned zucchini rounds are arranged on a mesh tray.
  • Dehydrate at 165 degrees for 5 hours. Enjoy fresh out of the dehydrator, or store in an airtight container.
    Zucchini chips are served beside a tray and dipping sauce.

Notes

  • Using a mandoline slicer or a food processor with a slicing attachment will make it easier for you to slice the zucchinis evenly and it is quicker.
  • Do not use small zucchinis for this recipe. They will shrink as the moisture is removed and smaller zucchinis tend to have more water content than bigger ones.
  • Use just enough oil to coat the zucchini pieces lightly. Too much oil prevents them from drying out and will result in soggy chips. Not good!
  • The dehydrating time depends on how thin you make the chips to be. Make adjustments by checking on them at least 30 minutes before the suggested cook time.

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 299mgPotassium: 343mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 196IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg

Additional Info

Author: Toni Okamoto
Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Method: dehydration
Diet: Vegan
Tried this recipe?Please tag us at @PlantBasedOnABudget! 🙂
About

Toni Okamoto

Toni Okamoto is the founder of Plant-Based on a Budget, which she started in 2012. She has created over 1,500 budget-friendly vegan recipes and written four cookbooks, including a VegNews Cookbook of the Year and a Publishers Weekly bestseller. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, and NBC News, and has 2 million followers on social media.

More about Toni Okamoto
5 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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