These crispy baked carrot chips are done two ways. One version is spicy, one is sweet. Both are a delicious and different way to eat your vegetables!
If you follow me on Facebook you might’ve already heard about this, but Saturday afternoon I found myself knee deep in my pantry scrubbing 4 day old sticky “light syrup” from an exploded can of mandarin oranges off the walls, shelves, door and other food items it attacked.
Now, I don’t actually eat canned fruit (especially the kind with “light syrup”) so that gives you an idea of how old this thing was.
And yes, it was expired, but only by 2 months.

Last Wednesday we were getting slammed with rain & wind overnight. The kind that wakes you up and keeps you up.
There were flood warnings posted and when I was awoken at 4:33am by it all, I sat there in bed freaking out about our basement which has the tendency to flood and thinking about how I have no idea how Ulysses rigged the last sump pump we installed after the first one burnt out and what the hell I was going to do if that all happened again while he was gone.
So, I finally got the courage to go check on it around 4:45am and trekked down to the basement to luckily find it dry as a bone.
On the way back up the stairs though I heard this ridiculously loud “POP”.
I had no idea where it came from, I was half asleep and the winds were so strong I just assumed it had to be something outside and went back to bed.
Fast forward 4 days later, I’m opening my pantry to eat ALL THE CHOCOLATE since it’s the day after the paleo challenge ended and I come face to face with a shriveled up mandarin orange sitting on top of a package of dates.
That’s weird, I think.
Then I look at the walls and notice weird orangey drips everywhere.
And then, about 3 seconds later it all comes together in my head.
Mandarin orange can = loud pop at 4:45am.
1. gross
2. how did I not notice this for 4 days when I open my pantry approximately 27 times a day?
3. clearing out your entire pantry to clean mandarin orange syrupy walls has exactly 1 benefit…finding a stale bag of veggie chips and getting inspired.

Meet the result of that inspiration: Carrot chips.
Homemade and baked.
One batch sweet.
One batch spicy.

And no worries of expiring in the pantry.
The trick to these carrot chips is slicing them super thin.
I don’t own a mandoline so while it’s not necessary, a very sharp knife is if you cut them into rounds.
If you’re doing the peels approach you just need a good vegetable peeler.
And then you need to watch them like a hawk as they bake.
Seriously, the difference between crispy and burnt when it comes to these carrot chips can happen in a matter of 30 seconds.
Stay vigilant and you’ll have crispy, crunchy perfectly baked carrot chips!
You could also try them in an air fryer if you have one.
Or, just make my air fryer carrots which are perfectly tender with crispy golden edges and an equally delicious way to enjoy this vegetable.
They’re a fun snack alternative to potato chips when you’re craving a savory crunch and just a tad healthier.
For a sweet alternative, apple chips in the air fryer are the ticket!
Enjoy!
Looking for more ways to enjoy carrots? Try this creamy carrot soup, Mediterranean carrot salad or, carrot citrus salad.

Crispy Baked Carrot Chips: 2 Ways
Ingredients
For Sweet Carrot Chips
- 1 carrot sliced very thinly into rounds
- 1/2 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- pinch of kosher salt
- cinnamon I used about 1/2 teaspoon for a “light” cinnamon taste
For Spicy Carrot Chips
- 2 carrots shaved into peels using a vegetable peeler
- 1/2 tablespoon melted coconut oil
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper depending on heat preference
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine carrots (either rounds or peels depending on which version you’re making) in a medium bowl with coconut oil & spices. Toss to combine.
- Transfer to the baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, watching carefully. Chips can go from crispy to burnt in as little as a minute since they are so thin.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.
Gina Matsoukas is the writer, founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients as much as possible. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Ashley F
Tuesday 1st of December 2020
Loved how easy this was to make! Perfect for snacking!
Beth
Tuesday 1st of December 2020
Out of a sticky mess came this tasty snack - perfect!
Hannah Flack
Tuesday 6th of October 2020
"Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular article! It is the little changes that make the largest changes. Thanks for sharing!"
Hannah Flack
Monday 5th of October 2020
"We are a bunch of volunteers and opening a new scheme in our community. Your web site offered us with helpful info to work on. You’ve performed an impressive job and our whole group will probably be thankful to you"
Cynthia Yearwood
Sunday 25th of June 2017
I cannot get them crisp. I have tried rounds and peeler types. All I get is burnt flimsy carrots. I cannot get them any thinner than a vegetable peeler. What am I doing wrong?