The Ridiculously Simple Two-Ingredient Chips That Made Me Question Everything I Know About Snacking

Okay, so I’m standing in my kitchen at 2 PM on a Wednesday, staring at a sweet potato and a bag of nutritional yeast like they hold the secrets to the universe. My oil bottle is literally right there, but I’m about to ignore it completely — and honestly, it felt like culinary rebellion.

Here’s what actually works: Sweet potato (or any root vegetable) + nutritional yeast = chips that don’t suck. No oil. No fancy equipment. Just two ingredients that somehow create something actually worth eating.

Why This Works (And Why I Was Skeptical)

The biggest mistake people make with oil-free chips is thinking you need oil for crispiness. That’s backwards thinking. What you actually need is surface area and controlled dehydration — which happens when you slice vegetables thin and let heat do its thing.

Sweet potatoes contain natural sugars that caramelize. Nutritional yeast adds this weird umami thing that tricks your brain into thinking there’s more going on than there actually is. Together, they create what I can only describe as “accidentally addictive.”

After testing this for three months (because I’m that person), here’s what I learned:

It works best when you slice everything paper-thin. Like, annoyingly thin. Your mandoline becomes your best friend, or your knuckles become battle-scarred from aggressive knife work.

The Method That Actually Works 80% of the Time

Here’s the thing — I’ve made these chips probably 50+ times now, and there’s a rhythm to it:

1. Slice your vegetable stupidly thin. Sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips, even zucchini work. Thick slices = sad, chewy disappointment.

   
   

2. Sprinkle nutritional yeast like you mean it. Not a light dusting. Actually coat them. The yeast sticks to the natural moisture and creates this golden crust situation.

   
   

3. Bake at 375°F for 15-25 minutes. Check them obsessively after 15 minutes because the line between “perfect chip” and “charcoal disk” is about 3 minutes.

   
   

The weirdest part? They actually get crispier as they cool down. Something about moisture evaporation continuing after you pull them out. I learned this by accident when I got distracted by a phone call.

What Nobody Tells You About Oil-Free Chips

They taste different. Not worse, just… different. You taste the actual vegetable instead of oil and salt. It’s like someone turned up the contrast on your taste buds.

Timing is everything. Unlike regular chips where oil kind of saves you from overcooking, these go from perfect to burnt faster than you’d expect. Set a timer. Seriously.

Storage gets weird. They don’t stay crispy the same way oil-based chips do. Eat them fresh, or accept that tomorrow’s leftovers will be more like “vegetable crackers.” Still good, just different.

The Real Cost Breakdown

One sweet potato: $0.75
Nutritional yeast (per batch): $0.25
Total per batch: $1.00

Compare that to fancy vegetable chips from the store ($4-6 per bag), and you’re looking at saving maybe $200+ per year if you’re a regular chip person.

Common Problems & How I Fixed Them

Problem: Chips come out chewy, not crispy
Fix: Slice thinner. I know you think they’re thin enough. They’re not.

Problem: Uneven browning
Fix: Single layer only. Overlapping = sad, soggy spots. Use two baking sheets if needed.

Problem: They stick to the pan
Fix: Parchment paper or a silicone mat. Learned this the hard way after scraping sweet potato remnants off my baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Is It Actually Worth the Effort?

Honestly? It takes about 6 weeks of making these regularly before your brain stops expecting “normal” chips. But once you get there, something weird happens — store-bought chips start tasting like oil and salt with a side of vegetable, instead of the other way around.

Here’s what shocked me most: my kids actually ask for these now. Kids who would normally choose Doritos over vegetables are requesting sweet potato chips. I’m not sure if I should be proud or concerned about my influence.

Best Vegetables for Beginners

Sweet potatoes: Most forgiving, naturally sweet
Beets: Dramatic color, earthy flavor
Parsnips: Surprisingly nutty, crisp up well

Avoid zucchini until you’re confident with the technique. Too much water content makes them tricky.

The Nutritional Yeast Situation

If you’ve never used nutritional yeast, it’s this yellow flaky stuff that tastes vaguely cheesy without being cheese. Health food stores have it. Amazon has it. It keeps forever and adds this savory depth to basically everything.

Can you substitute it? Technically yes — garlic powder, onion powder, even just salt work. But nutritional yeast brings something special to the table. It’s worth buying once to see what happens.

What’s Next?

The crazy thing about figuring out oil-free chips is it opens up this whole world of ingredient combinations. I’m currently experimenting with thinly sliced apples + cinnamon, and zucchini + everything bagel seasoning.

Quick question: What vegetable have you been afraid to turn into chips? Because honestly, after three months of this experimentation, I’m convinced almost anything works if you slice it thin enough and give it enough heat.

The real win here isn’t just avoiding oil — it’s realizing how much flavor was hiding underneath all that grease. Sometimes the simplest approaches reveal the most surprising things.