Healthy Homemade Snacks On The Go

Fruit and Veggie Chips

Time to bid generic barbecue potato chips goodbye. A few super-simple techniques can transform your favorite fruits and veggies into seasoned chips just like that. Sounds delish, right?

To make chips in the oven, a classic paring knife and a non-stick baking sheet will be your best friends. First, peel and thinly slice your preferred fruit or vegetable. Place the slices on a baking sheet, lightly sprinkle with oil and seasonings, and bake at 350°F until they’re as crispy as you’d like. Pro tip: the thinner the slices, the crunchier the chips!

Another way to make homemade chips is with a dehydrator, which takes 8 to 12 hours to crisp up fruits and veggies. Our favorite thing about this method is that you can dehydrate up to five different fruits and vegetables at once, and the chips stay fresh longer than the oven-baked versions. The key to the perfectly dehydrated chip? Very thin slices.

For another twist on fresh fruits and veggies, try a spiralizer. With a simple turn of the handle, you’ll have beautiful, ribbon-like slices of zucchini, beets, carrots, apples, pears, sweet potatoes, cucumbers...you name it!

For the Sweet Tooth

Looking for a healthy dessert that tastes like a giant slice of pie? We’re big fans of this idea: melt caramels in a saucepan, add a little sea salt, then drizzle over homemade apple chips.

For a treat with some zing, sprinkle cinnamon, sugar and ground ginger over dried star fruit. And for a classic go-to, try melted dark chocolate over banana chips.

Savory Snacks

We like a little heat with our savory snacks, namely spiced carrot chips. Sprinkle ground coriander, cumin, pepper and chili powder over thinly sliced carrots, then bake at 350°F until crispy. For a refreshing savory snack, try garlic lemon kale chips. Spread kale on a baking sheet, sprinkle with lemon zest and granulated ginger, bake at 350°F until crispy.

Vegan Cheese and Gluten-Free Crackers

Vegan cheese and gluten-free crackers put a healthy and satisfying spin on the traditional versions. The best part? Cashew cheese is seriously simple to make.

We love a cashew-based cheese because it’s soft and easy to spread. To make this savory treat, soak 1 cup of raw cashews overnight, then drain and rinse. Put cashews in a food processor and add a dash of oil and salt plus 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast. Feel free to mix in additional flavors such as garlic powder, freshly squeezed lemon juice or fresh dill. Pair the cheese with your favorite gluten-free crackers.

Trail Mix

Let’s move beyond basic gorp—you know, good ol’ raisins and peanuts—shall we? Get creative! Create your own A+ mix with a wide variety of nuts, spices, dried berries and more.

When it comes to choosing ingredients, think outside the shell. Mix raw or roasted walnuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts or pine nuts. For a sweeter taste, place nuts in the oven for a few minutes at 350°F with a pinch of raw sugar, cinnamon or maple syrup. Or spice up the mix by combining sunflower or pumpkin seeds and roast in a skillet with a little cayenne pepper, onion powder, paprika or thyme. Looking for the perfect cookware for the job? Check out our All-Clad d3 Curated 10-Piece Set, an exclusive to Crate and Barrel.

Now that you’re well on your way to a year of good health, let's talk about being kinder to our planet. Since every healthy on-the-go snack needs a snack bag, why not make it eco-friendly? Try an easy-to-clean, reusable silicone bag—a flexible, sustainable alternative that will leave you snacking happy.

We’d love to see what guilt-free snacks you come up with. Share your creations by tagging us @crateandbarrel.