Ever have that craving for a crunchy, salty snack? When I do, I immediately pick up a bag of my favorite pita chips at the market. I love them!
Oddly enough, I never thought of making my favorite snack at home until a friend suggested it to me. We set up a DIY date so she could teach met to bake my own pita chips. It was so very easy and fun!
To get started my friend bought a bag of day-old pita bread. Then we simply scoured her pantry to create our flavors. Ultimately we agreed on two batches – a sweet blend of cinnamon sugar and a savory oregano chip. I’m now obsessed with creating my own signature seasoning mixes for my next pita chip recipe.
Begin by preheating your oven to 375 degrees. Break out your cooking scissors and simply cut the pita in half. With your top and bottom pita halves, now cut into strips to your preferred size. For appetizers, you can cut them into triangle shapes to better hold dips and toppings.
Prepare a large sheet pan to spread out your pita chips. We spaced our batches out onto two cookie sheets. Generously coat your pita pieces with olive oil. Then sprinkle your flavorings. This is when we added oregano, rosemary and garlic salt. Unlike store bought chips, here is your opportunity to customize the flavor level to your preferences. It’s important to season after you oil the pita pieces so that the spices adhere to the chip surface. Bake the pieces for 10 minutes. Take out the tray to flip the chips, and check on their crispness level. Put the trays back in the oven for another 10 minutes to brown and crisp the other side. You may need to adjust the baking times due to your oven temperature, or preferred level of crispness.
While there is no set recipe, we did have yummy success with our cinnamon sugar batch. We opted to use a coconut oil pan spray, and a mixture of granulated sugar, coconut sugar and cinnamon. I love the idea of using what is already in your kitchen. Since I tend to have my favorite flavorings around for other dishes, this is an opportunity to customize.
Now that I know how fast, easy and delicious these pita chips are to bake at home, I’m making batches for my next party or school snack day! My friend and I favored the savory flavoring batch. While our kids devoured the cinnamon sugar chips. What a great way to spend time with friends, learning a new baking skill and enjoy my favorite snack.
Here’s to more time to talk, laugh and eat with your friends and family!
A pita bread and hummus tip from Editor Jill –
Pick up an extra package of pitas on sale and have them around for your next craving. They freeze and defrost well. For parties, I follow this easy cheat recipe – buy store bought hummus, and a can of chickpeas. You top a homemade pita chip with piped humus (use a zip lock with a cut out corner) and top with a chip pea. Go fancy and add a fresh herb leaf to the top. It looks gourmet and is yummy. I’ve gotten tons of compliments on my “homemade” hummus, but I stay mum and accept them.
