These air fryer pumpkin chips are crispy, flavorful, and surprisingly easy to make at home.
All you need is a small sugar pumpkin, some olive oil, and a handful of spices you probably already have in your kitchen. That’s really it.
The air fryer does most of the work here. You just slice the pumpkin thin, toss everything together, and let it crisp up in batches.
They come out with this perfect crunch and a smoky, slightly warm flavor that makes them really hard to stop eating.
If you’ve been looking for a fun snack to make with fresh pumpkin, this is a great one to try.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Great Way to Use Seasonal Pumpkins – When fall hits and sugar pumpkins are cheap and everywhere this recipe turns them into something way more exciting than soup.
Way Healthier Than Store-Bought Chips – These are made from real pumpkin with just a little olive oil so you get a satisfying crunch without deep frying.
Sugar Pumpkins Are Underrated – Most people only use sugar pumpkins for pie but they are actually perfect for chips because of their dense and slightly sweet flesh.
Ingredients
- 1 Small Sugar Pumpkin (about 2 lb)
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
How To Make
Step 1
Cut the sugar pumpkin in half and scoop out all the seeds and stringy fibers. Peel the pumpkin halves using a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife.
Slice the pumpkin flesh into very thin rounds or half-moons, about 1/8-inch thick. A mandoline slicer works best here for even, uniform chips.
Step 2
Place the pumpkin slices in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the smoked paprika, cinnamon, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne over the top. Toss gently with your hands until every slice is lightly and evenly coated.
Step 3
Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F. Arrange the pumpkin slices in a single layer in the basket, making sure they do not overlap. You will need to cook these in several batches for the best results.
Step 4
Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping the chips halfway through. Check them frequently during the last few minutes, as thinner chips will crisp up faster than thicker ones. Remove any chips that are done early to prevent burning.
Step 5
Transfer the cooked pumpkin chips to a wire rack to cool. They will continue to crisp up as they cool down. Repeat with the remaining batches.
Step 6
Once all the chips are done and cooled, pile them into a bowl and serve. These are best enjoyed the same day while they are at their crispiest.
Tips
Use a Mandoline for Even Slices
A mandoline slicer is pretty much essential here. Trying to cut 1/8-inch slices by hand with a knife is really hard to do consistently, and uneven slices mean some chips burn while others stay soggy.
Set your mandoline to the thinnest setting or around 1/8 inch. If your slices are thicker than that, they won’t crisp up properly in the air fryer and you’ll end up with soft, bendy pumpkin pieces instead of crunchy chips.
If you don’t have a mandoline, go as thin as you possibly can with a sharp knife. Just know that you’ll need to watch them more carefully since the thickness will vary.
Pat the Slices Dry Before Seasoning
Pumpkin has a lot of moisture in it. Before you toss the slices with oil and spices, lay them out on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and pat them dry on both sides.
Extra moisture on the surface is the biggest reason air fryer chips turn out soft and chewy instead of crispy. Taking a minute to dry them off makes a huge difference in the final crunch.
Don’t Overcrowd the Basket
It’s tempting to squeeze in as many slices as possible to get through the batches faster, but overlapping slices will steam each other instead of crisping up. You need hot air hitting every surface of each chip.
Lay them in a true single layer with a little space between each slice. Yes, it means more batches, but every batch will actually come out crispy. Overlapping them just wastes time because you’ll end up re-cooking soggy chips anyway.
Related Recipes
- Air Fryer Crispy Cajun Chickpeas
- Air Fryer Crispy Green Beans
- Air Fryer Crispy Zucchini Chips
- Air Fryer Pumpkin Bread
- Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I really need a mandoline slicer for this?
You don’t absolutely need one, but it makes a huge difference. The key to getting crispy pumpkin chips in the air fryer is slicing them thin and uniform, and a mandoline does that effortlessly at a consistent 1/8-inch thickness.
If you use a knife instead, just go as thin and even as you can. Keep in mind that uneven slices mean some chips will burn while others stay chewy, so you will need to watch them more closely and pull out the thinner ones early.
Air Fryer Pumpkin Chips
- mandoline slicer
- wire rack
- 1 Small Sugar Pumpkin (about 2 lb)
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 pinch Cayenne Pepper
- Cut the sugar pumpkin in half and scoop out all the seeds and stringy fibers. Peel the pumpkin halves using a sharp vegetable peeler or paring knife. Slice the pumpkin flesh into very thin rounds or half-moons, about 1/8-inch thick. A mandoline slicer works best here for even, uniform chips.
- Place the pumpkin slices in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the smoked paprika, cinnamon, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne over the top. Toss gently with your hands until every slice is lightly and evenly coated.
- Preheat the air fryer to 350 degrees F. Arrange the pumpkin slices in a single layer in the basket, making sure they do not overlap. You will need to cook these in several batches for the best results.
- Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping the chips halfway through. Check them frequently during the last few minutes, as thinner chips will crisp up faster than thicker ones. Remove any chips that are done early to prevent burning.
- Transfer the cooked pumpkin chips to a wire rack to cool. They will continue to crisp up as they cool down. Repeat with the remaining batches.
- Once all the chips are done and cooled, pile them into a bowl and serve. These are best enjoyed the same day while they are at their crispiest.