Baked pita chips

These baked pita chips are gently seasoned, have a fantastic crunch and are really quick and easy to make, too. Perfect to snack on as they are, and equally good for dipping. They'll be gone in no time!

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I'll admit, on the whole we're not a huge chips and dips household. I think sometimes they just don't feel like they fit in our day to day eating, plus I'm not all that keen on overly thick and creamy dips. However I do love traditional meze dips like baba ghanoush, hummus, muhammara and labneh. 

Bread or veggies can be great to use with dips, but there's definitely a place for chips too. Tortilla chips go hand in hand with salsa and guacamole but they don't quite feel right with other dips, to me. And potato chips risk crumbling, often.

Pita chips, to me, are perfect for dipping as they are generally pretty robust (you don't want to lose crumbs in your dip!). As a bonus, baked like these, they are actually pretty healthy too. 

Perfect use for leftover pita bread

As well as being really tasty, one of the great things about these is that they are the perfect use of any leftover pita bread you may have. I don't know about you, but if I buy pita, there's always a good chance the size of the packet doesn't quite match whatever reason I buy them. So all too often, I have one or two leftover.

Sometimes, I manage to make use of the leftover for sandwiches but it might not always fit with other plans. I don't find pita sandwiches travel as well, for example. And they definitely become less good at holding things as they age. 

Other than making breadcrumbs, making chips is the perfect solution. In fact, slightly stale bread is almost better for these as they will crisp up even more easily. 

Preparing the pita

The easiest way to prepare the bread is to simply cut them into triangles. Then, if you like, you can separate out the layers of the bread if you want thinner chips. Or, you can leave the edge attached for a thicker chip. 

Personally, I break up some that seem to be separating naturally and leave those that seem stuck together alone to have a mix, and rather than forcing them apart. But completely as you prefer. Just remember, thinner chips will cook more quickly.

If you have larger breads, you might want to cut them into strips then rectangles instead so the pieces are not too big. But these will almost certainly separate since they don't have an edge on all pieces. Really, do what feels the best fit.

Baking v frying

I've tried both baking and frying pita chips and both have theirs pros and cons. It's hard to get away from the fact that the flavor when fried in olive oil is really good. And they do hold their crispness just that little better if you are using them in fattoush salad, for example. 

However, you do need to use a reasonable amount of oil and they can sometimes feel a bit greasy if you are just snacking on them on their own. Baking without any oil tends to not quite get crisp enough. plus, they can taste more bland. 

This method of preparing them, where you toss them in a little olive oil along with some simple seasoning is the perfect middle ground. You get plenty crispness, a tasty flavor but they are not greasy.

Simple seasoning

You can add seasoning to these before you bake to suit your taste, but personally I think it's best to keep things simple. This way, they will work well with a range of different dips and suit different tastes. That said, you can definitely experiment.

Here I have used a little za'atar which is one of my favorite spice blends. I make my own za'atar spice blend as it's really quick and easy to do. Then, you simply sprinkle it on with the oil and toss the pita chips in it. It has a nice balance or herbs, and a little brightness from the sumac (that tastes citrus-like).

If you don't have za'atar or the ingredients to make it, another alternative is to use other spices you have in the house. I'd suggest a little salt, black pepper and paprika and/or garlic powder wold be a great place to start. Or go sweet with some cinnamon sugar!

Using dry herbs and spices is best to save getting the pita wet (other than the oil) plus they spread more evenly. Around 1tsp of herbs/spices per 2 pita breads is a fairly good rule of thumb if you are making your own seasoning mix.

Baked pita chips make such a deliciously moreish snack. They have a fantastic crunch and a great flavor, and are so easy to make, too. And even better, they are the perfect use for any leftover pita breads. In fact, you may find yourself over-buying on purpose!

You might also like these crackers and other savory snacks:

• Homemade cheese crackers
• Chorizo cheese twists
• Savory palmiers
• Yuca fries (not a cracker but another tasty, crunchy snack)
• Plus get more snack recipes (both sweet and savory) in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

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