Pasta Chips Air Fryer Recipe (TikTok!)
Today we are making a Pasta Chips Air Fryer Recipe! Say hello to your new favorite snack – Cinnamon Sugar Pasta Chips with a delicious dipping sauce (did someone say caramel?!)
You may have seen the TikTok trend blow up over social media this summer. This invention got many raving reviews … and some not so great. I know what you’re thinking. Pasta … but CHIPS? I was a bit confused on what this was as well. Somebody just didn’t want to eat their pasta the regular way and decided to crunch it up in the air fryer to golden brown crispy perfection.
But not just raw pasta. You cook it first, and then air fry it (or bake in the oven). This creates a crunchy texture that can be used with a variety of seasonings. Also, it’s totally up to you what type of pasta you’d like to use as well! This should work with almost any shape of pasta.
As the weather gets colder, I always get the munchies, so I actually made the Italian seasoned pasta chips version a few weeks ago, which will be up as a separate recipe. But online, there are myriad flavours including masala chips, cheesy nacho chips, tangy lime with spices and more. I decided to make the cinnamon sugar flavour today though.
If you’re trying to guess what these taste like, then I’ll answer the first thing you may be thinking of – no, they don’t taste like un-cooked pasta (we’re actually cooking it first). Remind yourself of the crispy edges of a lasagna dish – the crunchy, not-fully-mixed-into-the-sauce lasagna pieces. That’s kind of what an air-fried piece of mini lasagna noodle tastes like.
Air Fry vs Bake
You’ll need something wet to allow the cinnamon sugar mixture to stay on the pasta, which is why I used coconut oil. Although you could also use vegan butter! So throw on the cinnamon + coconut sugar mixture – you could also use brown sugar to get the hints of caramelized dark sugar after frying.
Then make the coconut caramel sauce, which you can add extra salt to if you’d like to make it a “salted” caramel to balance out the sweetness of the cinnamon sugar. Air fry it as per the instructions in the preparation section below.
Why You’ll Love This Pasta Chips Air Fryer Recipe
Viral TikTok Recipe Twist: Making recipes that go viral online is so much fun! Now, the recipe that went viral consisted of cooked al dente pasta coated in parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder (even dipped in marinara sauce)! Then, it’s air fried to make it into chips, which is a great alternative to deep frying. This is genius and is a unique way to make chips versus the regular old way of eating pasta or the same old potato chips!
Same Foods, New Snack: Have you ever had leftover pasta you didn’t know what to do with? This easy recipe makes for a great snack when it comes to utilizing foods that you may already be eating! The simple ingredients also make it accessible to find all the ingredients in most grocery stores. Eat this as the perfect snack for movie night!
They can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container, so they’re also easy to package and bring along on a trip or picnic!
Substitutions
Pasta: I used gluten-free pasta. Specifically mini lasagna noodles, but you can also use bowtie pasta (farfalle pasta) or rigatoni pasta. It can be gluten-free like I used or regular white pasta or whole wheat pasta.
Coconut Oil: If we were making Italian-style pasta chips, then olive oil or another neutral oil would work. For a cinnamon-sugar flavor, vegan butter or coconut oil works the best.
If using the oil, should be refined coconut oil (not the virgin/extra-virgin type! Refined oil shouldn’t smell like coconuts). If using vegan butter, I like to use salted Melt brand of butter sticks.
Coconut Sugar: If using any substitute, then brown sugar would work the best. Coconut sugar has a similar brown sugar “caramelized” taste when heated. However, using brown sugar would not make the recipe “refined sugar-free.”
Pasta Chips Air Fryer Recipe Notes
- Make sure to keep the pasta in a single layer in the air fryer basket. If you dump them all in the same bowl to make one whole batch together, then they won’t cook evenly. You may have to make different batches depending on how big your basket is.
- The cook time may vary depending on the size of your air fryer.
- I haven’t tried baking this recipe, only air-frying it. If baking in an oven, then try it at the same temperature for the same amount of time as listed in the recipe card.
- For best results, make sure to flip the pasta chips over halfway through cooking, to ensure they don’t stick to the bottom of the basket and cook evenly.
More Great Recipes You’ll Love
Parmesan Air Fryer Pasta Chips
If you make this Pasta Chips Air Fryer Recipe, leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Pasta Chips Air Fryer Recipe
Equipment
- Air Fryer
- Stovetop Pan
Ingredients
Pasta Chips
- 2 cups dry pasta
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 3⅔ tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 tbsp melted vegan butter or refined coconut oil
- salt, as needed
Caramel Sauce
- Make the entire recipe at this link to use for the sauce.
Instructions
- Mix together the coconut sugar, butter or oil and ground cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
- In a stovetop pan over medium heat, cook the pasta according to the instructions on the pasta box.
- Once the pasta is cooked, strain the water out and add it to a new bowl.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture all over the pasta, and shake the bowl around with a lid on top to evenly distribute the topping on the pasta.
- Pour the cinnamon sugar pasta into the bowl of your air fryer. Air fry at 350 F for 6 mins, and then stop it to shake the bowl around. Repeat for another 6 mins once all the pasta chips have been flipped over.
- Once done, allow it to cool for 10-15 minutes. Then enjoy!
- Check out the link in the ingredient list if making the caramel dipping sauce.
Notes
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Storage
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.
