Martha Stewart Candied Beet Chips for Chocolate Beet Cake

Martha Stewart candied beet chips for chocolate beet cake need 1 hour 40 minutes, baby Chioggia beets, water and sugar to make a glassy, crisp, striped garnish. They're an easy cake decoration idea for holiday dinners, birthday parties or fall gatherings, and they're a simple oven-baked project.

Slice the beets paper thin, ideally on a mandoline, so every round turns translucent in the syrup. Thick slices stay chewy in the middle and never dry into a crisp chip.

Martha simmers the beets in sugar syrup before baking them, rather than just roasting raw slices. That candying step gives the chips a glassy, sugary crunch and keeps the Chioggia stripes bright for the cake.

Martha Stewart Candied Beet Chips for Chocolate Beet Cake

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Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

30

minutes

Calories

70

kcal

Thin beet rounds simmer in sugar syrup until slightly see-through, then dry slowly in a low oven. The result is a crisp, candy-like chip with a delicate sweetness.

Ingredients

• 4 baby beets, preferably Chioggia
  

• 1 1/2 cups water
  

• 1/2 cup sugar
  

Directions

• Preheat and slice: Preheat the oven to 250°F, then slice 4 baby beets very thinly into rounds. A mandoline gives the most even slices, so each chip dries at the same pace.
• Make the syrup: Bring 1 1/2 cups water and 1/2 cup sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir constantly until the sugar dissolves.
• Simmer the beets: Add the beet slices to the syrup and reduce the heat. Simmer for about 30 minutes, until the beets look slightly translucent.
• Arrange on the pan: Lift the beets out with a slotted spoon so the extra syrup drains away. Then lay them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a nonstick baking mat.
• Bake until crisp: Bake for about 1 hour, until the chips are dry and slightly firm. Let them cool on the pan, and they'll crisp up a bit more as they sit.

Tools for this recipe

• Benriner Japanese mandoline, Cuisinart MultiClad Pro 3-quart saucepan, OXO stainless slotted spoon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

How long do candied beet chips keep?

Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. Keep them away from the fridge, since moisture turns them soft and sticky.

Can I use regular beets instead of baby Chioggia beets?

Yes, red or golden beets work, but slice them just as thin so they dry evenly. Chioggia beets give you the pretty pink and white rings, while red beets make a deeper, solid color.

Can I make the chips ahead of time?

You can make them a day or two before serving the cake. Keep them in an airtight container and add them to the cake just before it goes to the table so they stay crisp.

What if I don't have a mandoline?

A sharp chef's knife works if you take your time and cut the slices as thin as you can. Aim for rounds you can almost see through, since thick slices won't dry crisp.

Why are my beet chips chewy instead of crisp?

They were most likely sliced too thick or pulled from the oven too soon. Bake them until they feel dry and slightly firm, then let them cool completely, because they crisp as they cool.