sophisticated.kitchencomfort food recipes

Minute snackSweet · crisp · pantry-simple

2 tortillas · 4 measured ingredients

Microwave Cinnamon Chips

Flour-tortilla wedges turned crisp in the microwave with a whisper of water and a light cinnamon-sugar coat.

Make the chips
Round cinnamon-sugar crisps piled on a white plate.
A dry, brittle snap is the goal; the last bit of crispness arrives as the hot chips cool.Photo by Janet Hudson · CC BY 2.0
Microwave
1 min +
Makes
12–16 chips
Batch
1 tortilla
Oven
Not needed

This is less a bake than a small act of controlled drying. Karen Childress rubs two flour tortillas with only half a teaspoon of water, dusts them with cinnamon sugar, cuts them into wedges, and lets the microwave pull away enough moisture to make a crisp snack.

The source formula is already strikingly lean, so its proportions stay untouched. The useful refinements are procedural: microwave one uncrowded layer at a time, use a plain white paper towel, stop at ten-second intervals, and let the wedges cool before deciding whether they need more heat.

“Perfect for a quick snack. Crispy, crunchy, spicy, sweet chips.”

Water, barely

Spread only a satin-thin film over each tortilla. The half teaspoon is an adhesive, not a soak.

One flat layer

Give every wedge a clear path for steam; overlap traps moisture and produces leathery patches.

Cool before judging

A hot wedge can flex. Wait 2–3 minutes for its final snap before adding more microwave time.

Ingredient editBase · spice · sugar · adhesion

Four pantry measures, each with one job

The tortilla supplies structure, cinnamon and sugar supply the coat, and a nearly invisible film of water keeps it in place.

01

Flour tortillas

Their thin cooked layers dry quickly enough to become a chip without frying or heating an oven.

Use the source’s flour tortillas and cut each one into 6–8 similarly sized wedges for even timing.
02

Cinnamon sugar

A teaspoon of sugar carries a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon across two rounds in a light, fragrant coat.

Mix until the color is uniform before sprinkling so no wedge gets a bitter pocket of straight cinnamon.
03

Water

Just half a teaspoon gives dry crystals something to cling to while the tortilla sheds moisture in the microwave.

Divide it between the two tortillas and spread edge to edge; visible droplets are already too much.

Powder and roundWarm spice over pale wheat

The coating should cling, not turn pasty

Ground cinnamon mounded in a measuring spoon on a stone surface.
One part cinnamon to four parts sugar gives the tiny batch an aromatic coat without burying the tortilla.Photo by TheDeliciousLife · CC BY 2.0
The tiny ratio

Four parts sugar to one part cinnamon, divided over two tortillas.

Two cooked flour tortillas overlapping on a white background.
Flour tortillas are Karen Childress’s base: two rounds, each cut into six to eight wedges.Photo by Renee Comet, National Cancer Institute · Public domain (U.S. National Cancer Institute)

Microwave rhythmMix damp cut dry cool

From soft round to brittle wedge

The clock is short, but the final cooling pause matters as much as the first minute on high.

  1. MIX

    Make one even spice blend

    Stir 1 teaspoon sugar with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon until no dark clumps remain.

  2. DAMP

    Brush a whisper of water

    Share 1/2 teaspoon water between two tortillas and leave only a thin sheen.

  3. CUT

    Build equal wedges

    Coat with cinnamon sugar, then divide each tortilla into 6–8 pieces.

  4. 1 MIN

    Microwave one flat batch

    Arrange one tortilla’s wedges without overlap on a white paper towel and cook on high.

  5. +10 SEC

    Finish by feel

    If the edges remain flexible, use short bursts and stay beside the microwave.

  6. 2–3 MIN

    Let the snap develop

    Move the chips off the hot plate and cool before testing their final texture.

Doneness cuesSpeckled dry light brittle

Trust the edge, then test the snap

Microwave wattage and tortilla thickness vary, so texture is a better finishing guide than an extra fixed minute.

01

Evenly speckled

The cinnamon sugar should reach the points and edges without damp clumps or bare islands.

02

Dry-edged

At the end of a burst, the wedge edges should look matte and feel firmer than the centers.

03

Light, not scorched

The tortilla can deepen slightly, but dark sugar spots and a burnt-caramel smell mean it has gone too far.

04

Clean snap after cooling

A finished chip breaks instead of bending once it has stood for 2–3 minutes in open air.

Microwave Cinnamon Chips

Sweet flour-tortilla wedges dried crisp in the microwave with cinnamon sugar and no added fat.

Quick SnackMicrowaveCinnamonFlour TortillasFive IngredientsNo Oven

Ingredients

Cinnamon chips

  • 2 flour tortillas
  • 1/2 teaspoon water
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Plain white paper towels, for microwaving

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, stir the granulated sugar and cinnamon until the color is even and no dark clumps remain.
  2. Lay out the tortillas. Divide the 1/2 teaspoon water between them and rub it into a very thin film over one side of each tortilla with clean fingertips or a pastry brush.
  3. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the damp sides, then cut each tortilla into 6–8 wedges with a pizza wheel or sharp knife.
  4. Line a microwave-safe plate with a plain white, unprinted paper towel. Arrange one tortilla’s wedges in a single layer without overlap; work in two batches if the plate is crowded.
  5. Microwave the first batch on high for 1 minute. Check carefully. If the wedges are still flexible, continue in 10-second bursts until they feel dry at the edges. Repeat with the remaining wedges; a later batch may finish faster on a warm plate.
  6. Move the chips to a rack or cool plate and let them stand for 2–3 minutes. They should become brittle and crisp as steam escapes. Serve once cool enough to handle.

Source and technique references: Karen Childress’s 2013 Microwave Cinnamon Chips, University of Maine Cooperative Extension on single-layer drying, cooling, and four-day storage, Illinois Extension’s cinnamon-sugar tortilla method, University of Arkansas Extension on flour-tortilla cinnamon crisps, and USDA FSIS guidance for microwave-safe paper and cookware.

Image credits

Photography is used under open licenses with attribution: Janet Hudson, TheDeliciousLife, and Renee Comet, National Cancer Institute.