The Sweet Secret Ingredient To Make Your Chips Match Your Fruity Salsa

It's hard to deny that salsa is one of the most popular dips, with its multiple uses adding to the overall appeal. Whether an accompaniment to tortilla chips, an essential taco ingredient, or mixed into eggs, how salsa is most commonly enjoyed varies widely from person to person. The same goes for flavor. Perhaps yours has to be absent cilantro or needs to be so spicy your eyes water. Whatever you look for in salsa, the person next to you probably will not.

Those who feel fruit is an essential salsa ingredient may have strong opinions about what makes the best mango salsa, but what about the best chip to match fruit salsa? While salty chips are the perfect pairing for a spicy or savory dip, a dusting of cinnamon sugar flawlessly accompanies sweet salsas. Whether you opt for tomato and fruit salsa or skip the tomatoes altogether and focus on the fruit, cinnamon-sugar tortilla chips can help amplify and balance the sweetness.

Cinnamon-flavored snacks are nothing new, and the popularity of desserts like churros and sopapillas is a sure sign that resisting cinnamon-sugar desserts is impossible. Fortunately, they're easier to make than you might think, and while cinnamon makes a great base note, you don't have to stop there. 

Whether you're looking for a cinnamon churro-style chip, a healthier baked chip, a pita chip, grain-free, or want all the crispy goodness of a regular fried tortilla chip, there's no shortage of options to purchase at the grocery store. However, if you prefer to make your own, you've got some choices too.

The most common recipe for making cinnamon tortilla chips is to bake tortillas with a mixture of butter, cinnamon, and sugar. For a light cinnamon flavor, use a ratio of 1 part cinnamon to 6 parts sugar. For a stronger cinnamon taste, use equal parts. Brush both sides of the tortillas with butter or cooking spray, and sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mix on each side. Cut the tortillas into as many triangles as you wish, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes, flipping halfway. In an air fryer, cook them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about eight minutes.

While cinnamon and sugar are the staple ingredients for cinnamon tortilla chips, there is always room to improvise. For example, instead of white or granulated sugar, try brown sugar. Mix nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice with the cinnamon sugar for a unique seasoning blend. For an extra dose of sweetness, drizzle honey or agave on your tortillas. For different shapes, use cookie cutters instead of cutting tortillas into triangles. True crowd-pleasers, sweet tortilla chips are a wonderful treat for yourself, a party, or even your kids.