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Kale Chips Recipe
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Don’t let the word “kale” turn you away. These kale chips are truly so good—even if you “hate kale,” you will be pleasantly surprised by this delicious and perfectly crunchy and salty snack.
While we wouldn’t compare them to store-bought, fried potato chips, these baked kale chips pack a ton of flavor and have a fraction of the ingredients than their shelf-stable counterparts.
If you’re looking for a new couch snack, look no further. Your new favorite salty and crunchy snack is just 30 minutes away!
How to make crispy kale chips
To keep these as nutrient-dense as possible, we opted for oven-baked kale chips instead of frying them.
These kale chips are coated lightly with a neutral oil (we used avocado oil because it has a more neutral flavor than olive oil) and then topped with your favorite seasonings of choice (we went for nutritional yeast, red chili flakes, and, of course, sea salt). Some other great seasoning options would be garlic powder (or garlic salt), parmesan cheese, onion powder, or smoked paprika).
These bake in the oven with a bit of mid-way tossing, and that’s it! They are ready in no time and give the perfect crispy bite.
You know when you roast your veggies, and there are a few small pieces that get extra crispy? These kale chips are like a whole tray of just the crispy parts. Seriously, so good. You will forget they are kale altogether.
How do you make kale chips crispy?
Great question! In our first few rounds of recipe testing, this was a big problem we had. The chips would come out too soggy, so we’d cook them longer, and then they would taste too burnt.
Here are some tips to make crispy baked kale chips:
Our top trick is to use the correct amount of oil so that your kale is coated but not saturated and weighed down with oil. Stick with our measurements—2 ½ tablespoons per bunch of kale—and you’ll be golden!
The second tip is about storage. Assuming you don’t finish these in one sitting (unlikely), how you store these kale chips can make or break your snacking. We recommend keeping the kale chips in an airtight container or ziplock bag with a paper towel to absorb excess liquid. They should be enjoyed within two days of baking—but we seriously doubt they will last that long!
Since these are made without any preservatives, the shelf life is not very long. Fortunately, these are easy to make every few days or so when a craving strikes.
Crispy Kale Chips Ingredients
Here’s how we make our kale chips (we use just 3 ingredients):
Raw Kale
We recommend going for curly kale with this kale chip recipe.
Other varieties, like dinosaur kale (also known as lacinato kale, Tuscan kale, or dino kale), just don’t crisp up as well.
If you have a garden, kale plants can be abundant and basically provide you with unlimited snacks. Otherwise, kale is readily available at most grocery stores.
Neutral oil
We use avocado oil instead of olive oil because it has a more neutral flavor. Be sure to follow our measurements so you don’t end up with burnt or soggy kale chips.
Seasonings
This is arguably the best part. Add whichever seasonings you would love to have on a chip!
We like using nutritional yeast when we can for added protein, vitamins, and, of course, flavor. Seriously, if you’ve never tried it, give it a whirl. It gives a satisfying, almost cheesy flavor.
We also like a little heat around here, so we added red chili flakes.
Other seasonings popular on kale chips include garlic powder, parmesan cheese, onion powder, garlic salt, chili powder, or ranch seasoning. If you’re a purist, go for just salt!
Keep in mind that you’ll just want to use dry seasonings here, as opposed to something liquid.
Kale Chips Recipe
Don’t let the word “kale” turn you away. These kale chips are truly so good—even if you “hate kale,” you will be pleasantly surprised by this delicious and perfectly crunchy and salty snack.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of curly kale (comes out to approximately 2 to 3 cups of kale leaves)
- 2.5 tbsp neutral oil
- Seasonings to taste (we used nutritional yeast, sea salt, and red chili flakes)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Wash your kale and remove from the stem into chip-like sizes.
- Dry very well. If your kale is still hanging on to some water, this won’t work. You’ll get a soggy chip. Use a salad spinner or air dry on paper towels or a kitchen towel.
- Coat the washed kale pieces with oil and seasonings (it can be easier to do this in a large mixing bowl) and lay them out on a baking sheet in a single layer with minimal overlapping. Parchment paper is optional.
- Cook for 10 minutes, give a stir, and then bake for another 10 minutes or until you’ve reached the desired crispiness. Enjoy immediately, or store in an airtight container with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Can be enjoyed for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 servingCalories: 45kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 4g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Kale Chips FAQs
Are kale chips healthy?
Indeed! Kale is super low in calories (we’re talking 33 calories per cup) and is high in potassium and vitamins A, C, and K1.
These crispy kale chips are a delicious healthy snack to have on hand because you can eat a large amount and very easily stay within your nutrition goals.
Baking your kale chips, as we do in this recipe, is another way to keep calories down compared to frying.
We have not tried using the air fryer to make these, but that is another healthier option than regular deep frying.
Healthy oils to use when making kale chips include olive oil (if cooking at a lower temperature, like 350F), avocado oil, or coconut oil. However, coconut oil has more saturated fat than avocado and olive oil.
How do you store kale chips?
Baked kale chips are definitely best straight out of the oven, but you can store them for up to two days in an airtight container or sealed ziplock bag with paper towels inside it to absorb excess moisture. Always let the kale chips cool completely before storing them.
Why are homemade kale chips better?
Flavor, ingredients, and control!
• Flavor: The beauty of making these yourself is that you can totally customize the flavor. You can make these spicy, cheesy, sweet, or any combo you love!
• Ingredients: This recipe only has 3 ingredients—kale, oil, and seasoning. Store-bought kale chips may have other preservative ingredients to keep them shelf-stable.
• Control: Speaking of other ingredients, a lot of store-bought snacks that are marketed as “healthy” are actually overloaded with sodium. While this is still intended to be a salty and crunchy snack, it shouldn’t exceed your daily sodium intake with one fistful or keep you thirsty all day. Making these at home will allow you to control how much or how little flavor you want.
