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Baked kale chips are a super crispy snack loaded with nutrients, simple to prepare in just 20 minutes, and easy to season in dozens of ways for your new favorite healthy obsession!
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Table of contents
Super Crispy Oven Baked Kale Chips Recipe
If you prefer crispy, savory snacks over sweet treats but want to cut down on processed, fatty snacks, then baked kale chips are a must-try. Kale is super healthy – in fact, it’s one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet – but it also bakes up crispy and can be seasoned in dozens of ways for a super satisfying snack.
In fact, oven kale chips (air fryer kale chips method also included) are loaded with antioxidants and several nutrients like vitamins A, B vitamins, C, E, and K, calcium, and potassium. They’re just as moreish as potato chips and perfect for satisfying salty, savory cravings, but contain a fraction of the calories and NO artificial ingredients or additives.
Even better, you’ll only need a few simple and inexpensive ingredients, and baking kale into chips is so simple it’s barely even a recipe. Just chop, season, and bake. It couldn’t be easier, they stay crispy for days, and there’s no need for an expensive dehydrator. They’re also gluten-free, Paleo, keto, whole30, low-calorie, etc.
You can also make homemade air fryer tortilla chips, baked apple chips, and cheesy vegan zucchini chips. Have more kale? Try a banana kale smoothie or kale chickpea salad.
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The Ingredients
![ingredients for Crispy Baked Kale Chips [+ Air Fryer Method] on a white surface](https://plantbasedonabudget.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Kale-Chips-Ingredients.png)
Basic Kale Chips Recipe
- Kale: It’s best to use organic Kale when possible. We’ve used regular curly kale and lacinato kale (aka dinosaur kale) with positive results.
It’s possible to use pre-cut kale when making kale chips but remove any tough stems.
- Oil: We like using neutral cooking oil like avocado or vegetable oil. A light olive oil would work, too.
- Salt: Use kosher/ sea salt rather than table salt for the best flavor.
How to Season Kale Chips?
Like potato chips, there are endless possibilities for seasonings for kale chips. Here are just a few you can mix and match.
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
- Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
- Ground cumin
- Vegan ranch seasoning
- Nutritional yeast (for ‘cheesy’ kale chips)
- Vegan parmesan
- BBQ seasoning
- Taco seasoning
- Curry powder (plus salt)
- Cinnamon
- Maple syrup (1-2 tbsp)
- Vinegar (1-2 tbsp – perfect for salt and vinegar kale chips)
- Lemon zest (sprinkle over just out of the oven)
One of our favorite simple seasoned kale chips blend combines sea salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and nutritional yeast.
How to Make Kale Chips in the Oven
- First, preheat the oven to 350F/175C and line a baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Prepare the kale by washing it, removing tough stems, chopping or tearing it into roughly 2-inch pieces, and then patting it thoroughly dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- Transfer the kale to a large bowl and toss with the oil and salt (or seasonings of your choice), massaging it into the leaves until it’s thoroughly coated.
- Spread the kale chips across the prepared baking tray in a single layer, then bake for 10-15 minutes until crispy and lightly browned around the edges.
Be careful when baking kale chips not to overbake them, though. Overly browned kale becomes bitter.
- Finally, remove the kale chips from the oven and leave them to cool completely to fully crisp up, then enjoy!
FAQs
Simply prepare the kale leaves as written, then spread them in a single layer in your air fryer basket (work in batches if needed) and cook the air fryer kale chips for 3-6 minutes at 350F/175C.
This could be if you didn’t dry the kale leaves enough before baking, didn’t bake them for long enough, or stored them before they fully cooled.
If the baked kale chips have become a little limp, you can sometimes bring life back to them with a few minutes in the oven (or 1-2 minutes in an air fryer).
Absolutely! Kale chips are a low-calorie, super healthy snack that doesn’t TASTE ‘super healthy.’ Not only is it packed with beneficial dietary fiber, but it is a great source of several essential nutrients.
That includes vitamin K (over 700% of the daily recommended amount), vitamin A (200%), and vitamin C (130%), combined with smaller amounts of many others.
How To Store Kale Chips
First, ensure they’ve entirely cooled, or the steam will ruin the crispiness almost immediately. One cool, transfer them to an airtight container and store in a cool, dry location at room temperature for 3-5 days (sometimes up to 7 days if you’re lucky).
More Savory Vegan Snack Recipes
- Baked carrot chips
- Cheezy snack crackers
- Roasted pumpkin seeds
- Crispy green bean fries
- Veggie fried wontons
- Rosemary vegan crackers
If you’re loving my recipes and would like a more comprehensive resource, check out my cookbooks!
Crispy Baked Kale Chips
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Ingredients
- 1 large bunch of curly kale, washed, stems removed, and completely dried (about 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- A couple pinches of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Cut the kale in ~2-inch pieces.
- Place the kale in a large bowl. Pour on the oil and gently massage it in for 1 minute.
- Lay the kale on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, sprinkle on a pinch or two of salt, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the kale is crispy and lightly browned at the edges of the kale.
- Store these in a paper bag for up to a week.
Notes
- Make sure the kale leaves are really dry. Otherwise, you won’t have the crunchiness you’re looking for. You can use a salad spinner to ensure there’s no water left.
- Be very vigilant when the Kale Chips are in the oven. One minute more or less can make a huge difference. So make sure you’re checking on them regularly!
- Keep the kale leaves large. You want to tear away the stems, but keep the leaves themselves a fair size. They’ll shrink once they’re baked, so you want them large.
- Keep it in single layers on the baking sheet.
- Allow the kale chips to rest on the baking sheets once outside the oven. This will help them crisp up even more.
Love these crispy baked kale chips! The ones at the store are so expensive. This version is much better and way cheaper to make!
Yess! Such a great homemade healthy snack!
The perfect snack!