Do you ever wonder what to do with that leftover 1/2 bunch of kale in your fridge? Baked kale chips are the perfect solution!
Everyone loves kale chips and you can season them very simply, with just a little olive oil and sea salt, or with some extra herbs and spices. This recipe doesn’t require any special dehydrating equipment– just a 300° F oven. So let’s get started!
What you’ll need to make baked kale chips
- Kale (curly kale is my favorite, but other varieties are good too!)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Additional seasonings (optional) – I like nutritional yeast + dried rosemary and sage + garlic powder
- Large sheet pans
- Oven preheated to 300° F
General tips for success
- Make sure you thoroughly wash and dry kale leaves, but be gentle so you don’t tear the leaves.
- Gently tear leaves off the kale stems, trying to get fairly large pieces to make your “chips.”
- Gently massage oil onto the leaves, making sure they are evenly and lightly coated. Too much oil will make them heavy, while too little oil will make them dry out too quickly or brown. About 1 tablespoon per bunch (or 1/2 tablespoon for 1/2 bunch) works well.
- Use sea salt to season kale, or make an herb/spice mixture. You might like the vegan parmesan cheese topping from my popcorn recipe as a kale chip seasoning. Make it with our without the cashews!
- Spread leaves onto your sheet pans in a single layer with a little bit of space in between each leaf to make sure leaves cook evenly and become crispy. This may require several sheet pans or several batches (if you only have one pan).
- To get crispier chips, bake one sheet pan at a time to prevent a lot of steam from gathering in the oven.
Easy & Delicious Baked Kale Chips
Ingredients
1 bunch curly kale
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
a few pinches sea salt
additional seasonings (optional)– such as nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary powder, sage powder or use the vegan parmesan recipe in my homemade popcorn post
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300° F.
Rinse kale leaves well, washing each leaf, getting all of the dirt off of the stalks and crevices. Shake off excess water from each leaf and place on some absorbent kitchen towels to dry, gently patting leaves with towels. Alternately, use a salad spinner to dry off the leaves.
Carefully destem kale, making about 3 inches in diameter (where possible) in order to have nice sized chips. Kale will shrink up quite a bit as it dehydrates in the oven. If any water remains on leaves, gently pat dry with a towel or put through the salad spinner again.
Place kale in a large bowl and slowly drizzle with olive oil. Gently massage olive oil into leaves until each leaf is lightly coated. Sprinkle with sea salt or a combination of spices. If you want a cheesy topping, you can try the cashew parmesan cheese from my Homemade Popcorn recipe (make the mixture with or without the cashews).
Place kale leaves on sheet pans in a single layer. Ideally, they will have a little space in between each leaf in order for the chips to get crispy. You may need to use several sheets pans, or put in multiple batches if you only have one pan.
Bake kale for 10 minutes, then remove from oven and gently turn each leaf over. Put back in the oven and bake for 6-7 more minutes. Kale should be crispy but not browned. Keep an eye on the kale during the last few minutes of cooking (in case your oven runs a bit hot) to make sure it doesn’t start browning/burning. Leave kale in a minute or two longer if it is not crispy enough.
Take out of the oven and let cool on the sheet pan (or remove to a plate if you need to use the sheet for the next batch). Let cool completely. If you have any leftovers, store in a glass bowl with an airtight lid at room temperature for 1-2 days. If needed, you can crisp up in a 300° F oven for a few minutes.
How to make Baked Kale Chips on my Youtube Channel
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