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.