I’ve suffered through one too many batches of burned or soggy kale chips over the years. It took me a while to master my baked kale chip recipe, but I’ve learned some valuable lessons along the way and I’d like to pass my tips along to you! From the good ‘ol Culinary School of Hard Knocks (aka: my kitchen) to you. Gotta love it.
The first time I made kale chips I remember thinking, “Should they taste burnt like this??” The easy answer is no. I’ve come to find a nice balance between crispiness and chewiness without any burnt edges. Yes, this is very serious business, this kale chip business. When baked properly, they really do make the perfect base for a satisfying chip alternative.
I know some people are eager to claim that kale is “over” due to its popularity in recent years, but seeing as it’s still rated number #1 (along with Mustard/Turnip/Collard Greens) on the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI), I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon. At least not in my diet. Kale for life!
With these few simple techniques you’ll be well on your way to kale chip bliss. Or maybe you already are, in which case, feel free to skip ahead to my All-Dressed Baked Kale Chip recipe below and get crunching!
Ok, here are my top 6 tips for baking the perfect kale chips. No dehydrator required.
1. Remove the stems and tear leaves into large pieces
I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of chewing through woody baked kale stems. I remove the stems very quickly by grabbing the base of the stem with one hand and pushing outwards along the stem to slide off the leaves. Works like a charm!
2. Wash and thoroughly dry the leaves before beginning
If the leaves aren’t properly dried, the water can “steam” the kale chips while baking and lead to the dreaded soggy kale chip! Be sure they are nice and dry before you massage in the oil. A salad spinner works great; just be sure not to overload it so the leaves can properly dry.
3. Don’t skip the oil, but don’t drench it in oil either
A little bit of extra virgin olive oil (or coconut oil, if you prefer) goes a long way. I like to use ½ tablespoon of oil per baking sheet of kale chips. “Massage” the oil into the leaves to ensure all the nooks and crannies are coated. Oil also helps the spices stick to the leaves.
4. Spread kale into a single layer on the baking sheet
I used to dump all the kale into a very thick layer on the baking sheet and hope for the best, but doing this tends to lead to soggy, unevenly baked kale chips. I’ve learned to be a bit more patient and spread them out into a thinner layer on each baking sheet. Be sure to rotate the baking sheet half-way through baking. There’s no real need to flip the chips unless you have the patience for it.
5. It’s all about the low-heat for even baking
As I wrote in my cookbook, I tested all kinds of kale chip recipes at different temperatures from very low to high heats. Surprise, surprise the batches that worked the best were the ones I baked at a very low temperature of 300F. Sure, it takes a bit longer to bake, but I can assure you it’s worth it because you don’t get any burnt pieces. Remember, the goal is to crisp the kale, not scorch it into smithereens! In my oven, I bake at 300F for 10 minutes, then I rotate the pan, and bake for another 15 minutes. So 25 minutes total for kale chip perfection in my oven. This will vary based on your oven, but it’s a good starting off point!
6. Cool for just a few minutes on the baking sheet
I’ve found that waiting just 3 minutes allows the kale chips to crisp up even more once they are out of the oven. Just like baked cookies or roasted chickpeas, kale chips really firm up even more when cooled. Those 3 minutes will feel like hours though. I won’t lie.
Bonus tips: Avoid adding liquids (such as vinegars or hot sauces) pre-baking as liquids can result in soggy chips. It’s best to add a light spritz of liquid seasoning after they’ve been baked, if at all. Also, if your oven has one, feel free to try out the dehydrator or convection setting.
Now, read on for my All-Dressed Kale Chip recipe! I promise this batch will not last long…minutes while standing in front of the oven if you are like me.
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
All-Dressed Kale Chips
Yield
1-2 servings
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Crispy and chewy kale chips baked in the oven and seasoned to perfection. Enjoy these as a healthy alternative to potato chips.
Ingredients
per baking sheet:
- approx. 1/2 bunch kale leaves
- 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or melted coconut oil
- 1.5 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt or pink Himalayan sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 300F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Remove leaves from the stems of the kale and roughly tear it up into large pieces. Compost the stems (or freeze for smoothies). Wash and spin the leaves until thoroughly dry.
- Add kale leaves into a large bowl. Massage in the oil until all the nooks and crannies are coated in oil. Now sprinkle on the spices/seasonings and toss to combine.
- Spread out the kale onto the prepared baking sheet into a single layer, being sure not to overcrowd the kale.
- Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake for another 12-15 minutes more until the kale begins to firm up. The kale will look shrunken, but this is normal. I bake for 25 mins. total in my oven.
- Cool the kale on the sheet for 3 minutes before digging in! This really makes all the difference! Enjoy immediately as they lose their crispiness with time.
- Repeat this process for the other half of the bunch.
Tip:
Feel free to make these in a dehydrator if you have one. You can also experiment with the convection or dehydrator setting on your oven (if applicable).
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)I can’t end this post today without thanking you for your lovely comments in my recent post. I’m reading through all of them and greatly appreciate the support, advice, and love. Sketchie’s staple removal went fine (it took a few minutes and didn’t seem to even bother him) and he is healing well from surgery.
Thank you I’ve been wanting to try these. They are delicious! I sprinkled them with pramesan cheese after I took out. Really good either way but that cheese pairs good with the kale!?
We really liked these. Thanks for the recipe!
I have a roast setting on my oven. Will this be good or bad for making kale chips. I saw you mention the convection setting can work. I thought roasting would be great too. I have both on the oven. Just trying to find reasons to use either lol
My oven has a roast setting. Will this make them too dry. I saw you said th
Thankyou for this recipe! Successful! Really good!
Can I ask – just to be really clear since I have burnt many batches of kale by now – what do you mean by rotating the pan exactly? As in, just turn it 180? But why? Is it because of uneven heat?? Thanks!
Hey B, Oh I feel your pain! By rotate the pan, I just turn it 180 degrees. This isn’t necessary unless you’ve noticed that your oven has “hot spots” though :) Hope it goes well!
Kale Chips are fantastic, just made them, my husband hates kale, he loved them!! great explanation of how to prepare them and turned out just like the picture, flavor was right on! Thanks will try more of your recipes
J’aime les bonnes recettes et je les suis. Merci
These kale chips were perfect! My first success with kale chips, thanks for the detailed instructions, well worth it!
I love this recipe and can’t wait to try it. An organic farmer friend of mine introduced me to kale chips and I am sold! This will be my first attempt. It is also my first fall garden and I have a whopping 4 kale plants, but they’re doing well. Thankfully, my night visitor with a passion for cabbage tried two kale leaves and apparently, went ‘Bleagh!’ At least there’s that. Now, I’ve been reading the comments on drying the leaves and can’t help but to share this one. Warning: 99.9% of you will think I’ve totally lost it. True….I have papers to prove it….but this works. If you don’t have a salad spinner, you do have a spinner, you just don’t know it. Yet. I read it a few years ago and it was so off the chain, I had to try it. If you’re only washing a small amount, this is overkill, but works great on large amounts. I like to use it on those bunches of turnip or collard greens you buy from roadside stands, the ones that still have some sand/dirt in them. Put them….drumroll, please….in the washing machine. No, seriously! Run an empty cycle to clean the washer, wipe down the inside because you don’t think it is clean yet, put your greens in there on the rinse cycle of the handwash setting and voilla`! Spun greens! They do all splat against the sides, but it is not a problem to use your hand to scrape them off. No fuss, no muss, no bother!
HOLY MOLY, this is my first time ever making kale chips and I picked the right recipe! ?
I wasn’t sure how much kale to use, so I used enough that would fit in the basket of my air fryer. My only seasonings were nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, sweet paprika, and a very small amount of salt, maybe four twists on my salt grinder. Beware if you’re using an air fryer: I only needed 6 minutes TOTAL at 300° F. Do not walk away! These are amazing!!! Lighter than air.
Do you have to eat kale chips the same day or can they be preserved for a later time?
Hi Shirley, I find that they tend to lose their crispness with time so I like to enjoy these as fresh out of the oven as possible.
This is the best kale chip ever! Perfect taste and crispness! Thank you
these kale chips are awesome! Even my husband likes them and he doesn’t like anything good for him !!
Can these be made with out the nutritional yeast?
güzrel begendm
Sometimes you can add peanut satay sauce to kale chips. You may have to cook them longer
So delicious. And healthy!!!❤️
If you like spicy, you will LOVE these! I’m not a huge spicy girl myself, so I will probably decrease some of the spices or nix some of them altogether next time I make them.
SO GOOD!!! ate a full batch myself straight out of the oven!! Will keep this recipe as a ‘go-to’ for my kale chips. Thank you!
I can’t wait to try this ! I have so much kale growing I am having trouble eating it all raw so this will be a super way to try it !! I am wondering how long the chips will stay crispy and what is the best way to store the ‘chips’ ? Thank so much for what I already know will be a delicious recipe ! ?
Never made kale chips before. Curious,what is the nutrional yeast for & where can it be purchsed?