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.
Perfection! I’ve been planning to make these for a while, but am glad I looked again today for tips/recipes before I started. I was a bit skeptical that 300 would do it, but must admit, they are perfect! Thanks for doing all the work and sharing!
half your instructions and half fake cheesy sauce. came out pretty good.
I have been looking for new ways to put kale in my diet because even though I am vegan, I don’t love it. I use it to make green smoothies and now will be making kale chips! I chose your recipe because I really liked the combination of spices. They came out great, following your tips to the letter! A couple were a little soggy but I think just those couple ended up with too much oil on them. The rest were light and crisp! Thanks so much. Will be sharing this with friends and on facebook.
Thanks for the tips! I bought some kale to make chips with and am really nervous!
I always had soggy or burnt kale chips until I realized I could finish them in the food dehydrator. This takes care of wet centers and leaves you with a crispy, crunchy, dry chip. Less oil needed for cooking, too!
I just have to add that I stored mine in a plastic container on the counter and they were just as crisp 2 days later.
I tried them for the first time tonight. At 300 degrees for 25 minutes, it made mine too done, the taste wasn’t bad with the exception of being a tad scorched. I didn’t know what I’d like best so half of them had olive oil, half coconut oil. Some had bacon flavor, some with basil, garlic & parmesean cheese. I even tried a few with white cheddar popcorn flavoring. and a few with cumin. I think they would all be great if I cut back to 20 minutes.
Perfect!! Came out PERFECT. Everybody loved these at our 4th BBQ.
Thank you so much for this!! It was my very first time making kale chips the other day using your recioe & they came out perfect!!
I just tried this recipe, and thought I was going to burn my house down. 350 F. is WAY too hot an oven for this. Burnt to a crisp. Will try again in the dehydrator at a more reasonable temperature.
Hi Mary, The recipe says to bake them at 300F so that`s probably why yours burnt at 350F. Hope the next one goes better!
Sounds great! Going to try it out shortly. I too thought the burnt-ish taste was normal. Smh
The kale recipe looks interesting . Will have to try. But why yeast in recipe? Is it necessary?
Hi, what seasonings or dressings are good on kale? I loved the ‘chips’ but not the plain salt and olive oil. I’ll admit I added some garlic salt. I’m a garlic and spice girl. Any dips or sprays or anything to make it taste better than just salt? Which, BTW, I never use salt, in anything, except maybe a dash in hubby’s pot roast and pretend I added more so he’ll eat it!
These look amazing! I tried them a few times but they kept coming out too salty even when I cut down the seasonings. Any suggestions?
300F is very low temp?? i would reduce further and bake longer for more nutritional value..or make as normal and put over a salad
I am so glad to have found this! I grew up eating kale and never knew how great it was for us. My grandmother always cooked everything in lard, and as an adult I realized how much I actually love the taste of kale (and other greens) on it’s own. I’ve been wanting to try to make some chips, but I’ve been a little intimidated. This step by step is motivating because you’ve included the trial and error aspect. I’m trying to move towards a vegetarian diet, and just recently discovered nutritional yeast. I will definitely give this a try now, thanks!
I know i’m a bloke but,what rubbish are kale chips!!! Home grown curly kale with sea salt,yuk!
just got home from vacation to an abundance of kale in my garden.
made vegan dad’s creamed kale and was looking for a recipe for kale chips.
came upon yours and with your tips they turned out perfect!
thanks for another great recipe!
Thank you. Perfect temp, I just didn’t spread them out enough. Great tips. Very much appreciated.
These are PERFECT! I just made a batch and can’t stop eating them. My three-year old loves them, too. Thanks for a great recipe!