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Homemade Kale Chips

in Other, Snacks

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My name is Hannah, and I have an obsession with kale chips! 😉  In all seriousness, though, kale is the way to go!  For months now, I have read (both on the blogs and in health and fitness magazines) about how amazing kale is.  Not only is kale very low in calories and contains no cholesterol, but it also provides a significant amount of Vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, iron, and protein!  I saw recipe after recipe using this leafy green vegetable, but for some reason they all scared and intimidated me.  But then, I saw these on clearance at one of my local grocery stores…

kale chips

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…and decided to finally give them a try…and I fell in love.  Since then, I have also tried several other brands, all of which I have loved.  For the heads up, the Zesty Nacho flavor at Trader Joe’s is amaaazing!

So, why don’t I just stick with buying the packaged kale chips?  Yes, they are convenient and oh-so tasty, but they are also quite pricey!  Trader Joe’s version runs at 3.99 per bag (which contains 2 servings, but could easily be 1), and many of the other brands cost 4.99 or 5.99 per bag.  Therefore, this is definitely one of those snacks that I only splurge on on occasion (which, is super difficult when you are a self-proclaimed kale chip addict!).

When I realized just how expensive this healthy obsession could get, I decided I would put in a little extra effort (not much, by the way) and make my own kale chips at home.  Do not be intimidated.  This is a recipe that you can easily make.

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Homemade Kale Chips

Servings: approximately 2

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale
olive oil cooking spray
sea salt
nutritional yeast
cayenne pepper
dill

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

2. Thoroughly wash the bunch of kale and let dry.

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3. Cut the leaves of the kale from the stems and cut into pieces (about 2 inches wide).

4. Place the kale pieces onto the baking sheet.  Lightly spray the kale with olive oil cooking spray and sprinkle with the seasonings.  Do not be shy with the nutritional yeast.  You will want to use quite a bit to get that cheesy taste.

5. Bake the kale chips for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until they have reached your desired crispness.  You will need to watch them carefully, especially once you get to the 10 minute mark, to prevent burning.  Remove any smaller pieces from the oven first (at around 10 minutes), so that they do not burn while the larger pieces are still cooking.

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I cooked my kale chips in two batches, as the entire bunch of kale would not fit on one baking sheet.

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These beauties turned out to be both crispy and flavorful.  Though, next time, I would use even more nutritional yeast.  Seriously, you cannot use too much! 😉  Oh, and make sure that you get creative with the seasonings that you use.  Use what you love.  You make think that using dill seems a bit unconventional, but it is another one of my current taste obsessions.

Ensure that you store any leftover kale chips in an air-tight container so that they preserve their crispy texture.  However, the idea of having leftovers is pretty funny because you definitely will not want to stop snacking on these.

It is true.  Vegetables can and do make delicious, healthy snacks.  Kale chips are proof of that.  Will I still buy pre-packaged kale chips from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods?  You betcha!  You really cannot beat convenience.  However, when I have the time, I will certainly be making my own kale chips at home.  Convenience is great, but most of the time being economical is even better.

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{ 77 comments… add one }
  • chasingchels May 6, 2013, 5:59 pm
    Mmm kale chips are delicious, esp those from TJs...I dislike the price on those though, too, so i'll have to give yours a try :)
  • Michelle @ Eat Move Balance May 6, 2013, 6:21 pm
    Kale chips are one of my favorite "appetizers". People are always amazed at how great of snack they are!
  • Erica @ For the Sake of Cake May 6, 2013, 6:51 pm
    I've never tried kale chips, but they seem so simple and so many people love them that I'm thinking I'll have to give them a whirl sometime soon!
  • Erin May 6, 2013, 7:05 pm
    I love kale in smoothies, but have never been able to bring myself to make kale chips. I dont know why, it just seems so weird to me! I have heard nothing but good things about them though
    • cleaneatingveggiegirl May 6, 2013, 9:02 pm
      You should definitely try making them. Or, since you have never tried them before, buy a bag and forgo the homemade process.
  • Alex @ therunwithin May 6, 2013, 7:15 pm
    I love the store bought stuff but whenever i try and make it, they taste terrible!
  • elise May 6, 2013, 7:22 pm
    no matter how i make my own, theyre NEVER as good as store bought. i love all kale chips that ive purchased, but dang if they arent $$$$$. havent tried the TJs ones though - good to know!
    • cleaneatingveggiegirl May 6, 2013, 9:03 pm
      You are right! The homemade ones aren't quite as good, but the cost of the store bought ones is insane!!
  • Leigha May 6, 2013, 7:47 pm
    I seriously need to try these kale chips. What am I missing?!
  • Becky @ Olives n Wine May 6, 2013, 8:36 pm
    I leeeeeeeerrrrvvvee kale chips! I haven't found a great seasoning recipe to make them at home though so I'm going to have to give yours a try. I like the idea of adding some spice with the cayenne :)
  • Lillian @ Seize the Latte May 6, 2013, 8:41 pm
    I looooove kale chips -- they're seriously addictive. :) Happy snacking!
  • megbek May 6, 2013, 8:55 pm
    Yum. I didn't know TJ's sold them.... going to have to try some! I've made them before but they came out way too salty, ugh! I love the idea of nutritional yeast, it makes everything better! :) thanks for the tip! Maybe I'll give it another shot.
  • ahealthyhappyhome May 6, 2013, 10:04 pm
    Yum, love kale chips! I found the easiest way to get the seasoning all over them is to put them in a zip lock bag and lightly massage everything all over it. So good!
  • Jeremy DeHague May 6, 2013, 10:15 pm
    Im going to have to try them! I like most green veggies! Had a customer today at the store request Kale juice....Lomar does not carry it...have you seen kale juice anywhere???
    • cleaneatingveggiegirl May 7, 2013, 4:25 pm
      Hmm...I can't say that I have ever heard of that..which is surprising since I read a lot of food blogs!
  • Brittany May 7, 2013, 12:08 am
    AH I did not like those Rhythm kale chip! I thought they were awful, but I do love homemade kale chips!
  • Lucie@FitSwissChick May 7, 2013, 1:42 am
    I tried to do Kale Chips before but either they didn't get crispy, or they burnt. You just inspired me to give it another try!!
  • Jan @ Sprouts n Squats May 7, 2013, 3:12 am
    I need to try this recipe! I've never tried kale chips before but I keep seeing recipes for them pop up and they now finally have Kale in supermarkets here in Australia
  • jessielovestorun May 7, 2013, 3:36 am
    Can you believe Kale doesn't exist here.. or at least I have yet to see any :(
  • willrunforquinoa May 7, 2013, 5:24 am
    I've put mine is a tight container to make sure no air gets to it and they still go back to chewy :( maybe I just need to try again!
  • Eating 4 Balance May 7, 2013, 6:25 am
    The addition of dill sounds awesome! I love using that seasoning. Great idea to make your own homemade! Kale chips are amazing.
  • Meredith May 7, 2013, 6:56 am
    yum! I love making kale chips but I never thought of adding all kinds of spices. I've always just done sea salt/pepper, dill sounds great. And thanks for the ideas about pre-packaged ones, too :)
  • Slim Sanity (@Slim_Sanity) May 7, 2013, 7:30 am
    I still have never had kale chips! I need to try these out
  • Kelly @ HIdden Fruits and Veggies May 7, 2013, 7:53 am
    Don't laugh, but I'm trying kale for the first time TODAY. My sister has been raving about a salad for weeks now, so I finally gave in and bought some kale for it. It comes in HUGE bunches though, so if it's not too scary after I try it, I'm totally going to make kale chips with the rest of it!
  • Nicole @ FruitnFitness May 7, 2013, 8:06 am
    I need to try making kale chips again! I love kale chips from TJ's but the times I have tried at home they always seem to go from not done to bunt to a crisp before I am able to get them out of the oven.
  • Laurie @ Love, Laugh, Laurie May 7, 2013, 8:47 am
    LOVE kale chips! I usually add some garlic powder to mine, so delish!
  • Kelly @ Vegan Iowan May 7, 2013, 9:15 am
    What exactly do you store your leftovers in? I've tried tupperware and found some very mushy unpleasantness the next day.
    • cleaneatingveggiegirl May 7, 2013, 4:31 pm
      I actually stored mine in a washed out hummus container..haha, weird I know! They stayed rather crispy, so I am not sure why they wouldn't in a tupperware container :(.
  • eatgreatbegreat May 7, 2013, 9:22 am
    Homemade kale chip are the best!
  • Taryn May 7, 2013, 9:45 am
    I've had kale chips on my "to try" list for awhile now - maybe this post will be the kick I need to finally make them!
  • jessiebearwhat May 7, 2013, 10:08 am
    Homemade kale chips are the bomb. I like them so much better than the packaged kind!
  • thesavedrunner May 7, 2013, 10:49 am
    These look delicious!! I would seriously love to try to make them! Where do you buy nutritional yeast?
  • Jamie H. May 7, 2013, 10:53 am
    Kale chips is one of my favorite treats! The only problem is that I can eat a huge amount in a very short amount of time ;-) Great recipe
    • cleaneatingveggiegirl May 7, 2013, 4:33 pm
      Oh, trust me..so can I! The fact that they are so expensive is about the only thing that keeps me from eating an entire bag ;).
  • Alexis May 7, 2013, 11:43 am
    I'm totally obsessed with kale chips, too! These look awesome. I love the kind from trader Jo'es but they're pretty pricey, like all store-bought kale chips. I want to try making a version with cashews next time!
    • cleaneatingveggiegirl May 7, 2013, 4:34 pm
      You should definitely try a cashews version. And if you do, post about it on your blog. I would LOVE to try that out!
  • lifeandfitnessbyashley May 7, 2013, 12:18 pm
    Kale chips are so delicious! I'm usually a fan of the non spicy ones like sea salt.
  • makingthymeforhealth May 7, 2013, 12:50 pm
    I love kale!! But kale chips are so expensive and you get almost nothing in the bag. I have made them before but had a hard time not burning it. Yours turned out great though!
    • cleaneatingveggiegirl May 7, 2013, 4:34 pm
      You definitely have to watch them carefully, and it helps if all of the pieces are the same size so that they cook pretty evenly.
  • Rebecca @ Blueberry Smiles May 7, 2013, 12:56 pm
    Yours look good! Whenever I try to make kale chips, they never turn out right for some reason
  • Rach @ This Italian Family May 7, 2013, 3:28 pm
    These look delicious! I really like kale chips!
  • Nanna May 7, 2013, 5:12 pm
    Hi, Hannah, my name's also Hannah (though I go by Nanna, too), and I also love kale chips! I've never made my own - I buy them from the local health food store - but I definitely want to give it a try, predominantly for the sake of my wallet ;) Thanks for sharing!
    • cleaneatingveggiegirl May 7, 2013, 5:36 pm
      I get called Nanna, too!! :) Yes, I wish they were not so darn expensive. But often times they are worth the splurge!
  • crazyforcrust May 8, 2013, 8:33 am
    I have never tried kale chips. I need to try them!
  • Dixya @ Food, Pleasure, and Health May 8, 2013, 2:15 pm
    I have never tried them before but i bet its tasty. Nutritional yeast is something I have been enjoying a lot lately. try it on sweet potatoes- it will change your world.
  • Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl May 10, 2013, 5:03 pm
    Kale chips are so expensive! :( That's why when our kale starts growing big and it's harvest time, I make kale chips nonstop! I love them with some sea salt on top, but I also like some paprika and spices too.. Can't wait, kale time soon!
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