These kale chips are delicious, oil-free, nut-free, and can be made without a dehydrator.
Most kale chips require a dehydrator, and many recipes also include oil.
These kale chips are incredibly tasty and crispy – without needing any oil – AND without needing a dehydrator.
Now, you do have to use a particular method of baking with the oven. Because it’s very easy to burn kale chips in the oven. When they overcook or burn in spots, they lose that gorgeous vibrant green color and taste bitter. The taste is just not the same. It’s not fresh and clean, but rather bitter and sulfurous.
See, most recipes for kale chips in an oven have the setting WAY too high, usually around 400 degrees. But even in recipes that bake chips at a lower oven temp for longer (ex: 300 degrees for 30+ minutes), your kale chips will “cook” rather than “dry”. A dehydrator is so effective because it dries the foods, it doesn’t cook them. That’s why the chips taste so fresh and the greens taste more sweet than bitter.
I don’t have a dehydrator so I started experimenting, to get these crunchy-munchy bites of deliciousness. And this is what I discovered…
The trick is to mimic dehydrating in your oven.
To do that, you need to use the lowest temperature setting possible for your oven, and then alternate turning the oven off and on. For my trials, this took about 1 1/2 – 2 hours. The result? Crispy, irresistable kale chips!
Healthy Kale Chips: Seasonings
Before I jump to the recipe for these healthy kale chips, let’s talk about seasonings. In my experience, kale chips can be too heavily overseasoned, or seasoned with just salt and oil.
This recipe gives you an oil-free ‘dressing’ for the chips that is flavorful but not sickly or hot-spicy. Remember that the kale becomes smaller, and more concentrated with this drying method or with dehydration. So, be somewhat conservative with assertive spices and also with the salt. Try the recipe as-is first, then add your spices to personalize the next time round (see note about seasoning).
And finally, this ‘dressing’ uses some nooch (nutritional yeast). I promise it tastes good. It’s the combination of the ingredients together. Give it a try, even start with a touch less at first to get the idea.
Let me know if you’ve made these, share in the comments. x Dreena
Oven-Dehydrated Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh kale curly or dinosaur; about 6–8 loosely packed cups after prepping
- 2 teaspoons tahini
- 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon tamari
- 1/2 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- 2 1/2 – 3 tbps nutritional yeast
- 1/8 teaspoon (scant) sea salt
Instructions
- Wash the kale leaves. Strip the leaves from the stems and place the leaves in a salad spinner. Spin to remove as much water as possible. If leaves are still damp, use a kitchen towel to blot dry. Turn oven to lowest setting possible (ex: 170F). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, tamari, and maple syrup. Stir or whisk through until fully smooth in the bottom of the bowl. Add kale leaves and toss through with your hands, gently incorporating the sauce through the leaves. Add the nutritional yeast, and continue to work through the kale leaves. Transfer the kale leaves to the prepared baking sheets, spreading out. Sprinkle the leaves with the sea salt. Place the baking sheets in the oven on 2 racks. Bake for an hour. Then, turn off oven, rotate trays, and then let sit in the oven for 30 minutes. Then, turn oven to 170F again, and bake for another 15–20 minutes. Check kale: if completely dry and crispy, remove from oven. If not, turn off heat and let sit for another 30–40 minutes. By then, the kale should be crisp and ready to eat!
Notes
- If your oven can go lower than 170F, the process may take another 20–30 minutes.
- To re-crisp leftovers, reheat at same low temperature until flaky again.
- Do not add extra wet seasonings or it will make the leaves soggy.
- If you want to add other flavors, stick with dry seasonings, and remember the flavor intensifies with drying.
This post was originally published in 2012 and has been updated for 2023.
Charles S. says
Have you tried it plain with no added salt or soy sauce. I did and liked it enough that I can confidently recommend it.
Jill says
Wow – these chips are one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth! THANK YOU!
Andrea says
Oh How Wonderful ! I made this recipe on many occasions a few years ago when I used a dehydrator and the seasoning is outstanding. As the years went on – my tiny kitchen is bursting at the seams – the dehydrator went to a friend – so I followed the directions using the oven. The process was soooooo much quicker than with a dehydrator and the result spectacular. Some recipes are timeless – and this is one of them. Thank You Dreena ! Your cookbooks in my home have curled pages and more than a few splatters … of love.
Sandra says
can u dry kale in an oven blend it into a powder then vacuum seal it?
Dreena says
I haven’t tried it, I imagine you could if at a very low temp!
Sandra Valdovinos says
Sandra, yes. I have done that! I had so much Kale given to me. It turns out great. I recently read where someone did that & used the powder to add to green smoothies. I use for soups & other dishes like spice, I have a jar in refrigerator right now.
kj says
A little olive oil and 4 hours in the sun on a hot summer day and done.
Tasha carmichael says
Made these for the first time tonight. They are fabulous! My 4 year old is busy munching away. Thanks!
Dreena says
glad to hear it, thanks Tasha!
Jamie says
Oh I just saw it was F, I’m silly!!!! 😀
Jamie says
Hi Dreena, would you mind editing the recipe to specify if the temperature is F or C? I’m guessing it’s F but I couldn’t see it anywhere. Many thanks!! 🙂
Heddy Way says
I made these tonight! Very tasty and crisp. Only one wee problem being that they broke up a lot ( I guess I ‘stirred’ them around a little too vigorously!). I will use the more powdery portion to season other dishes but will enjoy the larger pieces as a snack. No room in my kitchen for a dehydrator and I couldn’t justify buying one for preparing something as luxurious as a pre dinner nbble so, this method will do me well.
Natasha Gall says
These only took 30min at the lowest setting on my full gas oven
Vimala says
Kale chips are availabqle in england. Asda sell them on there health food section and also w.h. smith have a small section of healthy foods (try Dr. Food roasted beans) on the end of one of the chocolare aisles in one of their newcastle stores. I am excited, things are looking up on the healthy foods available in the uk.
crystal says
All my previous attempts to make kale chips used a low baking temperature that cooked the kale. They would come out chewy, soggy and burnt all on the same piece. These days I’m drowning in kale from my CSA box, and landed on your site after a bit of Googling. I followed your directions exactly. I used parchment paper over the top portion of my broiler trays and had a bit of over-lap to squeeze it all on. Didn’t matter. After 1 hour at 150 degrees, then another 30 minutes in the oven with the heat off, they are perfect melt-in-your-mouth crunchy and tasty! I had planned to eat them this evening after dinner, but half of them didn’t even make it into the dish when I pulled them out of the oven.
Jem says
How much kale do you make at once? I used a medium size bunch, covered 2 cookie sheets…..and they all shrunk so much that I barely got 2 cups of chips! I loved them, but I’m not sure it’s worth all the prep work. It was about one serving and, in that case, I calculated that it had about 6 gms a fat in that 2 cups from the nutritional yeast and tahini alone. I’m a low-fat food eater and this is a lot for me……especially since I could have eaten 2-3 times more of this delicious snack!
crishia says
This may be a dumb question but when you say rotate the tray do you mean to turn it like 90degrees so if it’s like landscape style( longer horizontally) it’s turned so that it’s portrait style (longer vertically)?
Dreena says
Not at all, Crishia! I typically use two trays, so when I rotate them, I change positions on the oven racks (so the baking sheet on the upper rack takes a turn on the lower rack, and vice versa). That make sense?
Rosie says
Wow, can’t wait to try this. I did a batch at a high heat which crisped the kale and I was surprised by the flavour but realized that it could be denser (the kale was thin and like tissue paper). I tried to join the blog but the subscribe link went down.
rob says
I have been using a cold frame, 2×6 fir, as a drier …just add a plywood bottom, some reflection over that, then suspend a screen, and glass on top…shade over greens within the box to preserve color, adjust glass to vent moisture or flip to dry condensation, this design easily attains a 200 F temp…thus far i have dried mango, summer squash, tomato, pepper, apple, pear, cucumber and herbs, even cantaloup…4 straight days of hot sun is needed, thin slices…1/4 INCH. To construct start with the glass, a storm panel from a door then build the wood to the size of the glass, outside dimensions match…tilt to sun, box needs to be off of the ground. Now i will try kale and collards
Angie says
Dreena, you are a genius! This is the best Kale Chip recipe, EVER! I make them 1 or 2 times per week. Do you think the kale retains it’s nutrients, cooking it this way? Also have you ever tried this with okra? Love your blog & cookbooks! Keep up the good work
Dreena says
You are too kind, Angie… I’ll take it. 😉 Haven’t ever tried with okra! I DO want to try it with collards, though. I’m not sure about the nutrients, I’m sure some vitamins are depleted with cooking but at a low temp I suspect less than with high-roasting. Thanks for the report back!
Anne says
The enzymes don’t die off if dehydrated at 105 degrees or less, which takes longer, but the food is still living.
Tish says
WOW. I can set my oven digitally.. I will try 100 degrees. Overnight? I guess I better watch it the first time doing it during the day. I love Dreena’s recipes, but love to experiment as well.
lani says
i have been unable to pin as the image is too small. Possible for you to fix?
Lise says
send me this great recipe please!
Stacey says
Is there a difference in cooking times when cooking kale? I live in a dry climate at about a mile above sea level. Last month (October) is the first time I tried kale in my life and it was store bought dehydrated. I had tried another recipe this past weekend, and that recipe had a long cooking time too. Majority of my cooking is with a crockpot since I work 2 jobs.
Dreena says
Hi Stacey, do you mean for dehydrating specifically? If it’s more general, depends on the recipe – some just briefly cook the kale, others cook it out longer.
Joyce says
Love this! I really want to make this any time soon.
Just have one question. ‘nutritional yeast’, what exactly is that?
I live in Holland, do you think I can just get it at my local organic store?
Thank you so much!
Dreena says
Joyce, it’s a nutrient-rich seasoning that is not an active yeast, has a slightly “cheesy” flavor. You can prob order online if you can’t get it at your local store!
Annelies says
Joyce, the sell it at DIO! 🙂
Rena says
Hi,
I’m so keen to make these awesome sounding chips, but do not want 18 pages with 90 comments, as interesting as they may be. Is there a condensed recipe only that I can print out?
Dreena says
Yes, Rena, there is a link by the recipe title to RECIpage.
Georgina says
Yum! Just made a batch with exactly the same seasonings plus dried rosemary. Found that my convection oven was quicker, so I used the shorter mimes in each phase of the baking process. The chips are beautifully crisp and bright green. Dreena, you’re amazing!
dawn says
Thanks so much for this! I’ve baked kale chips before, but some turn out burnt no matter how vigilant I am. I found a good deal on organic kale and bought a bunch to make chips with. My oven has a “keep warm” setting of 170°, I used my round, extremely well-seasoned pizza stones without parchment paper, and they were done sooner than I expected. This is May be because I had left the kale out overnight (impromptu motorcycle trip came up when I had intended t do the kale!) And I also decided to just do them plain and make kale powder. still too several hours to do, and I only yielded about a half cup of kale powder but I was very happy with this process. Your seasoning sounds intriguing and I plan on giving that a try next!
Growing Up Jersey says
My 50’s era gas oven keeps a constant 110 degrees with the pilot light. It’s perfect for making yogurt and drying herbs so it should work for kale chips. I’m going to try it tomorrow!
MJ says
Hi!!Can i skip using nutritional yeast for this recipe?
Will they turn out crispy without it?
Dreena says
They should be ok, MJ. The nooch is really good, you could even try reducing slightly – balances the flavor w/ the tahini, etc. But, if you really don’t like it, should be fine. 🙂
Nathan Trotter says
I’d leave the nutritional yeast out simply because it it grown on gmo crops such as sugar beets. Why create a nutritional snack only to taint it with gmo’s?
Sky says
Thx so much for this! I was able to make my kale chips now! I kept the oven open a crack the whole time while doing it and turned out great! Many thx for the post 🙂
Telma says
Yummy! I love kale chips. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Sierra Gormsen says
I have a “keep warm” setting on my oven, about what temp would that be do you think?
Also, could I run the kale through a food processor to mush it before dehydrating? Maybe add your ingredients for the topping into the mix?
Dreena says
Sierra, the warm setting will work I think, but might take several hours. If you run the kale in the processor, you will get flakes, so the final mix will be more like a sprinkle topping – if that’s what you’re looking for (could be v nice for salads/soups)!
Laloofah says
Thank you for this! Our new oven has a “dehydrate” setting on it (perfect!). I adore kale in all it’s forms, but I have zero – ZERO! – self control when it comes to kale chips. If there’s a bowl of kale chips at a party I’ll shamelessly eat them all without an ounce of compassion for my fellow party guests. 🙂 Seriously, I could plow through an acre of kale all by myself in an afternoon if it were in the form of kale chips.
Bee says
These are truly the best! I just made a triple batch. I changed the recipe a bit: no tahini (didn’t have it) and no lemon juice or syrup (didn’t want ’em) and just a bit of olive oil, garlic, and onion powder. I had had perfectly good results with the baked chips, but I think it’s worth the extra time to keep them technically “raw” for the nutrients.
Emma says
I first tried Kale Chips whilst living in Victoria in Canada (my friends mum had made some) and I haven’t stopped thinking about them since! Of course we don’t have anything like this to buy ready made in England so I was very happy to stumble upon this recipe.
I tried making them for the first time tonight and they have worked out great! Can’t stop munching on them!
Thanks for posting this 🙂
Dreena says
wonderful to hear that Emma! Thank you. 🙂
Lynda says
Hi Emma,
You absolutely can get them in the UK. In most health food stores, the chains and the small independent ones. I recently bought them in Infinity Foods in Brighton and a small health food store. Brand is http://www.inspiralled.net, so ask your local store to get some if they don’t have them in stock. They’re delicious! But they’ve inspired me to make my own :), so thanks for the recipe Dreena!
Joanna says
Also, Inspiralled is based in Camden so if you live in London you can buy direct from them for much cheaper than in the health food shops!
donna says
I made these tonight and they are so good! I had given up on making kale chips that turn out half burnt and half soggy. These are perfect and delicious.
Dreena says
Fabulous! Thanks for the report, Donna. 🙂
Anne says
Great recipe!!! I make these all the time now. I just can’t get enough of them! Thank you 🙂
Dreena says
Wonderful to hear, thanks Anne!
Lala says
thanks for your post. while i didn’t use your recipe, i did follow your oven times and worked perfectly! i tried kale chips ones, and they tasted awful. i finally had the patience to have another go and glad i found this 🙂
Poweredbyplantz says
Great recipe – I gave it a shot and it worked like a charm. Thank you!
Lynda says
Thanks for this recipe, Dreena! It looks a bit easier than my own (which uses chopped kale and nuts).
I have to agree that dehydrators take up a lot of space…which is why mine now lives in the laundry room. But I do use it a lot, not only for kale chips but also for drying seitan slivers and other goodies to use as vegetarian road food.
Brianna says
Thanks you so much for redeeming my healthy addiction. I burnt way too many kale in the oven before I sought a solution to discover your site.
Dreena says
Most welcome Brianna – that’s awesome (not the burning part). 🙂
Ada says
I’m new to raw food “cooking” and a excited to see an oven option for dehydration. One question about the final product … how long does dehydrated food last, in particular the kale chips of this recipe?
Dreena says
Ada, the chips last certainly several days, but to me, they are freshest/taste best that same day or the next. There are some tips mentioned in the comments for helping to keep them fresh too. Enjoy!
pamela says
Yum love the recipe. I didn’t have tahini so I used sunflower seed butter that was sweetened it was delicious then just added a dash of maple syrup and a little cayenne too I looove spicy-this was a great recipe thank you and true cooking time too
Des says
I’ve been making them in the oven for a while using the ramping up and then letting it cool a little method. Alton Brown had a tip on using small space heaters in the oven to create the dehydrating effect. I’ve found that on my Whirlpool oven, I can put the top rack all the way up, skip a space and put the next rack in, and fit a Sunbeam mini heater ($24) at the base of the oven. It takes a bit to find out where yours will hit 110 degrees, but by using a probe thermometer or a meat thermometer propped in a cracked oven door, you can find the range fairly easily. The heater has a range of about 20 degrees, so mine would go from about 105-125. The chips took about 7 hours to dehydrate on baking racks over baking sheets. I used curly kale and a fairly wet marinade though. It may only take 5-6 with flat kale and a drier marinade. With the heater in, you will still want to crack the oven door using a wooden spoon handle to provide air flow.
Greg S says
I bought a dehydrator because I didn’t want to buy the chips from Whole Foods that cost $8 when kale costs around or under a dollar a bunch. We bought a lot of kale today and made them for the dehydrator then realized we made too many to fit. So we did them in both the oven and the dehydrator. Both taste that same. I did notice the dehydrated ones have a brighter green to them, much like they do when bought fresh. I have heard that cooking things removes the nutrients, not sure how much though.
We make them for our 2 1/2 year old grandson who eats them like candy, we don’t know if he has a nut alergy so we make them with a little salt and red pepper flakes.
I found a recipe on food.com for spicy Spicy Thai Ginger Chips, wow are those good! They said you can do them in the oven without a dehydrator and cook at the lowest temp, ours is 170 and leave the oven door cracked open.
Both are amazing but I want to know how the back ones differ from the dehydrated ones! As I said the dehydrated ones have more color which to me means they have more nutrients, I could be wrong thought.
All I know is if a 2 1/2 year old loves them and they are good for us, it’s all good.
Oh and we also use raw kale in our smoothies.
Juli-Ann Di Giugno says
Hi I am reading all the comments and I am a couple of months behind but I too have a dehydrate option on my miele oven and I am making the Kale chips as we speak for the first time…..they smell amazing….will keep you posted BTW the temp is 175 -not sure if that is good or bad but we will find out 🙂
Mary says
Hello – I too have a miele oven but don’t know how to dehydrate – any tips or hints please? Have just attempted my first batch as I type -added 100% cashew spread. Thanks. Mary
Rebecca says
Finally making these. The hardest part is waiting for them to be done! (Note to the impatient: they taste great raw, too!)
Rebecca says
Ok, I think I’m one of those strange people who doesn’t love kale chips. BUT I absolutely loved this as a dressing for raw kale. In fact, I’m going to make more right now – and this recipe is going into my DB heavy rotation list of favorites!
Melissa George says
I finally made these – they are amazing! The flavor is great and they are nice and crunchy. Perfect! Perfect! Perfect!!! I’ve tried making kale chips in the oven before – lots of oil and cooked at a high heat. But they never turned out very good, some were burnt, some undercooked and just a very few that were crispy and good. I had given up on ever liking them. But thanks to your recipe I finally have delicious kale chips. And so much better without all the oil! Thanks, Dreena for another great recipe!
Dreena says
Oh hurray, hurray!!!! SO pleased to read this Melissa, thank you. (*happy dance*) 😀
L-J says
Thanks for this. I have friends that don’t have dehydrators and will pass it on. I also appreciate the tip about turning the oven off/on since I know a lot of ovens won’t go low enough to dehydrate safely.
Another tip I’ve heard is that if you have a gas oven, check to see what temp the oven retains with just the pilot light running. That might do the trick for some that don’t want to buy a food dehydrator.
Dreena says
That’s a terrific tip, never heard/thought of that – thanks for suggesting!
Erica @ Cult of Kale says
I made these tonight and they came out great! I did not need to turn on my oven the second time, after leaving them in with it shut off they were perfectly crispy. I did tear them into very tiny shreds which may have helped crisp them up faster.
Dreena says
Hi Erica, that’s WONDERFUL! 🙂 I always love to get the recipe reports after posting, thanks for sharing your experience. 🙂
Valerie says
Made these tonight and they were great – came out perfectly crispy and not burnt! When I’ve made them before in the oven, some would be chewy, while others would be burnt. Will definitely be making kale chips more often now! Thanks for the recipe.
Dreena says
Kale hurrahs!!!! Thank you Valerie, I’m so pleased to hear that. Appreciate that you dropped a note with your feedback!
Mollie says
I bought a “cheap” dehydrator just to see how I would like it. I used it a ton in the fall when I had apples and pears coming out my ears. I’ve also dried orange peel(for crafts), tomatos and onions(just to try it & lots of other things that didn’t turn out so well. I plan to use it a lot more to make snacks as my son enters Kindergarten this year. Once this dehydrator dies, I’ll invest in a nicer model.
I’ve been making Kale chips in the dehydrator for months. I cant wait to try your seasoning!!!!
Thanks!
Dreena says
Mollie, tomatoes are something I’d love to dehydrate as well. One day… 🙂 Thanks for the note.
Debby Sunshine says
These kale chips seem to take too much time to bake. I have been baking them at 350 degrees for 15 minutes and, although not as crispy as I would like, they are still delicious. I like to sprinkle them with nutritional yeast too!!!
Dreena says
Debby, yes, they take longer than other methods, and that’s to help preserve the flavor/color with the reduced oven heat. But, if you like them baking at higher temp… keep on! 🙂
Wendy says
I too have a SERIOUS kale chip problem. My husband laughs because I will make them and end up eating them for a meal. I have a dehydrator but I still sometimes make them in the oven because I am inpatient. 🙂 Can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
Dreena says
I can pretty much eat the batch too, Wendy! (at least it’s not like eating a full bag of potato chips!)
Sharon says
I’ve been in a quandary over whether or not to buy the Excalibur or not. Somehow I can’t justify it just for kale chips. Too much money and it takes up way too much room. Now, I’m excited. I can have my kale and eat chips too. Will be buying kale at farmer’s market this week.
Dreena says
Great Sharon! Hope you really like them. I’ve been wanting a dehydrator as well, but just not sure how much I’ll use it. Though, I suspect if I DID have one, I’d start getting very creative with it!
Rebecca says
I loved the tip from one of your readers to keep the dehydrator in the basement to solve the space problem. That’s where mine is anyway. Now all I have to do is plug it in and use it!
Ginny says
So – we don’t have basements here in Phoenix, but it gave me an idea – our “attics” (small crawl spaces, really) get hotter than blazes!! I bet I could put them in there, and they’d be dehydrated in no time! No use of electricity, and finally, a use for all that super hot, very dry air!!!!
mattheworbit says
Dreena – they look fab! I won’t be buying anymore.
Dreena says
Thanks Matt. I can’t say I still won’t buy them… SO tempting when I see them, ready to eat, no prep needed. 😛
Sherrin says
I have been making Kale chips for years as I always have lots here in the garden during the winter. The kids love the.
Chef Jacques Pépin is the one who gave me the idea. I do use oil though and often oil infused with roasted garlic for the seasoning.
1 large bunch of kale
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt to taste
The trick is to toss with your hands and put it on top of a wire rack placed on a cookie sheet. Cook it at 200 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, then it’s crunchy and ready to eat. I add the salt at the end, Fleur de sel is the best flavour for these I have found. I am looking forward to trying your recipe when the kale is ready in the garden this year. Oh and BTW I always use Lacinato kale as it is naturally sweeter and looks really cool in the garden.
Dreena says
Cool Sherrin! I remember you mentioned that you had a lot of plants getting going – I didn’t get ahead of that this year, things were so hectic in the spring. Hoping the few I have planted will start doing their thing by the end of summer! And, I bet that roasted garlic flavor comes through beautifully – & not overpowering. I also have to try the wire rack trick, b/c another person mentioned that they baked them on a sheet with holes and they crisped up quicker with the circulation… def trying your suggestion – thanks!!
michelle s. says
i have gone through phases where i made lots of kale chips in the oven. I would use the lowest temp (200) for an hour or so, and then leave them sitting in the warm oven overnight after turning it off. then in the morning i would put them in a cookie tin and found this kept them crisp. if i put them in a container the same night i made them, some would get soggy.
In terms of your plant-powered kids series, my kids love kale chips! I must make them again. Often i stir fry kale until it gets a little crisp and they call it “kale chips”. My one year old twins will eat kale like it’s candy.
Dreena says
Now, Michelle, that is a FANTASTIC idea, to leave them in the oven overnight. Once through my testing I left them in the oven for about 4 hours after, and they stayed crispiest for a couple of days after that way. Love that suggestion!! (If you don’t mind, I could add that tip from you in the notes of the recipe, let me know!) Lovely to hear from you, busy mama! 🙂
Eco-Vegan Gal says
Turning the oven on and off is a good tip – thanks! Though I still want a dehydrator…
Dreena says
Whitney, thanks for stopping by and commenting. 🙂 I’d still love one too!!
Rebecca says
Will definitely try this, Dreena! I never knew what all the fuss over kale chips was about, because when I’ve made them in the past, they were burned and bitter. What do you think of processing the kale with the seasonings and then spreading the mixture onto the baking sheets? Have you tried that? One version I bought was made like that.
Dreena says
Yep, that was my reaction when I first tried them in the oven Rebecca. How do you mean processing with the seasonings… so the leaves are all finely shredded, to become like a sprinkle to top things? curious…!
Rebecca says
No, these were chips I bought, where the kale had been ground up with all the seasonings and then dehydrated into chip shapes. (Does that make sense? I’m not sure how to describe it!)
Audrey says
I know what you’re talking about, I think. They are more like a cracker with kale, right? I think Brad’s Raw makes something like that.
Dreena says
oh yeah, that makes sense. A kale cracker type of thing, it’s prob combined with ground flax and/or chia seed to bind…?
Ricki says
Damn straight I’m going to give these a try!! They look fabulous. I’m a bit of a kale chip addict, too–but hate to dole out that kind of money that often. These are brilliant! 😀
Dreena says
ohhh, thanks Ricki. I have spent FAR too much on kale chips, ugh. And, so many of them have been unpleasantly over-seasoned and far to spicy, almost sickening with the coatings!
Tiffany says
I’ll have to try your recipe for kale Chips soon! They look great!
I made your Apple Spice Hemp pancakes this morning (I subbed the apple for blueberries). They were delicious!
I also made your Proper Healthy Granola Bar recipe this afternoon. Absolutely amazing!
Thank you for such wonderful, healthy, and delicious recipes 🙂
Dreena says
Wow, you have been making so much Tiffany!! Just so great to hear your reports back and know you are getting real good use out of LTEV. YAY!! 🙂
Tracy says
Just noticed yesterday that we have a “dehydrate” option on our Thermador oven. Anyone know if that works like a dehydrator or more like an oven on a low setting? Would love to know if anyone has experience with an oven like this…
Dreena says
Tracy, I have heard that some ovens have a dehydrate setting! How cool is that??! Mine doesn’t, if anyone else knows more about it…??????… please chime in!
Alana says
I can not wait to try these. Thanks Dreena!
Gena says
Nice work!!! I’ve never had ideal luck with non-dehydrated kale chips, so this is super inspiring. Thank you, Dreena!
Dreena says
Real nice to hear from you Gena with how busy you are! xo
Amanda says
Thanks for posting! I have a dehydrator (it does take a lot of space, so I keep it in our basement and just run the trays up & down stairs when I’m using it– and I use it a lot when the garden is full, when I find a super deal on fruit at the store, and when I make coconut yogurt, but there are times it goes unused for a while, too) but this is the first recipe I’ve seen without oil. I’ll have to try it when my garden is overflowing with kale again!
By the way, a side benefit of keeping it in the basement is the lovely smell when food is dehydrating– masks the “basement-y” smell down there!
Dreena says
Amanda, what a great idea to store the dehydrator elsewhere! I don’t have a ton of extra counter space, so I’ve wondered where I’d put it… but plenty of room in other places of the house! (plus, you get some exercise running up and down)! 😉 Do you make coconut yogurt with the dehydrator? What do you do? Interesting! thanks!
Amanda says
After I prep the yogurt on the stovetop (heat & blend/whisk coconut milk + agave + arrowroot or guar gum to about 175°F, cool to 115°, add starter culture from the last batch, and ladle into sterilized jars) I just take all the trays out and set the dehydrator to 110-115°, put the jars in there, and let it go for about 10-12 hours. Super easy and I can make much more yogurt than with the “yogurt maker” I bought at a thrift store, which worked fine but only made 7, 6-oz jars. I can make 2 to 3 times as much and put it in mason jars in the dehydrator; it’s got lots of room if the trays are out! (I know some people who use the oven at super-low temp to make yogurt, but my older, electric oven is harder to control temp on, and you can’t go over 115°F or you’ll kill the good bacteria.)
Mary says
Hi Amanda, I read you make coconut yoghurt – would you care to share your recipe please –
I’ve bee trying to find one that’s tried & tested.
Thanks.
Kasandra Bracken says
Oh – and for chips that seem to get kinda soggy through storage – my trick is to store the kale chips in tupperware or a glass container with a few sheets of paper towel (just like when I store leftover salad). The paper towel soaks up all the moisture and leaves the chips nice and crispy and crunchy! Yum yum 🙂
Dreena says
Kasandra, thanks for sharing that tip – b/c yeah, if the moisture goes somewhere it won’t stay in the chips. The kale chips I was buying were in a paper bag – think that’s the same idea, helps to take in the moisture. Great suggestion – thx!
Kasandra Bracken says
Thanks for sharing your technique, Dreena! I’m also a little too stubborn to buy a dehydrator (at least yet!). When I had a convection oven it was easy, as it had a “warm” setting which I used and it essentially functioned as a dehydrator! I usually prop my oven open a bit with a wooden spoon after putting it on the lowest setting, but I like your idea – though it requires a bit more maintenance, it will definitely save some energy and heating bills! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Dreena says
And that’s a great idea too, propping oven open a little. Yes, the alternating on/off takes a bit of ovensitting!! 🙂
Emma says
I’m giving it a try! I hate the “burned” taste of oven baked kale.
Just curious though, have they lasted long enough to store? I always find unless I eat them straight away any kind of storage (in glass or plastic) so far has led to chewy chips the next day. Maybe not so with the lighter heat?
Dreena says
Emma, I added a note about how to help them stay crisp, right at the end of the recipe. Sometimes they can get a little soft again, but easy enough to recrisp, took me about 15 mins to do so! (and we have a humid climate here, so I think that doesn’t help!) Have fun! 🙂
Audrey says
This is amazing! It’s like a made-to-order recipe for my two most prominent kale chip problems–lots of oil, and bad flavor from being “cooked.” I’m definitely going to try this. Thanks, Dreena.
Dreena says
haha, that’s awesome, thank you Audrey – hope you love ’em!
Holly A. says
Amazing timing! I was just looking at the kale in my garden thinking “How am I going to convince myself to eat this?” And here you are!
Dreena says
Cool Holly! Also, you can bring some of that lush kale garden to me!! 😉
Janae @ Bring-Joy says
I’ve made kale chips before, & learned my lesson the hard way. It’s easy to over-do it on the salt & lemon! But I do love some good kale chips. I’ve done in the oven, even though I have a dehydrator.
Dreena says
Janae, yeah, the seasoning is tricky for sure. I’ve also used too much lemon juice and made them too tangy. Hard to judge b/c they shrink down so much. Do you use your dehydrator much? It takes up a fair amount of space, right?