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.
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!! 🙂