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.
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!!