Oven-Baked Kale Chips

By
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith
Leda Meredith is a food writer and certified botanist who has written five books on foraging and preserving food.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/12/22
Kale chips in an oven pan
Redphotographer/Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 servings

These savory, crunchy kale chips are a delicious alternative to potato chips. They are so tasty that I've yet to meet anyone who didn't gobble them up, and that includes kids as well as adults who didn't think they liked kale.

This is an easy recipe and it's a fun one to do with kids. They can get into the action separating the tender part of the leaves from the stalks and keeping watch on them in the oven so they don't burn. Once you have the basics down, you can think of ways to spice them up. You might use flavored salt or oil or dashes of others.

The question of how to store kale chips is a common one. See two options for storing them and what not to do.

Equipment Needed to Make Kale Chips

  • Oven
  • Baking sheet
  • Parchment paper (not needed with silicone baking sheet)
  • Salad spinner or dish towel
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Ingredients

  • 1 bunch kale

  • 2 to 3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

  • 3/4 teaspoon nutritional yeast, optional

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat your oven to 325 F / 163 C.

Preparing the Kale

  1. You will want the tender part of the kale leaves without the stalk or the larger veins, but you don't have to let the stalk and veins go to waste. You can save them for soup stock by freezing them in a container in your freezer. If not, you can compost them

  2. Strip the leaves away from the tough leafstalks. Wash the kale leaves and dry them well in a salad spinner or by gently rolling the leaves in a clean dish towel.

Mixing the Ingredients

  1. Toss the washed and dried leaves in a large bowl with the other ingredients.

  2. Include the cayenne if you like spicy snacks.

  3. The optional nutritional yeast will give the chips a cheesy-savory flavor.

Baking the Kale Chips

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. If you have a silicone baking sheet, the parchment paper won't be necessary.

  2. Spread the leaves on the paper in a single layer. Do not crowd the leaves or they will not dry evenly. If necessary, bake in more than 1 batch or on several trays.

  3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until they are crisp but not beginning to burn.

Tips

  • Let the chips cool before transferring them to serving bowls or storing in paper bags.
  • If you have a vacuum sealer, once the chips are cooled you can vacuum seal them in plastic for long term storage. Otherwise, they will keep their crunch longer if stored in paper rather than plastic bags.
  • Do not refrigerate.
  • If your chips lose their crunch, re-crisp them by spreading them out on a baking sheet again and baking at 300 F (149 C) for just 5 minutes. They will crisp up as they cool.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
44 Calories
4g Fat
3g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 44
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 5%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 409mg 18%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 21mg 107%
Calcium 38mg 3%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 119mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)