Showing you my foolproof method for how to make the CRISPIEST baked kale chips, and four delicious ways to season them. Never bitter or chewy!
When you need that crunch factor, but want to keep things healthy, you have a few options available: make ultra crispy air fryer chickpeas, baked zucchini fries, or these deliciously crispy baked kale chips!
If you’ve never had a perfectly cooked and seasoned kale chip, you’re in for a treat. I’m sharing all the secret tips and tricks so you can get this right on the very first try! We even have four different flavor combinations, perfect for satisfying the whole family.
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Why You'll Love These Crispy Kale Chips
- they're vegan, gluten-free, low carb
- they come out perfectly crispy (never chewy) and never bitter thanks to baking them at a low temperature for longer
- we have four flavors so you'll never get bored!
What are Kale Chips?
Kale chips are an amazing invention that calls for dehydrating nutritious kale leaves until they create the perfect crunchy texture for snacking, just like potato chips! Instead of using a dehydrator, we use the oven to create this low-calorie, low-carb recipe in under 30 minutes.
Baked Kale Chips Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these kale chips. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.
Baked Kale Chips Recipe Ingredients
- kale- you can use almost any type of kale in this recipe, from curly kale to lacinato kale; baby kale does not work as well.
- oil- I've used olive oil, though any oil that will thinly coat the leaves should work. Avocado oil is another great bet.
How to Make Crispy Kale Chips
1. Wash kale- Tear kale into 2-3 inch pieces, removing and discarding the woody stem. Wash in cold water, drain and dry well using a salad spinner.
TIP- I like this salad spinner! Spin the kale twice to dry it more thoroughly.
2. Dry kale- Spread the kale out on a clean kitchen towel and blot with a second clean kitchen towel. Repeat as necessary to remove all water droplets from the kale leaves.
3. Toss in oil- Add the kale to a large bowl, then drizzle with the oil. Use a spatula to mix well, ensuring that each leaf is coated *thinly* with oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss again for even coverage.
TIP- you want your kale to be thinly coated and not completely drenched with the oil
4. Bake- Heat the oven to 250°F (if your oven has the convection setting, use that!), then spread the kale out on 1-2 sheet pans. Do not overcrowd your pans; it's OK if the leaves touch, but do not overlap. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
5. Check- Pick the biggest chip and give it a little poke in the middle. If the middle is flexible and bendy, it is not ready to come out. If it's rigid and firm, your chips are ready to come out of the oven
Crispy Kale Chips Recipe Variations
These chips are the perfect blank canvas for your favorite flavoring ideas. Here are some of my faves:
- cheezy- toss in olive oil & salt, spread out on baking sheet, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast/ 4 cups kale
- sesame- swap olive oil for sesame; toss with oil & salt, spread out on baking sheet and sprinkle with sesame seeds
- ranch- toss in olive oil (no salt); spread out on baking sheet and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons homemade ranch seasoning per 4 cups kale
- fajita- toss in olive oil (no salt); spread on baking sheet and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons homemade fajita seasoning per 4 cups kale
Recipe tips
- start with completely dry kale- water is the enemy of crispiness; dry the kale using a salad spinner, and blot up any remaining moisture using a clean kitchen towel.
- cook low and slow- after testing three different temperatures, we settled on 250°F as the perfect temperature- the kale chips get nice and crisp, but never burnt or bitter.
- don't overcrowd the pan- make sure your kale chips are not overlapping so that air can flow around and between them.
- don't use too much oil- you want a very thin coating of oil; too much oil actually prevents the chips from getting crispy!
How to Store Baked Kale
Store at room temperature in a container without the lid to keep them crispy. Depending on the climate where you live, they will stay crispy for up to a week.
Kale chips cannot be frozen.
Kale Chips Recipe FAQS
The best way to check is to gently press into the middle of one of the larger kale chips. If the kale chip bends and gives way, they need more time. If it is rigid, they can come out of the oven.
It must depend on the air fryer model. I have unfortunately not had success (using two different models!) and had my kale chips sucked into the motor and burn.
Kale chips are best stored in a container with the lid off. They keep nice and crispy this way for up to 1 week.
If all of the chips have turned brown, that likely means that they are overcooked. You only want the oven hot enough to evaporate the moisture in the kale, leaving it to dehydrate instead of roast. Next time your chips may need to be cooked at a lower temperature or for less time.
If your chips came out more chewy than crispy, it likely means they are not dehydrated enough. You can return them to the oven and check every 2-3 minutes.
The key here is having extremely dry kale going into the oven because any moisture will create steam, and that can prevent us from getting that nice, crispy texture we want. If you don’t have a salad spinner, you will need to be very diligent about pressing and dabbing the water away. This will definitely take some time, but it’s worth it for the right crunch!
More healthy snacks
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Crispy Baked Kale Chips Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale any variety will work, see note 1
- 2 teaspoons olive oil see note 2
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Wash kale- Tear kale into 2-3 inch pieces, removing and discarding the woody stem. Wash in cold water, drain and dry well using a salad spinner.
- Dry kale- Spread the kale out on a clean kitchen towel and blot with a second clean kitchen towel. Repeat as necessary to remove all water droplets from the kale leaves.
- Toss in oil- Add the kale to a large bowl, then drizzle with the oil. Use a spatula to mix well, ensuring that each leaf is coated *thinly* with oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss again for even coverage.
- Bake- Heat the oven to 250°F (if your oven has the convection setting, use that!), then spread the kale out on 1-2 sheet pans. Do not overcrowd your pans; it's OK if the leaves touch, but do not overlap. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Check- Pick the biggest chip and give it a little poke in the middle. If the middle is flexible and bendy, it is not ready to come out. If it's rigid and firm, your chips are ready to come out of the oven
Tips:
- cheezy- toss in olive oil & salt, spread out on baking sheet, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast/ 4 cups kale
- sesame- swap olive oil for sesame; toss with oil & salt, spread out on baking sheet and sprinkle with sesame seeds
- ranch- toss in olive oil (no salt); spread out on baking sheet and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons homemade ranch seasoning per 4 cups kale
- fajita- toss in olive oil (no salt); spread on baking sheet and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons homemade fajita seasoning per 4 cups kale
Nutrition Information
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Hi, I'm Annie. With a Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in nutrition and nearly 20 year of both classical training, and self-taught experience, I've spent my career proving that home cooking can be practical, delicious and inspiring. What started in 2013 as one food blog has grown into a full-time business. Today, my husband Clayton and I run five food websites that connect with millions of home cooks every month.
When I'm not in the kitchen or behind the camera, I'm using fueling my love of travel, or chasing down new ideas that keep food fun and fresh.
Charity says
Finally! I made kale chips that were crispy and flavorful thanks to this recipe.
Marissa says
I made kale chips and roasted pumpkin seeds to top! Seasoned kale chips with olive oil, tiny bit of lemon ,salt ,pepper and ranch seasoning!
Joltyourbuds says
Holy yum! I am making this for my siblings.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi there! So glad to hear. We would love it if you could report back once you try them and let us know how they turn out! Enjoy!
Barbara says
Hi Denise!
Kale chips were always something I wanted to try and I'm sure glad I found your recipe!! They were absolutely perfect!! My first batch was with the nutritional yeast and the second batch had the nutritional yeast with garlic 🤤 You were right about them not lasting as both batches were gone shortly after coming out of the oven haha Now I need to go buy more! 😂 MANY, MANY THANKS!!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Barbara! I"m so happy to hear you enjoyed the kale chips. Thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review!
Barbara says
You are most welcome! I raved so much that my sister sent a pic of her getting into her car to buy some 😂 She loves paprika on hers