Prior to this year I don’t ever recall eating kale before. I even discussed it with a few of my friends, and they also weren’t sure if they had eaten it before either (have you?). I don’t know what it is about the name “kale”, but the sound of it just isn’t appealing for some reason. However, things have changed and since I am trying my best to buy and eat local foods, I decided to go out on a limb and try it!
I first discovered that kale can be substituted for (and even added to) spinach in some recipes like creamed spinach. I of course couldn’t get my daughters to even think about wanting to eat that. But (drum roll, please) when I received this super easy recipe below, courtesy of my husband’s step-mom, not only did my children like it, but they loved it and kept asking for more! I will add that when my daughter first saw this greenish looking dish, just like any 2-yr-old would, she said “I don’t like that” without even trying it. She did follow the rule of trying at least one bite though, and with surprise in her voice she said “I like the kale” and then kept eating it. And I have to agree that I was also surprised how good something with the name “kale” could turn out to be!
Kale Chips
(a surprisingly easy and delicious veggie!)
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Wash and trim the kale by ripping out the stems and ribs from the center of the leaves.
- Lay them out onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle the leaves with a tablespoon of olive oil. Using your hands toss the leaves around to evenly distribute the oil then lay them out into a single layer on the sheet.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then turn kale pieces over and bake for 5 – 7 minutes more until kale turns brown, paper-thin, and brittle. (They can quickly go from perfect to overdone so keep a close watch at the end!)
- Remove from oven and toss with sea salt.
Serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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thanks for this. I just started Noom and one of my short term goals is to add better snacks. These chips should fill the bill.
These are also good if you give them a quick toss with sesame oil and lemon juice first.
This is only the second time in my life that I’ve eaten kale and I must say, THESE ARE PHENOMINAL!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
While I hate to tell others how to change things, to keep the kale chips a nice green, dehydrate them at 250 bake for a longer time. It retains the fresh green look and taste. :)
These were super yummy. I used 1/4 teaspoon salt since I usually love crunchy things salty but it was way too much for my taste. I will be making these often since they are so easy and tasty (with 1/8 teaspoon salt). I had high hopes my 2 year old would like them but she didn’t…will keep offering them until she does!
Can baby kale used instead?
Hi Angie. Sure you can use baby kale. ~Amy
Hi Jennifer. A friend of mine puts uncooked rice in the bottom of an airtight storage container with the chips on top of the rice to prolong their crispy life. :)
How long can you store these? How do you keep them fresh?
I went to the famers market this weekend and picked up some fresh, local kale and I can’t wait to ry this recipe! You should check out my blog about my farmers market experience at http://www.cayisa.wordpress.com!
Will this work using frozen Kale?
No, it needs to be fresh, crisp leaves. :)
So yummy. I had kale chips at a local restaurant and loved them but they are quite expensive to purchase. So after seeing this easy recipe I thought I would give it a try. A bit labor intensive to clean all them stems but so worth it. I took my first batch out after letting it cook for just 5 minutes after turning but I plan to let them cook a minute longer next time. They do cook down quite a bit so if you are like me (I have already devoured the first batch) you’ll want to make extra.
You can also do this in the microwave, on high for 3 minutes. I pause it between each minute. Easy and even the two year old likes it.
These were just not something I plan on cooking again. Sorry :(
Try these sprinkled with a teaspoon of the homemade ranch seasoning. Delicious!