A cheesy raw vegan kale chip recipe that is made crispy in the dehydrator. A healthy snack that is suitable for kids and adults. (Vegan + Gluten-Free)
This raw vegan snack is a healthy way to add more greens to your diet and these crunchy crispy kale chips are a much healthier alternative to snacking on potato chips. Making kale chips is rather simple and very little prep work.
Although kale chips can be expensive to buy in stores, they are much more affordable when making them at home. This recipe does call for a dehydrator but if you do not have one they can also be roasted to a crispy chip in the oven.
To save time, this recipe can also be used to make a simple kale salad and this crispy kale chips recipe at the same time. Make one large batch of greens and set aside a portion of the fresh kale dressed in lemon vinaigrette for a salad and then dehydrate the rest for chips.
HEALTH BENEFITS
Kale is a green leafy superfood that can be enjoyed regularly in your diet and homemade kale chips are just one way of doing that. It is a high vitamin and mineral source, especially of vitamins A and C. Kale has been shown to help protect against diabetes, and cancer prevention, promote eye health, support bone health, reduce the risk of heart disease, and promote immune health. Read more about the health benefits of kale.
Ingredients
To make this cheesy kale chips recipe at home you will need:
- kale
- nutritional yeast
- lemon juice
- olive oil
- garlic powder
- salt + pepper
Equipment needed: food dehydrator.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here is how to make crispy kale chips with a dehydrator.
How to make the lemon vinaigrette.
Before cutting your lemons if you roll them with your palm against the countertop, they will get a bit softer and are easier to juice.
Cut the lemons in half and use a citrus press, or juicer, or even manually squeeze the lemons with your hand juice until you get enough freshly squeezed lemon juice. Juice into a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid or mixing bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the lemon juice. Add the olive oil, garlic granules, and salt and pepper.
If using a mason jar seal with the lid and shake vigorously until the dressing is well combined. If using a small bowl use a whisk until well combined.
Taste and adjust the flavor as needed. For more acidity add more lemon juice and if too acidic add more olive oil. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste as needed.
Store in a container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator.
Prepare the kale.
Wash the kale and remove excess water by patting it dry.
Remove the stem and center ribs from the kale. Do this by holding the leaf near the bottom end of the stem and using your fingers to pinch at the base of the leaves and sliding your fingers down the stem removing the stem from the leaves.
Tear the leaves into medium to large pieces. Keep in mind kale shrinks down dramatically when dehydrated, so keep chips larger than you think.
In a large bowl add the kale, the dressing, and nutritional yeast, and massage the kale until all the leaves are well coated.
Spread the kale chip leaves out on the dehydrator trays and place them in the dehydrator. Try not to overlap the kale, space out, and allow airflow which will help the kale dry more evenly and thoroughly.
Set the dehydrator to 118°F (48°C) for 12 hours or until crispy.
If you do not have a dehydrator, roast the kale in the oven instead. Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the kale out over the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes total, toss the kale halfway to ensure the kale gets crispy on both sides. If you want extra crispy leave the kale in for an extra 3-7 minutes or until it reaches the desired level of crispy chips. Make sure to keep an eye on the kale chips so it doesn't burn.
Storage
Store homemade kale chips in an airtight container and enjoy them within 3-5 days for the best crunch. If the kale chips do lose their crispiness they can be thrown back in the dehydrator - see the tips section for details.
Tips
If the kale chips lose their crispiness they can easily be crisped back up in the dehydrator at 110°F (48°C) for an hour or until crispy.
Removing the stems and center rib which are much thicker than the leaves will make dry time vary, so make sure to remove the stems and center rib to keep drying time more consistent.
Making a dressing rather than sprinkling dry seasonings over the kale will ensure the kale chips are more evenly seasoned, just make sure not to drench the kale chips.
When dehydrating the "cook" time will always depend on the humidity in the room you are dehydrating them in, so dehydrate until you reach your desired level of crispiness.
FAQ
Nutrient-dense, vitamins, minerals antioxidants. Are not fried compared to the average chip. And dehydrated which leaves intact nutrients and enzymes.
28 grams of dehydrated kale has 6-7 grams of protein.
More Kale Recipes
Recipe
Dehydrated Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 2 bunches kale
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
Lemon Vinaigrette
- ½ cup lemon juice fresh
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
How to make the lemon vinaigrette.
- Before cutting your lemons if you roll them with your palm against the countertop, they will get a bit softer and are easier to juice.
- Cut the lemons in half and use a citrus press, or juicer, or even manually squeeze the lemons with your hand juice until you get enough freshly squeezed lemon juice. Juice into a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid or mixing bowl.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the lemon juice. Add the olive oil, garlic granules, and salt and pepper.
- If using a mason jar seal with the lid and shake vigorously until the dressing is well combined. If using a small bowl use a whisk until well combined.
- Taste and adjust the flavor as needed. For more acidity add more lemon juice and if too acidic add more olive oil. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper to taste as needed.
- Store in a container with a tight-fitting lid in the refrigerator.
Prepare the kale.
- Wash the kale and remove excess water by patting it dry.
- Remove the stem and center ribs from the kale. Do this by holding the leaf near the bottom end of the stem and using your fingers to pinch at the base of the leaves and sliding your fingers down the stem removing the stem from the leaves.
- Tear the leaves into medium to large pieces. Keep in mind kale shrinks down dramatically when dehydrated, so keep chips larger than you think.
- In a large bowl add the kale, the dressing, and nutritional yeast, and massage the kale until all the leaves are well coated.
- Spread the kale chip leaves out on the dehydrator trays and place them in the dehydrator. Try not to overlap the kale, space out, and allow airflow which will help the kale dry more evenly and thoroughly.
- Set the dehydrator to 118°F (48°C) for 12 hours or until crispy.
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