Crispy Dehydrated Homemade Kale Chips Recipe

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dehydrated kale chips in blue bowl

In this world of “fake fruit snacks” and sugar-laden treats, I am always looking for healthy snack recipes to feed my family (and myself).  These no-bake cookies, Homemade Protein Bars, and Homemade Gummy Snacks are favorites around here, but sometimes I want something that isn’t a sweet treat.

These kale chips fit the bill plus it’s they’re a great way to use up extra leafy greens from your garden.

We have even taken to eating these as a side dish when I need a veggie dish on the fly :-)!)

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Why Make Your Own Kale Chips

  • They taste great.  Really.  Just ask my kids and everyone else whom I’ve shared them with
  • They are really healthy.
  • Save tons of money!  They cost $69/lb on one site and $43/lb on another.  Ugh!
  • Kale is super easy to grow.  You can even still grow it now in a lot of areas of the country

One Other Additional Reason–You belong to a CSA and they keep sending you–KALE!

An over-abundance of greens (especially kale) was one of the hardest things about participating in a CSA.

This year, though we are quite happy with our CSA experience, we still have a bit too much kale and chard, especially considering that our kale is one of the crops that really decided to do well in our garden (we still need to figure out why our zucchini seems to be the only zucchini resistant to growing :-).

In past years, we have made Oven-Baked Kale, which was quite a hit, and I will be sure to share the recipe with you soon.

However, the kale is really coming in fast and furious and I needed another solution (though it’s great, there are only so many nights that my family will eat baked kale :-).)

Well, here it is.  Tasty, crisp, salty and delicious and good for you – and a great way to get veggies into your family’s diet!

homemade kale chips on a dehydrator tray

Recipe Notes

  • You can make chips from kale, swiss chard — really any kind of green.  But our favorite so far is the kale!
  • I dehydrate my kale at about 135 degrees (the temperature of the food is lower than the temperature setting on the dehydrator).  I know this doesn’t leave the kale raw, but I have been doing quite a bit of reading on the dangers of eating raw cruciferous vegetables and how they can really wreak havoc on your thyroid.  The Healthy Home Economist has a great post on the problems with raw veggies – after reading that I no longer felt guilty about all the times that I passed over the raw broccoli and cauliflower at potlucks :-)!
  • You can, of course, make this kale chips recipe in your oven, but a dehydrator, especially the Excalibur Dehydrator, is a much better choice.  One of the main reasons why the Excalibur is great for making kale chips is that the trays are removable.  Kale chips are a lot taller than most foods you can dry, so you have to take out every other tray.  But even in my 9-tray machine I can only dry 4 trays worth of kale at one time.

For more posts on why I love my dehydrator, see:

Saving Money with a Dehydrator
Easiest Homemade Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Which Saves the Most – Dehydrating, Canning, or Freezing?

Kale Chips Recipe - They're super easy to make and super nutritious! My kids LOVE them--it's one chip you can feel good about them eating, and they're a fortune in the health food store. So make 'em yourself and SAVE!

Crunchy Dehydrated Kale Chips Recipe

This Homemade Kale Chips Recipe is a great healthy alternative to store-bought chips – so good that anytime I make them they are gone in a flash!
Print Pin Rate
Course: Snack
Cuisine: AIP, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Keto, Low-Carb, Paleo, Vegan, whole30
Keyword: dehydrated kale chips recipe
Servings: 6 cups
Calories: 80kcal

Ingredients

  • 7 cups kale
  • 2-4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste. Coarse salt can also be used.)

Instructions

  • Wash kale thoroughly.
  • Remove thick stems from kale (I chop the stems and saute them well to avoid waste).
  • Chop or tear kale leaves into large pieces.
  • Place kale pieces into a large bowl.
  • Add olive oil and mix to coat.
  • Add salt and mix to coat
  • Spread kale in a not-too-thick layer on dehydrator trays (or cookie sheets if using an oven).
  • Place trays in dehydrator and dehydrate until crispy dry. (I dry these at about 125°F and they take about 2½ hours.)
  • Store in airtight containers (I use both plastic containers and bags, though be careful with the bags as these will crush easily).
  • Hide from kids because these can really be quite tasty :-)!

Notes

  • You can make chips from kale, swiss chard — really any kind of green.  But our favorite so far is the kale!
  • I dehydrate my kale at about 135 degrees (the temperature of the food is lower than the temperature setting on the dehydrator).  I know this doesn’t leave the kale raw, but I have been doing quite a bit of reading on the dangers of eating raw cruciferous vegetables and how they can really wreak havoc on your thyroid.  The Healthy Home Economist has a great post on the problems with raw veggies – after reading that I no longer felt guilty about all the times that I passed over the raw broccoli and cauliflower at potlucks :-)!
  • You can, of course, make this kale chips recipe in your oven, but a dehydrator, especially the Excalibur Dehydrator, is a much better choice.  One of the main reasons why the Excalibur is great for making kale chips is that the trays are removable.  Kale chips are a lot taller than most foods you can dry, so you have to take out every other tray.  But even in my 9-tray machine I can only dry 4 trays worth of kale at one time.

Nutrition

Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 384mg | Vitamin A: 7809IU | Vitamin C: 94mg | Calcium: 117mg | Iron: 1mg | Net Carbs: 7g

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.

 Are kale chips the next healthy snack for your family?

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Recipe Rating




 

87 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Double Your Batch! It’s a little tricky but if you stack your Excalibur trays as you fill them with the kale and then slide them all into the dehydrator at the same time (instead of one by one) you can fit all 9 trays in at the same time.

    1. Great tip – thanks!!! Going to work on another dehydrating project this afternoon–stay tuned!

  2. 5 stars
    I’ve bought store-made kale chips in the past, but am not a fan, either. (You never know how much nutrition is left, and they are usually very salty.)
    Huge respect to you that you grow your own veggies!

  3. Greens and salt… they sound good but I have had a kidney stone before and the said avoid foods w/ high oxalate (sp?) aand salt… :-/ Wonder if I could maybe hack them without the salt?

    1. Hmmm…I haven’t done enough research into oxalates. I have friends who are really concerned abt them and other places say they aren’t a big deal. Are you sure natural salt is a problem?

      1. I am not sure if it changes between commercial salt and Real Salt. I know the calcium oxalate kidney stones that I might possibly tend to form are made from calcium, salt and oxalates. A lot of advice I have read suggest to cut the oxalates and the salt. And to increase your magnesium and calcium together. I have also read that kale has less oxalates than spinach. I think I will make some both ways and maybe nibble on one or two with salt and mostly without. 😉

        1. I just got this info from others who are really “into” the oxalate issue and kidney stones. I hope this is helpful:

          Salt doesn’t cause kidney stones or contribute to them.

          If she wants to avoid kidney stones she needs more minerals not less and to avoid foods high in oxalate. She also needs to work on her leaky gut.

          Elizabeth Eckert Calcium out of ratio with magnesium is a major contributor to kidney stones, along with heavy metal accumulation and other kidney stress factors (one of which is low sodium).

  4. I was a little hesitant about trying these. I’ve seen the recipe for them often and wanted to try it. I think that they are wonderful! I feel as though I’ve dove into a bag of Lay’s! It took a little longer to bake them (maybe about 5 mins.) because I like crispy and crunchy foods a lot! I’ve read before to NOT store in plastic containers, but I don’t know what to keep them in if I can’t use Baggies or Tupperware.
    Any suggestions?

  5. I have tried them in the oven with really uneven results, but most recipes call for 300+ degrees and a short time like 15 minutes. I am going to try the lowest setting on my gas stove and then turn it off after a bit and just let them alone. 170 is the lowest setting…how long would anyone guess? Maybe 3 hours or so? Put in at bedtime and leave all night? Any thoughts?

  6. I tweaked a few recipes to come up with this kale recipe:

    2 heads Kale, washed and torn, ribs removed, in 2 inch pieces
    3/4 cup tahini
    1/4 cup nama shoyu (or soy sauce or bragg’s liquid aminos)
    1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
    1/2 cup water
    2 scallions
    1 clove garlic
    1 lemon (juice of)
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1/4 c fresh parsley

    Cut the pieces of kale into palm sized segments. Place them in a large container and fill with water (I use kitchen sink). Toss in sea salt. Bruise the kale with your hands for about a minute. Allow to sit in salted water for about 30 minutes. Drain well.

    Place kale in large mixing bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth to get a thick consistency. You may have to add more water. Pour over the kale and mix thoroughly with your hands to coat the kale. You want the mixture to be really “glued” on to the kale. Dehydrate or cook in oven.

  7. Looking forward to trying this, did not know what kale is. Apparently a wild cabbage. Can this type of chips be made with silver beet? Anyone tried it?

    1. This can be made w/ pretty much any green, but the firmer ones work better. Other vegetables can work but it depends on the veggies. I just shared on Facebook that you can do it w/ green beans. 🙂

  8. Gosh – I’ve never heard of kale chips before -but I can imagine they would be tasty! I shall have to try sometime! And I had to smile at your zucchinis not growing (sorry) as someone else who linked up this week who I just visited posted about their zucchinis flowering but not producing any actual zucchinis! I tried growing them once and ended up with 1 tiny zucchini over the whole season! Hmmmm!! I wonder what we’re all doing wrong?

    Thanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
    Hope you have a fabulous weekend!
    Jill @ Creating my way to Success
    https://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/

  9. kale chips are always a good idea. i just see kale or kale chips and i think of them as the epitome of good, real, whole, natural, organic, local, seasonal food. is that too much for them to live up to? hahaha…

    today is the Wednesday Fresh Foods Blog Hop – I was hoping, if you feel up for it, that you’d link up this fabulous post (and any future fabulous, seasonal and/or real food posts) with us Everyone is welcome so feel free to stop by. take care! xo, kristy

  10. Love your recipe for kale chips! Looks very tasty! I’m told kale chips are one of those things all food bloggers must make at least once… I’ve yet to make them.

    Stopping by your blog from Mangia Mondays (I posted #38 Pizza Sauce).

    Pinned and Tweeted!

    Amber @ The Cook’s Sister

    1. Thanks for the pin and tweet! Sorry I’m late in responding! Your comment went in my spam folder. 🙁

  11. How do you clean your dehydrator trays? I use parchment paper now, but have oily residue on all my trays and mesh from making kale chips directly on the tray and haven’t been able to get it off (haven’t tried super heavy duty cleaner because of the toxicity). Advice appreciated! I was thinking of trying essential oil, but didn’t know if that was a problem with the plastics.

    1. I just use soap and water – I would contact Excalibur before using essential oils b/c some plastics get damaged easily by it. I assume you’ve tried regular dish soap, correct? I use foam soap that I’ve made myself from my Homemade Foaming Soap post. It’s made w castille soap, but I don’t see why that would be any different..???

  12. I used to make these YEARS ago and now they’re popping up everywhere! My mom made them again for me over the holidays and got hooked again! It’s the PERFECT WAY to get some kale in your life!!