Kale chips are the perfect low-carb snack for when you're craving something crunchy and salty. Skip the potato chips and try this recipe instead. They are incredibly delicious and easy to make! You only need 3 ingredients - kale, oil and salt.
Total carbohydrates 1g per cup
🎥 Watch this video on how to make kale chips
These kale chips are baked instead of fried. Learn how to make this baked kale chips recipe in the oven (and air-fryer!)
👩🏻🍳 Table of contents
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Jump to:
- 🎥 Watch this video on how to make kale chips
- 👩🏻🍳 Table of contents
- What are kale chips?
- What do kale chips taste like?
- Are kale chips good for diabetics?
- Why you should try this kale chip recipe at home
- 🥘 Ingredients
- 🔪 Instructions
- Air-fryer kale chips
- Substitutions
- 🧂 Seasoning ideas
- How to serve kale chips
- 🍽 Equipment you'll need
- 🥡 How to store kale chips
- 💭 Top tips
- Frequently asked questions
- Roasted honeynut squash recipe card
- More kale recipes
- More snack recipes
What are kale chips?
Kale chips are a tasty snack made from kale, which is a nutritious superfood. Crunchy and satisfying, kale chips are the perfect healthy snack. Kale chips are low-carb, keto-friendly, gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan.
What do kale chips taste like?
No surprise here, kale chips taste like kale! However, crisping them in the oven with a bit of oil and salt does enhance its flavor. Unlike raw kale, kale chips taste toasted and slightly sweet. Crisping kale mellows out the bitter character of this leafy green vegetable. Personally, kale chips remind me of toasted laver seaweed, used as sushi roll wrappers, which is called "nori" in Japanese.
Are kale chips good for diabetics?
Unlike other chips, kale chips are extremely low in sugar and carbohydrates. Made with three simple ingredients green leafy kale, oil, and a touch of salt, kale chips are the perfect low-carb, low-glycemic snack for diabetics. Compared to other keto chips, kale is also high in fiber, antioxidants and vitamins K1, A, B6 & C.
Research has shown that the flavonoid antioxidants found in kale, including quercetin and kaempferol, have potent blood-sugar-lowering and insulin-sensitizing effects.
Jillian Kubala, MS, RD for Healthline
According to Healthline, kale is one of the 17 Best Foods to Lower (or Regulate) Your Blood Sugar.
Why you should try this kale chip recipe at home
It is a great way to eat more kale. Making kale chips is easy. When you make kale chips at home you can use really fresh, organic kale to ensure maximum nutritional value. Make as many as you like so you can eat kale chips with family and friends.
🥘 Ingredients
- Fresh kale leaves
- Oil
- Sea salt or kosher salt
Fresh kale
Use fresh, dry kale leaves for crispy kale chips. Use only the dark, green, leafy part and not the stems or ribs. Organic kale is preferable. Do not use frozen chopped kale.
All kale varieties can be used with good results.
- Curly kale, known as Siberian kale
- Flat-leaf kale, known as Lacinato kale, Tuscan kale or Dinosaur kale
- Oak leaf shaped kale, known as Russian Red Kale
Oil
Use a neutral-flavored oil. Avocado oil or sunflower seed oil are good choices. Olive oil is fine to use, just be aware that it can impart a bitter flavor to crispy kale chips.
Salt
Kosher salt or sea salt tastes best.
🔪 Instructions
Try this great recipe for perfectly crunchy chips. Use only the green leafy part for the kale to cook evenly into crispy perfection.
Note: You can skip steps 1-3 if you bought pre-washed kale in a bag.
Step 1: Separate the leaves from the ribs.
Step 2: Wash to remove any dirt.
Step 3: Drain and dry the kale. Use a salad spinner for best results. Try to remove as much water as possible. That being said, it is okay if there are a few drops of water on the leaves.
Step 4: Spread kale leaves on a baking sheet and toss with oil and salt. You can add seasonings at this step.
Step 5: Arrange kale in a single layer on a baking sheet so they are evenly distributed.
Step 6: Bake in a 300°F oven for ⏲️ 10 minutes. Turn each piece over and bake 10 minutes more. Cool completely.
Air-fryer kale chips
If you have an air-fryer, there are specific instructions for that in the recipe card below.
You may prefer this method if you don't have an oven or if it is too hot to run an oven. The ingredients are the same.
Substitutions
- You can substitute kale with other hearty greens. Try nettles, dandelion greens, beet tops, Swiss or Rainbow chard, radish greens and collard greens. I've made these crispy chips with foraged garlic mustard greens. You may need to adjust the cook times.
- Oil - try butter if you are a butter lover. Try avocado oil, coconut oil and olive oil.
- Vegan - keep it vegan with plant-based oil.
🧂 Seasoning ideas
Here are some seasoning ideas:
- Herb salt - I love to keep herb salt on hand to sprinkle over foods for variety
- Black pepper - These are excellent with freshly cracked black pepper
- Lemon - Drizzle with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the end of cooking
- Salt and Vinegar - Sprinkle a pinch of salt and spritz with vinegar at the end of cooking
- Japanese - a dash of shichimi togarashi, Japanese 7 spice blend, adds great flavor
- Fancy - Add truffle oil
- Cheesy - Give it a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese hot out of the oven
- Vegan Cheesy - For a vegan version with a similar flavor profile as Parmesan cheese, you can make this with a dusting of nutritional yeast
- 🌶 Spicy - sprinkle with a bit of garlic powder (or garlic salt) and chili powder
- Garlic butter - drizzle with melted butter and a dusting of garlic powder
- TexMex - sprinkle with a bit of taco seasoning
- Curry - sprinkle a bit of curry powder, turmeric or garam masala. The aroma is amazing!
How to serve kale chips
- Serve kale chips in a bowl and eat them just as they are.
- Try drizzling them with your favorite hot sauce or ranch dressing.
- Kale chips are also great as a crunchy topping for soups and salads!
🍽 Equipment you'll need
- Salad spinner
- Baking sheets (you may need 2 baking sheets for this)
- Parchment paper
If you don't have a salad spinner, no worries, you can shake excess water off the leaves. And then lay the leaves flat in a single layer on a clean dry towel. Pat each leaf dry with a dry towel.
🥡 How to store kale chips
Store in a sealed food container or ziploc bag with a dry paper towel at the bottom to absorb excess moisture. Store in a cool, dark place with low humidity for up to a week.
If they get soggy, you can re-crisp them by placing them on a baking sheet in a 300°F oven for 3-5 minutes.
Stored properly, kale chips can last for up to a week.
💭 Top tips
For perfectly crispy (not soggy) kale chips with no bitter flavor, follow these tips for this baked kale chips recipe:
- Make sure to remove the stems. Use only the leafy part of the kale, not the ribs or stems. The ribs release water as they cook and create steam in the oven, which can prevent the kale chips from crisping.
- Only use fresh, dry kale. Do not use old kale. Do not use frozen kale.
- If your kale chips haven't reached that perfectly crispy status, just flip each piece over and put them back in the oven for a few more minutes.
- Don't turn up the heat. High heat can burn the kale and make it taste bitter.
- Don't use olive oil if you don't like bitter flavors. Olive oil can add a sharp, bitter flavor to a recipe.
- Use fresh oil. Rancid oil can add an off, or bitter, flavor to a recipe.
Frequently asked questions
Kale chips are a healthy snack choice because they are made with kale, a nutrient-rich vegetable. According to the Nutrifox nutrition facts label, Kale chips are a good source of fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, and calcium.
Keep the kale crispy by storing in a sealed food container or ziploc bag with a dry paper towel at the bottom to absorb excess moisture.
If you follow this baked kale chips recipe your kale chips won't be bitter.
If, however your kale chips come out bitter, then one possible explanation for the bitterness is that you raised the cooking temperature. When kale is exposed to high heat, it produces a chemical called glucosinolate. This chemical is responsible for the bitter taste of kale chips. To avoid bitterness, bake the kale at lower temperatures for a longer cook time.
Another possibility is that the bitterness is caused by the oil used in the recipe. Olive oil is a popular choice for making kale chips, but can add a bitter flavor to kale chips.
Roasted honeynut squash recipe card
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 10 halves 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
An easy recipe for roasted honeynut squash: cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast at 375° F for 30 minutes. 22g carbs in half a squash.
Ingredients
- 5 honeynut squash, cut in half and seeded
- 2 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil
- a pinch of salt or seasoning of choice
Instructions
To roast honeynut squash seeds:
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Cut honeynut squash into halves.
- Scoop out seeds.
- Separate seeds from pulp.
- Spread seeds on a baking sheet and lightly coat with oil.
- Season with salt and desired spices (salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, etc.).
- Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, stirring a few times during baking, until they are light brown and crispy.
To roast honeynut squash:
- Preheat oven to 375° F.
- Cut the honeynut squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.
- Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil (or your vegetable oil of choice). This step is optional. You can skip the oil and dry roast honeynut squash, if you prefer. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
- Place the honeynut squash halves on a baking sheet, cut-side down.
- Roast for 30 minutes or until the flesh is fork tender.
- Use a spoon or fork to scrape the flesh away from the skin.
To air-fry honeynut squash:
- Cut the honeynut squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.
- Rub the cut-side with with olive oil.
- Place cut-side up in airfryer basket.
- Use the roast setting at 375° F in the air-fryer for 15-20 minutes, until fork tender.
To microwave honeynut squash:
- Cut the honeynut squash in half, lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds.
- Place the honeynut squash halves on a microwave safe plate, cut-side down.
- Microwave on high for 15 minutes.
- Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Check for doneness. It is ready when you can easily pierce the flesh with a fork.
Notes
- Honeynut squash goes well with warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, garlic and chili powder.
- I like to mash it into a paste with a fork and serve it in the skin.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Sachi says
Delicious!
Lisa says
I didn't realize how easy it is to make these chips at home. I won't be buying them anymore!
Sachiko Goodyear says
I love that!
Jennifer says
Love these! They're my favorite low carb snack!
Farwin says
They were easy to make and so delicious! I was skeptical at first but they are good. Even my husband loved them! Thank you for sharing!
Glenda says
One of my favorite simple snacks! I used the air fryer and they turned out perfectly! Thanks so much.
Sherry says
I have always wanted to make kale chips. Your tips helped and my baked kale chips tasted amazing. Thank you for the recipe!!
Brenda B says
the recipe attached is for squash not kale
Sachi says
ooh thank you for pointing this out! it was one of my first recipes that I posted and I had some technical difficulties... it's on my to do list to fix it.