How to Make Dehydrated Kale Chips

Dehydrated kale chips are the best way to satisfy that craving for something crispy and salty, but without the guilt!

The good ol' kale chip. Still kicking around somehow.

I remember the first time I tried one.

My grandma has always been big on whole food and healthy eating and it was at her house that I tried them. She'd seen the recipe on Dr. Oz and made them. I was a VERY skeptical teenager, to say the least.

But I found it very satisfying and enjoyable! I've made them semi-regularly ever since. It's just such a great way to pack in the green veggies, you know? I guess they're a keeper.

I like this dehydrator version because it retains more nutrients, isn't nearly as finicky (I don't really like brown kale chips...) and doesn't heat up my house in the summer!

Can You Make Kale Chips in a Dehydrator?

The best kale chips are dehydrated if you ask me. Low heat is the way to go! Most recipes cook the kale chips at very high heat, resulting in burnt bits and a bitter taste. Dehydrating gives you more control over the process and gives you a tastier final product, although it can take a long time.

If you don't have a dehydrator, they are worth having in my opinion! You can make a lot of delicious and healthy dehydrated foods, like granola, fruit leather and sprouted wheat flour to name a few! I have a Cabela's dehydrator, but this one on Amazon looks very similar, is affordable and has great reviews.

Are Kale Chips Healthy?

Delicious, healthy snacks can be hard to come by. Look no further!

Kale is a very healthy food, as I'm sure you're aware! It's gotten a lot of buzz over the past 10 ish years. It's packed with antioxidants as well as many vitamins and minerals. It's got TONS of Vitamins A, K and C and a decent amount of manganese, Vitamin B6 and more!

Antioxidants fight oxidation in the body, which is believed to cause cancer, among other diseases. They also improve heart health, blood pressure and decrease inflammation in the body.

One cup of kale has more Vitamin C than an orange! Vitamin C is an important factor in the production of collagen, a major building block of your body parts! Vitamin C helps reduce blood pressure, risk of heart disease, risk of brain diseases and risk of iron deficiency. It also gives the immune system a boost!

Vitamin K is absolutely essential for the blood clotting process in your body, which helps control bleeding when an injury occurs.

Vitamin A is needed for maintaining a healthy immune system, as well as eye health. It's also extremely important in the developmental process of babies in utero!

There are many more health benefits to kale, but these are the major ones. You don't have to eat much kale to get a lot of nutritional value!

Are Kale Chips as Healthy as Raw Kale?

The higher the temperature a food is cooked at, the more nutrients may be lost. So usually, raw food has more nutrients. That is why I love the dehydration process. You can create foods at a lower temperature that is unlikely to change the nutrients in the food. The temperature used in this recipe (125°F) is slightly above the recommended temperature to keep foods raw (118°F maximum), so there will likely be a slight loss of nutrients. But not like compared to baking at 300°F-425°F in all the other kale chip recipes (which, by the way, will still have a ton of nutrients and be a wonderful healthy snack!)

How Do Kale Chips Taste?

Kale chips retain a slightly bitter flavor even after seasoning and dehydration, but it doesn't take away from the experience. As long as you have enough salt, they taste like kale, but pleasantly seasoned and crispy! They're a tasty snack.

What to Season Kale Chips With

There are a lot of different ways to season kale chips! Here are a few ideas:

• Just salt. It's classic and it's goooood.
• Add a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice after they're done.
• Garlic powder, salt and nutritional yeast for a cheesy-ish twist
• Garlic powder, nutritional yeast, salt, chili powder and cumin for cheesy-ish with some heat
• Southwest seasoning (great recipe here!)
• All-dressed (another great recipe here!)

What to Eat Kale Chips With

Crispy kale chips are, first and foremost, a great snack option when you're feeling like something salty and crunchy but trying to avoid the less healthy potato chips (dip in some homemade BBQ sauce for an extra special treat!). However, they can also be enjoyed as a topping on pizza, in a salad or even in a sandwich! They could also be a side dish for your favorite dinner meal, such as this quick and easy tuna dish.

Which Kale is Best for Kale Chips?

You can really use almost any type of kale. I most often use curly kale, just because it's the easiest to find and yields the crispiest homemade kale chips! You can also use lacinato kale (dinosaur kale) or red kale. I would avoid using baby kale just because it is so thin and delicate, you probably wouldn't end up with anything worth eating because the chips would be so small! Although, I haven't actually tested that theory. Let me know if I'm wrong!

Tools You May Need

Food dehydrator

Salad spinner or colander

Large bowl

How to Make Dehydrated Kale Chips

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch fresh kale
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• optional add-ins: nutritional yeast, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, cayenne pepper, etc

Instructions:

Cut out the centre stalk and wash kale well. Use a salad spinner to dry well. If you don't have a salad spinner, wash in a colander and gently pat each leaf dry with a cloth or paper towels. Drying the leaves is important for ending up with a crispy (not soggy- yuck!) chip.

Cut or tear leaves into pieces about the size of your palm or the size of a large potato chip. They will shrink somewhat in the dehydrator.

Place kale pieces in a large mixing bowl and pour on oil and your chosen seasonings. Massage the oil and seasonings into the leaves with your hands until it is evenly distributed.

Place kale leaves on dehydrator trays in a single layer. They may be close together, but you want to avoid overlapping for optimal dehydrating. Place trays in dehydrator and set at 125°F for 2 - 2½ hours.

Kale chips should be stiff and crunchy. Remove from dehydrator and eat immediately or store for later snacking!

How to Store Kale Chips

Store kale chips in a container (keep the lid slightly open to allow any moisture to escape!) at room temperature for up to 2 days. If you put them in an airtight container, if there is any moisture present, it will make the chips go soggy faster. Don't refrigerate or freeze them, or you'll also end up with soggy chips!

Did you try this recipe and love it? I would so appreciate a 5-star rating and a pin to Pinterest!

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