How Do You Make Kale Chips?
Kale chips are a raw food classic that got really popular a few years ago.
If you’re in the UK, you’d be more likely to think of them as kale crisps. ‘Chips’ in a US word that seems to have stuck over here in the UK.
Whatever you want to call them, they are delicious, moreish and really easy to make. They’ll also last for at least a week in a sealed container. Unlikely you’ll avoid eating them in a week though. It’s not unheard of for me to eat half the batch out of the dehydrator. I’ll keep telling myself I’m testing to see if they’re ready and before I know it, half are gone!
So how to make them? Curly kale is best. You’ll wash your kale, remove the big stems and tear the kale into bite sized chunks, allowing for shrinkage during drying. Then you’ll make a kale chip sauce, which is more often than not a cashew based sauce. I do love those, but I also wanted to make something nut-free. So this kale chip recipe uses a base of sundried tomatoes and dates.
Kale Chips Recipe for Your Dehydrator
This recipe is for making kale chips in a dehydrator, but you can also make kale chips in an oven. Doing them in a dehydrator will make sure they don’t go over 115 degrees F, which is the temperature the most delicate enzymes get destroyed, but not everyone has a dehydrator, so doing them in an oven on a low temp is a good option to get started.
I always recommend Excalibur dehydrators (click here for all my kit recommendations), but the good news is that kale chips are very forgiving in even cheaper dehydrators, so you can work with whatever you have.
Crispy & Spicy Kale Chips
This recipe for spicy kale chips will give you a whole tray of beautifully crispy and spicy kale chips for snacking on. As I mentioned, they are very moreish, so you might have to ration yourself 🙂
They’re great for taking out on the road with you. They’re also great for lunches, and go wonderfully with some raw sandwiches.
Spicy BBQ Kale Chips
Nutrition (For one serving)
Ingredients
- 7 ozs curly kale torn and stalks removed
- 2 chipotle chilies soaked
- 1/2 cup water use soak water from chipotle chillis for more flavour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbs tamari
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 pinch cayenne
- 1 cup sundried tomatoes
- 1 cup medjool dates
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients except kale in a high-speed blender until smooth.
- Thoroughly combine the kale and sauce in a bowl until all the kale is coated.
- Evenly scatter the kale on a nonstick dehydrator sheet in a way that will allow air to circulate around it.
- Dehydrate at 115 degrees F for around 12 hours. If you're in a particularly moist climate, you may need to dry slightly longer.
Video
Related: 10 Health Benefits of Kale
General FAQ
I definitely prefer curly kale for kale chips. It makes for much crunchier and hearty chips than dino or Lacinto kale, which can end up with kind of flat chips.
They’re definitely way better for you than chips bought at the store. By dehydrating kale, you’ll retain more of the vitamin c and beta-carotine than baking. Kale is a great source of fibre.
Kale doesn’t need to be refrigerated because they are completely dried when dehydrating. Just store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Making sure they are completely dry is the key to keeping them crispy.
Love Chipotle!
Dear Russell,
It's so good to see you going from strength to strength. Have enjoyed your work (and your yummy dishes!) since those very first dinner parties, at Karen Knowler's. Great to see you so successful.
Kind regards
Angela Bonham
(now back in Melbourne, Australia)
Hi, Angela. Leyla's here. I've been looking for you. Kindly find me on FB or send a message to the same old e-mail address.
Ha! That's amazing!
Thanks, Angela 🙂
Looks great, I'm going to make this. Where do you buy your chipotle chilis? I've made kale chips before with a nutritional yeast sauce and even my children liked it so they will like this also.
I get my chipotles in the health food store, but have bought them online before.
Can you please send me the website where you got these?
http://www.mexgrocer.co.uk/product.php?productid=16157&cat=0&page=1
Great txs
We don't get kale here – outback Australia – wondering if this recipe will work with another leafy green? Spinach?
Belinda
Can you grow any greens where you are? We've been growing organic kale for 20 years. We can send you some seed if you'd like to try it. It is a winter vegetable but we manage to grow it through most of the summer. In the 'outback' it would do better in the shade in summer. We are in SE Qld.
Thanks Neta – I couldn't get them here due to quarantine issues but to know that I can get seed (and that the name “Kale” as sometimes names are different) that is a big help.
Kale is also known as 'borecole'. It belongs to the cabbage family.
great recipe which I will soon be trying!
but do tell
why organic kale specifically??
why take out the seeds from the peppers??
The seeds are taken out to lessen the heat value of the recipe. Organic kale is more nutritious than conventional. I would even say they are more nutrient dense.
I finally ordered a dehydrator today and this will be the first thing I make along with your buckwheat bread! 🙂 Thanks so much for the wonderful recipes.
Is there anything you can use instead of Chipotle Chilies as I am not sure I will get them in NZ!
Good question, I live in Belgium and I don't know if I can get them here to.
chipotle is unique hot peppers. Embasa makes a canned version, comes from mexico, it is sold all over the place where i live. If you have no luck where you are, I dont mind sending you some. a little will go a very very long way.
Do you live in America? That's very nice of you. I'll have a look round first. Txs very much.
I love kale chips most when prepped in the dehydrator. These look great!
Russell, you are THE BEST!!! I love the way you were playful and informal in this video. And I hope you did not eat all of them before the cinema or else you are not a keeper!!! lol
P.S. I will just be making this recipe with regular chiles …. unless you show us how to smoke them? hehe
Sounds like a yummy recipe. So many that I have seen are nut based. I am glad this one is different. I will be trying this. Thank you!
This is different than I have seen and it looks wonderful!!! I love kale chips and look forward to trying these!
Made me laugh…you clearly had too much maca or something when you filmed this! Laughing at your own jokes and the fact that you're a bit hyper mid-video..love it.
I would agree,Russell, that there has to be something wrong with someone that does not like your food!! Fun and so yummy sounding. I am starting them tonight!
Love your chips Russell!
Russell,
The chips were awesome everyone who has tried them loved them Best way to eat raw Kale yet! …………………..but the recipe calls for a cup of dates that is about $5 worth in a bag of chips. Is there any other subsitute or how far can I cut back on the dates.
Thanks,
Don
Truthfully, I just used the cheap, but still yummy, irans. dates (soaked of course) and it worked perfectly. As much as I LOVE medjools I can't afford to use them like that either 🙂
I use honey dates (soaked) less expensive and very good.
You could easily cut the date quantity in half and still have a really good result.
All your recipes look fabulous… I can,t wait to try it. I
I looks amazing… If you want to get good deals on food dehydrator, i invite you to visit: http://www.eatingrawfoodstore.com
looking forward to making my first batch of Kale Chips – I just love savoury crispy snacks and these are going to be really helpful for me to avoid potato crisps and fried tacos or nuts.
This recipe is so fantastic! We have made it hot and milder…….Bonus.the house smells divine when it is dehydrating
That BBQ sauce is fantastic … my kale chips are in the dehydrator right now!
My 21 month old loves these! What a great way to give kale to our little guy! They are addictive! 🙂
These are so yummy!!! Even my carnivore husband likes these! He’s the type that the only veggies he likes are the ones that are fried next to a steak! I have already went shopping to make a 2nd batch- a double this time! I can’t tell you how much your site has been an encouragement to me. Pretty sure I’ll be getting the e-books soon!
Just made a batch of these. Awesome recipe- but I got a hold of some incredibly hot chipotles and didn’t know it. I love hot and spicy food but I think just one would have sufficed. I’m going to make a double batch in the next day or so and will add the chipotles one at a time and test for flavor. Thanks for the recipe, Russell!
I forgot to remove the seeds from the chilis- maybe that’s what made the sauce so hot. Oops.
Yes, that would definitely be the issue 🙂
I pulled these out of the dehydrator after forgetting they were in there for a couple of days. Crispy light, delicious! We took them with us on our errands, and passed them out. Folks loved them! They asked where we got them, and we said “Russel James Raw Kale Chips!” Today I am making the chocolate ones. Thank you for such a great goto recipe! The barbeque base for this is wonderful, and I am thinking of other ways to use it-so tasty.
Do you have the chocolate recipe one? I lost mine. [email protected]
http://www.rawdessertchef.com/fe/9949-chocolate-kale-chips?page=3
Thank you for this recipe, excited to try it this wknd!!
Great! Let us know how it goes.
I can’t thank you enough for your video instructions I currently have a batch of Kale Chips in my new dehydrator. I can’t wait until they are ready.
Yay to tasty kale chips without nuts! My son is deathly allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, so we have to skip over so many delicious recipes. I’m looking forward to trying something other than salt and vinegar kale chips! Thank you!
That’s wonderful, I hope he likes them! 🙂
OMG – I made these – they are easy and delicious and they melt in your mouth! All of my friends were in agreement – they literally inhaled them! I made 6 bunches of kale! They disappeared so quickly I think tomorrow I am going to make them again but as crackers with some soaked flax seeds and some sunflower seeds and more spices to see if I can keep them around just a little bit longer!
That’s great! 🙂 They are very more-ish!
Hello Russell from Melbourne Australia.
We have just completed our first batch of Spicy BBQ Kale Chips and can’t begin to tell you how much we enjoyed them. Our first batch didn’t make it to the movies.
Fabulous flavour and texture, thanks so much.
Cheers, Philip
Hey, Philip. That’s great! I’m glad you enjoyed them – you’re actually making me want to make a batch right now too 🙂
Wow, Russell! I didn’t even watch the video…just got the basic idea from looking at the ingredients you listed. Didn’t have dates so used agave. Even before dehydrating, the freshly coated kale is DELISH!!! Ten hours can’t go by fast enough. Bookmarked your page and will now be looking for more of your ideas. Thanks, bunches!
Thanks, Lutishia 🙂
I just made these today–in the dehydrator as we speak–and of course, true to your word, I can’t stop sneaking a bite every time I walk by! Yum! I love the gentle “kick” of the chipotle peppers and the sweetness from the dates. Hope my kids like them too. Taking them to the fair with us, along with apple chips, tomorrow so we don’t have to hunt down decent food while we are there. It is a sad state when we go to a fair celebrating farm life and we have to bring our own snacks! Thank goodness for you and your recipes!
Thanks, Erika.
You hit the nail on the head with the description of those flavours.
I’m glad you liked them and found them useful for a snack 🙂
Russell, on the video you show onion powder, but I don’t see it listed on the recipe. Also, there is a discrepancy between dehydration temps in the video and on the recipe.
Thanks.
Hi Jen. Thanks for that 🙂 I actually just updated the video, but hadn’t updated the recipe, which I’ve now done.
Hi, Russell,
If my kale chips become rather soft (chewy rather than crisp) the second day, does that mean I did not dehydrate them enough, even though they were initially crisp? I am new to dehydrating. They seemed crisp after about 6 hours, but were quite a bit softer the next day. Thank you for your time.
Hi Alicia, no 6 hours isn’t long enough 🙂 As I mentioned in the video and recipe, 10 to 12 hours on a non-stick tray and then take them off the tray and dehydrate up to 24 hours in total.
Russell
Is it possible to get the nutritional value of this recipe? Thanks
Hi Jan,
There are a few online programs you can feed the ingredients list into and get the breakdown.
I’m taking suggestions on ideas like that, so you can add your voice here if you’d like: http://www.thraw.ch/ideas
Hi Russel – Do you think these would keep long-term if I stored them properly? I’m growing cool-weather crops in my garden early in the year in places where my tomatoes and peppers and such will eventually go, so I can’t stagger the harvest at all – it all has to be ready for harvest before I need the space for the new crops. I wasn’t planning on growing kale but if I could do something like this to preserve it that would be fantastic!
Depends what you mean by ‘long-term’. The problem you’ve got is that you’ve got fresh ingredients in there, albeit dried.
It would definitely be worth looking into in your case. I would research the individual ingredients’ storage when dry and go from there.
I’ve tried other kale chip recipes and this is by far my favourite! Even my non-vegan friends request them! Thanks so much, Russel!
This recipe ought to have more comments than any of them! It’s better than Tim Ferriss’ kale chip recipe. Thank you, Russell.
Thanks, Shela.
Actually, we just had a blog redesign and we’re waiting for all the blog comments to be moved over too, so there should and will be more comments here, when that’s complete 🙂
What dehydrator were you using in this video?
Thanks in advance for the info. AND for the great recipe!
Thanks for stopping by, Ter.
I used a Sedona dehydrator in this video.
Hi Russell,
Can you also do it with chipotle powder?
Greetings!
Sandra
Sure can.
Looks great! Will try it now! But I do not have any chipotle chiles. I have only powder! How much chipotle powder would work for this recipe? 🙂
A teaspoon should do it
6-6-19
Hi Russ:
FCB from D.C.
64 Million Dollar Question ???!!!
How are Commercial Kale Chips made e.g. Brad’s, Alive and Radiant, Raw Food Central, Rhythm, others ?!
Meaning are they Actually DEHYDRATED at 118 degrees or below 120 degrees to consider them RAW with LIVE ENZYMES in tact.
Reason, when I buy Brad’s Kale Chips and keep them several weeks to a month they are still CRISPY and HARD as a ROCK !!!!!!
When I make my Kale Chips in a couple of days they have WILTED and I have to place them back in the Dehydrator to CRISP them again.
Inquiring mind, just wondering if what KEEP Commercial Kale Chips ROCK HARD are they MANUFACTURED at a HIGHER Temperature say 145 degrees HERMETICALLY Sealed with a Biodegradable Packet that remove Humidity ?
I’ve used those same Moisture Remover Packets with my Kale Chips to No Avail they still WILT.
Your Knowledge and EXPERTISE in this Matter Appreciated.
Don’t POST anything that will GET YOU in TROUBLE with the RAW FOOD Manufacturing Food MAFIA such as there TRADE SECRET
whether or not their KALE CHIPS are ACTUALLY RAW below 120 degrees !!!!!!!
Email me Privately with an Answer or I’ll TAKE SILENCE as CONSENT 😀
Best
FCB from D.C.
P.S. Sometime in the FUTURE I’d like YOU to Entertain WHY only young “Thai Coconuts” can be used to make Raw Coconut Wraps and
not Coconut Butter or OLDER BROWN Coconuts.
I’ve tried to make Coconut Wraps with Coconut Butter and Older Brown Coconuts with DISASTROUS Results !!!!!!
YOUNG THAI COCONUTS WORK EVERYTIME !!!!!!
What’s the FOOD SCIENCE and THEORY behind this Phenomenon ???!!!
I can’t speak about the commercial processes of any particular producer, because I don’t know their process.
I will say that it’s completely possible to have kale chips crispy for the entirety of their lives, with the recipe I’ve given you here. If they’re completely dry, the only way they would wilt again is that they take on moisture from somewhere.
If you dry them completely and leave them in a sealed container at room temperature, they will stay crispy.
I just can’t understand how someone like you is still using oil???
We clearly have different beliefs.