Finally, the Best Ever Kale Chips Recipe – Vegan “Cheesy” Kale Chips | Little Green Dot (2024)

Finally, the Best Ever Kale Chips Recipe – Vegan “Cheesy” Kale Chips | Little Green Dot (1)

My obsession with kale chips is serious. When I travelled to the United States last December, I went to every health food shop in town, just to buy and taste-test kale chips. I would read the ingredients and then try to recreate the flavours at home. After a good 6 months of tinkering… I finally have the recipe down. So, today I’m going to show you how to bake Cheesy Kale Chips, using my favourite vegetarian and vegan-friendly Go Nuts “Cheese” Sauce – great in pasta, over veggies and as a dip!

Want my tips to make perfect kale chips every time, plus 5 more kale chip recipes?
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Now, it’s not that I don’t eat real cheese. I do, I love it. I just try not to eat a lot of it, so I like exploring alternatives. Plus, when baked over kale, this nut sauce has a great crunchy texture and flavour that is so delicious!

Finally, the Best Ever Kale Chips Recipe – Vegan “Cheesy” Kale Chips | Little Green Dot (2)

The “cheesy” flavour in the sauce comes from nutritional yeast – a cultured strain of yeast that is grown, then de-activated (killed) with heat. It has protein and vitamins and a unique flavour that works well re-creating cheesy dishes. Sounds like space food, I know, but it’s very similar to brewer’s yeast, which is often used for making bread, and all totally normal!

Finally, the Best Ever Kale Chips Recipe – Vegan “Cheesy” Kale Chips | Little Green Dot (3)

I use my new dehydrator to get perfectly cooked, crunchy kale chips. It’s a recent purchase and I love it. In the past, I used the oven with good results – it’s not as consistent as a dehydrator, and I burned a few batches – but with a careful eye the oven works fine.

Finally, the Best Ever Kale Chips Recipe – Vegan “Cheesy” Kale Chips | Little Green Dot (4)

enjoy!

Go Nuts “Cheese” Sauce

Finally, the Best Ever Kale Chips Recipe – Vegan “Cheesy” Kale Chips | Little Green Dot (5)

NOTE: the seasonings below are to taste – use these to start, then keep playing with it until it tastes good to you. To be honest, I’ve never really measured it out!

  • 1 cup cashew nuts
  • 1 cup red bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • squeeze lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (if you have it on hand – adds a nice flavour, but not necessary)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup water to get the right consistency (- thick but creamy)

Seasonings

  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  1. Toss all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

  2. Add water until you get the consistency of a cheese sauce.

  3. If you want to use this for kale chips, amp up the seasonings to really flavour the kale, more so than if you were to eat it on its own. Does that make sense? The flavour will get diluted over the kale, so don’t be scared to get generous with the seasoning.

Vegan "Cheesy" Kale Chips

Finally, the Best Ever Kale Chips Recipe – Vegan “Cheesy” Kale Chips | Little Green Dot (6)

  • Go Nuts “Cheese” Sauce
  • Kale
  1. tear the leaves off of the stems, make sure not to include the spine!
  2. wash the kale and dry thoroughly
  3. pour the Go Nuts “Cheese” Sauce over the kale until fully coated
  4. OVEN: place on a baking tray and bake at 135° C (275° F) for about 25 minutes – flipping over half way through.
  5. DEHYDRATOR: place on the rack and set to dry at 50° C (130° F) for about 10-12 hours or overnight.

If you liked this recipe, get 5 more kale chip recipes plus my tips to make perfect kale chips every time…
Click here to grab the download!

My Tools Of Choice

Finally, the Best Ever Kale Chips Recipe – Vegan “Cheesy” Kale Chips | Little Green Dot (7)L’EQUIP Food Dehydrator LD 918H: Yes, the dehydrator takes a million years compared to a hot oven, but it produces a really good even crisp! I saw inconsistent results with the oven, so I’m loving the dehydrator for things like drying herbs, fruit and making sweet potato and kale chips. If you are considering buying one, here’s the one that I’m using, which is much more affordable than the Exalibur and works really well for me. If you are interested in knowing what else I use my dehydrator for, let me know and I’ll share more on that!

What I love too is that it has a filter and a fan, which is important for circulating clean air around the food. Plus, it has a timer so that you can set it to turn off automatically when it’s done. Most things take about 10 hours to fully dehydrate, so it’s perfect for setting before you go to bed.

Check it out:L’EQUIP Food Dehydrator LD 918H


Finally, the Best Ever Kale Chips Recipe – Vegan “Cheesy” Kale Chips | Little Green Dot (8)Vitamix Blender:
It costs a bomb and this machine is only for people who are serious about their tools and like to go for investment pieces. It’s for people who want the smoothest green shakes, the creamiest sauces and soups. I love this blender, I feel like a pro every time I use it. You can turn grains into flour, turn nuts into creamy nut butter and anything into a smoothie or soup! Again, it’s only for people who really love their high-quality kitchen appliances.

Check it out: Vitamix Blender

Finally, the Best Ever Kale Chips Recipe – Vegan “Cheesy” Kale Chips | Little Green Dot (9)I buy my nutritional yeast from iHerb, which if you live in Singapore, I find to be a much more affordable price (including shipping)!

p.s. nutritional yeast is also amazing sprinkled over popcorn and avocado on toast! And if you are at all worried about candida (yeast) this product is inactive (dead), so there is no issue there. I know it sounds so strange – but I promise it’s totally normal food-stuff and very yummy! Click here to use my affiliate link to get $10 off!

[ribbon title=”Singapore Shopping Guide”][/ribbon]

Finally, the Best Ever Kale Chips Recipe – Vegan “Cheesy” Kale Chips | Little Green Dot (2024)

FAQs

Why are my homemade kale chips bitter? ›

When it comes to baked kale chips, brown equals bitter. That's why it can be a little tricky to know when your kale chips are fully baked because you can't really judge by the color. You want to remove baked kale chips from the oven before they brown but while they're still a bit soft in the center.

How to make kale chips Martha Stewart? ›

Arrange kale on two rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and toss. Season with salt. Bake, rotating trays once, until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.

Why are kale chips expensive? ›

There's the cost of the actual ingredients, the labor costs to produce it, the packaging etc. And for kale chips, I think the two main factors are the food costs and labor costs. The ingredients for most kale chips are a base of raw cashews and nutritional yeast, both of which are pretty pricey.

Are kale chips better than potato chips? ›

And unlike potato chips, kale retains its nutritional value when made into chips. Kale is high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin A and calcium, as well as B vitamins, vitamin C and potassium. It's fat- and sodium-free, and the minuscule amounts of olive oil and salt used in my recipe barely bump up those amounts.

What is the secret to kale chips? ›

To get perfectly uniform, crispy kale chips, the key is to bake them for longer, at a lower temperature. Baking kale chips at 300F for 20 to 25 minutes allows the vegetable to slightly dehydrate while it cooks, resulting in a perfectly crispy chip.

What are the cons of kale chips? ›

While kale chips may seem like a healthier option, some commercial brands can be crammed with sodium, sugar, and artificial flavors. This is the kind of processed food that can lead to a higher risk for high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and other cardiac issues.

How to make kale chips Jamie Oliver? ›

Rinse and dry the kale leaves before removing most of the centre stalk, leaving long, thin pieces of kale. Toss the kale in the oil, then sprinkle with the sugar, cinnamon and ½ tablespoon of sea salt. Arrange the leaves in a single layer on a couple of baking trays and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp.

How do you keep kale chips crisp? ›

To keep them crispy, it is important to let them cool completely. Once cooled, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You could also try adding a few grains of raw rice or silica packs (like those found in store-bought kale chips) to the airtight container. & Perfect for snacking!

What kind of kale is best for chips? ›

Curly kales are distinctively mild-flavored and easy to cook with. These types are most commonly used for chips, green smoothies, and pestos. Curly kale leaves grow whorled around a woody upright stem. These curly varieties can be green, bluish, or purplish-red in color.

Can dogs eat kale? ›

Final thoughts. By now you'll (hopefully) know that kale is neither toxic or poisonous to dogs. Instead, kale can be safely eaten by dogs and there are many health benefits of including a small to moderate amount in their diet.

Are kale chips good for liver? ›

Glucosinolates also help with the body's detoxification system. They stimulate the liver, helping it produce an enzyme that prevents free radicals from attacking our DNA. Kale has been shown to improve cardiovascular health as well.

Do kale chips fill you up? ›

Kale chips have fewer calories than unhealthier snack alternatives like potato chips, particularly if they're not fried and are minimally seasoned. Plus, eating kale chips can make you feel more full than less-healthy snacks, which helps you consume fewer calories throughout the day.

What is the healthiest chip in the world? ›

When TODAY.com asked for healthy snack ideas, experts previously suggested these chip options:
  • Safe and Fair Popcorn Quinoa Chips.
  • Siete Sea Salt Tortilla Chips.
  • Splitz Original Crunchy Split Pea Crisp Snacks.
  • Pulp Pantry Jalapeño Lime Chips.
  • Hippeas Organic Sea Salt and Lime Chickpea Tortilla Chips.
May 2, 2024

Are kale chips anti-inflammatory? ›

It also has lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help lower your risk of cataracts and macular degeneration. Also, lutein may help prevent atherosclerosis , a buildup of hard plaque in your blood vessels. Add kale to a salad or eat kale chips as a snack for an anti-inflammatory benefit.

Does baking kale chips destroy nutrients? ›

Baked kale, such as the popular snack kale chips, does have nutrients left. Many people consume kale by adding it to salads, blending it in smoothies and using it in soups. Snacking on kale chips has even become a healthier alternative to eating regular potato chips, which is one of the benefits of kale chips.

How do you get the bitterness out of kale? ›

Cutting the stem of kale and marinating it with olive oil and salt can help reduce bitterness. Let it marinate in the fridge for at least 24 hours for better tenderness and less bitterness.

Why is my home grown kale bitter? ›

The bitterness comes from chemical compounds called glucosinolates that can be found in the Brassica family. According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, these compounds have been known to have anti-cancer properties.

Why are my homemade potato chips bitter? ›

A typical type of compound that causes a bitter taste in potatoes is potato glycoalkaloids (PGA) (Sinden et al. 1976).

References

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