Baked Kale Chips

Imagine being able to munch as many crunchy snacks as you want while you're binging that show you love without feeling guilty later. That's the beauty of these homemade baked kale chips. Made by quickly tossing together three simple ingredients – fresh kale, olive oil, and flaked sea salt – and baked low and slow for only 20 minutes, these crispy kale chips are easy to make, there are no mystery additives, and even fussy eaters snap them up.

Tips for Success

As easy as kale chips are to make, there are still a couple of tips to keep in mind for best results:

Dry leaves completely
The key to crispy kale chips is to make sure you thoroughly dry your kale leaves. Use paper towels or a dry dish towel to remove any drops of water that might remain after washing and spinning your kale. Damp leaves make soggy kale chips.

Don't overdo the oil
Use a light hand when you coat the dry kale leaves with olive oil. You don't want to drench them or they'll never crisp up.

Spread out
Use a large enough rimmed baking sheet so each kale leaf can lie flat in a single layer. Leaves that are bunched up or folded over won't crisp evenly. Bake in batches if you need to.

Don't overbake
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. But don't worry; they will continue to crisp up after you take them out of the oven and let cool. For perfectly crispy baked kale chips, you might have to do a little trial and error to find the right balance.

What Kind of Kale Is Best for Baked Kale Chips?

Any variety of kale – curly or flat – can be made into baked kale chips. Some home cooks prefer to use flat lacinato kale, aka "dinosaur" kale, so named for its leathery appearance, and some like the frilly appearance of curly kale. Try batches of both and see which you like best.

How to Store Baked Kale Chips to Keep Them Crispy

If you don't eat them all in one go, you'll want to store baked kale chips the right way so they stay crisp and don't get mushy. Here's how to store homemade baked kale chips:

Let them cool
Baked kale chips fresh from the oven still give off enough moisture to make baked kale chips soggy. Let them cool completely before storing them.

Airtight is just right
Most baked kale chip recipes that are flavored with salt or other dry seasonings can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, although it's best to eat them within two or three days. Baked kale chips seasoned with something perishable like cheese should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How to Flavor Baked Kale Chips

Once you master the basics of making baked kale chips, you can explore other flavorings. Try spicy Sriracha-Lime Kale Chips, tangy Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips, and sweet Maple Kale Crisps.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"Followed the advice of another reviewer and turned the oven down to 300 degrees F and cooked for 20 minutes, then turned oven off and let it sit for another 10 min. Also, put torn kale in a bowl and tossed quite a bit to coat evenly with oil, spread in an even layer on cookie sheet and sprinkled with seasoned salt (much less than 1 teaspoon) from up high. These were so good," says valleyval.

Allrecipes home cook ILovePotatoes says, "So excited to have kids excited about kale, from growing it in our garden and tending to it right up to harvesting, cleaning, drying, baking and snacking. In our oven, 300 degrees F for about 12 minutes works great."

"These babies inspired me to sign up and begin a recipe box," says halimah. "They were that good! I tried different seasonings: mustard seed (okay), Chinese 5-spice seasoning (good), garlic salt (great), cumin with a pinch of salt (excellent!), BRAGGS seasoning (superb!). I'm in the same boat as all of these reviewers — completely surprised by how enjoyable they are."

Editorial contributions by Vanessa Greaves