Recipe: Kale Chips

Making Kale Chips is actually really easy, though I've had to try it a couple times to find a recipe that works for me! I kept seeing recipes on Pinterest, and a few of my favorite blogs even posted recipes. My biggest hurdle was that kale tends to be bitter - bitter and M don't usually mix well.

I posted my first try making kale chips on Instagram this fall... which sucked, truth be told. J ate them later that night and loved them, but it was a no-go for me. I figured it was just the kale, but I tried again that winter just in case. The second time I made the kale chips, they turned out a lot better! I've been using pretty much the same recipe ever since. :)

What you'll need:

• Fresh kale (I use it already cut up in a bag)
• A baking pan
• Olive Oil
• Lemon juice
• Salt & Pepper
• Cayenne Pepper

Take your kale out or cut them up into relatively small pieces. Make sure there are no large stems mixed in. Place them in a bowl or a plate where you can toss them around (I would use a bowl, but we still don't have a sink or dishwasher, so if I can avoid getting things dirty, I do). Pour olive oil and lemon juice on top and toss the kale around until it's completely covered with both. You'll probably use more olive oil and lemon juice than you actually need, and that's okay.

Once your kale is coated, get out a baking pan. Again, I don't want to wash anything I don't have to, so I use aluminum foil to cover the pan. This isn't necessary! Set the oven to 375* and let it heat up.

Take handfuls of your kale and place them on a baking sheet that's been sprayed with Pam. Do NOT pour any excess olive oil or lemon juice on top. Make sure to spread them out - try and let each piece have it's own space so it can crisp up properly in the oven! They shrink up like shrinky-dinks, so it'll look like a lot less once they're done.

I use salt, pepper and cayenne pepper on my kale chips (Update: I no longer use pepper). The salt really helps to cut through the spiciness of the cayenne, but so does the lemon juice, so don't use too much salt. If the chips are too spicy after they're done, you can always add more salt or lemon juice (or just add less cayenne next time).

Cook them in the oven for 15-20 minutes. You'll know they're done when they start to get really dark green or brown - they'll crackle when you touch them with your spatula! You don't want to overcook them, because they can get very bitter. But if you don't let them cook long enough, they don't crisp up properly. So much of making a good kale chip is a waiting game - wait too long, they're burnt, but if you don't wait long enough, they're not crispy yet! I would suggest checking on them after 10 minutes, and then every 3-5 minutes after that, just to be safe.


Kale chips are pretty simple to make and they're a great treat when you want something crispy and crunchy, but want to avoid something fried, like a bag of chips. These may not be "guilt-free," but they're about as guilt-free as you can get! Plus you can choose whatever spices you want on top - I've been on a spicy kick lately, so cayenne pepper is always a go for me.

Have you ever tried making kale chips? What do you like to use on them? Let me know if you try out this recipe - did you like it?! What would you change?