These Oven-Baked "Cheesy" Kale Chips are an easy and healthy recipe made with only 4 clean ingredients. It's the perfect plant-based snack that can be made without a dehydrator and is ready to enjoy in under 20 minutes!{ Plant-Based | Vegan | Gluten-Free | Dairy-Free | Soy-Free | Nut-Free | Paleo-Friendly | Lectin-Free }
Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then set aside.
Prepare the kale:
De-stem the kale, break/tear into bite-size pieces, then add to a large mixing bowl.
Drizzle the avocado oil over the top of the kale pieces and toss them until the avocado oil is evenly distributed, using your hands if necessary.
Sprinkle the nutritional yeast and Himalayan salt over the top of the kale pieces and toss again until all is evenly distributed, using your hands if necessary.
Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.
Spread the seasoned kale pieces evenly on the prepared cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 6-8 minutes.
Remove from the cookie sheet from the oven, and flip the kale pieces over, then bake for an additional 6-8 minutes, taking care not to overcook or burn them. The kale pieces should have shrunk in size at this midway point.
Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.
Immediately store any leftovers in an air-tight BPA-free container because they will get soggy if left out at room temperature.
Notes
Kale: Helpful tips regarding the kale:
Use either "curly" kale or "Lacinato" kale for the best results.
Take the extra time to break the thick, fibrous stems off the kale. The stems don't bake well and they will leave a hard piece attached to the chip.
Don't throw about the stems - they are great to use for juicing!
Avocado Oil: I only use 100% pure avocado oil when baking anything in the oven, but you could substitute with organic extra-virgin olive oil - either will work fine.Nutritional Yeast: The only brand of nutritional yeast I will use is this non-fortified brand. It does not contain fortified ingredients, synthetic vitamins, or MSG.Himalayan Pink Salt: This is my salt of preference, however, it can always be substituted with sea salt.Storage: To keep the chips from becoming soggy, make sure they are stored in an air-tight, preferably BPA-free container at all times. Serving Size: This recipe will make approximately (10) cups of kale before they are baked. After baking, the kale pieces will shrink, leaving you with approximately (5) cups baked kale chips. Nutritional information is for (1) cup which is (1) serving.