Air Fryer Kale Chips
Kale chips cooked in the air fryer are a delightful and healthy substitute for fried snacks like potato chips. This nutritious snack is crispy and well-seasoned, and it will satisfy every crunchy, salty craving you have. You’ll feel good about giving your children and friends these chips.
Kale chips are one of my favorite recipes for many years, I actually love to dehydrate the chips in a dehydrator but using the air fryer is so fast. You can enjoy healthy kale chips done in the air fryer in less than 10 minutes.
Other healthy snack recipes to try are Low-Calorie Potato Chips, Air Fryer Zucchini Chips, and Jicama Chips.
FOR THE FULL LIST OF INGREDIENTS, SCROLL TO SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END. BUT BEFORE YOU SCROLL CHECK THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE BLURB.
Air Fryer Kale Chips
I made kale chips in my Excaliber dehydrator for many years especially 7 years ago when raw food was a huge trend. It is one of those snacks that you get to eat without feeling guilty. After all, you are snacking on green leafy vegetables. It tastes amazing and surprisingly tasty.
Kale chips have become so popular over the years that you can find them in many health food stores or even online on Amazon. That’s actually wonderful that is so readily available but you can actually prepare your own kale chips at home. It will cost you far less.
The Best Air Fryer Kale Chips!
A food that is salty, crunchy, and easy to consume just has something about it. Snacks like potato chips are a common example of this, however, they typically aren’t very healthy. And that’s where these kale chips you make at home really come in handy. The kale chips made in an air fryer come out incredibly crunchy, much like potato chips, and are loaded with vitamins and minerals. They also have few calories and carbs. They seem to be the ideal healthy snack, in my opinion.
Actually, this snack is great for you because it’s prepared with kale, which is a superfood. Plus, it’s almost as easy to make them as it is to open a bag of chips. And the air fryer only needs 5 minutes to make these kale chips!
Reasons To Love This Air Fryer Kale Chips Recipe
- Making kale chips is SO simple and quick, especially when using an air fryer! When compared to baking in an oven, it cooks very quickly. It takes 15 minutes to cook instead of the 30 minutes it takes in the oven!
- The kale is cooked uniformly and becomes wonderfully crunchy in the air fryer.
- These handmade air fryer kale chips are as good-looking as they are to eat.
- Healthy and nutritious ingredients are used in its making.
- You can eat more of them because they have less fat than conventional potato chips. They include a ton of nutrients, are a fantastic method to get your recommended daily intake of vegetables, and are beneficial for weight loss because they don’t contain many calories and don’t encourage weight gain.
- They are vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, and have a very low-calorie count, making them allergy-friendly.
- They’re budget-friendly. Fresh kale can be found for a very low price at the grocery store, and only salt and olive oil are required.
Are Kale Chips Healthy?
Kale chips are healthy, they are made from kale, a superfood, nutrient-packed with lots of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins, Read more on The Amazing Health Benefits Of Kale.
After preparing the kale, massage the kale with a homemade vegan cheese sauce. The sauce is made with cashews and fresh bell pepper with yeast flakes for flavoring.
Air Fryer Kale Chips Recipe’s Required Ingredients
- Kale – there are many varieties of kale, make sure you choose a healthy bunch with vibrant green color,
- Cashews – soak raw cashews for one hour in water or cook them for about 10 minutes in water to soften them. Rinse and drain. Raw cashews are sold in large supermarket chains, health food stores, or on
- Water – just enough water added to make a paste.
- Bell Pepper – Added for color, red bell pepper gives a lovely orange color, enhances the cheesy flavor, and gives added Vitamin C and A, and antioxidants.
- Nutritional Yeast Flakes – Added for their nutty, cheesy flavor. Nutritional yeast flakes are also included in a vegan diet for B12 supplementation.
- Lemon Juice – Lemon juice is added for extra sharp flavor like that of cheddar cheese, it also adds extra Vitamin C.
- Onion Powder – Added for flavor.
- Garlic Powder – Added to enhance the flavor.
- Salt – Added for flavor.
- Cayenne Pepper –
How To Make Kale Chips In An Air Fryer?
- Wash kale to remove debris, and dry kale using a salad spinner or pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess water. I love to first soak my green leafy vegetables in salted cold water to remove any tiny bugs, especially with curly leaf kale.
- Remove the stalk and tough vein that runs in the middle of the leaves using a sharp knife. Cut the leaves into bite-size pieces and set aside in a large bowl.
- In a high-speed blender, add cashews, water, bell peppers, nutritional yeast flakes, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Process until smooth.
- Pour cashew sauce over kale leaves and massage to coat.
- Place kale leaves in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer. Bake at 370 degrees F for 7 minutes, shaking the basket halfway.
- Transfer the baked kale leaves to a baking sheet, kale will continue to crisp up. Repeat with the remaining kale leaves.
What To Serve With Air Fryer Kale Chips
You can have them as a mid-morning or afternoon snack, as a side dish with an omelet or burgers, or as a pizza with naan for lunch or supper. I like to eat it with Vegan Black Bean Tacos.
How To Store Homemade Kale Chips?
Thus, the kale chips made from this recipe will serve 4 people. If you are a kale chip lover like me, you can easily multiply this recipe by two, three, or four times because they keep so well in the freezer.
Then, if you’re in the mood for a snack and crave crispy chips, you’ll always have access to some crunchy, salty pleasure.
Once your kale chips are completely cooled, store them in a container with a tight-fitting lid or a ziplock bag.
Your kale chips may be kept in an airtight jar for up to 5 days at room temperature, so there’s no need to worry about preparing too much.
I typically prepare enough of this healthful and easy snack to last the entire week, so I’m well-stocked.
You can re-crisp them in the air fryer for 2 minutes if they lose their crispness.
Air Frying Tips
Follow the advice listed below for the best outcomes.
- Start with freshly picked, brightly colored kale leaves. Cook it within one to two days of buying it for optimal results.
- Before seasoning the kale, make sure that it is completely dry because if you don’t, the water will cause the kale chips to steam. Rinse them the night before, or at least a few hours before assembling them to give them ample time to dry.
- To save time, seek pre-washed and packed kale bags in your grocery store’s salad area.
- No crowdedness always put food in a single layer, and if you need to, cook in batches.
- The cooking time should be increased if your basket is quite full, but you should still toss your greens about every 3 minutes.
- If you use the protein that hasn’t already been marinated in oil, spray some oil on your food.
- Use parchment paper or oil the tray or basket to prevent food from sticking.
- To ensure that the food is uniformly done, toss or flip it halfway during cooking.
- To make sure the kale chips are cooking evenly and become crispy, toss them every three minutes. We definitely don’t want any pieces remaining that weren’t able to breathe in all of that lovely, heated air.
- Pull the kale leaves away from the ribs. Instead of using a knife, using your fingertips is more quicker and simpler.
- Tear the chips into bigger pieces. After air frying, these have a tendency to significantly shrink.
- Avoid using too much oil. The chips won’t be crispy; they’ll be soggy.
- If the air fryer does have a fan underneath the fryer basket, a trivet should be used to prevent it from flying.
Other Variations To Try
For a different flavor every time, you can adjust the ingredients to your liking. Here are a few of my top picks:
- Dried oregano
- Parmesan cheese
- Smoked paprika
- Everything but the bagel seasoning
Cajun seasoning: To add some heat, omit the garlic and replace it with a cajun seasoning mixture.
Ranch: To give your kale chips a ranch touch, use ranch seasoning mix.
Garlic-free: For simple Air-Fried Kale Chips, completely omit the garlic.
More Vegan Air Fryer Recipes
FAQ’s Air Fryer Kale Chips
Why Are My Kale Chips Not Crispy?
Before massaging the leaves in the cashew sauce, make sure they are completely dry. In order to ensure crispiness, let the kale chips cool down without crowding the pan.
How Do You Keep Air Fryer Kale Chips Crispy?
Give them time to be completely cool. After they’ve cooled, you may keep them for two to three days in an airtight container.
Are Air Fryer Kale Chips Good For Weight Loss?
Due to their low-calorie content, kale chips can be eaten without significantly increasing your daily calorie intake. This makes them an ideal weight-loss food.
What To Dip Kale Chips In?
Ranch, garlic-herb yogurt, and tahini sauce are some of our favorite dipping sauces for kale chips.
Can These be Baked Instead of Air Frying?
Absolutely! Greens should be prepared as directed and placed on a baking pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven that has already been heated for ten to fifteen minutes, until crispy. It can burn quickly, so keep an eye on it.
How Long Will They Stay Crispy?
This often retains its crispiness just when it is hot and starts to lose some of it over the course of the following one to two days. It would just take a few minutes in the air fryer to restore their original crispiness.
Does Air Frying Remove Nutrients?
No! Comparing air frying to other cooking methods, there is a lower chance that any nutrients would be lost, and it is also healthier because it uses little oil while retaining all the beneficial antioxidants.
Why Do You Make Air Fryer Kale Chips With Nutritional Yeast?
Vegan and plant-based recipes frequently use nutritional yeast as an ingredient. It has a little cheesy flavor and is deactivated yeast that is packaged like a seasoning. This is why it works so well in recipes such as this one.
The addition of nutritional yeast increases the kale chips’ crunchiness and gives them a savory flavor boost.
The best part is that it gives the chips vitamins and minerals as well, making this snack extremely nutritious!
What Is The Best Kind Of Kale To Make Kale Chips?
Fresh kale in bunches is what we favor using. Compared to bagged versions, they are usually fresher and easier to control in size.
Fresh-bagged kale can be substituted if necessary. Just ensure that the pieces are large enough to form chips that are between 3 and 4 inches wide.
Are Kale Chips Keto?
Yes, kale is regarded as a low-carb, keto-friendly food. If you stick to a ketogenic diet, you may consume chips as a snack without compromising your diet.
Do You Lose Nutrients When You Air Fry Kale?
Air frying at home is less likely to cause you to lose important nutrients while still providing you with all the beneficial antioxidants that are present in vegetables.
Does Massaging Kale Make It Less Bitter?
When preparing kale chips, a salad, or another raw kale dish, massaging the kale beforehand can assist in distributing the kale’s taste more uniformly and softening its texture, making it easier to digest for some people.
Thanks for reading this blog post on Air Fryer Kale Chips. I hope it has inspired you to try out a new dish.
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Air Fryer Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale
- 1/2 cup cashews soaked for one hour
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Wash kale to remove debris, and dry kale using a salad spinner or pat dry with a paper towel to remove excess water.
- Remove the stalks and tough veins that run in the middle off the leaves using a sharp knife. Cut the leaves into bite-size pieces and set aside in a large bowl.
- In a high-speed blender, add cashews, water, bell peppers, nutritional yeast flakes, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Process until smooth.
- Pour cashew sauce over kale leaves and massage to coat.
- Place kale leaves in a single layer in the basket of the air fryer. Bake at 370 degrees F for 7 minutes, shaking the basket halfway.
- Transfer the baked kale leaves on a baking sheet, kale will continue to crisp up. Repeat with the remaining kale leaves.
thank you for this wonderful article
oops! Just saw the section about storing them. Thank you!! Can’t wait to try
Hi Michelle! These look amazing! Do you have to store them in the fridge?
I always wanted to make my own kale chips, they were so yummy, I can’t stop eating them!
Aww that’s awesome Yvonne, I’m so happy you enjoyed them. Thank you.
Hi Michelle, What is Nutritional Kale Yeast? I want to try this recipe, but I don’t know what this is. Please reply. Thanks.
Lucy, nutritional yeast flakes is a deactivated yeast that is sold in health food stores and most major supermarkets. It is used as a flavoring and Vitamin B12 supplement for vegans, it gives a cheesy flavor to foods.