These cheesy kale chips are seasoned with nutritional yeast for a savory, crispy snack! They are made with just 4 ingredients and are ready in under 30 minutes.
Apart from popcorn with nutritional yeast, these kale chips are easily one of my favorite snacks.
If you have a good recipe, kale chips are one of the easiest savory snacks to make. And adding a little bit of nutritional yeast really takes them to the next level by adding a cheesy, savory twist.
Recipe features
- Quick & easy: All you need is four ingredients and 5 minutes of active time to make these kale chips.
- Flavor and texture: Ultra crispy, crackly, and flavorful. Filled with savory, cheesy flavor from nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt.
- Foolproof: I tested this recipe many, many times because there is nothing worse than burned kale chips! The kale is baked at a low temp so that it dehydrates. This makes it crispy with less oil and makes it less likely to burn.
- Versatile: Great as a snack, topping, or side with dinner.
Ingredients
- Kale: I tested this recipe with curly kale which is the most common type of kale at the grocery store and the kind of kale usually used for kale chips. I have not tested this recipe with lacinato kale.
- Nutritional yeast: This is a nutritious (of course) yeast that has a cheesy, savory flavor. Find it in the health food aisle or baking aisle at most grocery stores. You can learn more about nutritional yeast in my guide to nutritional yeast.
- Oil: I tested this recipe with extra virgin olive oil and canola oil. Because the kale is roasted at a low temperature, most types of oil work.
- Salt: Just a sprinkle of sea salt or table salt emphasizes the cheesy flavor of the nutritional yeast and kale.
How to make kale chips
Slice and clean the kale
Start by removing the stem from each piece of kale. Use clean hands to tear each kale leaf into 2-inch pieces. Try to make the pieces mostly the same size.
Clean the kale under cool running water to remove any dirt or debris. Dry in a salad spinner or lay out on clean towels and pat dry. Remove as much moisture as possible.
Oil and season
Add kale to a large bowl. Toss with 2 teaspoons of oil. Use clean hands to coat each piece of kale in oil.
Place the kale on a large sheet pan. Sprinkle the kale chips with nutritional yeast and salt. I recommend tossing the kale with nutritional yeast on the pan because otherwise it can get stuck to the oil in the bowl and you'll waste most of the nutritional yeast.
Bake it
Arrange the kale so that there is space between each piece. Avoid overlapping the kale or it will steam instead of crisp.
Bake the kale on the medium oven rack of 275F for 15-20 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the kale and stir as needed. In a standard oven, the outside kale chips often cook more quickly than the inside ones.
If the kale chips aren't as crisp as desired after 20 minutes, continue cooking in 2-minute intervals. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Expert tips
- I tested this recipe with a bunch of kale which comes out to 7-8 ounces of kale, including the stems. You can use pre-sliced kale to save time.
- Watch closely: Kale chips can go from perfectly cooked to burnt in a matter of minutes. Start checking the kale at 10 minutes.
- Oven temp: I tested this recipe at many different oven temps and the kale cooked most evenly at 275F. I admittedly used to make kale chips at higher temps and always ended up with burned edges, but it makes a lot more sense to dehydrate the kale instead of roasting it.
- I always recommend using an oven thermometer to double-check the oven temp. It's surprising how often oven temperatures are slightly off! If your kale chips are burning, this may be the reason.
Recipe FAQ
Yes! This recipe also works great as just plain kale chips. Simply omit the nutritional yeast and follow the recipe as written.
You can use a knife or your hands. If using a knife, run it down the sides of the stem to remove each leaf. If using your hands, the stem won't come off as uniformly but it gets the job done.
Yes, air fry kale chips at 275F for just 5 minutes.
Sure! Garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and chili powder are all delicious seasonings to add to kale chips. Start with ¼ teaspoon to ½ teaspoon of each, adjusting to taste. Add seasonings at the same time as the salt and nutritional yeast.
Kale chips are best enjoyed immediately after cooking because this is when they are the crispest. However, they will keep for 3-4 days. Let them cool completely before transferring them to a closed container. Store at room temp. I usually re-crisp them in my air fryer in just 1 minute, but you can also heat them in the oven at 275 for just a few minutes.
Looking for more snacks?
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Nutritional Yeast Kale Chips
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale 7-9 ounces with stems
- 2 teaspoons olive oil see note #1
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275F.
- Remove the stems from the kale leaves using a knife or your hands. Tear each leaf into about 2 inch pieces. The pieces should be roughly the same size but don't need to be exact.
- Rinse kale leaves to remove any dirt or debris. Dry with a salad spinner or pat dry with clean towels.
- In a large bowl, toss together the kale pieces and olive oil so that each piece of kale is fully coated in oil.
- Place kale pieces on a large sheet pan. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and salt.
- Spread the kale pieces out so that they aren't overlapping one another. You may need to cook the kale in batches.
- Cook the kale at 275F on the middle oven rack for 15-20 minutes. Start checking kale at 10 minutes to avoid burning it. The kale is ready when crisp and crackly but not browned. It will firm up a little as it cools.
- Season with additional nutritional yeast if desired. Kale chips are best enjoyed immediately after cooking them.
Video
Notes
- Oil: Any neutral oil works in this recipe. Canola, vegetable, avocado, etc. are all good options.
- Leftovers: Kale chips are crispest immediately after baking but will keep for 3-4 days at room temperature. Let them cool completely before transferring to an airtight container.
Allison
First time making Kale Chips! They came out perfect around 11/12 minutes!
Thank you!
Cassidy Reeser
I'm glad they were a success! Thanks for trying the recipe 🙂