Spicy Kale Chips Recipe - Peas and Crayons Blog (2025)

FAQs

Why are kale chips better than potato chips? ›

And unlike potato chips, kale retains its nutritional value when made into chips. Kale is high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamin A and calcium, as well as B vitamins, vitamin C and potassium. It's fat- and sodium-free, and the minuscule amounts of olive oil and salt used in my recipe barely bump up those amounts.

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.

To avoid bitterness, bake the kale at lower temperatures for a longer cook time. Another possibility is that the bitterness is caused by the oil used in the recipe. Olive oil is a popular choice for making kale chips, but can add a bitter flavor to kale chips.

Rinse and dry the kale leaves before removing most of the centre stalk, leaving long, thin pieces of kale. Toss the kale in the oil, then sprinkle with the sugar, cinnamon and ½ tablespoon of sea salt. Arrange the leaves in a single layer on a couple of baking trays and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp.

To keep them crispy, it is important to let them cool completely. Once cooled, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. You could also try adding a few grains of raw rice or silica packs (like those found in store-bought kale chips) to the airtight container. & Perfect for snacking!

If you overeat on kale chips (or any food) then you may experience bloating, gas, and constipation due to the excessive intake of fiber. Mindful eating shouldn't be isolated to kale chips, but it should certainly be observed.

It is not likely that you would experience adverse effects from consuming kale chips. If the chips are very salty and you over-consume them, you might feel bloated from the excess salt intake. You may also feel some stomach discomfort from the fiber if you eat a lot of them and are not used to eating high-fiber foods.

To top it off, kale chips are usually labeled as raw, which means in order to get them crispy they are dehydrated and that takes a looooong time. So we've got expensive ingredients + a long production process = $7 for a mini bag of kale chips!

Homemade kale chips are best eaten the day they're made, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day if you have leftovers. You can warm them up in a 250ºF oven if you need to re-crisp them.

Curly Kale

These crinkly, ruffled leaves are found bunched together in nearly every supermarket in the United States. Curly kales are distinctively mild-flavored and easy to cook with. These types are most commonly used for chips, green smoothies, and pestos.

What is the secret to kale chips? ›

To get perfectly uniform, crispy kale chips, the key is to bake them for longer, at a lower temperature. Baking kale chips at 300F for 20 to 25 minutes allows the vegetable to slightly dehydrate while it cooks, resulting in a perfectly crispy chip.

Kale Chips

Kale actually contains a phytochemical called beta carotene, which gets converted into vitamin A in the body. According to a 2021 study published in Frontiers in Nutrition, beta carotene displays antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that may protect the gut lining and reduce intestinal inflammation.

Adding salt and squeezing lemon make a big difference by removing bitterness. Adding some spicy or sweet flavors may help tame the strong flavor of bitter kale.

Kale Chips are an Excellent Source of B Vitamins

B vitamins help your body convert nutrients into energy, making them essential for maintaining a healthy weight.

Kale is a nutrient-dense food that's high in several vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. While cooking kale makes it less bitter, it also significantly reduces its antioxidant, vitamin C, and mineral content.

However, the vitamins in kale decrease when cooked. This doesn't mean there are no vitamins left in kale chips when they are baked. When baked, the kale chips still contains many vitamins, minerals and nutrients. The amounts are just less than when consumed raw.