Best Kale Chips Ever!

Have you tried kale chips yet?  If not, what have you ben waiting for?  I am proud to say that my spicy kale chips have won over even the most hardcore kale skeptics based on their taste.

I dare you to serve these at your next gathering without converting a few friends into kale chip lovers :).

Since kale chips have been becoming more popular, they’re popping up in stores all over the place.  While I was doing research for this post, I took a look at some of those fancy kale chips sold at health food stores.  They have all kinds of flavours that sound just like potato chip flavours – salt and vinegar, ranch, nacho cheese, honey mustard, barbecue…  I’d never tried store bought kale chips before, and the thought of salt and vinegar kale chips sounded pretty cool (I love sea salt and malt vinegar chips ….).

I was going to experiment with some potato chip sounding flavours.  So a tried a sample of the salt and vinegar kale chips, and I was really disappointed.

They didn’t taste like salt and vinegar chips, and they didn’t taste anything like kale, or my simple and delicious homemade kale chips.

So I scrapped the idea of experimenting with fancy kale chip flavours and decided to share with you my tried and true spicy kale chip recipe!

Whether you’ve tried and enjoy store bought kale chips or not, I encourage you to try making your own for three reasons.

1. It’s so much less expensive!

Store bought kale chips can cost $7.00 for about 100g, and you can get almost twice the amount if you make your own with one bunch of fresh organic kale at a cost of only $3.

2. Better quality ingredients

I’m not trying to bash all store bought kale chips, and they certainly can be more healthy than regular potato chips, but here’s a comparison of store bought kale chips that were on promotion at Whole Foods vs. homemade kale chips.  I was really surprised that the store bought ones contained sugar and milk!  Check it out for yourself.

Store bought – kale, cashew nuts, sunflower seeds, dehydrated cane syrup, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, seasoning (vinegar powder, rice flour, sea salt, lactose (milk), malic acid, citric acid, potato syrup solids, sugar) himalayan pink salt

Homemade – organic kale, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt/himalayan pink salt, cayenne pepper

Which ones sound better to you?

3. They taste way better!

Don’t just take my word for it.  Try making a batch yourself and let me know in the comments below what you think.

Spicy Kale Chip Ingredients and Benefits

Kale

We all know by now that kale is a health superstar, but here’s some interesting facts that you may not have known.

• Contains more iron per calorie than beef
• Contains more calcium per calorie than milk
• A great source of Vitamin K which promotes bone health
• Is anti-inflammatory with a good source of omega-3 fatty acids
• Excellent source of Vitamin C for immune system support

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

A monounsaturated fat that’s been associated with the healthy Mediterranean diet and has loads of health promoting benefits.

• Decreased risk of heart disease
• Anti-inflammatory
• Promotes healthy digestion
• Improved brain function.

Himalayan Pink Salt

You can substitute sea salt, which I normally use, but I decided to try pink himalayan salt which is is super awesome!  Not even on the same category as table salt, which is highly processed, stripped of all it’s nutrients and includes additives like aluminum (scary!).

Pink himalayan salt is found in the Himalayan mountains, protected from pollutants that are even found in our seas, and contain all the same 84 trace elements that are found in the human body.  Here’s just a few of the benefits.

• Promotes healthy sleep patterns
• Increases hydration
• Lowers blood pressure
• Increases circulation
• Detoxifies the body of heavy metals
• Supports a healthy libido

Cayenne Pepper

Besides giving your kale chips a nice spicy kick, cayenne pepper is also a powerful medicinal herb with some amazing health benefits.

• A well know digestive aid that can help improve metabolism and relieve intestinal gas
• Promotes heart health by helping to normalize blood pressure levels
• Can help ease upset stomachs, sore throats and coughs

Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch of organic kale
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Himalayan pink salt or sea salt – sprinkling to suit your tastes
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper – or adjust to taste

Directions

• Tear kale from stems and tear into small pieces
• Wash and spin dry

• Add dry kale to a large mixing bowl
• Add olive oil and massage through the kale with bare hands.  Take your time and really mix it in good until all the kale is covered.
• Sprinkle the himalayan pink salt and cayenne pepper, and mix it with your hands
• Place kale on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer
• Bake in the oven at 200 degrees F for about 2 hours

Important Tips

• At first you may think you need more olive oil, but don’t add more!  Trust me as I’ve made that mistake before and ended up with soggy kale chips.  Not good!  Once you massage it in well, you’ll see that it’s enough.
• You may see recipes that call for cooking at higher temperatures for shorter periods of time, but the lower the temperature, the more the precious nutrients are maintained.  Plus, it’s easier not to overcook and end up with burnt kale chips.  Not good either!

I know you will love these spicy kale chips.  And as always, please experiment with other spices for flavouring, and share in the comments below what you come up with and how it turned out!

 

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