Kale chips. Do you roll your eyes at the mention of them, or do you get all excited over the prospect of a wholesome and healthy snack? I’m a bit of both, actually. I love the concept, but not the wispiness. All that hard work and time spent baking a big bunch of kale leaves only to be rewarded with a somewhat smaller bunch of ethereal kale chips? Bit of a let down, really.
A crunchy and portable snack
Of course, they are nice and there are times when you hanker for these airy light crisps. Plus my kids inhale them (#kidmarketing101). But these crunchy kale chips win folks over, even folks who have never eaten kale before, let alone heard of them. Coated with a batter of cassava flour (not the same as tapioca starch/ flour) and arrowroot starch, these chips are crunchier and more substantial. You can bring them out for a snack on the go without fear of crumbling them to bits. My kids love these too.
Substitutes
Some folks will probably ask for ingredient substitutes, and at this moment I have yet to experiment with alternative flours. I will post updates once I do so! But for now, I better post this and get started on cooking dinner (and maybe make these crunchy kale chips) while the little one is still napping… #makedinnerwhilethetotnaps is more realistic than making hay for me!
Where to purchase certain ingredients online (affiliate links):
- cassava flour
- arrowroot starch
- nutritional yeast
- Onion powder
- granulated garlic
- Himalayan salt
- Coconut oil
- Maple syrup
- 1 bunch of kale (12 generous stalks with 10 inch long leaves)
- ⅓ cup (45g) cassava flour
- ⅔ cup (75g) arrowroot starch
- 1.5 tablespoons (5g) nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon (1g) onion powder
- 1 teaspoon (3g) granulated garlic
- ¾ teaspoon (3g) Himalayan salt
- 1 tablespoon (12g) coconut oil
- ⅔ cup (150g) water
- ½ teaspoon (2g) Himalayan salt
- 1 tablespoon (22g) maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons (24g) coconut oil
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/ 160°C
- Wash the kale well and spin dry with a salad spinner, then remove the stem and cut the leaves into large 2 inch pieces. Set aside in a bowl large enough to toss the kale
- In a medium bowl, combine the cassava flour, arrowroot starch, nutritional yeast, onion powder, granulated garlic, ¾ teaspoon (3g) Himalayan salt, 1 tablespoon (12g) coconut oil, and water
- Stir well until a batter is formed
- Toss to coat the kale with ½ teaspoon (2g) Himalayan salt, maple syrup and 2 tablespoons (24g) coconut oil
- Pour the batter over the kale and combine until well coated
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and distribute the kale evenly on the parchment paper, spreading the kale out
- Bake for 55 minutes, flipping the kale pieces 2 to 3 times with tongs during the baking process. Switch racks as well to ensure even crisping. Separate any clumped up pieces. The batter may be very glue-y and stick to your tongs but hang in there, the chips will crisp up!
- Once the baking time is done, remove the baking sheets and give the kale pieces a final flip before returning to the oven
- Turn off the oven and let the chips rest for 10 minutes in the residual heat
- Allow to cool completely before enjoying!
