RecipesFrom the test kitchen
Crispy oven kale chips
A whole baking tray of shatter-crisp kale for well under 150 calories, with vitamin A and vitamin C numbers that leave the potato chip bag behind.
This is the snack that finally makes a green vegetable taste like a treat. Torn kale gets a thin coat of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a slow bake until the leaves go paper-thin and crackly. The whole tray comes together for well under 150 calories, so you can eat the entire batch instead of rationing a small handful. Where a single ounce of potato chips is mostly oil and salt, a full tray of these delivers real vitamin A and vitamin C for almost no calories. It takes about 10 minutes of prep and one oven rack.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 300 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment. A lower, slower oven is what keeps the leaves crisp instead of scorched.
- 2
Strip the kale leaves off their tough center stems and tear them into pieces roughly the size of a potato chip. Discard the stems.
- 3
Wash the leaves and dry them thoroughly in a salad spinner or with towels. Any water left on the kale steams the leaves and leaves them chewy, so get them as dry as you can.
- 4
Put the dry kale in a large bowl, drizzle over the olive oil, and massage it into every leaf with your hands for about a minute until each piece looks lightly glossy rather than wet.
- 5
Spread the kale in a single layer across the baking sheet with no overlap. Crowded leaves steam each other, so use a second tray if you need to.
- 6
Sprinkle with the salt and the optional garlic powder and smoked paprika.
- 7
Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the tray, then bake another 6 to 8 minutes until the leaves are crisp and the edges are just starting to color. Watch closely near the end, since they go from crisp to burnt fast.
- 8
Let the chips cool on the tray for 3 to 5 minutes. They firm up further as they cool. Eat the same day for the best crunch.
Why this scores well
Original analysis by NutriVerdict
On our Nutrient Density Score, this snack starts from one of the highest ranked foods in our whole database. Kale, raw lands at 99, just behind spinach, and it carries that score into the oven since baking only removes water. A single tray brings real vitamin A and vitamin C along with fiber, all for very few calories. The only other ingredient, olive oil , scores 34 on its own because it is pure fat, but two teaspoons spread across a whole bunch adds just enough to crisp the leaves without weighing the tray down. Compare that to plain salted potato chips at 53, where a single ounce is mostly fried starch and delivers no vitamin A at all. The math is simple: a full tray of kale chips beats a small handful of potato chips on density and on calories.
Tips
- Dry kale is the whole game. If the leaves hold onto water they will bake soft, so spin or towel them until they feel bone dry before the oil goes on.
- Go easy on the oil. Two teaspoons for a full bunch is enough to crisp the leaves while keeping the tray light, and extra oil makes them greasy instead of crackly.
- Salt with a light hand at the end. Kale shrinks dramatically in the oven, so a little salt spread over raw leaves concentrates fast on the finished chips.
What this plate is built on
This recipe leans on foods that are good sources of vitamin c, vitamin a, calcium, dietary fiber and vitamin e. The recipe density score above is the average Nutrient Density Score of its whole foods, computed the same way for every recipe on the site.
Storage and make-ahead
Kale chips are at their best within a few hours of baking, so make them close to when you want to eat them. Store fully cooled chips in a loosely covered container or paper bag at room temperature for up to 2 days, never in the fridge, where humidity turns them limp. If they do soften, a few minutes back in a low oven revives most of the crunch.
Variations and swaps
- Swap curly kale for lacinato kale or collard leaves torn into chip-size pieces for a slightly sturdier, less ruffled chip.
- Change the seasoning direction with nutritional yeast for a cheesy note, chili powder and lime for heat, or a light dusting of cinnamon for a sweet-savory batch.
- Add a crunchy finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds or sunflower kernels pressed onto the leaves before baking.
What to serve it with
These make a light, crunchy snack on their own, but they also stand in for croutons scattered over a soup or grain bowl. Set them next to a creamy dip like hummus or a yogurt-based dip, or pile them alongside a sandwich in place of potato chips for a lighter plate.
Note: This is food, not medical advice. Kale chips are naturally low in calories and deliver vitamin A and vitamin C from the raw leaves, with only a trace of added fat from the olive oil. Swapping a bag of potato chips for a tray of these USDA-tracked, high-density greens is a practical way to snack without the calorie load.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my kale chips come out soggy instead of crisp?
Moisture and crowding are the usual culprits, so wash the kale well ahead and dry it thoroughly in a salad spinner or with towels before it meets the oil. Spread the leaves in a single layer with space between them and use a low oven, since a crowded or damp pan steams the leaves instead of crisping them.
How little oil can I use and still get them crunchy?
Two teaspoons for a whole bunch is already light, and the trick is massaging it evenly into every leaf so no piece is dry or over-oiled. You can go as low as a teaspoon if you rub it in well, but a completely oil-free batch tends to burn at the thin edges before it crisps.
What is the best way to store them so they stay crisp?
Cool them completely on the pan first, then keep them in a loosely covered container or paper bag at room temperature rather than the fridge. Any trapped warmth or refrigerator humidity will soften them within an hour.
Can I use a different green or a different seasoning?
Curly kale crisps best because of its ruffled texture, but lacinato kale also works if you tear it small. Skip tender greens like spinach, which shrink to nothing, and feel free to swap the garlic powder and smoked paprika for nutritional yeast, chili powder, or a little grated lemon peel.
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