Not-cho Cheese Crispy Kale Chips

Not-cho ‘Cheese’ Crispy Kale Chips are oven baked with a zesty nacho-inspired seasoning made from cashews, nutritional yeast, salsa and more.

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Learn how to make kale chips with this crispy kale chips recipe and you’ll want zesty oven baked kale chips to snack on all the time!

Kale chips recipe

This kale chip seasoning is the best kale chip recipe! Spicy crispy kale that tastes like zesty nacho cheese kale chips but they’re actually a vegan cheesy kale chips made with nutritional yeast and cashews! And a whole lot of salsa inspired seasonings.

You can make these Crispy Kale Chips in the oven, or make them in the dehydrator. However you choose to make kale chips you’re going to love this yummy kale recipe!

Ingredients

• Kale – washed and torn into pieces
• Raw cashews – raw cashews soaked overnight are the base of the creamy sauce. Soaking raw cashews for recipes like gives the cashews a creamy texture that makes a great replacement for creamy sauces, dips and spreads (it also helps improve their digestibility and nutrient absorption). To soak cashews add them to a bowl and cover with cool water then soak for 5-8 hours or overnight, on the counter. Drain thoroughly and rinse before using. Or to soak cashews quickly simply place cashews in a pot with water, bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes before draining and rinsing.
• Nutritional yeast – nutritional yeast is a great source of vitamins, minerals and all nine essential amino acids (which means it’s actually a complete protein). But the real reason nutritional yeast is in this recipe is because of its ability to mimic the salty, umami flavor of cheese. If you don’t have it you can substitute finely grated parmesan cheese or cotija cheese for the nutritional yeast if you don’t mind there being cheese in the recipe.
• Fresh lime juice
• Salsa or pico de gallo – or substitute with fresh or canned diced tomatoes
• Onion
• Cilantro – cilantro stems and leaves can both be blended into the flavorful nacho cheese sauce.
• Garlic
• Jalapeno – optional, add a small jalapeno pepper, or other chili pepper, to make spicy kale chips.
• Cumin powder – cumin gives this kale chip seasoning a nice smoky flavor.
• Salt and pepper
• Canola oil

Step by step instructions

1. Soak cashews by placing cashews in a small bowl and covering with cool water to soak 5-8 hours or up to overnight, at room temperature.
2. Wash kale and pat dry. Tear kale off the stems into large pieces and add to large bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over kale and massage to cover evenly.

3. Make the cashew cream nacho ‘cheese’ sauce that will be the kale chip seasoning. Drain and thoroughly rinse cashews and add to a food processor or high powered blender. Add lime juice, salsa, onion, cilantro, garlic, cumin powder, salt and pepper to the blender with the cashews. As well as the jalapeno pepper and nutritional yeast, if using. Pulse several times to combine then increase speed and stream in 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil to thin the sauce and help it come together. Sauce will be thick
4. Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
5. Pour nacho ‘cheese’ sauce over oiled kale and massage sauce into kale until kale is evenly coated with the spicy nacho seasoning.

6. Place seasoned kale in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  

7. Season again with salt and pepper and place in preheated 225 degree oven. Bake 1 hour.
8. Stir after an hour and continue baking until super dry and crispy, 45 minutes to an hour longer.
9. Check and stir again after about 2 hours of total baking kale chips should be dry and crispy. If not, continue baking and stirring every 10 minutes until dried.
10. Remove from oven and season again with salt to taste while still warm.
11. Enjoy!

Dehydrated kale chips

To make this kale chips recipe in the dehydrator, simply reduce heat to 125 degrees and increase time to 3 hours or longer.

How to serve

Eat seasoned crispy kale chips by themselves as a snack- they’re perfect for road trips and camping.

Or serve kale chips with something yummy to dip them in. You can dip kale chips in ranch dressing, chimichurri sauce, salsa, yum yum sauce, fry sauce / burger sauce, etc.

Or make kale chip chaat topped with a delicious seasoned garbanzo beans, spicy sauces, tart chutneys, etc.

Yield

This recipe starts with about 8 cups kale leaves and bakes down to 4 or 5 cups total kale chips. About 10-12 servings.

How to store

Once completely cool store crispy kale chips in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to three days.

Not-cho ‘Cheese’ Crispy Kale Chips

Not-cho 'Cheese' Crispy Kale Chips are oven baked with a zesty nacho-inspired seasoning made from cashews, nutritional yeast, salsa and more.

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

soaking time: 5 hours

Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: American

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Servings: 12

Calories: 121kcal

Author: Tristin Rieken

Ingredients

• 8 cups kale leaves torn, from about 2 bunches of kale
• 1 cup raw cashews soaked overnight – will equal 2 cups after soaking.
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 cup salsa or pico de gallo
• ½ small onion chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro chopped, leaves and stems
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 3-4 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 small jalapeno pepper or other chili pepper, if desired
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Instructions

• Place cashews in a small bowl and cover with cool water to soak 5-8 hours or up to overnight, at room temperature.
• Wash kale and pat dry. Tear kale off the stems into large pieces and add to large bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil over kale and massage to cover evenly.
• Drain and thoroughly rinse cashews and add to a food processor or high powdered blender. Add lime juice, salsa, onion, cilantro, garlic, cumin powder, salt and pepper to the blender with the cashews. As well as the jalapeno pepper and nutritional yeast, if using. Pulse several times to combine then increase speed and stream in 1-2 tablespoons of canola oil to thin the sauce and help it come together. Sauce will be thick.
• Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Pour the cashew nacho ‘cheese’ sauce over the oiled kale in the large bowl. And massage sauce into kale into all the kale is evenly coated with the spicy nacho seasoning.
• Place seasoned kale in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Season again with salt and pepper and place in preheated 225 degree oven.
• Bake 1 hour, then stir and continue baking until super dry and crispy, 45 minutes to an hour longer.
• After about 2 hours of total baking kale chips should be dry and crispy. If not, continue baking and stirring every 10 minutes until dried.
• Remove from oven and season again with salt to taste. Enjoy!
• Cool completely and store leftover kale chips tightly covered at room temperature for up to three days.

Nutrition

Calories: 121kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 217mg | Potassium: 328mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4671IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 2mg

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