Kale Chips Recipe
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jun 10, 2025 
This easy Kale Chips Recipe makes bold and zesty chips with a rich nutty essence, that will make you want to kick potato chips to the curb!
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
Remember when kale chips were all over the internet a couple of years ago? It seemed like everyone was making them. Well, everyone except for me. Because at that time, I didn’t like them.
Then one day I saw them at a farmer’s market. The chips sitting out for samples were really crisp, and coated in something spicy. At first taste… bells, whistles, fireworks. That’s when I decided that I must recreate these at home!
The secret to making these insanely delicious baked crispy kale chips is mixing nut butter with the spices to create a rich coating that sits on top of the kale chips as they dry. Then the second secret is to massage the kale, tenderly. The massaging ensures the kale leaves are evenly coated. Then lay them out flat in a single layer and bake. Zippy kale perfection that rivals any chip, in my opinion! If you aren’t a fan of kale chips yet, I can guarantee this recipe will change your mind!
Why You’ll Love These Baked Kale Chips
- Better for you snack – These baked kale chips are SO MUCH better for you than the classic preservative-packed potato chip.
- Easy to make – In just three easy steps and in under 30 minutes you’ll be enjoying this nutrient-packed savory snack.
- Flavor-packed – The coating of almond butter and spices takes these chips from bland to bold.
These kale chips changed the way I snack, and I always have them on hand when I’m craving something savory!
Ingredients and Tips
- Kale – Use a fresh fluffy bunch of kale.
- Almond butter – I love to use smooth almond butter for this recipe.
- Olive oil – To make the chips crisp you’ll need a good quality olive oil. Otherwise, you can also use coconut oil
- Spices – You’ll need a blend of ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder and cayenne pepper for a little extra heat.
- Salt – Use either table salt or sea salt.
- Make sure to remove excess water before baking by drying the curly kale leaves in a salad spinner and removing the stems!
Recipe Variations and Dietary Swaps
- Nut-free – Instead of almond butter, you can use tahini.
- Spices – If you want to make these even more savory, sprinkle on some paprika, onion powder or ranch powder.
- Nutritional yeast – For a cheesy twist, use nutritional yeast.
- Lemon juice – I love to drizzle some fresh lemon juice over these baked kale chips.
- Maple syrup – To make these chips sweet and spicy, mix in a little bit of maple syrup.
How To Make Baked Kale Chips
Making these savory Kale Chips at home is totally easy and worth it! You’ll have this nutritious and delicious snack ready in no time.
Find the full Kale Chips recipe with detailed instructions and storage tips in the printable form at the bottom of the post!
Storage Notes
- Storing Leftovers – Store cooled leftover chips in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
You can enjoy these baked kale chips as is, on the go or while watching your favorite movie.
You can also crumble these up over soup, like this Spicy Pumpkin Soup or this Creamy Carrot Soup. I also love to toss these kale chips into salads or grain bowls for an extra crispy crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. This is our favorite combination. Yet feel free to make the most of your spice rack and mix things up!
Yes. However, the nut butter provides a ton of flavor and texture. I wouldn’t skip it, unless there is a nut allergy involved.
Yes! This recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, keto, and vegan!
If you have cool spots in your oven, you can take the crispy chips off the baking sheet and continue baking the remaining chips a little longer.
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Baked Kale Chips
Video
Ingredients
- 2 bunches kale
- 2 tablespoons almond butter heaping (or any savory nut butter)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or substitute curry powder, we make them both ways
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Wash the kale and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Pull the leaves off the center ribs in large pieces, and pile on a baking sheet. Discard the ribs.
- In a small bowl mix the nut butter, oil, spices, and salt. Pour over the kale. Use your hands to massage the kale leaves until each one is evenly coated with the spice mixture. You don’t want any of the leaves to be drenched in the mixture, so take your time doing this. The more evenly the kale leaves are coated, the better they will bake.
- Lay the kale leaves out flat on 3-4 full sized baking sheets (work in batches if necessary.) Do not overlap. Bake for 10-11 minutes until crisp, but still green. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before moving. If some kale chips are still a little flimsy or damp, remove the crisp chips and place the damp chips back in the oven for a few more minutes. Store in an air-tight container.
Can anyone tell me? How long can kale chips be stored?
If they are nice and dry you can keep them in the pantry for a couple weeks.
Massaging does the trick! They are soooo wonderful. My husband said, “These are really good”. I will definitely be making these more often. They are a little labor intensive but the outcome is worth it. Thanks for sharing!
I made this kale chips with some changes and I loved them! Thank you for sharing
Just made these- thank you! Have failed with so many other kale chip recipes. This is just perfect. I even used apple butter instead of nut butter bc it’s all I had.
Does anyone know how many carbs are in a serving of these? I need nutritional information if anyone knows. A million thanks.
I haven’t tried your version of kale chips yet but I will. I wanted to try the recipe with the olive oil and salt but it added to much salt to my diet so I did the olive oil but instead sprinkled cinnamon sugar on them instead of salt and they tasted pretty good. I used stevia in place of sugar.
Just a tip I thought might interest others: I just bought a bag of Trader joes kale chips and they had one of those little silica “do not eat” pouches in the bag to keep the contents crispy. I thought this might be a useful tip for home made chips as well. I generally keep those little packets just for this reason – they are handy for dropping into all kinds of stuff if you want the contents to remain dry.
I made some of these today and they were fantastic. Be forewarned-you don’t need to eat a lot, a little goes a long way as a snack.
These are excellent! Thank you!
These are amazing. Just finished my second batch!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Love flavor and this is full of it! Loved the glass of wine and Barry White comment! LOL! Thanks for sharing.
Yum!! Kale chips are one of my favorite snacks :) I’ll be trying out this version next time!
You know this is right up my alley! Love it! I also love that last photo – so nice!