One of my favorite snacks is kale chips! Which is so weird because years ago I fake-vomited at the sound of eating kale. OK…maybe that’s a little dramatic, but kale was not a first choice. It was a dark, chewy and bitter green that did not sound good as the main part of my salad, in my smoothie, or as anything pretending to be a salty chip snack.
Today, my love for kale has deepened and it’s usually on my weekly grocery list of “must haves.” I love how versatile this vegetable is and how good it is for you – packed with vitamin C (twice as much as an orange), vitamin A, and calcium, among other nutrients. This recipe for gluten free, vegan, chipotle cheese kale chips is addictive.
Please note: when I made this batch, a lot of the chips came out a bit soggy because the cheese coating didn’t fully cook and dry in the oven. You have to be patient with this recipe and watch the chips to make sure they crisp up, but don’t burn. Those who know me know that I am very patient when it comes to people, but not so patient when it comes to food! :)I’d rather eat some soggy chips (which btw, I think are yummy right out of the oven) than wait for each chip to be perfect.
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of organic* curly kale (washed, stems removed, and dried…don’t throw the stems out…see below)
- Vegan nacho cheese dip (recipe from previous post)
*I read in The Huffington Post that according to the Environmental Working Group, kale is one of the most likely crops to have residual pesticides. I always say buy organic when you can, but in this case, seriously buy organic. I usually find organic kale for sale at Sprouts 2 for $3 so it’s not bad for the amount you get.
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and coat them lightly with coconut oil.
Take your vegan nacho cheese dip and mix it in with your de-stemmed kale until it is all coated. Lay your kale chips out on your cookie sheets in a single layer. This is enough kale to fill up four trays (I cooked two at a time).
Bake for 15 minutes. Take out and turn the kale chips over carefully and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until crisp. Oh, and fair warning – the kale chips will shrink!
You can serve immediately, or let cool and share later! Definitely a fun alternative to potato or tortilla chips.
Gluten Free Chipotle “Cheese” Kale Chips
Exclusively GlutenFree 