30-Minute Cheesy Kale Chips

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Bowl of our easy to make Cheesy Vegan Kale Chips on a baking sheet

When I first realized kale could be made into chips, I went a little overboard.

Kale chip nachos.
Kale chip sprinkles.
Kale chip salad.
Kale chips on everything.

Big bowl of kale ready to be made into delicious vegan kale chips

But a cheesy version? That was a new challenge.

This recipe was inspired by a recent trip to Trader Joe’s, when I discovered yet another amazing food item I’d never seen before: Cheesy kale chips!

One bite in = mind blown. I was immediately determined to make them at home. Spoiler alert: It’s SO easy!

Parchment-lined baking sheet with kale, nutritional yeast, and spices for making homemade kale chips

These chips are simple, requiring less than 30 minutes and just 8 ingredients to prepare! Plus, they’re loaded with healthy ingredients:

Kale // Rich in flavonoids; lowers cholesterol; Vitamins K, A and C; anti-inflammatory.

Nutritional Yeast // Thiamine, folate, vitamins B-6 and B-12, and contains all 18 essential amino acids making it a complete protein.

Cashews // Heart-protecting unsaturated fats, protein, copper, and magnesium.

Sunflower Seeds // Vitamin E and B, copper, selenium, magnesium, protein, and healthy fats.

Sprinkling nutritional yeast onto kale chips for a delicious vegan snack recipe

Did I mention they taste like cheesy, garlicky kale doritos? Because they totally do. They’re:

Cheesy
Savory
Crispy
Satisfying
Quick
Healthy
Easy
& Delicious

Make these chips for movie night, game night, when you’re hosting friends, or just need a snack. These would also make a great topping for dishes like avocado boats and spicy plantain black bean tacos or a great base for my easy vegan falafel (topped with this tahini dressing)!

If you give these a try, let us know! Leave a comment and rate the recipe. And don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers!

Bowl of delicious gluten-free vegan Cheesy Kale Chips

30-Minute Cheesy Kale Chips

Easy, baked kale chips in just 30 minutes with 8 ingredients! Cheesy, crispy, and nutrient-packed!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Bowl of Cheesy Kale Chips on a baking sheet with more chips and nutritional yeast
4.90 from 55 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 5 (1-cup servings)
Course Snack
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? 2-3 Days

Ingredients

  • 10 ounces chopped kale leaves (washed, thoroughly dried // stems removed)
  • 2 Tbsp grape seed, olive or avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews
  • 2 Tbsp raw or roasted (unsalted) sunflower seeds
  • 5-6 Tbsp nutritional yeast (divided)
  • 1/4 tsp each salt + black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 healthy pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (148 C).
  • Add kale to a large mixing bowl and drizzle with oil. Use hands to massage the kale to soften its texture and disperse the oil. Set aside.
  • Add cashews, sunflower seeds, 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast (12 g // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size), salt, pepper, garlic pepper, and cayenne pepper (optional) to a food processor or blender and blend/pulse into a fine meal, scraping down sides as needed.
  • Add spice mixture to the kale and toss with hands to distribute, working it into the grooves so it’s thoroughly coated.
  • Divide kale between 2 large baking sheets (or more if increasing batch size) and spread into an even layer, making sure the pieces aren’t overlapping to ensure crispiness. You may need to bake them in two batches depending on size of baking sheets.
  • Sprinkle the kale with remaining 1-2 Tbsp (3-6 g // amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) nutritional yeast for extra flavor and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove from oven and toss/flip kale to ensure even baking.
  • Bake for 5-10 minutes more, or until chips are crispy and golden brown. Watch carefully to ensure they don’t burn. Let cool slightly before enjoying.
  • Once completely cooled, store leftovers in a large plastic bag or container for 2-3 days. The crispy texture begins fading past 24 hours, so enjoy as close to baking as possible!

Notes

*Method slightly adapted from Oh She Glows!
*Recipe as written yields ~5 cups.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 5 servings)

Serving: 1 one-cup servings Calories: 137 Carbohydrates: 10 g Protein: 4.4 g Fat: 10 g Saturated Fat: 1.1 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 35 mg Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 0.5 g

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  1. Alexia says

    First time making kale chips and the whole family loved them! Even my picky pup.
    So delicious will definitely be making again soon.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Woohoo! We’re so glad they were a hit with the whole family. Thank you for sharing, Alexia! xo

  2. JACKELIN SLACK says

    Absolutely delicious! Don’t know if the rest of the family will get to try them, though, because they’re making their way into my belly super quick!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Revi, we think you could use it in place of vegan parmesan! You can find our recipes with vegan parm here. Hope that helps!

  3. Tonia says

    Oh my goodness, these are SOOOO good!!! I have never made nor had kale chips before. So easy and full of flavor. I ate half the batch before struggling to put the other half away. Thank you for another amazing recipe!