I’m always on the search for healthy snacks that my family will be excited about eating. Kale chips definitely fit that bill. We used to roast kale chips in the oven, but after some experimentation, I discovered that we like them even better if I prepare them in our dehydrator. Using a dehydrator has the added benefit of completely drying out the chips, making them super crispy and allowing them to store well, without burning any of them, a balance I always found difficult to achieve in the oven.

When I make a batch of kale chips, I usually prepare about 6 bunches of kale at a time. This fills our (not large) dehydrator almost completely. When we made them in the oven, we would do only one or two bunches at a time, as they didn’t save as well. I’ll write the recipe for two bunches, and you can scale up or down as desired.

Dehydrated Kale Chips

2 bunches kale*
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon salt

1.  Remove the stems, and tear the leaves into chip-sized pieces; remember that they will shrink a bit as they dry.

2.  Put the kale pieces in a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, and use your hands to mix well. You want to sort of knead the ingredients into the kale, so that every piece is completely covered.

3.  Place the coated kale pieces in your dehydrator (I set mine at 95 to keep them raw) and dry for 24-36 hours, depending on humidity, how full your dehydrator is (I pack mine as full as I can get it – if you spread things out into a single layer, they’ll dry much faster). Make sure to use a solid tray, or to put down parchment paper, otherwise the chips will stick to the mesh as they dry.

4.  The kale chips will be crispy and completely dry when finished. It won’t hurt them to go long.

VARIATION for OVEN: Prepare and mix the ingredients as above. Then place the chips on parchment-lined cookie sheets in a single layer. Roast them in a preheated 350-degree oven for 12 minutes

*Note that kale bunches vary in size, if they seem too dry or too wet, you can add a bit more oil or a bit more kale. After a time or two, you’ll have a good idea about the ratio of kale to wet required. You want everything damp without it being soggy.

I use THIS dehydrator.  I love it because it’s square shaped, so you put more in it for the same amount of counter space.  You can also add trays, which is helpful if you want to dry large batches.