How To Make Spicy Chipotle Kale Chips

Regular chips can be a nice snack while at a gathering or just for sitting in front of the TV.

Still, even though these varieties are popular, they have little nutritional value and empty calories, and that is before you add in any dips containing high-fat levels.

How To Make Spicy Chipotle Kale Chips

If you want to avoid any unnecessary weight gain but want a less punishing snack, you can swap out chips for chipotle kale crisps, which are nice and crunchy while being super healthy and can be made to fit around most diets.

Take a look below as we show you how easy it is to make these and provide some ways you can make them more interesting. 

How To Make Crispy Chipotle Kale Chips 

What You Will Need

  • One bunch of kale
  • One teaspoon of garlic powder
  • Two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
  • A quarter cup of nutritional yeast
  • A quarter teaspoon of chipotle powder and smoked paprika
  • Half a teaspoon of turmeric (Optional, for taste)
  • A quarter teaspoon of black pepper (Optional, for taste) 

Instructions 

  1. Prepare your oven by setting it to around 270-275ºF, and line your baking sheet or tray with parchment paper, or you can use a silicone mat.
  2. You can wash your kale, tear it into bite-sized pieces, place these into a bowl, and add some extra in if you can, as these pieces will shrink in the oven.
  3. You can add apple vinegar or avocado oil if you prefer, then add and massage the spices into the chips, so each piece has an even coating.
  4. Take your chips and spread them onto the baking tray, and bake for 20-25 minutes, where you’ll find they turn dark green and crispy. Please ensure you turn them over once during baking to prevent them from burning. 

Nutritional Values 

If you want a breakdown of the nutritional values, you’ll be pleased to know that you can get a lot of your dietary needs from this snack, as these chips contain:

  • Calories- 84
  • Fat/ Sat Fat/ Poly Fat- 1g / 1g / 1g
  • Sodium– 55mg
  • Fiber– 1g
  • Potassium– 753 mg
  • Protein– 8g
  • Sugar– 1g
  • Vitamin A /C– 13518 IU/ 161 mg
  • Calcium– 203 mg 
  • Iron – 2mg 

Kale As A Superfood

At this point, you have chips that are full of flavor and don’t make you feel guilty over your snacking options, so if you haven’t used kale before, you might wonder why people are raving about this vegetable. 

While having a certain allure, kale is a very nutrient-dense vegetable that is low in calories and contains more omega- 3 fatty acids which can play an exciting role in preventing certain diseases and is also made up of antioxidants.

Just a single cup of raw kale contains:

  • Vitamin K
  • Vitamin C
  • Manganese 
  • Calcium
  • Copper
  • Potassium 
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin B6

Be aware, though, that when you cook the kale (see also “Sprouted Hummus With Kale And Chives“), it can lose some of its goodness, so for example, it can lose 89% of its vitamin C, so while it’s still healthy, it won’t be as nutritious as other cooked vegetables such as carrots, mushroom, and asparagus. 

Some Tips For The Best Chipotle Kale Crisps

If you want more crispy chips, the best way to achieve this is by leaving them to cool for longer, so you could leave some in a zip-lock bag and leave them in the fridge for a couple of hours or even overnight, so you get a satisfying bite every time.

If you’re not a fan of the spices, you can mix it up to your liking so you could use cumin, oregano, or Italian seasoning, or you could make a greek yogurt dip from scratch, which can be as hot or creamy as you like, but for health, low-fat options can be used here.

You don’t have to settle on kale crisps, either, as you can use sweet potato, butternut squash, radishes, spinach, and many others as your chip base that can give you that crunch while introducing you to new and exciting flavors. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Best To Eat Kale Raw? 

We don’t suggest that you start eating kale raw as the fiber can give it a flavor that is unpalatable by many, so by steaming it, you can have a way to retain the most nutrients, but this will soften the kale, which is the opposite of what we want to achieve.

You can sautee your kale, but this, again, destroys some of the nutrients, but this way, you have a good view of the kale, and you can remove it from the heat, and you can scent it with things like lemon or lime, so you can also control the mildness of the flavor. 

Can I Use Oil In This Recipe? 

Part of the healthy part of this recipe is that it doesn’t use oil, but people have found that rubbing some into pieces takes the bitter flavor out and adds a bit of sweetness to it, which is the only way some people will consume it (see also “20 Delicious Healthy Mexican Recipes“).

If you have to use oil, stick to olive, avocado, and coconut oil and be sure if you are cooking at higher temperatures that the oil has a high smoking point, as otherwise, it can burn and ruin the taste of your chips and be sure to use small amounts for healthier chips. 

The Bottom Line

You can achieve a lot with these chips, which only take 35 minutes to prepare, so if you need something quick to make and can impress your guests, it’s worth looking at the recipe and making it your own.

That way, you can incorporate these into your diet, and with the spices and yeast, some have even said they taste like nacho cheese chips if you need another reason to try them and appreciate their rich flavors and possibilities.

Lindsey Morgan
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