I am always looking for an easy and healthy snack especially during mid-afternoon work days when my energy level starts getting low. I love cheesy kale chips and can easily eat an entire store bought bag in one sitting, but they are generally pretty expensive for a pretty small bag. So, I decided to make my own using my air fryer and created the ultimate budget version. Also, these kale chips are ready in less than 10 minutes and are vegan, gluten free, and sugar free!
To make these kale chips, I recommend using an air fryer (one of the best purchases I’ve ever made) to get maximum crispiness, but you can also cook them in your oven. I just haven’t tried timing with an oven, so if you try cooking them that way, let me know how it goes! The only prep you need to do for this recipe is to make your vegan parm and your kale. Luckily, curly kale is in season for a long time and can be found at most grocery stores. I like to buy a large bunch and immediately wash it, remove the stems, rip the leaves into smaller pieces and put the kale into a salad spinner or ziploc bag with a paper towel (to absorb any extra moisture), which I then use to make chips throughout the week.
I also prepare a batch of vegan parmesan in advance, which lasts in the refrigerator for 2 weeks in a sealed container and can easily be prepped in advance. Sometimes I will even double the parm recipe so I can have enough for a whole head of kale! WARNING: These can chips are very addictive!
Pro Tip: All air fryers are a bit different so test this recipe first with one batch and see if you need to adjust the timing. Also, I have found that my air fryer gets hotter with each batch so sometimes I only have to cook these for 3 minutes mid-way through.
Cheesy Kale Chips
Cooking & Baking Supplies
- Air Fryer
- Food Processor
Ingredients
Kale Chips
- 4 cups kale
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Vegan Parmesan Cheese
- 3/4 cup cashews
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend all of the ingredients for the vegan parmesan cheese.
- Wash your kale, remove the stems, and cut kale leaves into small sized pieces (can also use your hands to rip the kale off the stem. Dry kale really well with a dish towel or paper towels.
- In a mixing bowl, add kale and drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil over the kale and sprinkle ½ cup of the vegan parmesan over the kale and mix together well.
- Line the base of your air fryer with kale (do not let them overlap or they will not cook properly) and cook at 370 degrees for 4 minutes. Continue until all kale is cooked into chips. Let cool until they become crispy. ENJOY!
