The food blog community likes trends. There are smallish ones, that you can see reverberate quickly (such as David Lebovitz’s lemon bars), to longer, oh-please-stop trends (will cupcakes, especially in “quirky” combinations, ever die?). Kale chips have bounced around the internet for a while, and with all the gushing and superlatives being tossed around + kale in my CSA box, I finally took the chance to make my own.
I made two types: one “standard,” dressed with a bit of salt, and the other with a kick of cumin and cayenne. To be honest, I didn’t really enjoy them. I baked them in three batches, and found that they were light and crispy, kind of like a delicate nori, but nowhere near the nirvana-like experience multiple other bloggers seemed to enjoy.
I preferred the cumin/cayenne flavored chips slightly more than the plain, although both worked well with the kale. I brought them in the next day and everyone else who tried them really loved the taste. It made me laugh — and just be happy that I had people to pawn the kale chips off on. Ultimately the whole lot was gifted to a friendly neighborhood vegetarian who enjoyed them much more than I did 
To each their own!
A few tips:
- Cut out all of the center stalk, all the way up the leaf. If you leave it in, the thicker stem + additional water content will prevent it from getting properly crispy. Instead, you will have a crispy kale chip with a grossly chewy stalk center.
- Make sure they’re crispy. Underdone kale chips are a definite no bueno.
Kale Chips
Ingredients
- One bunch kale, stems removed, cut into 3″ pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or my highly scientific “two glug” measure)
- Salt
- Cumin and cayenne (optional)
Directions
- Oven at 325°
- Toss kale pieces with oil and seasoning(s)
- Spread ‘em out on a pan lined with parchment
- Bake baby bake — 23 minutes
- Cool and crunch away
