Yes, this recipe is so good, it should be labeled TOP SECRET! But since my wonderful mother taught me to share, I’m going give away another one of our family’s all-time favorite recipes. You will need your secret decoder ring to decipher the recipe written in invisible ink… but be careful, this message with self-destruct in 5…4…3…2… **
So, have you noticed the Kale Chip trend lately? There’s good reason for this… they are DELICIOUS! My husband (aka ‘The Human Garbage Disposal’) introduced me to them a while back and we’ve been hooked ever since. Everyone – even our 1 year old can eat these, since they just melt in your mouth. There is a collective ‘Awwwww’ in our family when they run out.
So there’s good news and bad news about these chips…
The bad news: These are addicting. It’s one of the few foods, that I could eat all in one sitting – which may or may not have happened… more than once. ;) So don’t say I didn’t warn you!
The good news: You can make these at home for a fraction of the cost you’ll find them in stores – and I think they turn out soooo much better! Plus, the ingredients are 100% Raw and so, so, so good for you!
Here’s our family recipe if you want to try them for yourself.
The special tools & ingredients featured in this recipe are:
- VitaMix Blender / Kitchen Tool
- Excalibur Dehydrator & ParaFlexx Non-Stick Reusable Liners
- Nuts, Seeds & More – I buy almost all of my supplies from Nuts.com – they are AWESOME!!
If you don’t already have a VitaMix, I strongly encourage you to check out what this machine is capable of! For more information about VitaMix you can go directly to the VitaMix website. For free shipping, be sure to use: Coupon Code: 06-004166
If you have the Living Cookbook software, you can import the free recipe file by cutting and pasting it right into your program.
Raw Maui Kale Chips in the VitaMix & Dehydrator
All ingredients I used in the video were Raw & Organic.
Soak Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Macadamia Nuts (this gives it the creamy, dreamy taste!)
- 1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
- 1/4 Cup Cashews
- 1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds (optional)
- 5 Sun Dried Tomatoes
- 4 Dates (pits removed)
- Approx. 1 1/2 Cups Water to Cover the Soaked Ingredients
Other Ingredients:
- 4-5 Heads of Green Leafy Kale (Washed & De-Veined – see image)
- 1/2 Sweet Yellow Onion
- 1 Single Stalk of Celery
- 1 Carrot
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Braggs Aminos (or to taste)
- 1 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (or to taste)
- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Cup Nutritional Yeast (this gives it the ‘cheesy’ flavor) – Add Last!
- Additional 1/4 – 1/2 Cup Water – only if needed.
Procedure:
1. Place the Nuts, Seeds, Sun Dried Tomatoes & Dates into a medium sized bowl and place just enough water to cover them (approx 1 1/2 cup). Let soak for approx. 1/2 hour.
2. While Nuts are soaking, Wash the Kale and strip the leaves off the Center stalk or ‘Vein; and set them aside. (We will not be using the stalk/veins for this recipe, so be sure to add them to your Dirty Juice or Compost Bin!)
3. Once Nuts are done soaking, dump the veggies & nuts (including the water) into the VitaMix, then Blend on High until smooth.
4. Add the remaining ingredients into the VitaMix with the Nutritional Yeast last.
5. Blend everything until smooth… using your VitaMix Tamper to mix it around as needed. Feel free to add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup water if the mixture is too thick. Ideally the mixture should have a consistency like mustard, but smooth.
6. Scoop approx. 1 Cup of Mixture into a large bowl – lining the sides and bottom of bowl.
7. Add in a couple of handfuls of Kale Leaves to the bowl, and Coat each piece of Kale generously with mixture.
8. Transfer onto your lined Excalibur Dehydrator trays (I use the ParaFlexx Non-Stick Reusable Liners for the Excalibur)
9. Dehydrate at 125-135 degrees for 1-2 hours, then reduce heat to 115 degrees for an additional 20-24 hours or until all of the Kale is very crispy and flakes if crushed.
10. When done, remove the chips from the Dehydrator and store in airtight containers or Ziploc bags in the fridge until use.
Yields: Approximately 4-5 dehydrator trays of Chips (which fills up 3-4 large Gallon Ziploc)
Preparation & Cooking Time: 30 Minutes Prep & Soak. Approx. 20-24 hours dehydrating time. (your dehydrating time may vary depending on humidity, temperature, mixture, etc…)
Feel free to send me any questions or comments you may have!
~ Enjoy!
Don’t have a dehydrator, but what else could I use this mixture for? A salad dressing?
Hi Beth!
You could definitely use this as a dressing – but might have to adjust the flavor as you go…
However, you should be able to use your oven to dehydrate these! Just set it to the lowest temperature possible and keep the door cracked open. The oven will obviously dehydrate them a lot faster, so keep a close eye on them! =)
Let me know how it goes!
God Bless!
~ Erika
Ericka,
Do you have a suggestion for replacing the macadamia nuts and cashews? My husband is allergic to peanuts/tree nuts. I was able to get raw sunflower seeds and sesame seeds not processed with peanuts today so wondering if I increase those amounts if it would turn out close to the same. I made BBQ kale chips a couple weeks ago and my husband loved them! One child liked them and the other wouldn’t try because it was green :) Any suggestions on changing the color…lol
Thanks!
Stacy
Hi Stacy!
A tree nut allergy is such a bummer… but thankfully you know about it! It took my dad nearly 50 years and a lifetime of asthma to figure out he was allergic to peanuts!
Unfortunately I can’t think of any substitutions for the tree nuts on this particular recipe, but you can try a smaller batch with just the sunflower & sesame seeds to see how they turn out. The beauty of Kale Chips is you really can make them with all kinds of great tasting ingredients… like the BBQ ones you tried!
Oh, and did you know that there is purple kale? You might be able to find some at your local farmers market… and have a little fun serving it to the kids! =)
God Bless!
~ Erika
Ericka,
This recipe looks great! I recently got an Excalibur dehydrator, but I don’t have the paraflex nonstick liners. Do you know the best place to get them? Could I use parchment paper instead? I also am saving money for a Vitamix, but I do have a Cuisinart food processor so I’ll try making the coating mixture in that for now. I saw where you commented on someone making BBQ flavored kale chips. I don’t want to use commercial BBQ sauce do you have a recipe or suggestion as a substitute? Thanks for all your help and expertise, your little boy is precious!
Blessings,
Lee
Hi Lee!
Yes, you can definitely use some parchment paper… However, they are really lightweight compared to the Paraflex liners and often blow all over the place. A great fix for this is putting a blunt silverware knife on either end so it weighs it down and doesn’t ruin your treats! =)
Also a food processor should work fine for this recipe… just be sure to soak the nuts so they are soft enough.
BBQ Kale Chips are also great! We just usually take out the nuts and add in a couple of Chipotle chilies, Nama shoyu, and extra spices (don’t over do it – flavors concentrate in a dehydrator). There’s a recipe on The Raw Chef’s Blog that you can try: http://bit.ly/afCXvo I’ve never made it, but it seems to get good reviews.
Hope that helps! Enjoy & God Bless!
~ Erika
Hello Erika,
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it is divine! I purchased an Excalibur Dehydrator about a month ago and I’m on my third batch of kale chips.
With much gratitude,
Melodee
I just purchased a NESCO dehydrator – would that work as well as the excalibor? These look so great! My two daughters are eating me out of house and home with their love of store bought kale chips, so I am excited to try these!
I do mine in the square Nesco & they are great. I get about 1 head of Kale in each batch using 4 trays. I suggest splitting the sauce and only applying on the Kale as you prepare the trays.
My toddler has a nut allergy. What would you suggest as a nut free alternative?
Thanks.
Hi Ainsley!
Is your child allergic to seeds as well? If not, you can try using different seeds as a base instead of nuts. Otherwise, you can use just about anything for Kale chips. We’ve tried variations of BBQ Sause, Tamari, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Flax Seeds, Mustard, Olive Oil, Salt, Pepper, etc… Just remember, that flavors concentrate in the dehydrator, so don’t over do it.=)
God Bless!
~ Erika
Hi Ericka,
I really like what i saw. Thank you for your recipe and your video! God bless!
When you specify “heads” of kale, what do you mean? Is a “head” just one leaf, or one bunch, as sold in the grocery store, or what? Thanks -
Hi Sarah!
Good question! By ‘heads of kale’, I mean one bunch like you’d buy at the store. Hope that helps! =)
God Bless!
~ Erika
You say a 4-5 heads of kale do you mean bunches ?
Please let me know thanks:)
Hi Tara!
Yes, I do mean bunches, not individual stalks of kale.
You’re going to love the Kale Chips!
God Bless!
~Erika
These are fantastic. Thanks for sharing. I will note that it only took around 5 hours in my dehydrator.
Aloha Jim!
Thanks, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I’m impressed that it only took 5 hours – I’m assuming you had the temp on your dehydrator turned up a bit? That always speeds up the process! =)
Enjoy & God Bless!
~ Erika
Thank you so much for the recipe! It was delicious!
Attn: nut allergy/sensitive people
My son is allergic to nuts so instead I increased
The sunflowers seeds to 1 cup and omitted all the nuts
In the recipe above. It still turned out delish!!!
Thank you!
Aloha Ame!
So glad to hear it turned out with the substitutions! Thanks for sharing your modifications!
Enjoy& God Bless!
~ Erika
Would baby kale from Costco work for kale chips?
Aloha Emily!
I have never personally tried using the baby kale, because it doesn’t seem as hearty… but it just might! If you try, let me know how it turns out! =)
Thanks & God Bless!
~ Erika
My dear goodness, these are the BEST kale chips that I’ve ever tasted in my entire life!!! My friend concocted them just Thursday, and I’ve already purchased my own dehydrator so that I can duplicate the experience at my own will! Thank you so much! I shall absolutely return for more!
Hi Nicole!
LOL! I’m so glad you enjoyed them! I especially love to watch people try them who’ve never eaten ‘natural’ food before… they go from hesitantly tasting them to consuming an entire bag! I hope you’ll get your dehydrator soon, so you can make your own batch & other fun treats!
God Bless!
~ Erika
Hello Emily,
Thanks for the interesting video. I like the recipe, and would like to make it myself, but am trying to cut out refined oil from all recipes in my kitchen . I notice in an earlier response to a comment that you have substituted for the oil in this recipe. What substitute would you suggest in the place of the Olive Oil ?
Thanks
D.
Hi David!
I’m sure you could substitute the olive oil for coconut oil – but the flavor may be a bit strong for this recipe. The only other suggestion might be flax oil… its flavor might be just right! =) Hope that helps!
God Bless!
~Erika
Ericka,
How can I make this recipe for the Kale Chips when I have nut allergies? They look like they are delicious! I’m trying to move toward eating more raw/whole foods. Thanks.
Hi Tammy!
There are so many wonderful variations of Kale Chips you can make… but if you can’t do nuts, then I would substitute them with a green bell pepper and add a few more sunflower seeds… and perhaps a little bit of flax meal. Adjust the water ratio accordingly so it doesn’t end up too soupy without the extra bulk.
Let me know how your experimenting turns out! =)
God Bless!
~Erika
Hi Erika,
I made the kale chips yesterday and had a quick question. I’m using a Nesco dehydrator and followed the temperature guidelines you gave in the recipe. My chips started dehydrating at 10pm and when I got up at 6:30am, they, I think, were done. I’ve only ever had store-bought ones so I’m not sure how to test them for home made.
Thanks,
Cindy
Hi Cindy!
Generally, we know the chips are done when they come out very crispy (will break apart easily if squeezed in hand)… just be sure that any well coated pieces are not still moist – otherwise they can ruin a whole batch during storage.
God Bless!
~ Erika
Thank you so much for your ingenuity and sharing such an awesome recipe. My 11 year old only eats Kale and I just put these in the dehydrator for him, can’t wait to try them. Do you have any suggetions for the left over mix? Thanks so much and God bless!