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Cheesy Kale Chips

Dianne
Full of good-for-you ingredients, vegan Cheesy Kale Chips are the perfect snack for warm summer months! They cheesy flavor comes from a combination of cashews and lemon juice, and nutritional yeast. They're so delicious, that no one will realize how healthy they are. In fact, you may need to make a double batch, because they're super addictive! 
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 286 kcal

Equipment

  • Dehydrator

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup raw cashews soaked for two hours and drained
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 1 medium-sized tomato chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 large bunch curly kale (about 8 cups)

Instructions
 

  • Blend all ingredients except kale in a food processor or blender until smooth, adding water a tablespoon at a time if needed.
  • Remove the stems from the kale and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
  • In a large bowl, pour dressing over kale and massage the kale until it is well coated.
  • For raw kale chips, arrange the kale in a single layer on a dehydrator tray covered with a teflex sheet. You’ll need two to four trays depending on the size of your dehydrator and the amount of kale you have. Dehydrate on 105° for six hours. Remove the teflex sheet and place the chips directly on the dehydrator tray. Return the chips to the dehydtrator for two more hours.
  • These will disappear in a flash, but on the off chance you have some left, store them in an airtight container. If it’s humid, the chips will get soggy, but they will crisp up again after another hour or so back in the dehydrator.

Notes

Oven Instructions

Kale chips can be made in a oven, but you need to keep an eye on them. They can burn really quickly!
  • Preheat your oven to 300°F degrees.
  • Arrange the kale chips in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You’ll need two or three baking sheets, depending on how much kale you have.
  • Bake until the kale chips begin to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven.
  • If the chips aren’t totally dry, carefully flip them over and bake for 5 or 10 more minutes.
Allow your chips to cool completely in a single layer. If you crowd them together or place them in a bowl, the heat can steam the leaves and turn them soggy again.

Air Fryer Instructions

You can also use your air fryer to cook your chips, but depending on its size, you may need to do it in batches. If the kale chips are too crowded, they won't cook.
  • Place your kale in a single layer on your air fryer and cook on 360°F for 6 minutes. 
  • Shake the basket and cook for 2 more minutes. If they're still a little damp, you can cook them for a minute or two longer.
As with the oven instructions, allow the chips to cool in a single layer.