Nacho Kale Chips
I’ve been working on the recipe for the past couple weeks, and needless to say everytime I posted a teaser picture when I was testing it variations you all went nuts requesting my recipe 🙂 Sorry it took so long, but I promise It’s totally worth the wait! My Nacho Kale Chips are actually really easy to make, Start out by giving your organic kale a quick wash, then tearing the leaves from the center stem into chip sized pieces. You can dry them by spinning in your salad spinner – I like to get mine dry so the sauce sticks well.. put your clean, dry kale leaves in a large bowl.. 
Toss all your “cheese” ingredients into your blender – I recommend purchasing a Vitamix if you don’t already have one.. I LOVE mine and use it nearly every.single.day. 
All the “cheese” ingredients blended up smooth – Make sure you taste it, good cooks taste their food all the way though the process.. making sure each layer of flavors are seasoned well… This will taste just like nacho cheese sauce for chips 🙂 
Toss your cleaned Kale leaves with your “cheese” sauce…. 
And when you’re laying them out in your dehydrator, use your fingers as paint brushes to be sure to paint the “cheese” sauce over each kale chip…And I’ve gotta warn you, no matter what.. these are messy to make. Be prepared to have sticky-gooey fingers 🙂 
Arrange each individual kale chip on your dehydrator tray, laying as flat as possible 
Although these can be made in the oven, I encourage you to make them in the dehydrator.. not only is it much easier, they just taste better!! I have a budget friendly dehydrator (click HERE) and it works great…. however I am saving up for a new Excalibur Dehydrator because they are the best of the best and we use our dehydrator all.the.time.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch Kale preferably curly leaf variety
- 2 cups raw cashews soaked overnight in water, or sunflower seeds
- 1-1/2 cup chopped red pepper
- 1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1-1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 tablespoons Coconut Aminos or tamari/organic sea salt
- 1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper Flakes to taste
Instructions
- Prepare your kale by washing, then stripping the green leaves off the tough center stems, tear leaves into large bite size pieces, preferably no larger than the palm of your hand. Reserve center stems for use in fresh juices or smoothies.
- In your blender or food processor (I strongly recommend using a Vitamix) blend everything together except the kale.
- You can add a little more Olive Oil or water to thin the "cheese" just enough to blend well
- Continue to blend until your "cheese" is thick, pasty and smooth
- In a large bowl, using your fingers, massage the cheese over the kale.
- Arrange each coated kale leaf on the tray of your dehydrator - making sure it's well coated by painting on 'cheese" with your fingers and laying the leaf flat.
- Sprinkle leaves with crushed red pepper flakes if you would like them to be spicy.
- Dehydrate at 155 degrees for 2+ hours.. check them often.
- Your Nacho Kale chips are done when they are dry and crispy - store in an airtight container.
- Enjoy!!
Notes
Bake individual kale chips on parchment lined cookie sheets at 200 for 45 minutes to 1 hour, check them often. Turn them over 1/2 way through baking. They are done when they are dry and crispy.
Mine turned out more of a white color than the yellow Orange ish nacho cheese color…. I’m not sure what I did wrong
That’s so strange, what modifications did you make to the recipe?
Any substitutions for yeast?
Erin – the nutritional yeast replicates the cheese flavor – omitting or replacing it will not yield the same taste results.
Did a search on Pinterest for Best Kale Chips…made these now….wish I tripled the recipe! My fav one now. Thank you!!!
Awesome Sonya – I’m so glad you like them – we never have enough of them!!
Waiting for the last batch to finish up! These are amazing! ( extra dried ones are my fave )
Is there any substitute for the coconut aminos?
Coconut Aminos is similar in taste to tamari sauce/soy sauce – however I would never advocate the consumption of soy!
Sorry I don’t perfectly understand english…what is “T” and “t” ? tablespoon and teaspoon? and “c” is cup? and when you say 1 1-2 c red pepper is it like a normal sweet pepper?? Thanks, looks delicious! xx
T=Tablespoon
t-teaspoon
C=Cup
and Yes Red Pepper is a Red Sweet Pepper.
This looks interesting. I haven’t tried kale chip but what I am most interested in is this ‘cheese sauce’! Does it really taste like cheese dip? Like could you use this as a replacement cheese dip for nachos?
Jessica – I promise it tastes like nacho cheese. I’m working on a nacho cheese sauce recipe!!