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    Home » Appetizer and Snack Recipes » Crispy Air Fryer Kale Chips – Vegan and Gluten-Free

    Crispy Air Fryer Kale Chips – Vegan and Gluten-Free

    Published: Jul 24, 2018 · by Anne · This post may contain affiliate links · 21 Comments

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    kale chips in a bowl and a plate of chips in the background

    Vegan cheese sauce coats kale leaves, which are then quickly cooked in an air fryer to make these crispy air fryer kale chips.  They are a tasty, healthy snack that is gluten-free, low-carb,  and vegan.  

    These kale chips are so gooood! The “cheese” sauce gets stuck in the nooks and crannies of curly kale which gives them extra punch of flavor.  Here is what you will need to make Crispy Air Fryer Kale Chips:  kale, cashews, garlic, nutritional yeast, tamari sauce, water and an air fryer.

    air fried kale chips in a bowl

    Click Here to Pin this Recipe for Crispy Air Fryer Kale Chips

    If you are looking for a healthy snack, grab an air-fryer and make these kale chips. They are crispy, cheesy, slightly salty and will satisfy your craving for a crunchy snack.  Some kale chips are made with just kale and oil, kind of boring right?  I drench my kale in a flavorful cashew cheese to make these chips.  I used to bake kale chips slowly in the oven.  It would take forever, and they didn’t cook evenly.  Now that I air fry them, they cook quickly, evenly and they are nice and crispy.

    Kale is a super food that’s full of vitamins and minerals.  The cashew cheese sauce on the chips adds protein and healthy fat for a totally guilt-free snack. Kale chips can be stored in a glass container with a loose-fitting lid to retain crispness for up for up to 3 days.

    Air Fryer kale chips in a white bowl with a tray in the background

    Here is How to Make Kale Chips in an Air Fryer

    1. Place the kale leaves into a large bowl and set aside
    2. Process the soaked cashews until mixture forms a thick paste
    3. Add the remaining ingredients except for water, and process until all ingredients are well blended
    4. Pour the  mixture over the kale and massage into the kale leaves with your hands
    5. Place the kale onto air fryer trays
    6. Bake in the air fryer until chips begin to turn golden and crispy.
    Air fryer kale chips in a white bowl in a hand

    Tips & Variations For Making Air Fryer Kale Chips

    Tips

    • The best kind of kale to use to make kale chips is a sturdy kale such as curly kale with large leaves or lacinato kale. Tear the leaves into uniform sized pieces that are not larger than 1 ½ to 2 inches in size.
    • An easy way to remove the stems from kale is to hold on to the bottom of the stem with one hand and run your other hand up the stem which will pull the leaves off of the stem.
    • When mixing the cashew cheese into the leaves be sure that the leaves are fully coated with the mixture
    • Kale chips taste best when they are fresh, but you can store them in a glass container after they have completely cooled off for up to three days.

    Variations

    • Spice it up! Add  a teaspoon or two of red pepper flakes or your favorite hot sauce.
    • Garlic Kale Chips – Add two extra cloves of garlic or to your taste for a garlicky version.

    You Might Also Like These Healthy Snacks

    • Coconut Clusters
    • Maple Glazed Cashews
    • Healthy Homemade Granola
    Continue to Content
    Air Fried Crispy kale chips from Simple and Savory

    Crispy Air Fryer Kale Chips

    Yield: 6
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Inactive Time: 2 minutes
    Total Time: 27 minutes

    Kale is coated with a vegan cheese sauce and quickly cooked in an air fryer to make these air fryer kale chips.

    Ingredients

    • 1 large bunch of kale, stems removed and torn into uniform sized pieces - curly kale or lacinato kale works best
    • 1 cup cashews soaked in filtered water for at least 2 hours or overnight
    • 2 to 3 cloves of garlic (to taste)
    • 1 tablespoon tamari sauce
    • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
    • up to 2 tablespoons water

    Instructions

    Place kale leaves into a large bowl and set aside

    Drain water from cashews and place them in a food processor or blender

    Process until mixture forms a thick paste

    Add the remaining ingredients except for water, and process until all ingredients are well blended

    At this point the cashew mixture will be thick and pasty – gradually add water and process until it becomes a thick creamy texture

    Pour the  mixture over the kale and massage into the kale leaves with your hands

    Place the kale onto air fryer trays

    Set temperature on air fryer to 350 and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until chips begin to turn golden and crispy.

    Notes

    Nutrition information is provided by Nutrifox,  an online calculator and is meant to be used for informational purposes only.  Even though I try to provide accurate information, these figures should still be considered as estimates.

    Nutrition Information:
    Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
    Amount Per Serving: Calories: 13Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 12mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 1g

    Nutrition information is provided by an online calculator and is meant to be used for informational purposes only. Even though I try to provide accurate information, these figures should still be considered as estimates.

    Did you make this recipe?

    Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

    © Anne
    Cuisine: American / Category: Snack
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      Reader Interactions

      Comments

      1. Gloria

        July 31, 2018 at 9:55 am

        I love making kale chips. I usually just make them in the oven. Perfect for a healthy snack…and they never last long!!

        Reply
      2. annelawton

        July 31, 2018 at 10:34 am

        they barely last at day in my house Gloria!

        Reply
      3. Lorie

        August 02, 2018 at 11:59 pm

        I’ve been seeing more and more air fryer recipes and this is a good simple snack so I’m gonna need to get one I think!

        Reply
        • anne

          August 03, 2018 at 6:53 am

          Lorie I wasn’t sure if I wanted one, but now that I have it I’m glad I do!

          Reply
      4. Blogtastic Food

        August 03, 2018 at 4:12 am

        I have never used an air fryer before but they certainly look wonderful, I could snack on those all day (:

        Reply
      5. prasanna hede

        August 03, 2018 at 2:37 pm

        This is a healthy snack – love to munch on this any-day! I need to try air fryer next.

        Reply
      6. Marisa Franca

        August 04, 2018 at 11:27 am

        We’ve been looking at air fryers but Hubby said he wanted to actually try something made in it first. The kale chips look fantastic and with the cashew flavor I bet they are amazing.

        Reply
        • anne

          August 06, 2018 at 12:49 pm

          Thanks Marisa

          Reply
      7. Jyothi (Jo)

        August 05, 2018 at 12:57 am

        My first kale chips was a few months back that I tried out of packet. It was good. I need to try making at home especially since I can air fry and keep it healthy. Wish we can get kale easily in my part of the world

        Reply
      8. Two Healthy Kitchens

        August 05, 2018 at 8:47 am

        Air fryers always seem like such fun! My son totally wants us to buy one – and these kale chips are definitely incentive to do it! They really do look uniformly crispy – sounds like you get much better results with an air fryer than with the regular oven! And oh, my – that cheesy topping! Yes, please!

        Reply
        • anne

          August 06, 2018 at 12:48 pm

          Yes they are definitely uniformly crispy!

          Reply
      9. Kim @ Berly's Kitchen

        August 05, 2018 at 9:38 am

        Kale chips are a wonderful, healthy snack option! This makes me think maybe I need an air fryer! Lol!

        Reply
      10. Leslie Haasch

        August 05, 2018 at 4:52 pm

        Okay, this air fryer sounds amazing – and so does this recipe!

        Reply
        • anne

          August 06, 2018 at 12:46 pm

          Thank you Leslie!

          Reply
      11. Michelle Blackwood

        August 05, 2018 at 11:07 pm

        This sounds so delicious, I could snack on kale chips all day long and the nutritional yeast is amazing!

        Reply
        • anne

          August 06, 2018 at 12:45 pm

          Thank you Michelle!

          Reply
      12. Anne Murphy

        August 05, 2018 at 11:18 pm

        I’ve never cared much for kale chips (and I like the cooked vegetable just fine, thank you, so…) but the combination of the vegan cheese and cooking them in an air fryer sounds much more interesting than any I’ve had! These sound worth trying!

        Reply
        • anne

          August 06, 2018 at 12:45 pm

          Thank you Anne I hope you like them!

          Reply
      13. Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life

        August 06, 2018 at 12:55 am

        Wouldn’t you know I’ve been looking for a reason to dust off the ol’ air fryer! Can’t wait to try these!

        Reply
        • anne

          August 06, 2018 at 12:44 pm

          Enjoy!

          Reply
      14. Margaret Carmen

        March 27, 2021 at 9:34 am

        I’m a big kale chip fan! Love your technique for using the air fryer to crisp them up. The perfect way to get them crisp. Will definitely give this one a try!

        Reply

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