Chili Lime Kale Chips Raw Vegan and Oil-Free
Chili Lime Kale Chips are raw, vegan, oil-free, just a little sweet, and totally delicious.
They’re also crazy simple to make.
Kale is amazingly healthy. It’s known as being “nutrient-dense,” because it has lots of nutrition in very few calories. Which is great until you start trying to make kale chips. The added oil in most recipes can turn a perfectly healthy pile of greens into a calorie bomb.
Start the New Year off right with these Chili Lime Kale Chips. They have lots of flavor, lots of nutrition, and only a few calories!
I used two bunches of curly kale, which was on sale for $1.99 each at the local grocery. They were about a half pound each, which made it something of a bargain.
Health Benefits of Kale
Kale is like most leafy greens and has lots of health benefits.
Kale is High in
- Iron
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin K
- Calcium
- Sulfur
- Antioxidant
- Omega-3 Fatty acids
- Fiber
The fiber in kale is great for gut health. It promotes a healthy microbiome and supports the good bacteria that make everything run well. Fiber also is a “prebiotic,” which also supports the helpful bacteria. The Vitamin K in kale helps keep veins and arteries sturdy and promotes heart health.
Kale has more iron than beef. Iron is important for cell growth, it helps make hemoglobin, aids liver function, and helps strengthen hair and nails.
Vitamin K, which is plentiful in kale, promotes heart health by helping calcium work to build bone rather than sticking to artery walls. So, in that way, it promotes both a healthy heart and strong bones.
Lacinto Kale is also lovely and delicious but can be a little more expensive. Check out your own grocery store for sales and local bargains!
Citrus is abundant this time of year. These limes were on sale three for $1.
For spices, I used a bit of chipotle powder, a pinch of cayenne, some garlic powder, onion powder, and just a light sprinkle of salt.
I dried mine on parchment paper in the oven set at 170 degrees F and left the door slightly ajar. It took about 10 hours for the kale to get really crispy. My dehydrator is packed away for a move in the spring! But if you have a proper dehydrator, just dry these at around 118 degrees F for 8-12 hours, until they’re nice and crispy.
Chili Lime Kale Chips Serving Suggestions
These are great to just munch on and won’t last long. They are also tasty sprinkled over soups or salads.
Chili Lime Kale Chips Raw Vegan Oil-Free
Equipment
- dehydrator
Ingredients
- 1 lb kale $3.98
- 3 tbsp lime juice $.33
- 2 tbsp maple syrup $.50
- 1 tsp chipotle powder $.10
- 1 tsp garlic powder $.05
- 1 tsp onion powder $.05
- pinch red pepper flakes
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Wash kale and remove the thickest stems. Leave larger pieces intact when possible. Place in a large bowl.
- In a small dish, mix together the lime juice and maple syrup.
- Pour the lime juice and maple syrup over the kale and toss to coat.
- Spread out on lined dehydrator sheets or baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
- Sprinkle evenly with the spices and a bit of salt.
- If using a dehydrator, dry at about 118 degrees F for 8-10 hours, or until crispy.
- Alternatively, dry in an oven set at 170 degrees F with the door slightly ajar for 8-10 hours, or until crispy.
- Gently remove from dehydrator trays or parchment. They will be brittle. Store any leftovers in a dry, air-tight container.
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