Spicy Miso Cheesy Kale Chips (vegan, gluten-free, oil free)
Sep 12, 2019 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
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homemade spicy miso cheesy kale chips!
I’ve gotta tell you that I’m a snacker, and one of my favourite snacks to eat are these miso cheesy kale chips. If you’re skeptical and have yet to try a kale chip, trust me, I was once a skeptic too but am now a full blown kale chip convert. Kale crisps up beautifully, and becomes so crunchy you forget you’re eating vegetables. Of course, the added nutrition and the fact that it’s kale is a bonus, but most importantly, they are delicious. Nowadays, kale chips are a mainstream snack, found in most grocery stores and every health food market. The price tag however, is usually high up there especially if it’s a kale chip made with good ingredients.
If you’re anything like me, you can make your way through a bag of kale chips quite quickly. To be fair, they’re not very dense and are a super healthy snack, so believe me when I say it’s easier than you’d think. I don’t often purchase kale chips anymore, because I realized that making them at home was so easy, cost effective and a lot more affordable. You also save a little bit on packaging as well. Perhaps the best part of making your own kale chips at home is that it’s completely customizable. In other words, these spicy miso cheesy kale chips are spicy when I make them, but they don’t have to be.
To make these spicy miso cheesy kale chips, we’re using a handful of simple ingredients like kale, raw cashews, nutritional yeast, miso, togarashi spice and a few other spices, too.
the details
- This recipe is vegan, gluten free, oil free, whole food plant based, high protein and meal-prep friendly. For a nut-free option, see substitution notes in the recipe below.
- They make for a perfect snack for school or work, and can be batch prepared as well.
- Kale → is the base of our recipe today, and is a super green that packs some serious nutrition. It’s surprisingly high in protein, packing 3 grams of protein per cup. It’s also rich in fiber and vitamins A, C and K.
- Nutritional Yeast → provides the cheesy flavour, sans cheese. It’s an ingredient commonly used in vegan cooking that not only adds a rich umami flavour, but is also high in protein too. 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast, also called nooch, contains 8 grams of plant protein.
- Miso → gives really amazing umami flavour, which we’re using to boost the savoury-ness of these kale chips. It’s a probiotic, fermented ingredient. If you’re interested in preserving the probiotic qualities, however, you’ll need to dehydrate them, so as to preserve the good bacteria. Since we’re baking the chips at a high heat, it unfortunately doesn’t allow for the probiotics to thrive.
- Togarashi → is a delicious Japanese spice blend, that pairs incredibly with miso and most other foods, to be honest. As mentioned earlier, however, you can swap this out for any favourite spice blend of choice!
secrets to success
To make this recipe in almost half the time, consider using an airfryer method to bake the chips. You can find instructions for that method in this Instagram post caption.
My number one tip when making these chips is to keep your eye on these spicy miso kale chips while cooking, because it can easily burn if you’re not careful. For best results, spread out chips to give each piece enough room to cook through, and flip during the cooking process.
When storing these chips, try not to pack your container too tightly, as you’ll end up with a crumbly mess. Also be sure to give your chips enough time to completely cool, so they don’t become a soggy pile of kale.
if you like this recipe, try these great snacks
If you try this recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and for a chance to be featured! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too!
Spicy Miso Cheesy Kale Chips (vegan, gluten-free, oil free)
Ingredients
- 3 bunches of kale
- 1/2 cup raw cashews or sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/2 lemon juice squeezed
- 1 tbsp white miso paste can use brown rice miso or alternative as well
- 1/2 tbsp togarashi spice or chili flakes, or other spice blend of choice
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300F while you prepare your miso mixture, and kale.
- Wash kale, de-stem and pat dry with a kitchen towel as much as possible. Break the leafy areas into large pieces (You know how kale chips always break down into small pieces by the end of the bag? Keep ‘em large!). Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- In a food processor, or high speed blender, blend remaining ingredients until a smooth paste forms. If the mixture looks a little gritty, it’s not a big deal, it will actually add some texture to the chips after baking. Give mixture a taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Combine the paste mixture with the kale leaves using your hands, to distribute the mixture evenly. Aim to completely coat all the kale leaves.
- Lay coated kale pieces onto a baking mat lined tray, making sure no pieces overlap. Trust me, it’s tempting to toss it all onto the tray at once, but this is essential for crunch!
- Bake for 25 minutes, flip, and bake for another 12 minutes or so. You may need to bake for additional 10 minute increments until fully crisp, but keep an eye on your kale as it can very easily burn.
- Before consuming or storing, let chips completely cool, laying out on a baking sheet or tray. Again, try not to crowd the chips or layer them on top of each other, as they will end up steaming and becoming soggy.
- Bake for 25 minutes, flipping half way through, and cook for an additional 12-15 minutes as needed until crisp.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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