Our Loaded Low FODMAP Kale Chips, which are easier to make than you think, are flavor-packed with nutritional yeast, which makes them “cheesy”, low FODMAP garlic and onion flavor, and a hint of chile and salt. Now you don’t have to buy expensive kale chips with dull flavors. Once you make these you will be emboldened to try our additional flavor combos.
Kale & FODMAPs
Is kale low FODMAP? Yes, it is! In fact, it is very low in FODMAPs – both curly and Lacinato kale have been lab tested – and it can be incorporated into your low FODMAP meals in soups, stews, salads, side dishes, smoothies and snacks, such as these kale chips.
Read our Explore An Ingredient: Kale for a deep look at this nutritious vegetable.
Buying Kale
For this recipe we suggest curly kale. The ruffled texture makes the best kale chips, in our opinion. Note that bunches of kale vary widely in terms of size, so go by the weight when purchasing or harvesting the greens.
The amount of kale called for might not seem like a lot but it covers two sheet pans, which is the max you should try to bake at a time in a conventional size home oven for best results.
How To Make Kale Chips
There are a few tips to follow which will make your kale chips as good as store bought – or even better, since they will be low FODMAP!
Ingredients For Kale Chips
Please use curly kale, as mentioned before.
Then the four ingredients I want to point out are the nutritional yeast and the garlic and onion powders.
Nutritional yeast is a species of yeast known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. It is considered “deactivated” and has undergone a heating and drying process that renders it inactive. It cannot be used like baker’s yeast, which is active. It is used as a condiment and seasoning.
Nutritional yeast is a dry, yellow product that can vary in texture from tiny granules to flakes. Brands do vary in flavor and texture and I like Braggs the best, which is flaky in texture. It has a “cheesy” flavor (try it on popcorn) and is vegetarian, salt, sugar and cholesterol-free and packed with B vitamins, including B 12.
FreeFod Garlic Replacer and FreeFod Onion Replacer are FODMAP Friendly lab tested and certified low FODMAP products that we love, and they can be used similarly to traditional garlic and onion powder. They will give you all the garlic and onion flavor you want, with the assurance that they are a low FODMAP ingredient.
As for the cayenne and chipotle chile powder, we dive deep into all things chile in our article Chile, Chili and Chilli & The Low FODMAP Diet. There is some interesting information in that article about chipotle chile and what we know about it from a lab tested perspective.
Preparation Techniques For Making Kale Chips
Begin with washed and dried curly kale leaves torn into large pieces (they shrink a lot during baking).
Take your time and thoroughly massage the washed and dried leaves so that they soften and are completely coated with a very thin layer of oil. It might be hard to see but you can see a thin shiny coat of oil in the image below. You don’t want too much, which would leave you with limp kale chips – just enough to help the seasonings stick.
Then, coating the leaves evenly with the dry ingredients is key. Toss the dry ingredients together in a bowl so that they are evenly mixed before adding to kale. If you have never tried nutritioonal nutritional yeast, this is the perfect recipe! It makes the kale chips cheesy and addictive! It is the golden yellow ingredient seen below.
I actually like to wear gloves, but you can go bare-handed. Get in there and massage the leaves with the dry mixture to evenly coat.
Arranging the kale pieces spread out in a single layer on sheet pans is important. They will not evenly dry out if they are over-lapping. Slightly touching is okay.
Kale Chips Need Low Heat
When you make kale chips you are not trying to roast or bake them as much as you are trying to dry them out.
After trying several different temperatures, I have come to the conclusion that 275°F (135°C) is the right approach.
I have had success not flipping them over halfway through baking, but slightly better results when I do. You can experiment and see which approach you like.
Kale Chips Are Versatile
I wanted to make an exciting kale chip recipe for you, but there are other approaches of course. In addition to following the recipe as described below, here are some additional ideas:
- Use melted coconut oil instead of olive oil
- Add ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon of ground chipotle pepper or cayenne for Spicy Kale Chips
- A sprinkling of Parmesan and lots of freshly ground black pepper makes Black Pepper Parmesan Kale Chips.
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice and ½ teaspoon dill create a Lemon Dill version.
- Chipotle pepper and lime juice makes Chile Lime Kale Chips.
- For Asian Flavor Kale Chips try a bit of soy sauce, powdered ginger and FreeFod Garlic replacer. Replace half of the oil with toasted sesame oil
Community Feedback
Almost as soon as we posted this recipe, we got a message from one of our community members, Marla. She dove right into making the recipe and sent this note:
“Thank you, Dédé Wilson, for all your hard work and the fabulous recipes you invent and share. Every single one I’ve tried has been full of flavour and fabulous. Thank you also for making me look good. Here’s a photo of the kale chips I made this morning. Should I admit I was home alone?”
Below her note was this image – which, if you are like us, made us literally laugh out loud. I believe I emitted a true”guffaw”.
Apparently our kale chips were just that good. And now you can try them, too!
Looking for other Low FODMAP Snacks & Treats Ideas? Check these out.
And check out our round-up of awesome kale recipes.
Loaded Low FODMAP Kale Chips
Our Loaded Low FODMAP Kale Chips, which are easier to make than you think, are flavor-packed with nutritional yeast, which makes them “cheesy”, low FODMAP garlic and onion flavor, and a hint of chile and salt. Now you don’t have to buy expensive kale chips with dull flavors. Once you make these you will be emboldened to try our additional flavor combos.
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Basically this makes a big pile of kale chips. You could eat more and remain low FODMAP, but we suggest beginning with 4 servings.
Ingredients:
- 8- ounces (225 g) fresh curly kale, washed and dried
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or Garlic-Infused Oil, made with olive oil
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon FreeFod Garlic Replacer
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon FreeFod Onion Replacer
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grained table salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/8 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
Preparation:
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Position two racks in upper and lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 275°F (135°C). Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper; set aside.
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Use a sharp paring knife to remove the larger parts of the kale stems and discard (or use for stock), then hand tear or cut the kale into large bite-sized pieces, about 2 to 3 inches (5 cm to 7.5 cm) across (some will be smaller, which is okay). Place kale in a mixing bowl.
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Drizzle oil over the kale, using other hand to toss kale around as you drizzle. Massage the oil into the leaves so that they are evenly coated.
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Stir all of the remaining dry ingredients together in a bowl, then sprinkle over the kale slowly to evenly coat, tossing the kale as you go. Get in there with your hands to thoroughly rub the dry ingredients onto all the surfaces of the kale. Arrange kale in an even, single layer on prepared pans.
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Bake for about 10 minutes, flip kale pieces over, then bake for about 10 to 15 minutes more or until kale is crisp. Some of the edges might lightly brown, which is okay. Cool and serve. These are best eaten the same day they are made although you can store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, but the chips will become a bit chewy.
Notes:
Tips
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Kale: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested kale. Monash pictures Lacinato type kale and says that kale is Green light and low FODMAP in servings of ½ cup, chopped (75 g). FODMAP Friendly depicts curly kale and gives it a “Pass” at ½ cup chopped (30 g).
- Oil: All pure oils are fats and contain no carbohydrates, therefore they contain no FODMAPs.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
