I package cello bags of these spicy, cranberry studded kale chips at Christmas to give as gifts and always make extra to take along to a Christmas Party or two! Once dressed, they take 12 hours to dehydrate and stay fresh for a couple of weeks in a sealed bag.
Ingredients:
makes 12 cups of kale chips (halve the recipe if you want less)
- 5 large heads of curly kale (curly kale holds onto the dressing better than the flat leaf variety)
- 2 cups of raw cashews
- 1 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (or 1/2 tsp.powdered dried chipotle)
- 2 tsp. of himalayan pink salt
- 3 Tbsp. of nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- about 3/4 cup of water
- 1 cup of chopped fruit juice sweetened dried cranberries
Tear the kale into pieces from the stems and place in a large bowl. Take care to remove the stems as they become very hard and sharp once dehydrated!
Puree the cashews, cranberries, chipotle, salt, yeast, and maple syrup in a high speed blender with approximately 3/4 cup of water. The mixture should be thick and very smooth, almost a hummus consistency. If it is too watery it won’t adhere to the kale. Once blended, taste to adjust the seasonings, adding more chipotle or salt if desired. Spoon the cashew mixture into the bowl of kale and massage well with your hands to coat the kale well on both sides. Add the chopped cranberries.
Arrange on your dehydrator screens taking care not to overlap the pieces too much. This amount fills 5 of my Excalibur dehydrator trays.
Dehydrate at 117 degrees F. for 12 hours or until crisp.
Store in an airtight container.