Kale: Apple Cinnamon Kale Chips

By blum099

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried apples (preferably unsulfured), soaked for 2 hours and drained
• 1 cup cashews, soaked for 2 hours and drained
• 1 cup water or nondairy milk
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 large bunch curly kale, stems removed, torn or chopped (about 8 cups chopped)

Preparation

Step 1

Combine all ingredients except kale in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth, adding a splash of water if needed to blend.

In a large bowl, combine the kale and the apple-cinnamon sauce. Use your hands to massage the sauce all over the kale, making sure it’s coated completely.

Raw: Arrange the kale in a single layer on a Teflex-lined dehydrator tray. Dehydrate for 8 to 10 hours or overnight, until crisp.

Baked: Preheat the oven to 300°F and grease a baking sheet with coconut oil. Arrange the kale in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and use a fork or spatula to carefully flip the kale chips over (it’s ok if you miss a few). Bake for about 10 more minutes, watching carefully to make sure the kale doesn’t burn, then remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Yield: 8 servings
Per serving: 242 calories, 8.3g fat (1g sat), 40.2g carbs, 3g fiber, 5.6g protein

Substitution Option
Instead of cashews, you could use macadamia nuts, walnuts, pecans, or a mixture.

Variation
Nut-Free Apple Cinnamon Kale Chips: Replace the cashews with sunflower seeds.

Chef’s Tips
- If you choose to bake these chips in a conventional oven, please keep a very close eye on them; all ovens behave differently, and the chips can go from crisp to burnt in the blink of an eye. You may want to experiment with a small test batch of chips to see how your oven treats them, and find out if you need to alter the baking time at all.
- Soak the apples and the cashews together in one bowl.