Move over, kale chips—there’s a new crunchy snack in town! These homemade kale crackers are a breeze to bake. They’re made with fresh kale, flax seeds, olive oil, egg, and flour! Ready to munch on in just 45 minutes
Homemade Kale Crackers
At around 4PM every afternoon, I snack. I can’t help it! I’m an afternoon snacker, while my husband is a late-night snacker, and our kids are all day snackers (lol). Instead of reaching for potato chips, I grab some of these SO DAMN CRUNCHY kale crackers or baked spinach chips with olive oil for a guilt free snack!
They are easy to make using simple pantry staples like flour, eggs, sugar, salt, flaxseeds, and oil. And it is such a great way to use up an entire bunch of kale, especially when you have a lot of them growing in your garden or sitting in the refrigerator waiting to be used.
Need more kale recipes? Here’s some of my favorite ways to cook with kale , including baked kale chips with olive oil and salt .
Baked Kale CrackerIngredients
No need to run to the nearest store to make these kale crackers! I bet most of the ingredients are in your pantry right now! Here’s when you need:
- Kale – I used one bunch, which is approximately 7-8 oz. Remove the leaves from the stems and rip them again into small pieces.
- Olive oil – this will help make the kale easier to blend and process into a smooth puree.
- Flour – will make the dough base for the crackers. I use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Flax seeds – give the crackers a nice texture and multi-grain flavor while also boosting the health benefits as well. You can also use chia or sesame seeds.
- Salt and Sugar – to add flavor to the crackers.
- Egg – is used to bind all the ingredients together to form a sticky dough.
- Water – to thin out the flour mixture.
How to Make Homemade Kale Crackers
Just blend and bake! Here’s how to do it:
Make the Kale Puree . Tear the leaves off the stem and rip them into smaller pieces. Place the torn leaves into the food processor and pour the olive oil. Then process for about 15 seconds until you have a smooth puree.
Make the cracker dough . Add the flour, flax seeds, salt, sugar, egg, and water into the food processor and pulse for another 15 seconds or until a sticky dough forms.
Flatten and shape. Place the dough on the prepared baking sheet sprinkled with a bit of flour. Dust the top with a bit more flour and place another layer of parchment paper on top. Then, flatten the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick using a rolling pin. Remove the parchment paper on top. Using the blunt end of a knife, gently cut halfway through the dough horizontally and vertically. This will help you break them into crackers easily once baked.
Bake . Sprinkle salt on top of the flattened dough and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check the crackers at 15 minutes and every 5 minutes after that until the surface turns dark brownish-green. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes.
Break into pieces and eat!
Tips when MakingKale Crackers
- Some flour absorbs liquid better than others, so if the dough is too dry, add some water to make it thinner.
- Make sure to roll the dough evenly as much as possible, so they bake uniformly.
- The baking time will depend on the size of the baking sheet you use, how thick your dough is, and the type of oven you are using. Start checking on the 15-minute mark and keep a close eye on them onwards.
- Do not remove the whole cracker from the baking sheet after baking. It will still be a bit pliant but will crisp up as it cools.
Amp YourKale Crackers Up!
I like simple, salted snacks as much as the next person. But why settle for just one variation when there are multiple ways to enjoy these crackers, right? Here are some ways to better shake up your snack time!
- Cheesify your crackers! Instead of sprinkling with salt, use parmesan cheese instead! You can also leave it as it is and serve your crackers with thin slices of your fave cheese instead.
- If you want some garlic action, you can add a clove or two with the kale leaves or use garlic powder instead.
- Add your fave herbs! You can use basil, rosemary, thyme, or any herb that you fancy!
- If you like your snacks a bit on the fiery side, a dash of chili powder or paprika will do the trick nicely!
- Can I make it gluten-free? Absolutely! Just use a gluten-free flour brand instead of wheat flour.
- Can you make these vegan? Sure, just swap the eggs with a vegan replacer like flax eggs.
- How to store kale crackers? Place them in airtight containers or plastic bag and keep them at room temperature in a cool, dry area. They should be good for up to 5 days! Keep your kale crackers crisp longer by letting them cool down completely before storing.
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Ingredients
- ▢ 1 bunch kale approximately 8 oz
- ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ▢ 1 1/2 cup flour
- ▢ 2 tablespoons flax seeds
- ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1 teaspoon sugar
- ▢ 1 egg
- ▢ 1/2 cup water
- ▢ salt to flavor
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place parchment paper or silicone baking mat on baking sheet.
- Remove kale from stem and rip up into small pieces. Place kale into food processor and drizzle with olive oil (helps the blades move). Pulse for about 15 seconds or until puréed.
- Add flour, flax seeds, salt, sugar, egg and water to food processor. Pulse for 15 seconds, or until all the ingredients combine to form a dough ball.
- Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of parchment lined baking sheet. Place kale dough onto parchment paper. Sprinkle a little bit more flour on top of the dough.
- Take another piece of parchment paper and place on top of the kale dough, so the dough is sandwiched between the 2 pieces of paper. Now with a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top layer of parchment paper once rolled out.
- With a knife, gently cut lines (not cutting all the way through) horizontally and vertically, making square cracker shapes. This will help you break them into crackers easily once baked. Sprinkle salt to flavor on top of the dough.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Depending on how thin or thick your dough is, watch so they don’t burn. You want the color to start to turn a dark/brownish green. I will check the crackers at 15 minutes and every 5 minutes after that.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before breaking into crackers (using your knife lines). Serve and enjoy! Any leftovers can be stored in airtight containers.
Video:
Nutrition Information:
Homemade Kale Crackers with Flax Seeds (Crunchy!)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale approximately 8 oz
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons flax seeds
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup water
- salt to flavor
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place parchment paper or silicone baking mat on baking sheet.
- Remove kale from stem and rip up into small pieces. Place kale into food processor and drizzle with olive oil (helps the blades move). Pulse for about 15 seconds or until puréed.
- Add flour, flax seeds, salt, sugar, egg and water to food processor. Pulse for 15 seconds, or until all the ingredients combine to form a dough ball.
- Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of parchment lined baking sheet. Place kale dough onto parchment paper. Sprinkle a little bit more flour on top of the dough.
- Take another piece of parchment paper and place on top of the kale dough, so the dough is sandwiched between the 2 pieces of paper. Now with a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top layer of parchment paper once rolled out.
- With a knife, gently cut lines (not cutting all the way through) horizontally and vertically, making square cracker shapes. This will help you break them into crackers easily once baked. Sprinkle salt to flavor on top of the dough.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes. Depending on how thin or thick your dough is, watch so they don’t burn. You want the color to start to turn a dark/brownish green. I will check the crackers at 15 minutes and every 5 minutes after that.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before breaking into crackers (using your knife lines). Serve and enjoy! Any leftovers can be stored in airtight containers.
Video
Nutrition
Recipe Created by Pamela Reed for brooklynfarmgirl.com
