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Today is the 3-year anniversary of Wholesome Yum! I am so humbled and grateful every single day that I get to do this. Thank you for being here… from the bottom of my heart! So to honor the anniversary of my little low carb recipe site (that maybe isn’t so little anymore?), I wanted to share with you one of my favorite low carb recipes. It’s not a celebratory cake or low carb dessert, but it’s a part of a popular low carb dinner staple… low carb tacos using keto cheese taco shells!
If you haven’t tried them yet, you’re going to love them! We have them for Mexican night regularly. And even if you have had them before, I hope my tips and my twist on them will be a good reason to make them again.
Either way, I’m excited to show you how to make cheese taco shells – and what to fill them with!
What Are Keto Cheese Taco Shells?
What are keto cheese taco shells? They are taco shells made of cheese! That already sounds pretty delicious if you love your tacos with cheese.
But can a taco shell made of cheese really replace a crispy taco shell? I believe it can.
The key is to use a harder cheese that gets crispy when baked, and has a flavor that goes well with Mexican. With that criteria, it’s no surprise that cheddar works so well!
Now, I want to show you how to make cheese taco shells in the oven, and tell you about a small addition to up the flavor.
Tips For How To Make Cheese Taco Shells
The instructions for how to make taco shells out of cheese are below, but as always, I want to share some of my favorite tips! This way, you’ll end up with the most perfect keto taco shells ever. đŸ™‚
Use 2 jelly roll pans to save time.
You can usually fit two jelly roll pans in the oven side by side, meaning you can cook all the cheese taco shells at once. I love these particular pans! They are just big enough to fit 3 shells, but small enough to fit in the oven side by side.
And, the non-stick surface is so exceptional that they work even without parchment paper. I still like to use parchment paper for easy cleanup, though. For most pans, you definitely need the parchment paper to prevent sticking.
If you have one very large sheet pan, that will work as well.
Use spices in your cheddar cheese taco shells.
Why limit yourself to just the cheese? This recipe includes cumin and chili powder, because they’re totally delicious for tacos. I used just a bit for flavor without added heat, but feel free to experiment with any spices you like.
Make the circles uniform.
It’s important to have the cheese circles be uniform in both size and thickness. Otherwise, some will be done before others and it will be a big hassle.
Setup multiple glass/spoon setups ahead.
You’ll need to hang the tacos all at once, in order to get the timing right. So, prep the glasses and spoons while the cheese is in the oven.
Make sure the edges are browned.
Cooking your cheddar cheese taco shells for just the right amount of time is key. They are done when the edges are bubbling and starting to brown.
See those browned edges in the pictures? They are the best part!
Hang the cheese tacos about a minute after removing from the oven.
Work quickly! If you wait too long, the cheese won’t be pliable enough to form the hard keto taco shells.
But, you do want to wait 45-60 seconds for the cheese to cool enough. That way, it will still be pliable, but will not fall apart.
Use a solid turner or spatula to lift the cheese taco shells.
The easiest way to lift the cheese circles is to use a thin turner or spatula. When using parchment paper, I love a large, solid restaurant-style turner like this one. Just don’t use anything with holes, because the cheese can sink through while it’s still soft.
Wait for the keto taco shells to cool a little.
The cheese will crisp up more as it cools. They don’t need to be totally cold, but they do get more crispy with time.
Don’t reheat the shells.
Sorry, keto taco shells don’t reheat too well. The cheese will start to melt and lose its shape.
How To Store Low Carb Taco Shells
Ideally, you’d serve your low carb taco shells right away. They are quick to make, so no reason not to make them right before your meal.
But, if you want to make cheddar cheese taco shells ahead, you can. Store them in the fridge with paper towels between them. Just know that they will not be as crispy as fresh ones.
I don’t recommend freezing keto taco shells, because the texture of cheese changes when frozen. It tends to get crumbly.
Ways To Use Keto Taco Shells
Even though you can’t freeze the actual shells, you can still cook up some meat with homemade low carb taco seasoning and freeze that. Making the taco shells later will be a breeze!
Want to try something different? How about making taco bowls? I love walking taco bowls even without a shell, but having the shell is even better.
To make them, make extra large circles, big enough to form a bowl. When they are done in the oven, drape the cheese over upside down bowls instead of over a spoon. Then, whip up some easy healthy taco salad and fill the taco bowls with it!
Of course, you can’t go wrong with classic low carb tacos. Fill your keto cheese taco shells with some taco meat or barbacoa beef, and all your favorite taco fixings. Don’t forget the homemade salsa with fresh tomatoes!
Low Carb Keto Cheese Taco Shells:
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Low Carb Keto Cheese Taco Shells - Fast, Easy & Crispy
Learn how to make cheese taco shells perfectly every time! Includes lots of TIPS for quick, easy, CRISPY keto cheese taco shells. Plus, how to store your low carb taco shells.
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (191 degrees C). Line either two jelly roll pans or one XL baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Place cheese in circles on the baking sheet(s), with even thickness throughout. Sprinkle with cumin and chili powder.
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Bake for 5-7 minutes, until the edges start to brown and bubbles start to form.
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Meanwhile, setup wooden spoons sitting horizontally across two overturned glasses (see picture above with the cheese on it). This way, they'll be ready once the cheese taco shells are out of the oven.
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Remove the pan(s) from the oven and cool without disturbing for about 1 minute.
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Use a flat turner or spatula to lift the cheese circles and hang them over the wooden spoons. Let them hang until hardened, about 5 minutes.
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Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 keto taco shell
Video Showing How To Make Cheese Taco Shells:
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47 Comments
Cathy Glidden
I cut paint stir sticks down a bit and cover with foil. More room for filling. Great recipe. I like these better than the corn ones.
italiakaterina
Did not crisp up or get brown. I cooked at 375 for 7 minutes. I did press down to make circle, was not too thick. Maybe I used wrong cheese: I used Tillamook Farmers Style Cut (thicker cut) Cheddar. Is it better to do this with finely shredded cheese? The cheese taco was also difficult to get up (I used a silicone spill mat) no matter what spatula I used. The cheese taco was oily dripping off wooden spoon hung over glasses. Still worked, tasted good but how do I get them brown and what specific cheese style did you use?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Italiakaterina, The type of cheese you use is fine. The thicker shred probably needed a little longer to bake in the oven and turn golden brown. Next time let them go a minute or two longer in the oven and then remove.
Christalynn
Hi there! OK so I have made this recipe so many times with all kinds of different cheeses and let me tell you the cheese really matters! Experiment with different kinds of cheeses soft and hard and combination cheeses. When I use pre shredded Mexican blend cheese I get almost like a tostada consistency. If you shred the cheese yourself, I used cheddar, then you get something a little more pliable you could roll up lunch meat lettuce and stick a toothpick in and that’s pretty good. I have found the best to be a combination of cheeses soft and hard, pre shredded and hand shredded lol you just have to play around with it and find what you like for its purpose.
Christalynn
When you pull them off of the pan, lay them on paper towels to sop up some of the grease before you shape them!
Sarai
Are the nutrition facts based off of the taco with toppings in it already?
Wholesome Yum M
Hi Sarai, The nutrition facts are only for the shells.
YUliia
Thank you! Sooo delicious taco in my life! I use cumin in beef, and cheddar cheese just like shells. All work perfect!
Chelsea M.
PERFECTION on the 1st try!! Taste SO amazing even my picky kiddos loved them! (I used store brand Mexican blend finely shredded cheese) Thank you so much for the step by step tutorial! Wish I could post a pic of my final product! Can’t wait to have them again next Taco Tuesday!
Keely Weiman
Super yummy! I didn’t have a good spatula so I cut the parchment into squares and laid the squares over the spoons. Did the trick!
Joanne S.
These shells are AMAZING!!! My new favorite thing.
Robin Jones
I forgot to leave a rating. 5 stars!
Robin Jones
To make this easier, I made the cheese circles a little less than the size of my plate. When cooked and cooled, I put the cheese shell flat on my plate and layered the fillings on top and ate it with a fork. Delicious!
Also I have cut the parchment in squares and placed the cheese on each separate square to cook. Then I picked up each square and placed it over the handles to cool with the cheese side up. Then just pull the cheese off the parchment when cooked.
Brigette
How much cheese do you use for each circle?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Bridgette, it’s 1/3 cup cheese.
Beth Owens
Am getting started with Keto and am looking for all the help, ideas, recipes, and inspiration I can get.
Can’t wait to try the Keto bread and Cheesy Taco Shells.
Shirleen Bailey
The recipes I am finding here are amazing. Imagine, replacements for flour and corn tortilla shells. Thank you
Jennifer
Hello!! I love this idea, however, something went wrong with mine. I used shredded cheddar cheese. I cooked it about 5 or so minutes each. Hung them over the wooden spoons. But they never got crispy. They were also very greasy. I had to blot them with paper towels before I hung them. What on earth went wrong?
Wholesome Yum
Hi Jennifer, I suspect you layered the cheese in the pan too thick. Check the recipe video for guidance on thickness.
Lori A.
The same thing happened with mine. They still taste good. I’ll try again another time when I’m not in such a hurry. đŸ™‚
Elena
These taco shells are amazing n so easy to make! I added pepper flakes to my shells and the cheese kind of absorbed some of the heat! Love this site, plz don’t stop putting delicious low carb/keto recipes here…thank you…
Liz
LOVED the recipe! Ours turned out awesome! Our first batch baked itself into the parchment paper so we ended up using just a metal pan and because we wanted big shells, we used lots of cheese and baked at 380 degrees for 10min. Will definitely be making these again đŸ˜€
Kelly
Love your recipes!, maybe in future you will a corn favored tortilla & tostada keto recipe made with non GMO corn flavoring, coconut flour and/or almond flour, chia seeds and/or that husk fiber.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thanks for the feedback, Kelly. I generally don’t make anything corn flavored, since that would require either corn or some kind of extract from corn, and this site is grain-free.
Kelli
Keto Taco Shells are must have!!
Marguerite Dillon
Need meatloaf recipes for the keto diet.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Marguerite, Try this keto meatloaf recipe.
Kay
For making the taco bowls mentioned what are the nutrition facts for the bowls? Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kay, It will depend on how large you make them. đŸ™‚
Debbie Fleischer
Sorry, didn’t like these at all. The bottom fell out. Just too much cheese. I’ll try the coconut flour ones. I’ve tried other recipes like your biscuits and really like them. I especially like that there’s only a few ingredients and nothing complicated.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Debbie, If the bottom fell out, it means they needed to bake for longer (they need to be browned on the edges), the circles were too thick, or they needed to cool more before adding fillings. Hope that helps, or that you like the coconut tortillas better.
Marilyn Brennan
If you had to estimate how much per taco shell, would it be about 1/3 cup? Maybe 1/4 cup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Marilyn, It would be 1/3 cup per shell.
Shayla M Kelley
This is probably silly, but I’m going to ask anyway because I really want to try these! The taco hanging part has got me hung up lol.
So that spoon you are using looks rather large, I’m not sure I have one that large, much less 6 of them. Yo do hang them individually, right? Also I’m not sure I’ll have the counter space or cups to do 6 separately… am I understanding this right? Are there other ideas for the hanging part? Have you tried any taco shell molds or the racks? Just curious if these would work also?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Kelley, The spoon is just a regular-sized cooking utensil. Sometimes you can fit two taco shells on one – just not on top of each other, side by side only. You can also use virtually any utensils that you have with a round handle. The shells harden fairly quickly, so you can even set them on your kitchen table to harden. Taco molds or racks might also work, you’d just need something where you can place or hang them upside down.
Regina
Happy anniversary! Your delicious and helpful recipes help make the keto WOE sustainable. Ty!
My question is, does it make a difference if you shred your own cheese vs using preshredded? I like to shred my own to avoid the extra starches, but this can sometimes cause inconsustent recipe results. Do you have a preference?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Regina! I really appreciate that.
It doesn’t matter for this recipe – you can use pre-shredded or shred your own!
Jenette Kerr
I’m looking for a good keto multigrain bread recipe. I buy one now it’s nice but I’m a senior, and on a fixed income and her bread is 10.00 a loaf. Thank you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Hi Jenette, While grains are not suitable for keto, you can definitely make keto bread. Some of my favorites are keto bagels, keto almond flour bread, and keto white bread. I also have a multi-seed bread recipe coming soon that might have more of that multi-grain texture you want.
Michelle E
Congratulations on 3 years! Love the site and amazingly awesome recipes. I look forward to seeing each new entry. You make eating low carb fun and exciting.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Michelle! I love hearing that!
Dorothy
Happy 3rd anniversary and thank you for this wonderful site.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you, Dorothy!
Michelle
Happy 3rd Anniversary Maya! Your site is my absolute favorite. It has come a long way in such a short time. You are doing a fabulous job!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Michelle! Your support means a lot.
Noline from Essential Keto
Happy 3rd birthday Maya. You’ve created an awesome low carb resource with Wholesome Yum. All the best for the next year…
Maya | Wholesome Yum
Thank you so much, Noline!!