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GET IT NOWI still remember the first time I made little piles of shredded cheese and baked them. Someone in my Facebook group mentioned it and I was intrigued. When I pulled out the melty puddles of baked cheese from the oven, it was hard to believe they’d turn into actually crunchy cheese crisps. But they did, and since then I’ve made them with many types of cheese. If you’re craving a crispy, savory snack, make a batch of these cheese chips with me to satisfy that craving!
Why You Need My Cheese Crisps Recipe
- Crispy, crunchy, and cheesy chips – If you like parmesan crisps, these are just like that, except I make them in different flavors. They have a light, crisp crunch and so much flavor.
- Make them with any cheese – You can make my cheese chips recipe with cheddar, parmesan, or other cheeses. I’ll explain the pros and cons of each, plus tons of variations and ideas to make them your own.
- Easy, healthy, and affordable – This little snack takes minutes to throw together, plus it’s packed with protein, low carb, and gluten-free. Not to mention, it costs much less to make your own than buy the pre-made ones!
Choosing Which Cheese To Use
The only ingredient you really need to make baked cheese chips is… shredded cheese! This cheese crisp recipe actually works with all hard or semi-hard cheeses. Here’s an overview of the results you can expect with different types:
- Parmesan – Parmesan crisps (pictured below left) are the lightest and store the longest, which is probably why you see them in stores the most. This is probably the most foolproof cheese to make cheese crisps with, because it basically always comes out crunchy. They also come out saltier than those made with many other cheeses.
- Cheddar – Cheddar cheese chips (in my bottom right picture) are a little more challenging, because you have to get the timing just right. If you don’t bake them long enough, they will be soft and pliable — instead of crispy — but if it’s too long, they’ll burn. I love them when done right, though!
- Mozzarella – It has a lot of moisture, so turns out less crunchy, but I do like the neutral flavor. I recommend low-moisture part-skim mozzarella for best results with this type.
- Pepper Jack – Choose this if you like some heat. It’s my husband’s fave!
- Swiss – A good option if you like a stronger flavor.
- Colby – Mild and creamy, so it’s great for using the cheese chips as dippers.
My favorite is actually a combo of cheddar and parmesan, plus a sprinkle of Italian seasoning for flavor. See my flavor variations below for other seasoning ideas!
How To Make Cheese Chips
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Mix the cheeses in a bowl. I only do this if I’m using multiple types, like I did here.
- Sprinkle in piles. Place tablespoon-sized heaps of the shredded cheeses (think 2-inch circles) onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle on any seasonings you like — or skip them if you want.
- Bake until melty and golden. Pop the cheese crisps in the oven and bake until the edges start to brown. Watch closely, as they go from done to burnt quickly!
- Cool to crisp up. Let the chips cool in the pan until they are no longer gooey, then use a thin spatula to transfer to a paper towel or cooling rack. (I like this spatula because it’s super thin and gets underneath easily. Cool completely to get fully crunchy.
My Tips For Crispy Results
After making these so many times, I’ve found that several factors affect how crunchy your cheese crisps get. Here’s what to watch for:
- Size and thickness of the piles – Keep your piles of cheese fairly small, and don’t layer them too thick. You want the cheese to spread into a very thin layer as it bakes in the oven.
- Type of cheese – Some varieties melt faster than others. I’ve also found that pre-shredded cheese works a little better than freshly grated, as it’s less oily.
- Spacing – Make sure you leave enough space between the piles for them to spread, otherwise you’ll end up with a sheet of cheese! That’s still perfectly edible, but individual chips are better for most purposes. Plus, the edges get the most crispy, so I much prefer separate chips (more edges!).
- Browning – The time in the oven will vary depending on your pan and your oven. The cheese crisps are done when the edges are golden brown — that’s what I watch for. If you don’t bake them for long enough, they’ll turn out chewy.
- Don’t let them burn – These will go from “not yet” to burned very fast! I turn on my oven light and set a timer to few minutes early, so I can keep an eye on them towards the end.
Flavor Variations
One of my favorite things about making your own cheese crisps instead of buying them is that I can customize the flavor! I used a blend of cheddar and parmesan with my Italian seasoning blend.
I’ve also made these cheese crisps topped with:
- Everything bagel seasoning
- Ranch seasoning
- Sour cream and onion seasoning (love that it’s all natural!)
- Taco seasoning (perfect with Mexican cheese blend)
- Simply a sprinkle of chili powder and lime zest (or choose any spices you like)
- A thin jalapeno slice on top for extra heat
Serving Ideas
I love these baked cheese crisps as a snack all on their own, but you can do almost anything with them that you would do with “regular” chips:
- Dipping – Along with tortilla chips and zucchini chips, these parmesan cheddar crisps are the solution for all the dips. They’re awesome for everything from spinach artichoke dip and crab dip to my fresh salsa recipe and guac. They’re also great dunked in marinara sauce, as pictured above!
- Topping – Pile them high with ground beef, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and sour cream to make nachos! I don’t recommend heating them since they’ll melt, but sometimes I can get away with doing so briefly.
- Soups – Serve the cheese chips on the side for something crunchy, or melt them over the top of your soup. I love cheddar chips with taco soup or parmesan crisps with creamy mushroom soup.
- Salads – Crumble them over my Caesar salad or spinach bacon salad. I think they’re better than croutons!
Baked Cheese Crisps (Plain + Flavors)
My quick & easy baked cheese crisps recipe will show you the basic method for crunchy cheese chips, plus 7 simple seasoning combinations!
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Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a medium bowl, stir the cheeses together.
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Place uniform tablespoon-sized heaps of the shredded cheeses onto the baking sheet, 2 inches (5 cm) apart. (They will spread, so make sure to leave enough room.) Sprinkle with Italian seasoning, if using.
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Place in the oven for 6-8 minutes, until the edges start to brown. (Watch them carefully, as they go from done to burned fast.)
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Allow the cheese chips to cool slightly in the pan, then transfer them to paper towels to drain and get crispy.
LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1/4 of entire recipe, or ~6 chips
- Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the crispiest results.
- Types of cheese and flavor variations: My cheese crisps recipe combines both cheddar and parmesan. You can use just one of them, or other cheeses. See my notes on types of cheese above, as well as seasoning variations.
- Store: While cheese chips are best fresh, you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. They do soften with time, so I just pop them back in the oven and they crisp up again when they cool.
- Freeze: You can also freeze them in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Again, you’ll need to re-crisp them in the oven.
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Cheat Sheet System, Healthy Ebook Bundle, and Keto Ebook Bundle!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Baked Cheese Crisps
More Cheesy Recipes
I love cheese! If you like my baked cheese crisps, you might also like some of my other cheesy recipes:
223 Comments
Peggy
0The parmesan and cheddar chips taste great when fresh but do not stay crispy. The parmesan only chips do stay crispy for days which is great if you want to make them ahead to have on hand. I sprinkle them with “Everything bagel seasoning” and love them. You can re-crisp the cheddar chips in the microwave by putting a dinner plate with a paper towel on it full of chips for about 30 seconds and then letting them cool.
Shirley
0So delicious. I make these all the time and usually double the recipe. I like to make them on the smaller side. more of em. YUM
Jan Beaumont
0I made mine in my Kmart sandwich maker and added a few pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Delicious!
Pam
0These were so good! Just a great snack with or without the Italian seasoning. Quick question. How should I store leftovers?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Pam, Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy!
Tanya
0Hi, if I do not have parchment paper can baking them on tinfoil work the same?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tanya, I’m sorry, the cheese will stick to the tin foil.
Jami Cook
0You can spray the foil slight with cooking spray and they will not stick
Wendy
0This is such an easy and delicious recipe. I always have chip cravings, but these sure came out so good. Thanks!
Mary Digges
0This is the first time I have ever posted a comment but these deserve it. I am obsessed with them. I have made them over and over. They are delicious by themselves or with taco meat, lettuce and tomatoes, guacamole. Anything you top them with.
Myra Finger
0Delicious! Made both cheddar/parmesean and just Parmesan with some herbs on top! Yummy
Lesley
0How long can I store and what should I store them in?
Sue Tastula
0Delicious!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lesley, Store these crisps at room temperature in an airtight container. They will keep for at least a week.
Jennifer Lambert
0I mistakenly bought grated parm – a good kind, not the powdery stuff. Would this work either on its own or with the cheedar? Thanks!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Jennifer, Yes that will work great.
Sharon Armstrong
0Oh, real quick, one more thing…Swiss cheese works very well too!
Kelly
0Was just Swiss used or was it swiss and parmesan? Did you have to change the oven temperature or the time?
Sharon Armstrong
0I’ve tried to make these multiple times at the temp of 400 degrees, but they always burned or burned on the edges and chewy in the middle. For my oven, at least, I lower it all the way down to 225 and bake them for longer. Even if I forget about them, they don’t burn much but mostly they come out more even and perfectly crispy at that temp for me. I’ve checked my oven’s temperature with an oven thermometer and it’s maybe 25 degrees lower than I set it, but that shouldn’t make such a difference when I try it at 400. If you’re having trouble with getting them to bake evenly, try lowering the temp down quite a bit and see how it goes! Thanks for the recipe!
Lori
0Bake at 275 for 20-25 minutes. Mine come out great.
Paul P Zajac
0how do you store cheese chips?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Paul, These can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
Julie
0These turned out so great!! I love the combo of cheeses and the Italian seasoning makes them so satisfying.
John monsees
0how long does this keep, what is the shelf life? I would like to make this ahead of time to have at work.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi John, These will last for up to a week when stored in an airtight container.
April
0Ha, like they’d last long enough at our house to store them for a week! YUM! Thank you.
Janet Tocatlian
0They came out perfect!! Thank you so very much!
Julie Frownfelder
0These are incredibly easy to make. The crunch is satisfying and is a perfect snack to take to work!
Charine
0I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE all your recipes! Thank you so much for helping make KETO/Low Carb so easy and delicious!!!
Maria
0I only had grated Parmesan cheese but I’m happy to say it worked! And it was fabulous. My husband melted when he tasted it. Thank you!
Colin McAllister
0Forgot to mention – I used about 60% parm and 40% smoked cheddar – adds great flavour and they stay nice and crunchy without having to burn them (which results in the bitter taste)
400F for 7mins seems perfect.
Colin McAllister
0Great stuff – wonderful taste.
I am curious does anyone know how Cello makes their cheese whisps fluffy (ore round). Mine turn out flat (like all pictures I have seen)– taste great but I am curious how they do it … air heating?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Colin, I’m not sure how the brand names crisps are made. I can only guess that they use a stencil to keep a consistent size and round shape.
Carolina Camargo
0Hi, it is possible to use Mozzarella shredded instead of the cheddar?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Carolina, Mozzarella cheese will not give you a crunchy texture in your crisps. Hard cheeses will give you a better result.
Billie
0I made them with jalepeno/habanero cheese and they were a big hit! I buy the deli slices and just tear then into quarters and bake 8-9 min so they get crunchy. Having delicious keto snacks has helped my daughter and I with cravings while we’re on our diet. Thank you.
Pam
0Hello. I appreciated the recipe, very simple. My only question is, how do you store them? My sense of dairy/cheese products tells me to refrigerate them but I also know the ones you buy in the store are not refrigerated. Thoughts?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Pam, These will keep best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Enjoy!
Wendy
0Mine stuck to the parchment paper, any suggestions?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Wendy, Let them cool until solid before attempting to remove from the parchment.
Alexis Blanchard
0Can I use aged provolone? I don’t have any parm on hand and it is the end of days.
Wholesome Yum A
0I think that should work, Alexis. Let me know if you try it!
Christine
0Wowww delicious!!!!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Diana Drobnica
0Just made these for the first time. I have been wanting to try making my own for a while now. So glad I did. Your recipe was so easy to follow. It was very clearly written on how to bake them. I appreciate that. They came out so much better than the ones you buy and definitely more economical. I will be making these again. Thank you!
Ron
0Can these be made in the microwave?
Microwave how long for?
Any recipe changes?
Thanks For Your Help….
Keara
0I make parmesan crisps in the microwave all the time, but I’ve never tried with cheddar mixed in. If anyone’s interested in my method I’d be happy to share, as long as I’m not overstepping. 🙂
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Ron, Sorry, these will not work in the microwave.
Michelle Pierson
0Actually, when i did Atkins 20yrs ago….i made these and pepperoni crisps n the microwave all the time! Same basic instructions just use a microwave safe plate, set for 2-3mins and WATCH CLOSELY! Once they start to sizzle and brown around the edges….. EAT’EM UP
Cheryl
0Can you leave these out of refrigerator??
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Cheryl, Yes these will do best when stored at room temperature.
Patti McCurdy
0Do you use fresh shredded cheese or packaged shredded?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Patti, Either fresh or packaged cheese works fine.
Doreen
0Does it matter if you use fresh cheese or does this work better with grated? I would love to make these this weekend and want to make sure I make them correctly.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Doreen, Either will work fine. Enjoy!
Doreen
0Meaning already shredded in the bag
Dorothy Bloomer
0Love them! Very easy to make!
Tracey
0Love these and super easy to make
But where to store them ? Refrigerate? I don’t want them to go soggy
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tracey, You can leave these out at room temperature. Enjoy!
Lisa S.
0I loved these baked cheddar parmesan crisps.
I baked them on my silpat and they slid right off. So easy. Thank you.
Jean
0I used 3 kinds of hard cheese I had in hand and placed 1 T in each of mini muffin cup.
Debbie
0Love these❤️ I used both cheeses, sprinkled each with smoked paprika and topped with mini pepperoni.
Gina Bosco
0I added chia seeds to mine they were delicious!
Barb B.
0It must be incredibly frustrating when people can’t read and follow directions and rate a recipe based on that. I can only think that people who used wax paper in the first place do not cook. I highly recommend these if you FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. These are a truly great addition to my Keto diet and they are awesome in cauliflower soup! Thanks for sharing these recipes.
Mary P
0On my, now I feel better, I did the exact same, thing, your right they were good in spite of eating some of the was paper, suggestion, I used a seasoning called, “Natures Seasonging, it’ s good on almost anything. It’s a nice mixture a bunch of seasoning. I did break down and got parchment paper. Mary
Lesley Economou
0Great recipe, Maya. Thank you. I love your site.
I live in Australia and the commercial, imported, parmesan crisps are exorbitant (even when bought at Costco – we have a few of these stores around) and too salty. Is it possible to add mozzarella cheese to the recipe? I have a ton of it. Of course, I realise the cheese would have to be quite dry, but would mozzarella work as one third of the recipe? I presume the taste would be a bit more bland.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lesley, Yes, that would work fine as long as you are working with low moisture mozzarella. Let the crisps cool completely before removing from the baking sheet.
Erina
0Hello, just found your site and was thrilled. You are fulfilling my wish list! Let me explain: I’m just finishing my South Beach food plan, still have a few days to go but I’m proactively starting to look for some recipes to help me implement my “new lifestyle”. Look forward to continuing to try your thought-out and easy recipes. Thanks for doing the hard work to help all of us on our way!
Ann Reynolds
0Is there anything that can be added to remove the bitter aftertaste?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Ann, I haven’t experienced an aftertaste with these crisps. Perhaps your seasoning needs to be fresher?
Jane Angus
0My crisps stuck to the wax paper – what a mission. They tasted delish but have to eat paper as well.
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jane, the recipe calls for parchment paper, which is why your crisps may have stuck. Wax paper is not recommended for baking.
M.w Paper
0Mix it up , I made pepper jack, and did pickle. As long as you use a firm cheese, you can go wild. PS do not try no stick silicone sheets, stick to b parchment paper
Tara Poston
0This recipe is amazing. It’s so easy and quick which is a big thing for me when a crunch craving hits! 🙂 I love all of your recipes and I’ve been experimenting a lot more in the kitchen since my husband and I are really making an effort to cut out bad foods. Thanks for sharing!!
Cheryl Mierzejewski
0What exactly is the serving size per the calorie information?
Thanks
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Cheryl, The serving size is in the recipe notes right above the nutrition label.
Jacquie
0Tasty Tasty Tasty – what else can I say YUM
Linda
0Anxious to try these. How long will they stay fresh tasting? In other words, how long before serving them do I need to make them, hours, days?
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, you can store them covered for a few days in the fridge. If they lose their crispness, just return them to the oven to reheat and cool again.
Linda
0Mine get soft after they cool, is there a way to keep them crispy? I let them cool on a paper towel to soak up the grease. Then they get soft.
Wholesome Yum
0Hi Linda, if you don’t eat them right away they will soften a bit. If that happens, you can return them to the oven to reheat and then cool again to crisp up. I would also recommend letting them cool longer on the pan first.