Shop
My
Custom
FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook
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)
By
My quick & easy baked cheese crisps recipe will show you the basic method for crunchy cheese chips, plus 7 simple seasoning combinations!
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
-
In a medium bowl, stir the cheeses together.
-
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.
-
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.)
-
Allow the cheese chips to cool slightly in the pan, then transfer them to paper towels to drain and get crispy.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
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.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
Try More Of My Recipes
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
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:
229 Comments
Donna Batrone
0I make these almost weekly. They are so simple to make and delicious!
Susy
0I LOVE these! Actually, I even got so desperate after eating all that I’d baked, I tried some in the microwave. Just put the cheese right there on the glass plate in the microwave. Still came out great – easy and quick. I mixed up the cheeses and used pepper jack, cheddar, parmesan, and mixes of them. All were excellent! Thanks for this recipe!
Jenny
0I loved them! How do you store them? Do they need to be refrigerated?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jenny, These will last for up to a week when stored on the counter in an airtight container. I recommend baking them again briefly and then letting them cool to crisp up.
Terri
0I made them as directed and had every single one of them stick to the wax paper. So frustrating! I grated my own cheese (I think it tastes better) and used the seasoning. I decided to try again and used a silicone mat. Delicious but definitely NOT crispy. Any help would really be appreciated!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Terri, You need to bake these on parchment paper, not wax paper. Wax paper is not safe for the oven, so the wax probably melted and caused sticking. I would not eat them if you used wax paper. If you do try them with parchment paper, note that you may need to add a little extra time to get them crispy but watch them carefully, as they go from done to burned fast. Also, allow them to cool fully and they should firm up. Hope this helps!
Chris
0Worst recipe ever! I tried this FIVE times and the crisps would NOT remove from the parchment paper ever after cooling. They were glued down. I ever tried spray oil after the third time! I followed the instructions exactly, and this was a total disaster. What a total let down when wanting a good snack.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Chris, Sorry to hear this recipe didn’t turn out for you. Are you using freshly shredded cheese or from a bag? Also, are you letting the crisps cool fully before removing them from the pan?
ESS
0Do they freeze well?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi ESS, I don’t recommend freezing these, they do great in the fridge in an air-tight container. Enjoy!
Scotty Andrade
0Hi again! I should have read the comments below first! Lol. I see that you store the chips at room temperature in an air tight container. Thanks all!
Andrea Zatuchney
0How far in advance can you make these?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Andrea, These will last for up to a week in the fridge, but they’ll soften, so you’ll need to crisp them up briefly in the oven and let them cool again.
Scotty Andrade
0Thanks for posting this! I love the packaged cheese crisps you can buy in the store, but they are so expensive. I can’t wait to try your recipe!
I’m sure it will be awesome! My question is… How do you store these chips? I would like to make a large batch to munch on during the week. Any tips on storage so they stay crispy?
Thank you!
Dee
0I used cheddar and parm like the recipe said, but my chips did not get crispy. I will try again with just the parm cheese.
Carolee
0They are delicious,I made them twice in two day there really great
Debra Favaloro
0Can I use cheddar and pepper jack cheeses? I’m not really fond of Parmesan. I tried making just cheddar crisp and they didn’t get crisp. I found your recipe (love it) and now know it was thickness and amount of cheese that I had wrong. Thank you in advance for your advice.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Debra, Yes, both will work! Cheddar or pepper jack crisps need to bake longer than parmesan crisps do. They won’t get as crunchy as parm crisps, but they are able to dip and hold toppings for things like nachos. I hope this helps!
Joan Rosenberg
0My first try at cheese crisps…I couldn’t stop eating them!!! They are crispy and salty, sooo much better than store bought! I split them, 1/2 plain, 1/2 Italian herbs, both great.
Debra
0I made 2 batches in 2 days ! It’s so easy and so nice to eat !
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.