These easy-baked cheese crisps are the perfect snack to satisfy your food cravings in just 10 minutes flat. They are super easy to make, customizable, inexpensive, and great for snacking.
🌟 Why I love this recipe
These cheese crisps are easy to prepare and baked in the oven for only 10 minutes. They are much healthier than their starchy potato counterparts and fill you up with just one serving.
This recipe is not the same as cheese crisps made with flour tortillas. Although that recipe is delicious, it doesn't even come close to these irresistible cheese crisps perfect as a light snack with sour cream or salsa dip.
When it comes to flavor and texture, cheese crisps don't disappoint. The cheesy flavor and crispy texture are similar to that of a grilled cheese sandwich but more intense and satisfying, meaning if you love grilled cheese sandwiches, you'll absolutely fall in love with cheese chips.
You can melt any cheese for cheese crisps, from pepper jack to mozzarella, but for this recipe, we're using cheddar cheese and a touch of garlic for additional flavor.
If you're a home cook and want some healthy recipes for your arsenal, this cheese chips recipe is a must-try! All you need to do is melt the cheese in the oven, let them cool, and that's it - they're ready to enjoy. Super EASY and super TASTY!
🍽 Ingredient Notes
The only ingredients you need for cheese crisps are cheese and garlic powder.
Cheddar cheese - You can use sharp, white, or mature cheddar for this recipe. Buy it in block form and grate it yourself or buy the shredded cheese variety.
Garlic powder - The garlic gives the cheese a robust, savory flavor (it's optional but makes a difference to the overall flavor).
Cheese Swaps
You can swap cheddar for Monterrey jack, double Gloucester, or pepper jack cheese without changing the flavor too much. Cheddar has a more profound flavor than other cheeses, so use a strongly flavored cheese for best results.
🔪 How to Make Cheese Crisps
Quick, easy, and healthy snacks don't get any better than these delicious cheese crisps. Learn how to make them with my easy-to-follow instructions, detailed recipes shots, helpful cooking tips, and tasty variations.
Preparations
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper sheets.
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Using a measuring spoon, drop 1 tablespoon pile of cheddar cheese about 2 inches apart (the cheese will spread, so don't arrange them too close on the baking sheet.
Step 2
Sprinkle the powdered garlic on each, just a pinch.
Step 3
Bake for 5-8 minutes until golden in color and melted.
Step 4
Remove from oven, lift parchment paper, and place on cooling racks.
Step 5
Dab the tops of cheddar crisps with a paper towel to remove some of the excess greases.
Serve with your favorite dip or store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Cooking Tips
Remove excess grease:
This step is essential if you want your cheese snacks to be crispy rather than limp, cold cheese. Remove the grease while they're cooling to keep them nice and crispy.
Cooking time:
Keep your eye on the cheese crisps as they melt and turn golden brown quickly. As soon as they turn golden brown, they're ready to take out.
Use parchment paper:
Don't skip this step. Although cheese is naturally oily, the cheese will stick to the baking sheet without placing parchment paper. Parchment paper is the best thing to use to bake the cheese crisps - and they slide off it once cooled.
Make small mounds of cheese:
The cheese will melt more than you think during baking, so be sure to place equal small mounds of cheese on the baking sheet.
📖 Delicious Crisps Variations
Homemade cheese crisps are customizable and delicious. You can mix your favorite seasonings to create amazing flavors like these variations.
Pizza Cheese Crisps with Pepperoni
You can't go wrong with my pizza cheese crisp recipe with mozzarella, pepperoni and a dash of Italian seasoning.
This variation uses pizza ingredients to make a delicious recipe. Using mozzarella gives these pizza crisps a creamy flavor, while the pepperoni adds to the crunchy texture.
- 9 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 9 slices pepperoni - thinly sliced
Italian Cheese Crisps
Move over pizza crisps, these Italian cheese crisps are just as flavorful. The perfect recipe for leftover shredded Italian cheese!
Swap the garlic for Italian seasoning for a herby cheese flavor. Use mozzarella, Taleggio, parmesan cheese, or a pre-mixed bag of Italian cheese instead of cheddar for Italian crisps.
- 1 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Bacon Cheddar Cheese Crisps
I'm a glutton for all things bacon! Blink and your precious bacon cheddar cheese crisps will be gone.
Add some bacon for a smokey flavor. Bacon & cheddar crisps are irresistible when combined and baked to perfection.
- I cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2-3 slices cooked bacon
Oh bacon, how I love thee. Learn how to bake bacon by ComfortableFood, which is literally the best way to cook bacon.
Chili Cheese Crisps
Cheese and chili powder are a match made in heaven!
If you like a bit of spice, try these chili crisps with Chihuahua cheese and some chili powder or cayenne pepper.
- 1 cup shredded cheese - I used Chihuahua
- chili powder - to taste
- garlic powder - to taste
🥗 What to serve with
Cheese crisps are great for serving with other party foods, as a low-carb snack on their own, or dipped in your favorite sauces. I happen to love my homemade ranch seasoning recipe combined with sour cream.
I like to make a few variations of cheese crisps and serve them with sour cream, BBQ sauce, queso dip, and ranch dressing for game day.
Although, most of the time, I eat them on their own as a quick snack to curb my food cravings. I'm totally in love the the crunchy texture of cheese crisps.
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my cheese crisps not crispy?
There are 2 reasons for soggy cheese crisps. One, the crisps need cooking longer until golden brown, and second, the excess grease from the cheese wasn't removed from the crisps when cooling.
Can I use sliced cheese for cheese crisps?
Yes, you can use sliced instead of grated cheese for cheese crisps. Cut the slices into small squares and place them on a lined baking sheet a few centromeres apart so that the cheese squares don't melt together.
How long do homemade cheese crisps last?
Homemade cheese crisps last 1 week in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer. Refrigerated cheese crisps are best consumed within 3-4 days, as they lose their crispness day by day.
🍳 Related Cheesy Recipes
If you love cheese, try one of these fantastic recipes next!
🧊 How to Store
Baked cheese crisps are great for freezing and storing at room temperature.
At room temperature - Dry the baked cheese crisps with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture and transfer them to an airtight container. Keep the container in a cupboard away from direct sunlight for up to 1 week.
Note that room temperature stored cheese crisps will start to lose their crispiness day by day, so enjoy them while they are crispy.
Freezer - Transfer the crisps to either sealed freezer bags or an airtight container, and place it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Note that after thawing the cheese crisps, they will not be as crispy as they were, but still delicious.
👪 Serving Size
This easy baked cheese crisps recipe will give you approximately 4 servings, but it's easily scalable for more guests, and they store well in case of any leftovers.
It's easy to make and perfect for anyone looking for a delicious cheesy snack. And if you're not into just melted cheese, try out some of the flavorful variations and let me know what you think.
📋 Recipe
Baked Cheese Crisps
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper sheets.
- Using a measuring spoon, drop 1 tablespoon piles of cheddar cheese about 2 inches apart (the cheese will spread so don't put them too close) on the baking sheet.
- Sprinkle garlic powder on each, just a pinch.
- Bake for 5-8 minutes (may vary, keep a close eye on them).
- Remove from oven and lift parchment paper and place on cooling racks.
- Dab tops of crisps with a paper towel to remove some of the excess grease (this is optional but if you don't do it, your crisps may be soggy - still yummy, but soggy - if you didn't cook them long enough).
- Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.
Anne
Mine first ones were undercooked, soggy, greasy.
I returned them to parchment paper and cookie sheet and rebaked for 3 more minutes. They ended up darker. I followed instructions and put parchment paper on cooling reck, then used half sheets of paper towels folded for each crisp. Now they were still a Lille greasy, but crispy this time. Will make these again, following instructions to a tea. Thanks for sharing.