Parmesan Crisps

At a glance

What stands out: These Parmesan crisps make a rich low-carb snack, crunchy salad topper, or a pretty garnish, and you literally only need ONE ingredient to make them! The texture and flavor is so much better than store-bought cheese crisps.

How long it takes: 18 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: grater, sheet pan
Servings: 8

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Parmesan Cheese Crisps

You can buy Parmesan crisps (and other crispy cheese snacks) at the store, but there is absolutely no reason to because they are so incredibly straightforward to mix yourself. It’s just a matter of grating cheese, making little piles, and baking it. The oven does all the work.

Aside from the “it’s straightforward!” factor, from-scratch Parmesan crisps are tastier than store-bought crisps, which are good, but not great. There’s something just a little off about the flavor of manufactured cheese crisps, and they don’t have the delicate lacy texture that these from-scratch Parm crisps boast. You’re gonna love ’em!

From-scratch Parmesan Crisps

Only one ingredient. These from-scratch Parmesan crisps are made with just cheese and nothing else (although you can add seasonings if you’d like). Almost any cheese is an option, but we like Parmesan best. Parmesan cheese has a fantastic nutty flavor, and it’s fairly dry which means the cheese crisps up nicely. Just one ingredient means you get that pure unadulterated Parmesan flavor. Yes!

Speedy and straightforward. These crisps come together with just ten minutes of prep time and eight minutes in the oven. If you can grate cheese and turn on your oven, you can easily make these crisp cheesy snacks.

Versatile. There are endless ways to use Parmesan crisps. You can totally whip them up for a speedy low carb snack. (For more straightforward low carb snack ideas, check out our air fryer cauliflower and this bacon guacamole appetizer.) But they’re not just for snacking! Add them to salads and soups, use them for garnishes, or come up with your own ideas.

What goes in

• Parmesan cheese: Buy a block or wedge of cheese and shred it yourself. Use the larger holes so the cheese is shredded, not finely grated. The authentic Italian cheese is usually labeled Parmigiano Reggiano. It’s worth a splurge! Read the tip below for more about what kind of cheese to use.
• Optional flavorings: Sometimes it’s fun to experiment with different seasonings. Italian seasoning is always a good match, or other dried herbs. Grate black pepper on the crisps (for cacio e pepe vibes!) or sprinkle them with red pepper flakes. Keep reading for more seasoning ideas.

Ingredient Tip

Be sure to shred your own Parmesan for this recipe. The shelf-stable Parmesan cheese in the green containers won’t work because it is too finely grated, and has preservatives and anti-clumping additives. The refrigerated shreds are better than the green can but when we tested this recipe, we found that pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as smoothly and the flavor is less robust.

How it comes together

Prepare. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

Add the cheese to the pan. Portion the shredded cheese in tablespoon-size circles on the prepared baking sheet. Lightly spread the cheese out so that the circles are roughly 2 to 3 inches across. They don’t have to be evenly round. Leave an inch of space between each because they will spread.

Season. If you’re using any of the optional flavorings, sprinkle them over the cheese now.

Bake. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 7 to 8 minutes. Watch the magic happen! First, the cheese will melt, then it will start to darken. You want the Parmesan crisps a nice golden brown. Once they get dark, they’ll be more brittle and crumbly—and obviously, once they burn, they’re not going to taste good at all!

Cool. Let the Parmesan crisps cool for 5 minutes. They’ll get crispier as they cool (and they cool quickly). Serve them immediately or store them until you’re ready to serve them.

Straightforward Recipe Variations

• Try other cheeses. An aged, sharp cheddar is good for crisping up too! Sarvecchio, which is similar to Parmesan, would be fabulous as well. Asiago or aged provolone would work, too. Lean more toward drier varieties which are aged longer and have a sharper profile. Soft fresh cheese won’t work for this recipe.
• Experiment with other flavorings. Really, anything goes here. Everything bagel seasoning is popular. Add garlic powder to make garlic Parmesan crisps. Heat them up with a spicy hit of red pepper flakes.
• Make them on demand. Once the cheese is shredded, it can be refrigerated in an airtight container, ready to go. If you want to make a small batch of Parmesan crisps, use your toaster oven. It preheats quickly and your crisps will be ready in no time!

How to Serve Parmesan Crisps

Salads. Think cheese crisps instead of croutons. Add Parmesan crisps on top of this house salad or kale salad with apples and golden raisins for extra crunch and flavor.

Soup topper. Crumble up a few crisps into a bowl of soup, or float one or two whole crisps on top for a more dramatic presentation. They’d be great with this smoky roasted tomato soup.

Snack. Eat them on their own or dip them in bread dipping oil for a keto snack.

Garnish. Use these crisps as a garnish for vegetables, pasta, risotto, and more. Try them with our Instant Pot risotto recipe or lemon roasted broccoli. The possibilities are endless!

Keeping leftovers

Let the Parmesan crisps cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. If they’re even a touch warm, they’ll steam in the container and lose their crispiness. Store at room temperature for up to 5 days.

• Yield: 8
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 8 minutes
• Total: 18 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 ounces Parmesan cheese, freshly shredded (see note)
• optional: 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs (e.g., Italian seasoning)
• optional: freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, to taste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Place 1 tablespoon of shredded Parmesan cheese onto the prepared baking sheet, lightly spreading it out, as evenly as possible, into a small circle, around 2 to 3 inches wide. Leave about 1 inch of space between each mound to allow for spreading. Repeat with the remaining cheese to make 16 crisps.
3. If desired, sprinkle cheese with dried herbs, black pepper, and/or red pepper flakes.
4. Place the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and light golden brown. Keep a close eye on the crisps as they can go from perfect to overdone quickly.
5. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the Parmesan crisps cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes. They will crisp up as they cool.
6. Remove from the baking sheet, using a spatula, and serve.

Notes

Shredded cheese: It’s best if you shred your own Parmesan cheese; it will melt and taste better. We use a box grater with the medium-sized holes. Four ounces of cheese yields a generous cup of shredded cheese, and will make 16 crisps. Once the cheese is shredded, it can be refrigerated in an airtight container until you’re ready to use it.

Storage: Cool Parmesan crisps completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 5 days.

Toaster oven: To make a small batch of Parmesan crisps, preheat your toaster oven to 400°F (it preheats quickly). Line a small baking pan with parchment paper, arrange shredded cheese to make 3 to 4 crisps, depending on the size of your toaster oven. Bake as directed.