Cheese Crisps

What Are Cheese Crisps?

Cheese crisps are baked discs of grated cheese with an airy, crunchy texture and a rich flavor.

What Cheese Makes the Best Crisps?

The best choice of cheese for baked cheese crisps is a HARD CHEESE variety such as Parmesan, Pecorino or Grana Padono. These cheeses, also known as granular, have low moisture content of about 25 to 40 percent of their dry weight. This results in a richer perceived flavor and a superb crunch for your cheese crisps!

The second best choice is a SEMI-HARD CHEESE such as Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Gouda or Kashkaval. Semi-hard cheeses have a slightly higher moisture content of around 50 percent of dry weight but can still bake to a crunchy disc when allowed extra time.

NOTE: The lower the moisture content of the cheese the crispier the cheese discs.

Ingredients

Cheese. For this demonstration of cheese crisps we are using a Parmesan block to prepare them. Generally, freshly grated cheese makes better, more cohesive crisps. If you have pre-shredded cheese you can still use it, it tends to be drier.

Seasonings. We are adding finely chopped fresh rosemary and ground black pepper to the Parmesan cheese to give it a bit of an herbal aroma and accent its deep umami flavor.

Other Ideas for Flavoring Baked Cheese Crisps

Suitable herbs (fresh or dried) to substitute for the rosemary are Italian oregano, thyme, chives (including garlic chives), summer savory, Italian parsley, sage, dill and others.

Suitable spices besides black pepper that we like to use are paprika (including smoked paprika on occasion), red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, everything bagel mix, za'atar seasoning.

Of course, there is nothing wrong with simply using the cheese by itself, without any additions of seasonings, or combining two or more cheeses.

How to Make Cheese Crisps

1. Grate the cheese, season it with your choice of flavorings and then use a tablespoon measure to form and flatten mounds onto a baking sheet.
2. Place baking sheet in a 400 F pre-heated oven and bake until the chips have been bubbly and are just beginning to subside their bubbling, about 11 minutes, just starting to turn golden (with pale cheese, golden brown with orange hued cheeses).

Now you can review the step-by-step pictures presented below and consider the tips that follow. The Recipe Card is at the end of the post.

Beginning with the prep work,

Once the prep work has been completed,

NOTE: The exact time it takes for the cheese crisps to bake depends on the type of cheese, thickness of the discs (flatter bake faster) and the strength calibration of the oven. We recommend that you watch them closely and rely on the visual indicators described above in addition to the time lapsed.

Useful Tips

• Grating the cheese is always easier when it is cold, right out of the fridge. If using already grated cheese start with it cold as well.

• For hard cheeses it is much easier to use a food processor or even a blender to do the job. Simply cut a block of cheese into cubes, place those in the bowl of a food processor and use the (typically) large shredding attachment on top to grate.

• Chop up the rosemary very fine, applicable for other fresh herbs as well. More of the essential oils are released that way and also you will not have large green particles of un-crispy nature inside the baked cheese crisps.

Cheese Crisp Bark

You can make cheese bark simply by creating a wide, elongated form onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. We usually fit two on a half sheet. The bark bakes in about the same time and is easy and fun to snap into irregular shapes and shards if you will be using it for garnishing dishes (see below).

Serving Ideas

Below are just a few suggestions on how to enjoy Parmesan cheese crisps, the ones we strongly favor. The possibilities extend far beyond what we've included, enjoy the crisps your own way.

As you vary the cheese you use you can also fine-tune the type of food and beverage you serve the crisps with (ex. cheddar cheese crisps are lovely with apple chutney or simply thin green apple slices).

as a savory snack - Parmesan crisps partner amazingly well with an effervescent beer

as an appetizer with hot honey - Parmesan or Pecorino cheese crisps drizzled with or dipped in hot honey or simply floral honey create a delightful combination, especially served with fruity Pinot Grigio

as part of cheese platters - often everyone's favorite, especially in combination with fruit like white grapes or peach slices

as garnish for risotto - split a cheese crisp into two half-circles and elegantly perch them in the center of a bowl of risotto

as scooping cheese chips for creamy polenta appetizers or dips like hummus

as a decadent addition to cream soups such as potato-leek

crumbled over salads - try them as a Keto version of croutons on a Cesar salad or over a wilted kale salad

Storage

Cheese crisps can be stored at room temperature on the counter in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Only place them in a container once they have completely cooled down.

That being said, we prefer and recommend that you store any leftover crisps first wrapped in parchment paper and then placed in a freezer bag or an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will save for a longer time and the process is generally better food safety wise.

Other Cheese Snacks

Brazillian Grilling Cheese Skewers | Bread Cheese | Fried Mozzarella | Cheddar Scones | Antipasto Pasta Salad