These crunchy, golden parmesan crisps are the ultimate low-carb, keto-friendly snack you’ll want on repeat. Ready in less than 15 minutes, they’re perfect as party bites, to jazz up a cheese board, or as a crispy topping for salads, soups, or pasta.
If you’re looking to jazz up a dish or impress your friends, say hello to these easy Parmesan crisps. I can’t believe how simple these are to make! After watching contestants on MasterChef Australia (the superior version, in my opinion!) for years, I finally decided to give them a try. And it turns out, they’re literally just little piles of grated parmesan baked for 8 minutes. Seriously, that’s it!
Not only are these crisps a fab snack for anyone following a keto or low-carb diet, but they also add a wonderful crunch to all kinds of dishes.
- Sprinkle them over salads (I love them in a grilled chicken Caesar salad or chicken Caesar crispy rice salad).
- Use them as a pasta or risotto topper – this spaghetti carbonara with miso, zucchini and lemon pasta, 15-minute cacio e pepe, one-pot green goddess lasagna, tomato and mascarpone risotto, or spicy cheesy gochujang risotto are my faves for this.
- Throw them on top of soups for texture (this works brilliantly for this roasted cauliflower cheese soup, tomato and red bell pepper soup, or even this one-pot white chicken chili).
- Add them to a cheese and charcuterie board for instant wow factor (they’re definitely worth adding to a Christmas charcuterie wreath!)
You can also get creative by mixing your favorite herbs and spices into the grated cheese.
Black pepper works well for a cacio e pepe-inspired parmesan crisp, or use thyme, za’atar, nutty dukkah, homemade everything bagel seasoning, or smoked paprika work brilliantly.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Parmesan cheese. For the best flavor and crispiness, grate the cheese yourself rather than using pre-grated Parmesan. Pre-grated cheese often contains anti-clumping agents that can affect how it melts and the taste of your crisps. I’ve tested both, and freshly grated is far superior. You could also use another similar hard, sharp cheese, like Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano, Asiago, or Manchego. The flavor will be slightly different, but they’ll behave the same as Parmesan.
How to Make Parmesan Crisps
This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the Parmesan crisps. The full instructions with ingredient quantities is at the bottom of the page for you.
1. Grate your Parmesan, then arrange it in small piles on a lined baking pan, leaving a little space between each. This will give them room to spread as they bake.
2. Lightly press down on top of each pile with the back of a teaspoon to create a more cohesive circle. Don’t worry if they spread a little during baking, that’s normal. And if they do merge into a giant crisp, well…that’s not a bad thing either!
3. Transfer the Parmesan circles to the oven and bake until gorgeously golden and crispy. Keep a close eye on them – every oven is different and they can burn quickly. Overcooked crisps will taste bitter, so timing is key.
4. Let the crisps cool on their tray for a couple of minutes – they’ll continue to crisp up as they cool. Then, they’re ready to enjoy!
Parmesan Crisps FAQs
You can, but you won’t get the best results. Pre-grated cheese is often coated with an anti-clumping agent, so it won’t melt as cleanly in the oven, and it won’t taste as good. I recommend grating the cheese yourself if possible.
If you store them in an airtight container at room temperature, they’ll last for 2 to 3 weeks.
You sure can! For the most similar results, go for Pecorino Romano or Grada Padano, though Asiago and Manchego work well too. I’ve even tested the recipe with sharp cheddar – it works, but the cheddar is oilier, so it does spread in the oven more.
They’re a wonderful snack on their own, but you can use them in so many ways:
– Use them in place of crackers or as part of a cheese and charcuterie board (I love them on a Christmas charcuterie wreath).
– As a pasta or risotto topper – this spaghetti carbonara with miso, zucchini and lemon pasta, 15-minute cacio e pepe, one-pot green goddess lasagna, tomato and mascarpone risotto, or spicy cheesy gochujang risotto are great options for this.
– Add them to salads, or crumble them in. This grilled chicken Caesar salad is excellent for this, or you could scatter them on top of this lovely roasted butternut squash and feta salad. I also use them in my Caesar-inspired Parmesan roasted cauliflower salad.
– Pop them on top of soups for texture – try them with this roasted cauliflower cheese soup, roasted tomato and red pepper soup, one-pot white chicken chili, or this roasted butternut squash soup.
– You can also crumble them up and use them as ‘Parmesan dust’ for a finishing touch on (basically) anything!
I recommend lining your baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent any sticking – this should solve it. Avoid making your cheese piles too thin, as very thin layers can stick.
To prevent excess spreading, make sure you leave space between each cheese pile because they will naturally spread. The step of pressing the top of each pile with your spoon also helps them keep their shape, as does using freshly grated cheese.
Like this recipe? Try these cheesy ideas next
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Quick Parmesan Crisps – Low-Carb, Keto Snack
- Total Time: 13 minutes
- Yield: 12 crisps
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These crunchy, golden parmesan crisps are the ultimate low-carb, keto-friendly snack you’ll want on repeat. Ready in less than 15 minutes, they’re perfect as party bites, to jazz up a cheese board, or as a crispy topping for salads, soups, or pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven. Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C fan) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Form the Parmesan crisps. Using a teaspoon, pile small mounds of grated Parmesan onto the lined baking sheet, leaving an inch or so in between each. Use the back of the spoon to lightly flatten the mounds to form cohesive circles. You should get about 12 Parmesan circles.
- Bake the crisps. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for about 8 minutes, or until the Parmesan crisps look gorgeously golden and crispy. Keep a close eye on them, as ovens can vary, and overcooked crisps can taste bitter.
- Cool and serve. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, and then the crisps cool on the sheet for a few minutes. They’ll continue to crisp up as they cool. Once firm, they’re ready to enjoy in whatever way you’d like!
Notes
STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: The parmesan crisps will keep for 2 to 3 weeks stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
CHEESE ALTERNATIVES: For the most similar flavor, you can use Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano, though Asiago or Manchego work well too. I’ve tested the recipe with sharp cheddar, and it works, but the cheese does spread more in the oven (as it’s oilier). So just make sure to separate them a bit more if you try this with cheddar.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Use the parmesan crisps as a snack, in place of crackers on a cheese or charcuterie board (they’re great on a Christmas charcuterie wreath), as a garnish for pasta (they’re great on top of baked burrata and tomato pasta), risotto (try them with tomato and mascarpone risotto), salad (I use them in my Caesar potato salad), or soup (perfect with roasted tomato soup or cauliflower cheese soup).
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS: Try sprinkling your favorite herbs, spice, or spice mix on top of the Parmesan before baking – za’atar, nutty dukkah, smoked paprika, black pepper or homemade everything bagel seasoning are great choices.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 8
- Category: snacks
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 crisps
- Calories: 55
- Sugar: 0.1g
- Sodium: 226.1mg
- Fat: 3.6g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 0.5g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 9.6mg
It would be helpful to include an oven temperature in the guidelines, sorry if I missed it. I tried 425F and they started to burn at 7 minutes.
Hi Hannah! Sorry you missed the temperature – it’s in the first line of the recipe instructions 🙂 360F/180C is what’s best to prevent burning x