An easy one ingredient keto cheese crackers recipe that'll become your new favorite low carb crispy snack in just 15 minutes! They taste so close to Cheez-its, plus they're literally just cheese crackers with sliced cheese baked in the oven... brilliant!
Made these with white cheddar yesterday and they are so good! Definitely curbed our cravings for a crispy, cracker like snack. Will be making more! ~ Jody on Pinterest
I made these with colby jack ultra thin cheese and onion powder and everything but bagel seasoning. They were thin and crispy just like chips. Loved them. ~ Debbie on Pinterest
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Baked cheese slices make the best crackers!
If you've been wondering if you can make crackers out of cheese, you're in luck. They're super easy to bake in your oven and you'll be mind blown on why you haven't made these sooner. We show you how to air fry them too!
These are made with no almond flour or flour, we found it wasn't necessary to mix in extra ingredients, all you need are cheese slices and you're good to go.
Our recipe shows you how to make these with either thin cheese slices or thicker pre-sliced slices. I personally prefer the extra thin slices, but many of our readers prefer using thicker cheese. It's a personal preference and both taste great! We recommend you experiment with different types of cheese and flavors! If you don't use the extra thin slices, the cheese crisps will take slightly longer to cook than the recipe states.
Our crackers make the best zero carb snack, plus they're low carb, gluten-free, and vegetarian too. Serve them plain, add a bit of hot sauce or seasoning, or dip them in your favorite sauce or even into buffalo chicken dip or guacamole.
Ingredients you'll need
To make cheese crackers with cheese slices, you literally just need the cheese. You can season them if you'd like, but it's totally optional. While you can cut your own cheese, buying pre-sliced pieces makes it even easier and helps to make sure your pieces are a uniform size.
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese slices - we like using the ultra thin Sargento cheese slices to maintain that square shape. I've only been able to find it at Target. Anything other than ultra thin cheese, could spread into the other slices and need to be cut into "cheeze-its" with a pizza cutter (which is totally fine too!)
- seasoning ideas (optional) - garlic salt or garlic powder, onion powder, everything but the bagel seasoning, pickle seasoning, red pepper flakes, or even a dab of hot sauce
Variations
Add a slice of pepperoni in the center, a thin pickle slice, or pickled japaleno!
Kitchen tools
- A rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (get one that fits your pan size)
How to make homemade cheese crackers
- Preheat the oven to 350F and put the oven rack in the center position. Put a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet to prevent the cheese from sticking.
- Cut slices of cheese into fourths.
- Lay the cheese slice squares onto the parchment paper, making sure to spread them out to try and prevent them from melting into each other.
- Bake the cheese slices for 15 minutes, remove them from the oven, and let them cool for 5 minutes. They'll harden as they cool. Use a tip of a knife to get them off of the parchment, if needed. If you're using regular pre-sliced cheese slices, they might take longer to bake. Enjoy!
Keto cheese crackers recipe tips
- Be sure to use parchment paper, the cheese will stick to either wax paper, foil, or a plain baking sheet.
- Let the cheese crisps set for 5-10 minutes before trying to remove them from the pan.
- We recommend using sharp cheddar cheese since that's the variety that will give you the best Cheez-it's flavor but other flavors readers have tried and love are Cabot sharp white cheddar, Swiss cheese, or mozzarella.
- Keep a close eye on the cooking time the first time you make these! The baking time can vary depending on your oven, how thick the cheese is, and even the variety of cheese.
- The cheese will get even crisper as it cools. If by some chance your cheese doesn't seem to be crisp and cooked through (maybe it's thicker than the cheese used in this recipe or a different type of cheese?), simply pop it back in the oven for another minute or two, keeping a close eye on the cheese crackers so they don't burn.
- Sometimes the outer pieces are done and crisp but the inside pieces on the pan aren't quite done. If this happens to you, simply remove the crispy pieces, spread the remaining cheese crackers on the pan, and bake for a couple more minutes or so.
Can I use regular cheese slices instead of thin?
The cheese slices we used when we originally tested this recipe back in 2018 were pre-sliced ¼" thick squares. As you can see in the photo below, they spread into the other slices. After they cooled a bit (5-10 minutes), it was easy to cut them into cracker pieces with a pizza cutter. This is why we recommend the ultra thin cheese, but honestly, these will still taste the same!
Storing leftover crisps
This is one of those recipes that works best when you eat them right away. While the crackers harden after they cool, you can pretty much just keep them out for that day. Otherwise, since they're dairy they need to be stored in the fridge--which softens the cheese a tiny bit. They're still super tasty even if they're a little softer after refrigeration.
If you make more than you or others can eat at one time, just either eat them a little softer (they're still tasty!), or pop them back in a 350F oven for 5 minutes or briefly in an air fryer to briefly crisp them up again.
Air fryer recipe
To cook these in an air fryer instead of baking them in the oven, follow the recipe above. You just need to change the cooking time and temperature.
- Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of your air fryer.
- Space out the cheese slices so they don't melt into each other.
- Add seasoning if desired.
- Air fry on 320 F for 10 minutes, flipping halfway.
Air fryer note: Our crisps blew to one side of the basket during cooking, they didn't stay in one nice neat spot like they do in the oven. They still turned out great!
Reader questions
Depending on how close together the cheese is on the pan, the cheese will most likely spread a bit as it melts. If the cheese melts into the other cheese squares, don't worry, they'll still turn out amazing!
This will also happen if you use regular cheese slices and not the ultra thin slices,
After the cheese crackers cool enough to handle, use a pizza cutter, kitchen shears, or knife to cut the pieces into cracker size.
Some types of cheese will alter the color of the cheese crackers when they're finished. When I cooked a batch with sharp cheddar they turned out orange, but when I made a batch with a Colby Jack blend they came out light brownu002du002dat first, I wondered if I accidentally overcooked that batch, but they tasted delicious! Brown is just the color the cheese turned after baking.
The cheese slices cool at least 5 minutes to "set" or they'll stick to the pan. If they're still sticking after 5 minutes, let them cool 5 more and check them again 🙂
Yep! Just make a little mound of shredded cheese in place of slices, like we did with our parmesan cheese crisps.
More low carb snacks
- microwave pepperoni chips
- 6-minute parmesan crisps
- Healthy charcuterie plate
- Zucchini parmesan chips
And be sure to pin the recipe for later on Pinterest so you can easily get back to it!
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Recipe
Keto Cheese Crackers
Ingredients
- 8 oz cheddar cheese slices thin sliced, other types of cheese like Monterey Jack, Swiss, or white cheddar work too
- seasoning to taste any seasoning like garlic powder or garlic salt, everything bagel seasoning, onion powder, or a dab of hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Turn the oven to 350 F to preheat and make sure the oven rack is in the center position.
- Put a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet to prevent the cheese from sticking.
- Lay the cheese slice squares onto the parchment paper, making sure to spread them out to try and prevent them from melting into each other. Sprinkle on your seasoning of choice (or they're great without too!)
- Bake the cheese crackers for about 15 minutes (start checking on them after 12 minutes). Remove them from the oven and let them cool for 5 minutes. They'll continue to harden as they cool. Enjoy! Yours could take longer than this depending on your oven, how thick your cheese is, and what type of cheese you're using.
Notes
- Be sure to use parchment paper, the cheese will stick to either wax paper, foil, or a plain baking sheet. Let the crisps set for 5-10 minutes before trying to remove them from the pan.
- Keep a close eye on these the first time you bake them, the cooking time can vary for many reasons like the thickness of the cheese or even the type of cheese you're using!
- Sometimes the outer pieces are done and crisp but the inside pieces on the pan aren't quite done. If this happens to you, simply remove the crispy pieces, spread the remaining cheese crackers on the pan, and bake them for a couple more minutes or so.
- Depending on how close together the cheese is on the pan, the cheese could spread as it melts. If the cheese melts into the other cheese squares, don't worry, they'll still turn out amazing! Just cut them into little squares with a pizza cutter or sharp knife.
- To make in an air fryer - lay parchment at the bottom of the air fryer. Spread the cheese slices out so they don't melt into each other. Air fry to cheese slices on 320 F for 10 minutes until they're crispy.
Kim says
How do you store the crackers after you make them? And how long do they last?
WholeLottaYum says
I store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. They won't be as crisp but you could give them a quick crisp in an air fryer or oven. Just keep a close eye on them so they don't burn.
Ash says
Can it be done with Kraft singles?
Amanda Courtney says
Well I didn't have any parchment paper so I tryed it anyway. Yes they stuck but the little I was able to taste was AWESOME. I used colby jack cheese with a hint of garlic. I think I swallowed some paper 🤣
Jill says
Do they need to be refrigerated?
WholeLottaYum says
Yes, they do since they're made of dairy.
Dee says
Keto Cheese Crackers are so so good!
Ann says
I will do better next time. They burnt.