Golden Cheddar Cheese Crisps

Lacy, crunchy golden cheddar cheese crisps are stress-free, easy party appetizers. Ready in under 30 minutes.

By
Sally Vargas
Sally Vargas
Sally Vargas

Sally is the author of four cookbooks and is a regular correspondent for the Boston Globe Wednesday Food Section. She also is a food photographer.

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Updated September 22, 2022
Sally Vargas
Golden Cheddar Cheese Crisps
Sally Vargas

These lacy little crisps are just what you need for an easy and stress-free holiday party.

Serve them as an appetizer with a glass of wine or at the table alongside a bowl of soup. Or just snack on them all by themselves.

Be warned, however: It's impossible to eat just one.

These cheese crisps couldn’t be easier to make. Just grate some cheese, add a little flour and spice, and stir in a spoonful of crunchy seeds.

You can drop them on a baking sheet with a tablespoon, but a 2-inch round cookie cutter helps keep the unwieldy little shreds of cheese from scattering. Use the cutter like a mold and drop spoonfuls inside.

Golden Cheddar Cheese Crisps
Sally Vargas

Don't forget to line the pans with parchment, or you'll never get the crisps off the baking sheet in one piece. Also be sure to leave a little space between each crisp. When the cheese melts in the oven, the mounds spread and flatten on the pan.

Out of the oven, they will crisp as they cool on the pan. You'll be able to lift and peel them easily off the parchment.

I like to add a hefty pinch of spicy cayenne to these, but use your own discretion. You can vary the type of seed you use, too. I often just grab what I have in the cupboard.

Golden Cheddar Cheese Crisps

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 24 servings

If you'd like, you can substitute another semi-hard cheese for the cheddar, like Swiss or Gruyere.

The crisps are best the day they are made. If they've gone a little soft, just pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to warm them up before serving. They will re-crisp as they cool.

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces sharp cheddar (about 2 cups grated)

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon paprika

  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

  • Pinch cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

  • 1 tablespoon black sesame, poppy, coriander, or cumin seed

Method

  1. Preheat the oven:

    Preheat the oven to 350°F.

    Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Using the large holes of a grater, grate the cheese.

  2. Make the crisp mix:

    In a bowl, combine the flour, paprika, baking powder, and cayenne. Add the butter, and mix with a fork or your fingers until blended in. Stir in the seeds. Add the grated cheese and toss with your hands to combine.

    Golden Cheddar Cheese Crisps
    Sally Vargas
  3. Form and bake the crisps:

    Mound tablespoon-size portions of the cheese mixture on the baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Flatten them slightly with the back of the spoon.

    It's not absolutely necessary, but you can also use a 2-inch round cookie cutter as a mold to keep the cheese tidy if you like. Place the cutter on the baking sheet and drop a spoonful of cheese mix into it. Lift the cutter, level the cheese, and repeat until you have made all the crisps.

    Golden Cheddar Cheese Crisps
    Sally Vargas
  4. Bake:

    Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until golden:

    Let the crisps cool completely on the baking sheets. Lift the edge of the parchment to lift the crisps off the baking sheet, then peel them off. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
88 Calories
7g Fat
2g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Amount per serving
Calories 88
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 20mg 7%
Sodium 125mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 139mg 11%
Iron 0mg 2%
Potassium 23mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.