Chili Crunch Cheese Crisps

Chili Crunch Cheese Crisps- These 2 ingredient crispy snacks are equal parts spicy and savory.

December 11, 2024 by Nicole Collins

Today, we’re making Chili Crunch Cheese Crisps!

It’s Day 11 in our 12 Days of Cheese series, and today we’re making the easiest 2 ingredient snack that’s loaded with savory spicy flavor.

We’ve all seen the bags of crunchy cheese crisps in the grocery store, but do you have any idea how easy they are to make yourself at home? Truth be told, I’ve never been a fan of those cheese cracker situations, because I think they’re too salty and flat on flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I love a crispy cheesy edge on something like a grilled cheese or a taco. But, those grocery cheese crisps have always been missing a little something for me.

I’m sure I told you about this, but I took a cooking class at work a few years ago where we learned about balancing flavors. We learned about those basic flavors that encompass salt, acid, fat, heat, and sweet; then we learned how to use them to balance each other out. So, if something is too acidic, try adding fat. If something is too sweet, try adding salt. And, if something is too salty, try adding spice. So, that’s the exact concept I used to change my mind about cheese crisps!

These are so unbelievably simple, there’s not much to say about them. We’ll start by lining a baking sheet with parchment paper, then dropping little piles of shredded cheese all over the baking sheet. Now most of the time, I preach that shredding your own cheese is the way to go. And, you absolutely can do that if you want. But, preshredded bagged cheese actually works just fine for this project too.

Next, we’re going to top each little mound of cheese with some chili crisp. I like to use the chili onion crunch from Trader Joes, because I love how it’s a little heavier on the onion flavor. Now a jar of chili crunch is half oil and half crispy bits. The crispy bits are what we want for this. Try to drain off as much oil as you can before dolloping the chili crunch on top of the cheese.

Then, to the oven these go for about 10 minutes, and that’s really all there is to it. These might still look a little wet or oily when they come out of the oven. But give them about a minute to cool, and they’ll crisp right up. Drag them over a paper towel to drain off any excess oil, and we’re ready to enjoy!

These crispy crunchy snacks are so versatile. You could add them to a cheese board. You could use them as a cracker for a dip. You could crunch them up over a salad. Or, you could simply eat them straight up as is as a slightly spicy, savory snack! You’ve got soooo many options!

Ok, everyone! There’s only one day left in this year’s 12 Days of series. Can you even believe it? Where have these past two weeks gone?!?

I hope you guys enjoy, and let’s eat!

Chili Crunch Cheese Crisps

Serves: 32 crisps Print

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 tsp chili crisp (I like chili onion crunch from Trader Joes)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Drop cheese into ½ tbsp piles on the baking sheet, and slightly spread cheese piles into a mostly flat, round layer. Drizzle 1/8 tsp chili crisp over each cheese pile.
Bake for 10-11 minutes until golden and crispy. Allow crisps to set on the baking sheet for 2-3 mins, then transfer to a paper towel to drain off any excess oil. Enjoy!

Recipe notes:

*Try to use as little of the oil from the chili crisp as possible. We want more of the crunch part than the oil part.

*If you want less of a spicy kick, only use 1/16 tsp of chili crisp for each cheese pile.

*These are great as a snack, as a dipper, or even as a salad topping.

*Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days.