Guys, I just made keto popcorn cheese puffs and I am DEAD. They were SO good. Seriously, they are the perfect zero carb keto snack. I just did a little test run with just two ounces of cheese and to be honest I’m glad I didn’t make more because I think I could have devoured an entire pound in one sitting. They’re crispy, crunchy, cheesy, and everything you want in a snack.
I am a snack monster in the best of times (please check out my favorite keto snacks here!) and the worst of times. Sometimes I think I could live on snacks alone. But the problem is, almost all snacks are super carb-heavy. I’m talking about chips and popcorn of course. There’s something about snacking, it’s almost like it is a law that snacks need to be crunchy and satisfying. Most low-carb snacks aren’t but I am here to save you from bad snacks. Keto popcorn cheese puffs are here!
Keto popcorn cheese puffs are super easy to make at home, just one ingredient, and zero carb. I mean, win-win-win, am I right?!
I first came across these when I did a google search for the best keto snacks to make at home. Keto popcorn kept coming up and after a few clicks down the google hole later, I knew that I had to make them. In three days. Because yes, it takes some time to prep your cheese before you make these guys. But trust me, it’s worth it. If you like ParmCrisps, Whisps, Moon Cheese or any of those other crispy cheese snacks you need to make these at home because they’re cheaper, more delicious (try them when they’re a little warm), and homemade.
What is Keto Popcorn?
Keto popcorn is not actually popcorn, it’s popped cheese! Little crispy, crunchy nuggets of air fried or oven baked puffed cheese. It’s zero carbs depending on the cheese you use and the most satisfying, addictive, crunchy keto snack.
Ingredients for Making Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs
Cheese. Yup, that’s it. All you need is cheese and how much you make is up to you.
What Kind of Cheese Can I Use to Make Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs?
I used medium cheddar but you can use any hard to medium hard firm cheese with a relatively low moisture content: parmesan, pardano, pecorino, white cheddar, gouda, colby, manchego, asiago, comte, emmental, gruyere, monterey jack, colby jack. Basically any cheese than can dry out to hard as a rock can be puffed.
How to Make Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs
1. Cut or crumble up your cheese of choice: I chose to crumble to make the puffs look more organic. You can do whatever is easiest. Aim for pieces that are 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch in size and try to keep them relatively consistent.
2. Dry out the cheese: Place the cheese pieces on a paper towel lined plate or tray and cover with another paper towel. Pop into your fridge. You could leave them out at room temp which is what all of the other recipes online say but the truth is the fridge is great at dehydrating and removing moisture.
3. Bake or Air-Fry: Either bake in a 390°F oven until puffy or pop into an air fryer at 390°F for 5 minutes. I prefer the air-fryer version because after waiting days for the cheese to dry out I don’t really want to wait for the oven to preheat.
4. Enjoy! Crunchy your way to satisfaction.
What are the Macros for Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs?
To be honest, this is going to change depending on what cheese you use. Just be sure that your cheese is truly zero carbs if you’re looking for a really zero carb snack!
Keto Air Fryer Popcorn Cheese Puffs Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz cheese of choice
Instructions
- Cut or crumble the cheese into very small 1/4 inch pieces. Place a paper towel on a tray and lay out the cheese pieces. Cover with another paper towel and place in the fridge to dry out for 3-5 days, or until completely dry and very hard. If the cheese doesn’t dry it out, it will just melt in the oven instead of puffing and turning crunchy.
To Bake
- Heat the oven to 390°F and bake on a parchment paper lined baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, or until puffed. Let cool before enjoying!
To Air Fry
- Preheat the air fryer to 390°F. Place the pieces of cheese in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 390°F. Let cool and enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
Share it on instagram and tag it #iamafoodblog. If you'd like to leave a rating without leaving a comment, you can do so by clicking the stars underneath the recipe name.Thanks for reading as always!
-Steph & Mike
Hmm…I dried out some cheddar cheese cubes (about a 1/2 inch) and then tried to puff them in the oven. They didnt puff but, instead, released a lot oil. Cheap cheese?
hi lynette,
how long did you dry out the cheese for? it needs to basically be dehydrated for it to puff up. the surface of the cheese should not have any sort of oily sheen on it before it goes in the oven. hope that helps a bit!
Left my cheese uncovered in the fridge for about a week and a half (forgot about it). Had to take the air fryer outside because it smoked like crazy, but the cheese puffs are beautiful. Thanks so much for this!
I was SUPER skeptical, but seperated the cheese, left it out for 5 days, air fried it, and OMG! It’s amszing! It’s SO simple, and the end product is pretty darn impressive! Now if you excuse me, I’ve got some more seperating to do!
I waited the 3 days out. I used provolone and cut them 1/4 by 1/4. They dried super hard and popped like a dream. Then I shook them in melted butter while still warm and topped with kettle popcorn seasoning. Perfect for family movie night. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
wife and I were just complaining about how expensive moon cheese is. so I looked up how it is made and going to try it right away.
I can’t wait to try this. I’m glad I decided to see if anyone was dehydrating or air frying cheese before I spent more money on expensive snacks!! 8m curious how do I log this? Do calories or macros change from original cheese state?
I made these drying out in the counter and they came out amazing! When I dried in the fridge they melted in a blob of oil.
I dried Emmental and extra mature cheddar in fridge over Christmas period. Emmental puffed, cheddar melted, but it wasn’t as dry as the Emmental. Will try drying remainder on countertop before trying again.
They were great! Hey, I wonder can I use a dehydrator to dry out the cheese?
absolutely, a dehydrator would work amazingly!
cheese will usually turn more of a orange or darker color when dried out in my experience hope this helps