Comparison Price Net carbs ChocZero White Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups $$ 1 gram in each 14-gram piece Lily's Dark Chocolate Covered Caramels $$ 6 grams per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving Go Better Keto Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Cups $$ <1 gram per 3-piece (25.5-gram) serving Stevita Naturals Hard Candy $$$ 0 grams per 1 candy 6 more rows Sep 18, 2020

Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs Recipe - (Just One Ingredient

Home » Recipes » Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs Recipe – (One Ingredient – Zero Carbs)

by Gerri

Jul 26, 2022

5 from 654 votes

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Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs are so tasty and perfect for low-carb diets as they have no carbs and are super tasty. If you love cheese, you’ll love these.

Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs Recipe - (Just One Ingredient - Zero Carbs) (2)

This recipe takes a little bit of waiting, but the results are well worth the wait.

We use pre-sliced cheddar cheese for this recipe. It’s already sliced thin and makes it easier to cut into squares.

Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs Recipe (1 Ingredient - Zero Carbs)

You can buy them but they're much cheaper to make and you can make a bucket load of Keto Popcorn if you like the cheese puffs nicely once dry.

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5 from 654 votes

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Course: Snack, Snacks

Cuisine: American, Australian, British

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 10 minutes mins

Servings: 4 serves

Calories: 114kcal

Author: Gerri

Unit Conversion

US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

▢ 4 ounces cheddar cheese sliced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut the cheese into small ¼ inch squares.
Before baking, this recipe must be prepared 24 hrs beforehand
Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and cover with a clean tea towel (dish towel).
Leave the cheese to dry out for at least 24 hours (you might need to leave it longer if it is humid where you live).
The next day preheat your oven to 200C/390F and bake the cheese for 3-5 minutes until it is puffed up.
Leave to cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.

Nutrition

The baking can get pretty messy with the cheese popping around. We place the cheese on the lower shelf and cover the base of the top shelf with foil for easier cleanup.

This recipe makes four serves.

Please note that the weather has an impact on how long you will need to dry your cheese for. This recipe was developed in very dry conditions. It may take up to 72 hours drying time, depending on your local weather.

Ingredients for Making Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs

Keto popcorn requires just one ingredient, cheese.

4 ounces of Cheddar Cheese, sliced

That’s it, just one ingredient.

How to Make Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs

Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs Recipe - (Just One Ingredient - Zero Carbs) (4)

Cut the cheese into small ¼-inch squares.
Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and cover with a clean tea towel (dish towel). Leave to dry for at least 24 hours (you might need to leave it longer if it is humid where you live).
Preheat your oven to 200C/390F and bake the cheese for 3-5 minutes until it is puffed up.
Leave to cool for 10 minutes before enjoying.

How to Store Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs

The Keto popcorn cheese puffs can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week if they last that long.

Be aware that the cheese puffs are very susceptible to weather conditions, and humidity will make them go soft.

To make extra keto popcorn, simply double the ingredients.

Matt Dobson

I am the founder of My Keto Kitchen. I am a nutritionist, cooking enthusiast, and part-time Van Lifer! Along with a qualified chef, we have created a collection of delicious and healthy recipes.

59 thoughts on “Keto Popcorn Cheese Puffs Recipe – (One Ingredient – Zero Carbs)”

My husband and I LOVE these. We used cheddar… I think we might try pepperjack next. Yum!!

Reply
- So glad you enjoyed them Andie. We might try the pepperjack too, thanks for the tip.
  
  Reply
It worked!
I let the cheese sit for 3 days because I really wanted it to be successful!
Amazing how it pops.
This was awesome. Did not disappoint.
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s so fun!

Reply
- I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Sarah! It’s a long time to wait, but always worth it 🙂
  
  Reply
Wondering if you could dehydrate thecheese faster than leaving it set out

Reply
- Hi Tammy,
  You could, as long and your dehydrator can be placed on a low enough temperature so that the cheese doesn’t melt.
  
  Reply
I used some Tillamook snack cheese and cut it in to 1/4 in. Pcs as well as some tiny rounds of gouda snack cheese which were a bit thicker. UNFORTUNATELY, I just got a tray of melted cheese chips. What did I do wrong g? Do the pieces need to be like a cube and equal on all sides, or could it be the type of cheese I used?

Reply
- Hi Suzie,
  I looked up the cheese brand (as it’s not available where we are) and it appears to be unprocessed, and the shape of your pieces of cheese doesn’t make a difference – so that rules those out. You haven’t mentioned how long you dried them for, without knowing that, I can only suggest that they needed a longer drying time.
  
  Reply
Hello, I am just getting back in to keto and this might be the thing that helps me stay.
I was wondering if you would share the brand names of the cheeses you have success with. I want this to be a bang on recipe and I think using what you did will give me the hand up on getting you success!
Thanks for all your hard work. Great site!

Reply
- Hi Junnetta,
  I’m not sure if our cheese brands will help, as we may not be in the same country! Try looking for hard craftsmen style cheeses like vintage cheddar.
  
  Reply
Hi! I was wondering if these would be possible to season? I have keto ketchup and garlic seasoning (dry spices). If so, when would you season? Before drying out? Before putting in oven?
Thanks!

Reply
- Hi Sabrina,
  After drying and before baking would be best 🙂
  
  Reply
This is amazing Gerri,
I am so excited to try this. Can’t wait to get home in the morning to get some out to dry.

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LOVE these! I’m trying this with Pepper Jack now. Can’t wait to bake these tomorrow!

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I love this recipe and make it every week. My question is this- what do I do with the oil left after the baking? It seems like it should be good for something so I hate to waste it. Any ideas would be appreciated , thank you.

Reply
- Hi Laurie,
  I’m so glad you enjoy them! I honestly have no idea about using the leftover oil, you could try using it for fried eggs and see how it goes. I’d love to hear how it goes!
  
  Reply
Wow, what a great idea! I’m going to try this AND your trail mix. What’s best is I already have all of the ingredients on hand. 🙂

Reply
I used pepper jack cheese….they are amazing! This is first time making them…I will leave out dry for 48 next time as I only left these to dry for 24 this time.

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Tastes like cheeze-itz! I let mine dry for 4 days. (I live in a humid environment) And put them in the oven for 4 min. Some popped some didn’t. But still tasted great.

Reply
Well, those disappeared fast.

Reply
- They certainly do Lauri! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
  
  Reply
For Tanya, The reason popcorn pops is there’s a tiny bit of moisture in the kernel. I wonder if you’re leaving your cheese out to long? Are you in a very dry environment?

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For storage I don’t have a vacuum seal could I put them in Tupperware and leave them out or do they need to be refrigerated after they’re cooked?

Reply
- Hi Rebecca,
  They can be left on the counter in an airtight container.
  
  Reply
We have tried these 3 times now and they just don’t turn out. This last time we let them dry for 6 full days and still no. They don’t pop or do anything. We used mild cheddar slices each time and followed directions exactly.

Reply
- Hi Tanya,
  If you have used the same brand/type of cheese each time, there might be something wrong with the cheese or it could be more processed that you think! Maybe try a different brand or type.
  
  Reply
Thank you Gerri! 🙂

Reply
This is a win/win recipe. The pieces that dried enough puff like popcorn and the ones that didnt are crunchy like cheese nips!! Oh so so good.. I used cheddar cheese slices. Just be sure to make enough and be patient so they dry out! YUM!!!!!
Thank you for this recipe!

Reply
- I’m so glad you loved them Mary! Thank you for your kind words 🙂
  
  Reply
Could you pop these in a popcorn popper?

Reply
- Hi Carol,
  I haven’t tried it! If you give it a go, please let me know how it turns out.
  
  Reply
Does anyone else have any issues with the cheese “popping” all over the oven?

Reply
- That’s exactly what it’s meant to do Deder 🙂
  
  Reply
I tried the first batch and they just melted and was coated in a ton of oil. What did I do wrong. Still good eating like chips but really hoped for puffed cheese

Reply
- Hi Carrie,
  It’s possible that they weren’t dried for long enough. It can take up to 72 hours drying time for them to be dry enough – think of them like popcorn; popcorn pops because steam builds up in the center of the kernel and explodes it open.
  
  Reply
- Hi-
  So I have a setting on my microwave for convection oven- I dried out Colby jack sliced cheese for 24hrs- and no matter how long I cooked them (20min) only 1-2 puffed up.
  I think they needed to dry longer and then it would work.
  
  Reply
  - Hi Lacey,
    Sounds like you are on the right track, with 1-2 puffing up then you are getting close to being them dried enough! A bit longer and they’ll be popping all over the place!
    
    Reply
- I have tried this recipe now twice. I let them dry for 3 days and they always end up just melting in the oven. Not crispy at all. What am I doing wrong?
  
  Reply
  - Hi Sheri,
    Are you using the same brand of cheese each time? It could just be that the cheese you are using has been overprocessed, maybe try another brand 🙂
    
    Reply
Hi , can we do this using a microwave ??? I do not own an oven….

Reply
- Hi Agnes,
  I haven’t tried using a microwave to make them, if you give it a try I’d love to know how they turn out!
  
  Reply
Can these be stored? If so how? Impact on crunchiness?

Reply
- Hi Laura,
  The longer they’re exposed to air the quicker they will lose their crunch as they draw in moisture.
  Obviously, that would happen quicker in humid climates.
  You could try vacuum sealing them but I think making them to eat is your best bet.
  Hope you enjoyed them.
  Matt
  
  Reply
Maybe this is a dumb question.. but isnt it not very safe to leave a dairy product out at room temperature for over 24hrs? Perishable?
these look amazing and I want to try them but hesitant in getting sick

Reply
- Hi Molly,
  Bacteria requires a few things to grow the big 3 are warmth, moisture and oxygen, since we’re drying them out that takes away one of those elements. If you are really concerned, you could dry the cheese out in a dehydrator.
  
  Reply
Silly question, but do you let the cheese dry in or out of the fridge?

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- Hi Annette,
  Out of the fridge on the bench, apologies if my instructions were unclear.
  
  Reply
Have you tried it with bigger pieces? Like 1/2″ instead of 1/4″? Making these now and just wondering because all of these tiny cheese squares omg…..LOL!

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- Hi Noelle,
  You could give it a try, they will take longer to dry out though.
  
  Reply
Do you recommend a clean sheet of parchment or a bare cookie sheet for the baking?

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- Hi Deb,
  I always recommend lining your tray with parchment, mainly as it makes washing up so much easier!
  
  Reply
Do you think you could use a food dehydrator to speed up the process of drying out the cheese?

Reply
- Hi Keto Mom,
  You sure can, just make sure you line your dehydrator with parchment to prevent the cheese from potentially melting through the gaps.
  
  Reply
Can you tell me what kind of cheese you used? Thin slices, thick slices, specific brand, etc? Thanks!

Reply
- Hi Tracy
  We have used cheddar, gouda, and manchego for this recipe (the cheddar is pictured), any hard cheese will work. Thick and thin slices both work, but the thicker your pieces of cheese, the longer they will take to dry out. Hope that helps 🙂
  
  Reply
Is a tea towel similar to a cheese cloth?

Reply
- Hi Amber,
  Tea towels can also be called dish towels or drying-up cloths. I hope that helps
  
  Reply
Oh MY! The cheese pops turned out perfect! I left mine to dry for about 40hrs and they popped up really good. So worth the wait, but we gobbled them up in about 30 seconds

Reply
- Hi Ellen,
  I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for stopping by to let us know 🙂
  
  Reply

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FAQs

Is cheese puffs keto-friendly? ›

These gluten free and keto cheese puffs (i.e. gougères) are pure cheesy bites of heaven at just 0.3g net carbs a pop (!!). Scrumptious, yet simple! Oh, and if baking with cups rather than grams is your thing, just click on US Cups for an instant conversion.

What is the healthiest keto popcorn? ›

Air-popped popcorn would be the best choice, as it is lower in carbohydrates as well as calories, Palinski-Wade says. “However, since grams of fat are not a concern on a keto diet, added oil or butter would still allow this snack to be keto-friendly,” she adds.

Read The Full Story ›

Is popcorn off limits on keto? ›

Net carbs are calculated by taking the total grams of carbohydrate in a food and subtracting the amount of fiber. In this case, popcorn contains 6 grams of carbs per 1 cup serving and 1.2 grams of fiber, bringing the net carbs per serving to 4.8 grams. Yes friends, popcorn is indeed a keto food.

Discover More Details ›

Is microwave popcorn keto-friendly? ›

To make keto-friendly popcorn, you can try using coconut oil or avocado oil to pop the kernels. However, it's important to avoid pre-popped popcorn or popcorn cooked in a microwave or on the stovetop, as these may contain unwanted added sugars or oils that are not compatible with a ketogenic lifestyle.

What is a keto substitute for popcorn? ›

That being said, there are plenty of low-carb popcorn alternatives that are much easier to fit into a keto diet. Pork rinds and cheese crisps, for example, have a much lower carb content than popcorn and are packed with high-quality fats and flavor.

Know More ›

What kind of cheese is OK on keto? ›

Soft and semi-soft cheeses often have more lactose (carbs), while semi-hard and hard cheeses usually have less lactose and are better keto cheese. Choose full-fat cheeses whenever possible, and steer clear of any with added starch or sweeteners.

Get More Info Here ›

How many carbs a day on keto? ›

The ketogenic diet typically reduces total carbohydrate intake to less than 50 grams a day—less than the amount found in a medium plain bagel—and can be as low as 20 grams a day. Generally, popular ketogenic resources suggest an average of 70-80% fat from total daily calories, 5-10% carbohydrate, and 10-20% protein.

Find Out More ›

What popcorn has lowest carbs? ›

Killian Korn.
Franklin's Gourmet PopcornFranklin's Gourmet Popcorn. Shop the Post + Follow.
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ACT II.
Quinn Snacks.
Signature Popcorn.
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Is peanut butter OK on keto? ›

Peanut butter can definitely be part of a keto diet, but it's best to stick to plain options that are free of extra flavors and sweeteners. Almond butter is a good choice, too, and it's slightly lower in carbs. Additionally, you should be mindful of your portion size if you're trying to lose weight.

Is popcorn better than chips on keto? ›

The usual potato chips, pretzels, and other snacks and junk foods are off-limits when on a keto diet since they're high in carbohydrates. So people reach for the next best thing: popcorn. According to The Popcorn Board, Americans consume 15 billion quarts of popcorn annually.