How To Make Microwave Cheese Crisps

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Melt cheese into chips, without even turning on the oven. Instead, use the power of your microwave to make a crunchy snack. Testing out both hard and soft cheeses, including parmesan, cheddar, mozzarella, ricotta and cottage cheese, to see how well the cheeses chip. Plus all my helpful tips for you to easily make this microwave cheese crisps recipe.

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While everyone is saving their containers of cottage cheese to make ice cream for dessert. (Have you tried that viral trend?) Let’s revisit this way of enjoying it as a snack food. By turning it into chips.

Inspired by the original cottage cheese chip

Back in 2017, I shared this fun discovery. A stovetop recipe to turn cottage cheese into chips.

Making a high protein chip that you can enjoy as a snack or use to make a meal. Like in the topping to this tuna lasagna recipe.

There’s even a video on my YouTube channel showing you how to make them.

But, if you’ve tried making them, you know the process is a bit tedious. To produce perfect chips every time, you need to get a number of factors correct, which can be a challenge. Especially if you’re hungry & ready for a snack NOW!

That had me searching for an easier way to make them. Thanks to everyone that’s tried this recipe & shared feedback from your experiences, the microwave method was born.

Turns out that you can turn cottage cheese into chips on the stovetop as well as in the microwave.

And now that we know that…

Cheeses to chip

Cottage cheese passes the microwave crisp test. Does that leave you wondering what other cheeses can you turn into chips? No, just me?!

Today we’re testing to see what happens when you put these cheeses in the microwave:

• Hard Cheeses – parmesan, cheddar
• Semi & Soft Cheese – mozzarella (including fresh & string cheese), cottage cheese, ricotta

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Cookware to use

A non-stick surface is essential for making cheese crisps in the microwave. As it cooks, the cheese melts & will adhere to the surface it’s on. Using something non-stick, will enable you to easily peel the chip off once it’s ready.

Based on results from testing microwave cheese chips (out of cottage cheese) on these surfaces:

• parchment paper – this is the best option! Either standard or unbleached can be used. Cut a strip that’s a couple of inches thick. Leaving enough room for the cheese to melt without spilling overboard (onto the microwave plate) and to rotate properly in the microwave. If the paper is removed from a roll, it will have a curve to it. To minimize the chips curling as they cook, place the cheese on the side of the paper with a convex curve (rounded outward). If the paper curls as it’s used, fold it back to flatten as much as possible.
• microwave safe plate – skip this, the cottage cheese stuck & was not salvageable.
• individual muffin cups – double the amount of cottage cheese (to ½ teaspoon) in order to fill the cup. Place it in the center, it will go up the sides a little bit as it cooks. Increase cooking time to 1½ minutes (50% power) to chip.
  • parchment paper – works well here. After microwaving, press down the sides (like you’re unwrapping a cupcake) to release the chip. Then peal off the bottom of the liner. Reshape (as best as possible, it won’t go back to normal) and reuse for another chip.
  • silicone – can also be used. You’ll have to be a little more gentle removing the chips from them, since the sides don’t flatten as well as the parchment paper cups.
  • doesn’t work well with more decorative paper muffin cups, the chip ends up sticking to the bottom and even if you can break off some pieces, it doesn’t taste right.
• silicon mat – may want to skip this one too. The cottage cheese stuck & was not salvageable on mine. But, I’ve heard that it does work. So you might have better luck with a different brand.

Microwave

All these cheese chips were tested using this Sharp Countertop Microwave Oven with 1,000 watts. This power helps cook food quickly and more efficiently. A lower power output will take longer and may not cook evenly. Since cooking times can vary between different microwaves, it’s best to do a test run with a small batch of chips.

How to make cheese crisps in the microwave

This is a basic overview of the process. Keep reading for more details on making each of the cheese chips.

• spoon small amounts of cheese onto parchment paper
• microwave on 50% power for 60-75 seconds
• peel chip off paper
• repeat to make more chips

Cottage cheese

Brands Used: Trader Joe’s (small curd 4% milkfat) & Friendship (California style 4% milkfat)

Preparation: Use a measuring spoon to scoop ¼ teaspoon portions of cottage cheese straight from the container onto the parchment paper. A toothpick will help easily release it from the spoon.

Cooking Instructions: 1 minute & 15 seconds at 50% power. As it cooks, the cottage cheese will melt, bubble, steam and sizzle.

Did it Chip? Yes

Results: The Trader Joe’s cottage cheese makes round, solid and more uniform crisps. Just like the original cottage cheese chip, this brand is the best for making chips.

The Friendship cottage cheese version will also turn into chips. But the shape of them is not as consistent. Some areas melt into a very thin layer that is more likely to break apart. These also brown more easily.

Ricotta cheese

Brands Used: Trader Joe’s (full fat)

Preparation: Place ½ teaspoon cheese onto parchment paper

Cooking Instructions: N/A

Did it Chip? No

Results: Heard a pop 15 seconds in (at 50% power) & then had a mess to clean up in the microwave.

Parmesan cheese

Brands Used: Bertinelli

Preparation: Use a zester to finely grate the cheese. Measure ¼ teaspoon portions straight onto the parchment paper. Leave ½ to 1 inch space between cheese piles.

Cooking Instructions: 1 minute at 50% power. As it cooks, the parmesan melts into a jagged crisp.

Did it Chip? Yes

Results: Delicious. If you enjoy parmesan cheese crisps, this is a faster way to make them.

Mozzarella cheese

Brands/Products Used: BelGioioso fresh mozzarella snacking cheese & Miller’s string cheese

Preparation: Cut balls into quarters & slice the string cheese into 16 coin shaped pieces. Place onto a piece of parchment paper. Leave 1 to 2 inches of space between the pieces of cheese.

Cooking Instructions: Mozzarella balls took 1 minute & 15 seconds at 50% power; cook the string cheese the same, but some may be ready after 50 seconds. As it cooks, the mozzarella will melt, bubble and sizzle. Stop the microwave once it starts browning.

Did it Chip? Yes

Results: Let them cool before peeling off the paper. The string cheese has a crispier texture. The balls are a little more rubbery.

Cheddar cheese

Brands/Products Used: Tillamook medium cheddar & Les Petites Fermières Reduced-Fat Cheddar Sticks

Preparation: From the large block, you can thinly slice the cheese and crumble it into small pieces or use a zester to finely grate the cheese. Measure ¼ teaspoon portions straight onto the parchment paper. If using cheddar sticks, cut them into rounds (same as with the string cheese) and place onto parchment. Leave ½ to 1 inch space between cheese piles.

Cooking Instructions: 1 minute at 50% power. As it cooks, the cheddar melts into a jagged crisp.

Did it Chip? Yes

Results: These were a favorite! They’re chewier straight out of the microwave. Wait a little bit for them to cool and crisp up. The color of these chips varied between the two brands tested.

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Recipe: microwave cheese crisps