Jump to Recipe
Parmesan rosemary cheese crisps are thin, lacy rounds of grated Parmesan baked at 200 C / 400 F for 5 to 6 minutes until they snap. You need 120 g of cheese, a little fresh rosemary, and one sheet pan. That’s it.
I’ll be honest. I started making these to rescue a dry heel of Parmesan from the back of the fridge. Now I buy the wedge on purpose.
They’re salty and nutty, with a faint piney note from the rosemary. Crisp enough to crack, light enough that you’ll eat four before you notice.
Watch the oven. Light golden turns bitter brown in about 30 seconds, so pull the pan the moment the bubbling slows and the rounds look evenly pale gold.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Three ingredients and one sheet pan, done in 27 minutes
- No flour or binder, so naturally gluten free and low carb
- Bake a day ahead, and they hold 3 to 4 days
- Kids grab them straight off the cooling rack
Ingredient Notes
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: Grate it yourself from a wedge. Shaker-style powder contains anti-caking agents and won’t fuse into lace. Grana Padano works too and tastes a little milder.
- Fresh rosemary: Strip the leaves from the stem and chop them fine. If you only have dried, use about 2/3 tsp and crush it between your fingers first.
- Black pepper: A coarse grind shows up better against the cheese. Skip added salt, since the Parmesan already carries plenty.
Baked Parmesan Cheese Crisps with Rosemary and Pepper
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 200 C / 400 F with a rack in the center. Line a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch sheet pan with parchment and tear off a second sheet of the same size for batch two.
- Toss the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, chopped rosemary and pepper in a small bowl until the rosemary is spread evenly through the cheese.
- Scoop 8 heaped tablespoons of the mix (about 7 g each) onto the lined pan, leaving about 3 cm / 1 1/4 inches between them. Pat each into a thin, loose round about 6 cm / 2.5 inches wide.
- Bake for 5 to 6 minutes, until the rounds are light golden and the bubbling has slowed. Check at 5 minutes, since they darken fast.
- Slide the parchment with the first batch onto a wire rack. Lay the second parchment sheet on the pan, mound the remaining cheese the same way, and bake for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Let all the crisps cool on the rack for 5 minutes. They look slightly soft when they come out and snap as they cool.
Notes
- Grate the cheese from a wedge, not a shaker, so it fuses into lace.
- Bake in two batches of 8 so the rounds have room and brown evenly.
- Pull the pan at light golden. Darker rounds taste bitter.
- Wait the full 5 minutes before judging crispness. They firm up as they cool.
- Skip added salt. The Parmesan already carries plenty.
Tips for Success
- Grate the Parmesan on the fine side of a box grater so the shreds fuse into a single lacy sheet.
- Chop the rosemary fine, with no needle longer than about 3 mm, so it spreads evenly and doesn’t scorch on the edges.
- Measure each mound with a heaped tablespoon so every crisp is about 7 g and the whole batch finishes together.
- Pull the pan the moment the rounds turn light golden and the bubbling slows, then let them firm up for 5 minutes.
- Line the pan with parchment, not foil or oil, and slide the finished crisps onto a rack along with the paper.
Variations
- Swap the rosemary for fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp smoked paprika for a different savory edge.
- Add 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest to the cheese before mounding for a brighter, slightly sharp finish.
- Drape the crisps over a rolling pin within 30 seconds of leaving the oven for curved shapes that hold whipped ricotta.
Storage and Reheating
Parmesan rosemary cheese crisps keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Cool them completely first, and layer them with a sheet of paper towel so they don’t stick together.
Skip the fridge, where moisture softens them. Skip the freezer too, since thawing adds water and they turn leathery.
If they go soft, spread them on a sheet pan and bake at 150 C / 300 F for 3 minutes, then cool for 2 minutes. For a party, bake them the day before and store them as above.
Serving Suggestions
Parmesan rosemary cheese crisps work best as a dunker for tomato soup. Break one over a Caesar salad in place of croutons, or stack a few next to olives, sliced salami, and keto chicken liver pâté on a board.
Dry white wine or Prosecco handles the salt well. My kids eat them straight off the rack with apple slices.
Serve them at room temperature once fully cool. Warm crisps are still bendy and haven’t set.
FAQ
Why are my Parmesan crisps chewy instead of crisp?
They’re usually too thick or cooled too little. Mounds heavier than about 1 tablespoon (7 g) stay chewy in the center, so spread each into a thin 6 cm / 2.5-inch round. Then bake until light golden and let them cool on a rack for 5 minutes, because they only finish crisping as they cool.
Can I use pre-grated Parmesan from a shaker for cheese crisps?
Not the shaker kind. Powdered Parmesan contains anti-caking agents, so it won’t melt together into lace and tends to bake up gritty. Bagged fine shreds work if you chop them smaller, but grating a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano on the fine side of a box grater gives the lightest, crispest rounds. Grana Padano is a fine swap.
How long do Parmesan rosemary cheese crisps stay crisp, and can I freeze them?
They stay crisp for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. I don’t freeze them, since thawing adds moisture and they turn leathery. If they soften, bake them on a sheet pan at 150 C / 300 F for 3 minutes and cool them for 2 minutes.
What goes well with Parmesan rosemary cheese crisps besides a cheese board?
Tomato soup is my first pick, since the crisps work like a salty cracker for dunking. They also top a Caesar salad or a lemony arugula salad, sit next to olives and cured meats, or go with a glass of dry white wine or Prosecco. Dunk quickly, since moisture softens them fast.
Are Parmesan rosemary cheese crisps gluten free and keto friendly?
Yes to both. There’s no flour or binder, and 4 crisps (30 g of cheese) have about 1 g of carbs, 11 g of protein and 130 calories. One catch: Parmigiano-Reggiano is made with animal rennet, so strict vegetarians should look for a Parmesan-style cheese labeled vegetarian.
What’s the difference between Parmesan crisps and frico?
Frico is a dish from Friuli in northeast Italy, traditionally made with Montasio cheese, and it can be soft and chewy, sometimes with potato or onion. Parmesan crisps are only grated Parmesan baked thin until they snap. Mine are oven-baked on parchment, with rosemary for a piney edge.
