Carpe Caseus . . . that means “seize the cheese” in Latin. And let me tell you, I’ve been grabbing up all those crunchy, low-carb cheese crisps like nobody’s business — seriously, I CRAVE those crispy, keto-friendly cheese snacks (we used to call them Frico back in the day) and have been making so many variations (actually, I’m writing a little e-book for the blog, stay tuned). 

But, let me rock your world right now — Sharp Cheddar Cheese Crisps with Collagen. Yup, collagen mixed up right into the cheese crisp and you don’t even know it’s there! Read on for all the details and the low carb, keto snack recipe:

Anyway, I’m always looking for a way to up my protein and reap the benefits of collagen simultaneously. Sheeze, I’v mixed collagen hydrolysate in to so many things from smoothies and oats . . .to more official recipes like pancakes or snack bars. But, I had an idea the other day– could I, really COULD I,  put some collagen powder in my low-carb cheese crisps? Cheese does have some protein obviously, but I wanted MORE protein power in my snacking.

So, long story short — I did put collagen powder in my cheese crisps (with my husband looking on suspiciously) and it WORKED! In fact, this batch of Sharp Cheddar Cheese Crisps with Collagen may have been some of the best I’ve ever made in terms of taste and crunch factor.

Working with cheeses that aren’t considered “hard” (like cheddar) can be a little tricky when making cheddar cheese crisps or any cheese  crisps — they can turn soggy. That’s why I also add a bit of Parmesan or another dryer cheese to bring down the moisture. I also think that adding the collagen hydrolysate also helped with the moisture from the cheddar as it has undergone hydrolysis and designed react with liquids — or in this case, work as a moisture-absorbing agent!

If you aren’t familiar with collagen hydrolysate, I use the powdered supplement made from bovine hide, bone and/or cartilage in my nutrition routine as a master athlete — it’s great for joint and ligament support (it helps with my arthritis), digestion, bone health and to conveniently boost my protein intake. There are other benefits too — check out my post on Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Collagen and More.

I’ve got quite a few handy tips to share before you start making your cheddar cheese crisps to ensure success.

1. Always use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent these protein cheese crisps from sticking.
2. Do not switch or alter the ratios of various cheeses.
3. Only mix in the collagen hydrolysate right before baking. If you prep a batch of cheese and collagen ahead of time it will get clumpy. Avoid that if you want tasty low carb cheese snacks.
4. Preheat oven to proper temperature before inserting baking sheet with cheddar cheese crisps.
5. This recipe makes four large crisps, you can double, triple or cut the recipe in half – -but never place more than 6 crisps on a sheet for baking or they will melt into each other. If this scenario happens, use the blog as a gluten-free pizza crust!!
6. After removing, let cheddar cheese crisps with collagen rest on the baking sheet until cooled and hardened. 

I’ve done other low carb cheese crisp recipes I think you’ll like too — check them out:

• Lemon Feta Cheese Crisps
• Pepperoni Pizza Cheese Crisps
• Jalapeno Four-Cheese Frico
• ‘Tater Toppings Cheese Crisps
• Montreal Seasoning Cheese Crisps

What keto snacks or low carb snacks have you been eating lately? Have you ever tried to make cheddar cheese crisps or any other type of keto cheese crisp? Collagen fan? — please share in the comments, XOXO Jennifer 

This is the unflavored collagen from Great Lakes Gelatin that I like to use in recipes.

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Sharp Cheddar Cheese Crisps with Collagen

Prep Time

2 mins

Cook Time

7 mins

resting

5 mins

Total Time

9 mins

 

These Cheddar Cheese Crisps have a surprise -- they are boosted with collagen for extra health benefits and protein. This crunchy keto and low carb snack has 88 calories per piece, just 0.2g carbs, and 10g protein! 

Servings: 4 pieces

Calories: 88 kcal

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup collagen hydrolysate

Instructions

1. Pre heat oven to 400 F and prepare baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

2. In bowl, toss together cheeses and collagen. 

3. Divide cheese into four piles on baking sheet and spread out into an approximate 4 inch circle. Make sure that each crisp has at least 1 1/2" space around to accommodate spreading. 

4. Bake on center rack for approximately 4 to 5 minutes or until cheese bubbling and edges turning lightly brown.

5. If cheese still looks gooey in the center, turn off oven and let cheese continue to cook for 2 to 3 more minutes in the cooling oven.

6. Remove from oven and let cool complete on baking sheet before removing.

Recipe Notes