| Prep | 10 minutes, including draining |
| Cook | 30 to 40 minutes at 350°F |
| Cool | 10 to 15 minutes on the pan |
| Total | about 1 hour |
| Serves | 2 (about 16 chips) |
| Equipment | Rimmed baking sheet, good parchment paper, fine-mesh strainer, paper towels |
If your cottage cheese chips came out soft, chewy or stuck to the paper, the problem was almost certainly water. Cottage cheese is a wet ingredient, and every spoonful that goes into the oven has to dry out completely before it can turn crisp. Leave the liquid in and the chips steam instead of baking.
Get rid of that moisture first, spread the cheese thin, bake low and long, and the curds melt together into a lacy, golden, cracker-like chip. You need only cottage cheese and a seasoning blend, and each chip is mostly protein.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (225 g) full-fat small-curd cottage cheese – full-fat spreads thinner and holds less loose liquid than low-fat, which is why it crisps best.
- 2 teaspoons everything bagel seasoning – the salt, sesame, garlic and onion in the blend season the chips in one step. Garlic powder, smoked paprika or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan also work.
How to Make It
1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line the pan
Set a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a rimmed baking sheet with a good-quality parchment paper. Thin, cheap parchment is more likely to stick.
The parchment should lie flat, with no curled corners for the cheese to slide into.
2. Drain and blot the cottage cheese (5 minutes)
Tip the cottage cheese into a fine-mesh strainer and press gently with a spoon to push out the liquid. Spread it on a double layer of paper towels and blot the top.
The curds should look matte and slightly sticky, with no milky liquid pooling around them.
3. Spoon and flatten
Drop level tablespoons of cottage cheese onto the parchment, at least an inch apart. Press each one out with the back of a spoon into a thin round. Sprinkle with the seasoning.
Each round should be thin enough that you can see the paper through gaps between the curds.
4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350°F
Bake, rotating the pan halfway through. Start checking at 25 minutes: ovens vary, and thin chips can go from golden to burnt quickly.
They are done when the edges are deep golden brown and the centres have stopped looking wet.
5. Cool on the pan (10 to 15 minutes)
Leave the chips on the baking sheet until completely cool. They crisp further as they cool and release from the parchment much more cleanly.
A cooled chip should snap, not bend.
Which Cottage Cheese Works Best
The tub you buy makes more difference than any other choice in this recipe. Here is how the common types behave.
| Cottage cheese | How it bakes | Use it? |
|---|---|---|
| Full-fat (4%), small curd | Spreads thin, melts into a lacy, crisp chip | Best choice |
| 2%, small curd | Works, but holds more liquid; drain it well | Yes, with extra blotting |
| Low-fat or nonfat | Wetter, slower to crisp, more likely to stay chewy | Not recommended |
| Large curd | Harder to spread thin, bakes unevenly | Chop or mash first |
Cottage cheese is made by separating milk into curds and whey, then cutting, pressing and rinsing the curds before salt and cream are added, as the University of Maine Cooperative Extension explains. That added cream and any leftover whey are exactly the moisture you are removing when you drain and blot.
Common Mistakes
- Skipping the draining. This is the number one cause of chewy chips. Even a tub that looks dry has liquid trapped between the curds.
- Making them too thick. A thick mound browns on the outside but stays soft in the middle. Thin and wide is the goal.
- Crowding the pan. The cheese spreads as it melts. Too close together and the chips fuse into one sheet.
- Peeling them off hot. Warm chips are still flexible and tear. Let them cool on the paper.
Serving and Storing
Eat them on their own, or use them like crackers. They are sturdy enough for a thick dip such as this fried pickle dip, and they add a high-protein crunch to a simple charcuterie board. For game day, put them out next to something more indulgent, like these potato cheese balls.
They are at their crispest the day they are made. Over time they absorb moisture from the air and soften, so bake only what you plan to eat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my cottage cheese chips not crispy?
Usually too much moisture or too much thickness. Drain and blot the cheese, spread each round thin, and bake until the edges are deep golden. If they are still soft, return them to the oven for a few more minutes.
Do I need parchment paper?
It makes release easiest, but it is not the only option. A well-greased nonstick baking sheet or a muffin-top pan also works and tends to give even crispier chips, though they bake faster, so start checking sooner.
Are cottage cheese chips good for a high-protein diet?
They are almost pure cottage cheese, so most of their calories come from protein and fat, with very few carbohydrates. For a sweet high-protein snack, try this cottage cheese protein cake batter too.
Crispy Cottage Cheese Chips
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with good-quality parchment paper.
- Drain the cottage cheese in a fine-mesh strainer, pressing gently, then spread it on paper towels and blot the top.
- Drop level tablespoons onto the parchment at least 1 inch apart and press each into a thin round with the back of a spoon. Sprinkle with the seasoning.
- Bake 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway and checking from 25 minutes, until the edges are deep golden brown and the centres no longer look wet.
- Cool completely on the pan, 10 to 15 minutes, then peel off the parchment.
Notes
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