3 Ingredient Keto Cheetos
These 3-Ingredient Keto Cheetos are light, crunchy, and packed with cheddar flavor—without the carbs. Made with just cheese, egg whites, and almond flour, they bake up into a crunchy, airy snack that’s perfect for satisfying those cheese puff cravings. No frying needed.
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 oz (99 g) grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 large egg whites, brought to room temperature
- 2 tbsp (12 g) superfine blanched almond flour
Instructions
- Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the grated cheese across and put in the freezer until frozen, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Once the cheese is frozen, place it in a small food processor and pulse a few times until it’s finely crumbled. Set aside.
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the wire whisk, beat at medium speed until the eggs start foaming, about 30 seconds. Then increase speed to high and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Using a silicone spatula, gently fold in the cheese and almond flour. Be careful to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.
- Transfer the mixture to a large piping bag and pipe approximate 2-inch long strips onto the lined baking sheets, leaving a little space between them. You can use whatever piping tip you want depending on what design you prefer. To achieve something that looks like classic Cheetos, I used a small St Honore piping with a 5/16 inch opening. My cheese puffs were around 2 inches long and between 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until they turn golden and dry. They should also feel crunchy on the surface. If some of them are not fully crunchy, turn off oven and let them dry in the oven with the oven off for about 30 minutes. See note regarding cooking them with the oven off. Remove from oven and let them cool completely before eating. Store leftovers in airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- You may be able to skip the second bake with the oven off. If the puffs are already crunchy after the initial 30 minutes and you plan on eating them and not storing them, then you can skip the second bake. The second bake helps ensure they are fully dried and won't get soft later so it's good to do the second bake if you plan on storing them. The second bake also helps the puffs get fully crunchy if you piped yours thicker than traditional Cheetos. I usually skip the second bake because I found mine were crunchy enough after the initial bake.
- Cheddar Cheese note: This recipe works best with cheddar cheese that you grate yourself and not a pre-shredded bag. You do need to freeze the cheese so that you can pulse it into fine crumbles without it sticking into a big clump. I recommend sharp cheddar cheese so the puffs have enough flavor.
- I used a St Honore tip with a 5/16 inch wide opening which I got from this set.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Slightly adapted from The Kitchn
Serving: 1cheese puff, Calories: 7kcal, Carbohydrates: 0.04g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 0.53g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Sodium: 12mg, Fiber: 0.01g, Sugar: 0.02g
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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