Keto Sweet and Salty Popcorn

If you miss sweet and salty popcorn, you will love our low carb version made with cheese. Extra sharp cheddar cheese is crumbled into a “popcorn” like size onto a baking sheet. The cheese is then dried out for several days to eliminate any excess moisture. Once dried, the cheese is placed into an air fryer to puff up and crisp. The Keto popcorn is then tossed into a mixture of delicious pink sea salt and powdered sweetener. The inherent cheesy flavor on top of the sweet and salty seasoning makes for the ultimate snack.

Why is the cheese dried in the fridge and then at room temperature?

Drying the cheese in the fridge will allow for most of the moisture to evaporate from the cheese so it will not go bad once you dry it outside of the fridge. The cheese is then removed from the fridge and placed on a counter at room temperature to finish releasing the rest of the moisture at a faster rate. If you live in a high humidity environment, be sure to give the cheese an extra day or so to dry out.

What should I do if the cheese does not puff on the first round of cooking?

If the cheese still looks pale on the first round of cooking, immediately repeat the process but set the timer for 1-2 minutes. Check the cheese periodically to make sure the cheese is golden and puffed. There should be bubbles on the cheese pieces when puffed. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and cool completely to crisp.

Serving suggestions

To make the ultimate pairing, serve this with other Keto snack recipes like our Keto Chocolate Almond Butter Fat Bombs:

https://www.carbmanager.com/recipe-detail/ug:58dfa187-6be1-8a7c-2e90-236b2bd42ef9/keto-chocolate-almond-butter-fat-bombs

Net Carbs

0 g
Fiber

0 g
Total Carbs

1.5 g
Protein

25 g
Fats

35.7 g

412 cals

Quantity

Serving Size

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Extra Sharp Cheese

200 g
Powdered Erythritol (Icing Sugar)

1 tsp
Himalayan Pink Sea Salt

0.13 tsp

Step 1

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Crumble the cheese into small “popcorn” sized pieces. Allow the cheese to dry uncovered in the fridge for at least two days.
Step 2

Then remove the cheese from the fridge and dry at room temperature for 1-2 days until very dry. Once the cheese is dried, place half of the cheese into the bottom of an air fryer basket. Set the air fryer to 390 F (200 C) and cook for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is golden brown and puffed.
Step 3

Remove the cooked cheese to a paper towel-lined plate. Doing so will help to remove any excess fat. Repeat with the remaining cheese.
Step 4

Toss the cheese pieces with the powdered sweetener and sea salt. Serve immediately. Taste and adjust, adding more sweetener or sea salt if desired.