Did you walk into Trader Joe's and find they were out of cheese bites again? Make your own Trader Joes cheese bites in under thirty minutes with this delicious recipe for the famous crispy parmesan cheese bites! With only 20 calories per chip, it's easy to enjoy a whole handful guilt free! (Gluten free, nut free, soy free, FODMAP, egg free)
What Are These Bites of Amazingness?
Eventually you'll walk into a Trader Joes. And when you do you will probably find that one of the foods you are looking for is sold out!! BUT you can enjoy making Trader Joes cheese bites at home by combining two types of cheese then baking until they become crispy and delicious!
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan cheese is considered to be a lactose free cheese that has a high calcium content. For this recipe you will want to use shredded parmesan cheese.
- Grana Padano: A delicious Italian cheese that is aged for nine months to produce a salty, nutty flavor. It is considered to be part of the parmesan family but does contain lactose. You will want to use shredded grana padano for this recipe.
Buying
Great news! Parmesan cheese is purchasable at most major grocery stores. I often purchase shredded parmesan or a wedge of parmesan. Grana Padano cheese can be found at Italian markets, or grocery stores that carry specialty cheese. I can also find Grana Padana cheese at stores like Von's (California) and Harmon's (Utah). I can even sometimes find it at my local Kroger store.
Hands in the Air if You are a Trader Joe's fan! Check out our Trader Joe's Recipe Roundup!
How to Make
start to grate both cheeses! Whenever I grate cheese I am so b-o-r-e-d. I believe zesting fruit and chopping vegetables also needs to be added to that list too.
Once you grate both cheeses you will mix them together than place about one tablespoon of cheese into each mini muffin cup.
FAQ
Greasing the Mini Muffin Pan?
No, the cheese has plenty of fat in it that you don't need to grease the pan. The cheese shouldn't stick.
Using Other Types of Cheese?
Absolutely. You can use all parmesan if you would like to. Using the combination of the two cheeses just gives you the closest flavor to the Trader Joe's cheese bites recipe.
How Many Cheese Bites Will This Recipe Yield?
24-36 bites.
Storing
Just store the cheese bites in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for up to a week. But I'll admit these don't usually last much beyond a couple of days!
What Ways Can I Enjoy Cheese Bites?
Here are some great ways we enjoy these:
- Side dish
- In place of potato chips
- On salad as croutons
- In soup as croutons
- Charcuterie boards
Love This Recipe? Check Out Some of Our Other Favorite Parmesan Recipes!
Copycat Trader Joes Cheese Bites
Equipment
- Mini Muffin Pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups parmesan cheese grated
- 2 cups grana padano cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix together the two cheeses. Drop a tablespoon of cheese into each mini muffin cup.
- Bake for 11-14 minutes at 400 degrees,
- Remove from oven, allow cheese to cool in mini muffin pans for approximately ten minutes before removing from pan.
- Remove cheese from pan (can use a butter knife or spoon) then allow to cool completely before placing in an airtight container.
Notes
Do I Have to Grease the Mini Muffin Pan?
No, the cheese has plenty of fat in it that you don't need to grease the pan. The cheese shouldn't stick.Can I Use Other Types of Cheese?
Absolutely. You can use all parmesan if you would like to. Using the combination of the two cheeses just yields you the closest to the Trader Joe's cheese bites recipe.How Many Cheese Bites Will This Recipe Yield?
About 24-36 bites.How Do I Store Them?
Just store the cheese bites in an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for up to a week. But I'll admit these don't usually last much beyond a couple of days!What Ways Can I Enjoy Cheese Bites?
Here are some great ways we enjoy these:- Side dish
- In place of potato chips
- On salad as croutons
- In soup as croutons
- Charcuterie boards
Recipe Inspired by Become Betty
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