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Baked Parmesan Zucchini Crisps are a highly addictive, healthy snack that is incredibly simple and easy to make with just two ingredients!
Serve these crispy zucchini chips with a side of homemade ranch dressing for dipping, and you’ll have a delicious, good-for-you snack that your whole family will love.
4 Things That Will Make or Break Your Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
- Slice Evenly. Cut the zucchini into thin, even rounds so they all cook at the same rate. A mandoline makes this easier, but a sharp knife works fine too.
- Pat dry. Zucchini holds a lot of water. Pat the slices with paper towels before coating to help them crisp up instead of turning soggy.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Lay the slices in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Overlapping keeps them from crisping.
- Serve right away. These are best when eaten fresh out of the oven while they’re still warm and crisp.
recipe walkthrough
How to Make Parmesan Zucchini Crisps
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
Step 1: Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil. I’m partial to the parchment for this particular recipe.
Step 2: Slice zucchini into thin rounds, no more than a ¼ inch thick.
- Use a mandolin if you have one for even slices.
- While not required, I recommend drying the zucchini. Lay the zucchini on a flat surface and press gently with a paper towel to absorb some of the moisture, resulting in crispier zucchini chips.
Step 3: Arrange zucchini in a single layer (not overlapping) onto the lined baking sheet. It’s ok if they are touching as they will shrink up a bit while they bake. Season the zucchini with salt and pepper and sprinkle with a good amount of freshly shredded Parmesan cheese.
- Use freshly shredded Parm. The pre-shredded stuff wont melt as well.
Step 4: Bake until golden and crispy, and let the zucchini chips cool for a bit before serving.
More Zucchini Recipes
How to Serve Zucchini Chips
Of course, with a delicious snack like this, you’re going to need something to dip it into. We love using any flavor of Ranch dressing or Jalapeno Ranch Dressing, but blue cheese dip is also quite delicious. They are super addictive, just like potato chips but way better for you.
Variations
Spicy: Add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes to the breadcrumb-parmesan mix. A sprinkle of chili powder works too for a smoky kick.
Herby: Stir dried Italian herbs, parsley, or dill into the coating. Fresh chopped herbs can also be sprinkled on after baking for brightness.
Garlic Lovers: Add garlic powder to the coating or brush the zucchini slices lightly with garlic-infused olive oil before baking.
Extra Cheesy: Mix in shredded mozzarella, cheddar, or asiago with the parmesan for a richer flavor.
Storage Tips
Storage and Reheating Guide
Storing Leftovers (2-3 days): Let them cool completely before storing so steam doesn’t make them soggy. Place in an airtight container lined with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture. Store in the fridge for up to 2–3 days.
Freezing: Zucchini crisps don’t freeze well because of the high water content. It’s best to make them fresh.
Reheating:
- Oven or Toaster Oven: The best way to get the crunch back. Bake at 375°F for 5–7 minutes until warmed and crisp.
- Air Fryer: Heat at 375°F for 3–4 minutes.
- Microwave: Not recommended, since it makes them soft.
Can You Make These in an Air Fryer?
The air fryer is a great appliance to have on hand because it allows you to get the taste of fried foods without actually frying them, like my Air Fryer Egg Rolls or Air Fryer Grilled Cheese.
To make these zucchini crisps in the air fryer, preheat your unit to 400℉. Dry the zucchini and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the zucchini in the basket and air fry for 5 minutes. Then flip them over and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and let cook for another 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and crispy.
More Zucchini Recipes
- Goat Cheese and Marinara Stuffed Zucchini Boats
- Baked Zucchini Fries
- Lemon Zucchini Bread
- Sauteed Zucchini with Sun Dried Tomatoes
- Zucchini Carrot Oatmeal Muffins
- Zucchini Corn Fritters
Parmesan Zucchini Crisps
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchinis sliced into ⅛” rounds
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- 1 ½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Hidden Valley® Simply Ranch for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a metal baking sheet with parchment paper or foil (if using foil, spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray). Set aside.
- Slice zucchini into thin (about ⅛-¼”) slices.
- Optional step: Lay out on a paper towel to dry for 20. Place another paper towel on top of the zucchini slices and press lightly. This will help remove some moisture which will help the zucchini crisp up a little more.
- Arrange zucchini in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. It’s ok if they are touching as they will shrink during baking. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Place about a teaspoon of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top of each slice.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until golden brown on top.
- Cool for a few minutes before transferring to a plate.
- Serve immediately, while still warm and crisp.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Can’t wait to try your recipe
I have tried this several times. They never come out crispy. They are either very soft or burnt. What am I doing wrong
Hi Laura, it’s tough to pinpoint since I’m not there in the kitchen with you. My first thought would be to let the zucchini dry out for longer, maybe an hour or so. Or try a higher heat, like 450 degrees. Just watch them closely.
I made these as a snack for my kids lunch boxes and they loved it! Will definitely be making again. Thanks!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Alana.
I made these tonight and dried them per the tips, but the zucchini did not get crispy at all. They still taste great but they weren’t crisp. I sliced them thin but sadly it didn’t work out for me.
Sorry to hear they didn’t work out. The cheese actually is what really should crisp up. They aren’t crispy like chips, but do get crispy around the edges.
Can u freeze or make in a dehydrator so they last longer??
Zucchini have a very high water content so I don’t recommend freezing – they would be watery upon reheating. I don’t know about dehydrating though. That’s kind of what happens as you bake them.
I made these in my air fryer. Came out great since we like our zucchini aldente or crunchy, if I spelled it wrong! Pre heat fryer for 3-4 min, then add 1/4 inch cuts with cheese for about 5 min. It’s too hot to heat my oven up here in Las Vegas!
Nice! Thanks for dropping by Kitty and for sharing your feedback.
Thank you. Sounds tasty. I just picked a zucchini from my container garden, and can’t wait to try these. I did something like this last year when we were camping- in foil and it kind of got burned, but when camping, I guess that adds flavor! Wish me luck!
Hi Sally,
Sounds like you have a good handle on it, let us know how it turned out. Thanks for stopping by
I haven’t tried these yet, but when I make egg plant I salt it and lay it on paper towels with some weight on it and let the salt pull out some of the moisture. That should help make it crisp. I would also turn the oven down and leave longer. Be sure to wipe off some of the salt.
That’s a great tip, thanks for sharing!
Hi!! These look amazing! I plan to make them this weekend!! What is the nutritional information and how many calories?
We haven’t updated this recipe just yet, but myfitnesspal.com is a great resource.
I love cheese and zucchini… seems like I need to try these
Didnt crisp up like I had hoped for that chip like crunch..I didnt have parchment paper, I used aluminum foil. Also didnt allow the 20 mins to dry. So maybe those extra steps would be worth it for crispy. They are good though!
Thank you for the feedback Amber!
Hi” Kristin, the Suchini recipe looks so good and so easy to make, I’m sure be making it for my family.
Thank you for taking the time to write this recipes.
Juanita
Thank you Juanita! and thanks for stopping by!
Can you use any type of cheese? does it HAVE to be grated Parmesan cheese? Will you still get the same crispness if you use say, shredded cheese? Mozzarella, Mexican etc
Parmesan doesn’t have as much moisture as other cheeses which is why it works best.
Hey.. just need a clarification. The picture is shredded Parm Cheese but the recipe calls for grated. Have you done both? whats the difference? Thank you!
The term is meant for using a regular cheese grater to grate the Parmesan cheese, rather than using the canned grated variety. In other cheeses, it’s referred to as shredding.
Holy moly these are good!
Thank you Rebekah!
Very Delicious, I Love Your Recipes…Thanks For Sharing.
Hi Kristin! I saw a few people were commenting that these were not as crispy as expected. I have a coworker who makes these all the time and instead of cooking them on a higher temperature for a short amount of time, she cooks them low (125-200 degrees) for an hour or more, keeping an eye on them for crispness. They come out crispy and perfect every time. Think of it as if you are dehydrating them in the oven. Just a helpful hint that I thought others might want to try! Whenever I decide to make them myself (one of these days) I can let you know how it goes with your recipe!
Mine came out soggy, even though I dried them with paper towel.
It could be that the zucchini you used just had extra water – it does happen. I hope you’ll try again. I’d suggest trying a smaller zucchini, they tend to have less liquid.
Do you have a breakdown of the nutritional facts? I am counting calories but still want these!!
This recipe hasn’t been updated with nutritional content but there are lots of free online tools like myfitnesspal.com.
Did not come out crisp. Very soggy. What did I do wrong?
Did you take the time to dry them a bit? This definitely helps with excess moisture.
Wow! These are amazing.
Hello Kristin Can I use the grated parmesan in the can? Or does it have to be fresh grated parmesan? I only ask because I want to make this tonight but only have the parmesan in the container, not fresh. Please let me know. Thank you!
I haven’t tried that but I think you’d be fine. I personally just prefer the fresh grated.
I tried it and they came out perfect! I had the Frego brand shredded parmesan cheese
Thank you Mychal!
So glad you enjoyed it!
How do you store these?
I served them right away and they were eaten right away! They will get soggy if stored, so I’d at leave layer paper towels in between.
Looks delicious- I can’t wait to try it! But the ingredients say salt and pepper yet the steps don’t mention when to use them/ how much. Are these necessary?
Really you could do this before or after baking, but I prefer to just lightly salt and pepper the zucchini before adding the cheese.
looks delicious!!
Wow! That looks delicious & seems so easy to make. Would surely try this recipe!