I originally stumbled on this gold mine of an ingredient when making my Flaming Hot Protein Cheetos and went totally cheese crazy in the kitchen. Below you’ll find some of my favorite cheddar powder recipes. As always, the recipes are simple, the ingredient lists are short, and the prep time is minimal. I hope you enjoy!
As for my cheddar powder of choice, I use Hoosier Hill Farms or Anthony’s Goods from Amazon. A giant tub costs $12 and will make at least 1,000 recipes. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but it will make a lot. I’ve been going crazy with it and haven’t made my way through the first tub.
One final thing before we dive in. If you need a substitute for cheddar powder, you may be able to find Knorr cheese sauce mix in your grocery store. And if you’re dairy-free, vegan, or don’t want to consume cheddar powder, try nutritional yeast for its cheesy flavor like in my air fryer potato chips recipe.
Update July 2020
I like to think I’ve come a long way since first discovering cheddar powder. Here are some great recipes of late that also use cheddar powder:
- Cheesy Air Fried Potatoes
- 30-Minute Cheeseburger Soup
- How to Make Cheese Bread in the Air Fryer
- Easy Hash Brown Casserole
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Cheddar Cauliflower Grits Breakfast Bowls
Okay, below you’ll find the original recipes I created with cheddar powder. They’re very simple but great examples of how you can use cheddar powder to make everyday a little bit more interesting!
Cheddar Bacon Grilled Cheese
310 Calories, 26g of protein, 29g of carbs, and 10g of fat
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Flatout Fold It (or any “lite” bread that’s around 100 calories for 2 slices)
- 3 slices Kraft fat-free cheese slices
- 2 Tbsp cheddar powder
- Pinch of paprika, cayenne pepper, and black pepper to taste
- 3 slices turkey bacon, pan-fried with cooking spray
Spray a non-stick skillet with nonstick cooking spray and heat the pan over a medium-high heat. Cook your bacon, uncovered, to the desired crispness. Since we’ve already accounted for the calories and love delicious things, we’ll assemble our grilled cheese and pan fry it in the remaining bacon grease.
To assemble the sandwich, mix your cheddar powder and spices in a small bowl with 1 tsp of water. Stir into a paste. Spread the paste as your bottom layer and top with a cheese slice, then bacon, then cheese, and so on. Add your sandwich to the pan and pan fry for 45-60 seconds on each side – or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Different bread may require different cook times.
Feel free to swap bacon for deli meat like sliced chicken or turkey or go meatless altogether. Full-fat cheddar will also melt a bit better than Kraft fat-free slices but will add a bit of fat/calories.
Cauliflower “Mac and Cheese”
You have two options here, depending on how creamy you like your mac and cheese.
Option 1 (less creamy) 160 Calories, 9g of protein, 24g of carbs, and 4g of fat
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 bag of frozen, steamable riced cauliflower (or 400g if you make your own)
- 2 Tbsp cheddar powder (you can add more if you’d like)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Steam your riced cauliflower in the microwave and mix the cheddar powder straight in. That’s it! If you’re not worried about calorie content, you could add a Tbsp of butter or coconut oil to make this even creamier.
Option 2 (extra creamy) 200 Calories, 8g of protein, 30g of carbs, and 2g of fat
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 bag of frozen, steamable riced cauliflower (or 400g if you make your own)
- 2 Tbsp (64g) fat-free cream cheese
- 1 Tbsp cheddar powder (you may need 2 Tbsp like above, but I like the mild cream cheese flavor)
- Salt and pepper to taste
You can save this for easy reference later. If you’re on Instagram, come say hey!
Cheddar and Garlic Mashed Fauxtatoes (cauliflower)
165 Calories, 6g of protein, 21g of carbs, and 3g of fat
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 bag of frozen, steamable cauliflower (or 1/2 head of cauliflower, steamed)
- 1 tsp pre-minced garlic (or 1 clove, minced)
- 2 Tbsp cheddar powder
Using a food processor or my favorite – the Nutribullet – blend steamed cauliflower, garlic, and cheddar powder together. Top with fresh parsley, bacon crumbles, or any other toppings you’d like, and you’re done!
Low-Carb Cheesy Egg Scramble
280 Calories, 38g of protein, 4g of carbs, and 8g of fat
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 5 servings of liquid egg whites
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp cheddar powder
Spray a large non-stick skillet with zero calorie cooking spray. Whisk your egg and egg whites together in a bowl or mix them in the skillet as they cook. Cook your eggs on low-medium heat until most of the moisture begins to dissipate. At that point, mix in your cheddar powder and stir until mixed evenly throughout. To avoid clumps, you might try adding 1 tsp of water to the cheddar powder and mixing it prior to adding to your eggs.
Cheddar powder would be a great addition to a recipe like my high protein breakfast nacho boats recipe (pictured above).
Flaming Hot Protein Cheetos
330 Calories, 36g of protein, 12g of carbs, and 9g of fat
Click here to check out the full, in-depth recipe.
R
Wednesday 21st of August 2019
Really appreciate your compact image recipe cards. I can save them to my phone for quick access. I recently discovered powdered cheese and use it stirred into polenta, mixed with low fat greek yoghurt for chicken dishes and along with udon noodles for healthy carbonara. Thank you d'or your suggestions
Caroline
Wednesday 15th of May 2019
I have recently purchased both powdered cheddar and nutritional yeast. I would love to know how to make cheese sauce for chicken enchiladas.
Mason Woodruff
Thursday 16th of May 2019
Hey Caroline, I don't have any cheesy chicken enchiladas with cheddar powder, but you could probably use something like the mixture in my potatoes au gratin. Reduce the milk a bit since your enchiladas won't need to bake for that long.
Natalia
Wednesday 9th of January 2019
This is legit the best thing ever! I’m so glad this came into my life in moments of need lol I legit make the health mac n cheese every week! Being the super lazy person that I am, I love the fact that this is all done in the microwave all in one bowl, cuz, who has time to wash two bowls, am I right? I also did it with banza pasta and sometimes I exchange the fat free cream cheese For fat free greek yogurt and the cheddar cheese for white cheddar cheese! (With truffle salt on top 🤤). PLEASE, DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND TRY THIS RECIPE!!
Teresa
Friday 9th of November 2018
The Cauliflower Mac & Cheese is simply amazing! You have to force yourself to stop eating it! Thanks tons!
Stephanie Shaffer
Tuesday 6th of November 2018
Cauliflower Mac and cheese is life. Add some homemade or store bought crab bites and you have some crab Mac and cheese! I found making this on the stove helps the Mac and cheese get creamier with the cream cheese. Literally have this a couple times a week. Thanks for the post!