What Is Cheese Powder Made Of, Exactly?

Follow foodie influencers on social media? You've likely encountered the trend of snipping off the top of a warm sweet potato and stuffing it with cheese. The brainchild of schoolteacher and TikTok creator @courtneylcook, this little technique is making waves online for turning an unassuming spud into an awesome handheld lunch that you can chomp on at your desk. Another invention created by the same influencer is the cheese powder-coated boiled egg, in which you roll boiled eggs in the packet of cheese powder that comes with certain brands of boxed mac and cheese. Devoured as a snack, these protein-rich fellas are full of concentrated, super-savory flavor. But what's in cheese powder, anyway?

In its simplest form, this flavorful ingredient is made by dehydrating fresh cheese and grinding it into a powder. The cheese is melted and put through a drier to remove moisture before it's pulverized, but it can also be freeze-fried. Many cheese powders contain paprika extract, which lends them a rich, vivid orange color, as well as salt and other seasonings. Other varieties feature buttermilk and cheese cultures, in addition to anti-caking agents, which prevent the powder from clumping. Some brands of cheese powder have a bright hue, while others have a pale coloring. This depends on which cheese they're made from and if the manufacturer incorporated any additional colorings.

The shelf-stable nature of cheese powder makes it an incredible staple to stash in your pantry (it can last for over a year). If features an intense cheesy flavor, so you can use it as a substitute for fresh cheese in small measures. Robust with a nutty quality, this powder makes a versatile and convenient ingredient in soups and sauces but can also be mixed into breadings and coatings. Better yet, when making a cheesy sauce for pasta, you can skip the time-consuming first step of making a roux. Simply reconstitute the powder with hot milk to create a bright-orange sauce at speed that's both savory and buttery.

This cheesy ingredient is also awesome for sprinkling over pita chips or potato wedges. Since it doesn't contain moisture like regular cheddar, Swiss, or colby, your veggies and chips will retain their crisp texture while benefitting from a bigger umami hit. Similarly, adding a dash of cheese powder to a cream of broccoli soup recipe will enhance the soup's savory flavor without affecting its consistency by turning it gloopy.

You can even transform microwave popcorn with a sprinkle of mac and cheese powder. Just spritz the popcorn with oil once it's popped to help the powder adhere. You can even add it to a mild batch of homemade cheese to intensify its flavor.