Pickle Sandwich
Published June 4, 2025 • Updated March 5, 2026
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I make this pickle sandwich with just two ingredients: sliced pickles and shredded cheese. Baked until crispy, they fuse into a low carb 'bread' that's briny, cheesy, and holds up to real fillings.
It sounds crazy, but it works. I’ve tried plenty of bread swaps over the years (bell pepper buns, portobello mushroom caps, even inside-out turkey wraps) and this one caught me off guard. You take sliced pickles and shredded cheese, bake them together, and the cheese crisps into this sturdy, briny base that actually holds sandwich fillings. No complicated steps, no weird ingredients, no soggy substitutes.
Here’s how it works
You layer pickle slices between shredded cheese on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 375 until the edges go golden. As it cools, everything fuses together into something you can pick up and eat like bread. I keep the fillings simple most of the time: a few slices of turkey, mustard, maybe lettuce. But you can load it up with ham, avocado, spicy mayo, whatever sounds good. The keto ‘bread’ holds up.
When I first made this, I used 2 cups of cheese because that’s what the TikTok videos recommended. That’s close to 1,000 calories of cheese. Way too much. I’ve dialed it down to 1 cup, which gives you a crispy base without turning the whole thing into a cheese brick.
One discovery I didn’t expect: colby jack outperforms cheddar here. A reader tried it and found the edges get lacier, almost caramelized, and the pickle brine interacts with it differently. I’ve tested it since and she’s right. If you want that crispier, more delicate edge, go with colby jack.
If you’re always hunting for low carb lunch ideas, this one belongs in your rotation. Pair it with pickle wraps on the side or serve it alongside cauliflower tots. A little chaotic, a little unexpected, but after one bite you stop missing the bread.
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Ingredients
1 cup packed shredded cheddar cheese -
6 - 8 pickle slices
-
6 slices of turkey, optional
-
1 slices of cheese, optional
-
2 romaine lettuce leaves, optional
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4 roma tomato slices, optional
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2 slices cooked bacon, optional
-
mayonnaise or mustard, optional
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Dry the pickles
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Start by lining your baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. Pat your pickle slices dry with paper towels.
- 6-8 pickle slices
First cheese and pickle layer
Using half of your shredded cheese, make two rectangles on your parchment paper. Lay three to four pickle slices across the top of each cheese square. Make sure the pickle slices touch each other side by side, not like in the image. The pickles will spread further apart as they bake.
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Another cheese layer
Cover your pickles with the remaining cheese and press down gently with your hand to pack it together.
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Bake the pickle breadwich
Place in the oven at 375°F for about 10 minutes, until the edges are crispy and golden.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use bread and butter pickles instead of dill?
I've only tested this with dill pickles, and that's what I'd recommend. Bread and butter pickles have added sugar, which can burn and caramelize unevenly under the cheese. The sweetness also clashes with savory fillings like turkey and mustard. If you want to try it, go for it, but expect a very different flavor.
What's the best cheese for a crispier result?
I started with cheddar and it works great, but I've since tried colby jack and sharp white cheddar based on reader feedback. Colby jack gets lacier around the edges with an almost caramelized texture. Sharp white cheddar adds depth. Both outperform pre-shredded cheese from a bag. Avoid fresh mozzarella, though. It's too wet and won't crisp.
Why is my pickle sandwich soft in the middle?
Nine times out of ten, it's the pickles. I press mine between two paper towels and lean on them hard, not just a light blot. Pickles carry a lot of water and any moisture left behind keeps the cheese from crisping. More bake time helps a little at the edges but won't fix wet pickles underneath.
Can I make this in an air fryer?
I've done it at 375 for about 5 minutes and it works. Check it early because it crisps faster than the oven and the edges can go from golden to burnt in a hurry. Pull it before the edges get too dark. The result is slightly crispier than oven-baked, which I actually prefer.
How do I keep the pickle bread from being greasy?
It's going to be a little greasy. That's just what happens when you bake cheese until it crisps. I let mine cool on a paper towel-lined plate for a minute, which absorbs some of the oil. Parchment paper on the baking sheet helps too so you can lift the whole thing off and let excess grease drain. Have napkins ready.
What fillings work best?
I usually go with turkey, mustard, and lettuce because it's fast. But I've also loaded it with ham, spicy mayo, avocado, and crisp veggies. For something different, try chicken salad or tuna salad. Keep the layers thin because the base is cheese and pickles, not sourdough. If you pile on too much, it falls apart.
Can I make this on the stovetop instead of the oven?
I haven't built one entirely on the stovetop, but I've re-crisped leftover pieces in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes per side. Works great for bringing back that crunch. If you wanted to try from scratch, you'd melt cheese in the pan, lay pickles in, add more cheese on top, and let it crisp. I want to test a full stovetop version and I'll update when I do.
How do I keep the cheese from sticking to the pan?
I always use parchment paper and never have sticking issues. A silicone baking mat works too. If you're worried, a light spray of cooking oil on the parchment gives you extra insurance, but I've never needed it.
My daughter looked at me like I'd lost it when I said we were using pickle slices as bread. One bite and she was back at the counter making another.
Tried this convinced the pickles would steam everything into a wet mess, but the edges came out crispy at exactly 10 minutes. Genuinely surprised. Do you think swiss would brown the same way, or is cheddar essential to getting that crunch?
Does the type of pickle matter here? I only have bread and butter slices and wasn't sure if the sweetness would be weird with cheddar. Dill seems like the obvious pick but I don't want to make a special trip if it's not necessary.
I'd make the trip. Bread and butter pickles have sugar that scorches under the cheese. Sweet plus turkey plus mustard is also just a bad combo. Dill matters here.
Ran out of cheddar so I grabbed colby jack from the back of the fridge (figured it'd work about the same), and now I'm questioning every decision that led me to ever use cheddar. The colby jack gets lacier around the edges, more of that crispy almost caramelized texture. Does something with the pickle brine too. Making a double batch Thursday.
Colby jack does that caramelized edge better than cheddar, no contest. The brine thing is real too, I noticed it early on. Double batch Thursday tracks.
Six batches in and the sharp white cheddar is the only swap that matters, even if the center still softens once you load on toppings.
Just got a new air fryer and want to run everything through it, but will the pickles actually dry out the same way they do in the oven at 375?
Air fryer at 375 works, check at 5 minutes. It crisps faster than oven so pull it before the edges go too dark.
My son picks every pickle off every sandwich he's ever eaten but inhaled two of these without realizing the 'bread' is just pickles and cheese melted together.
Ha. Don't tell him until after his third one.
Made this on a snow day and it tasted great but came out soft in the middle instead of crispy. I did pat the pickles dry but maybe not well enough. Would more bake time help, or is getting them really dry the main thing?
The drying is the main thing. Pickles carry a lot of water and any left behind keeps the cheese from crisping up. I press mine between two paper towels and lean on them hard, not just blot. More time in the oven might help a little at the edges but won't fix wet pickles.