Keke Palmer's Mom Says Dan Schneider Nickelodeon Sets Were Weird, 'Cultish'

Keke Palmer's mother is remembering the vibe on the sets of Dan Schneider's Nickelodeon shows ... and she says things felt very strange.

Keke's mom, Sharon Palmer, recalled her experiences with Schneider in the latest episode of Keke's podcast, "Baby, This Is Keke Palmer,"

Sharon says  ... "My honest opinion is I thought the whole atmosphere of the Dan Schneider set was very weird, very cultish. The parents were very secretive, and I honestly thought they all took themselves way too seriously."

Keke starred in her own Nickelodeon show, "True Jackson, VP" from 2008 to 2011 ... Schneider was not involved in Keke's show, but he was producing 3 other shows at that time ... "Zoey 101," "iCarly" and "Victorious."

Of course, Sharon's account follows more serious allegations against Dan in 'Quiet on Set,' where he and other adults are hit with accusations of misconduct, including sexual harassment and writing inappropriate jokes for minors.

For his part, Dan's denied those claims.

He's acknowledged some of the material he wrote back in the day was inappropriate, but he's also suing the 'Quiet on Set' producers for defamation, claiming they painted him to be a predator, which he says is a bunch of baloney.

Sharon doesn't specify which Schneider sets she experienced, but some of the allegations against him stem from his time on "Zoey 101" ... which was being filmed around the time Keke's show was getting started.