These homemade cheese crackers are gluten free and taste great. Plus? They’re easy to make. Crackers might not be the first thing you think of when you hear the word homemade, but the ingredient list for this recipe is short and it doesn’t take long to make at all. You might want to double this cheese cracker recipe, though. They’re that good.
- Fact: Cheez-It crackers are crap food.
- Fact: Cheez-It crackers aren’t even a food really. They’re more like a food product.
- Fact: In spite of the fact that I haven’t eaten Cheez-It crackers in years, if I were stranded on a deserted island with only one kind of food, Cheez-Its would be right up there at the top of my wish list.
Good thing I’ve mastered this recipe for homemade cheese crackers.
Related: The Best Gluten Free Crackers to Make at Home
Gluten-free homemade cheese crackers?
Awhile back (inspired by a recipe sent by Amanda from High Prairie Homestead) my then sixteen-year-old son took it upon himself to try his hand at making homemade cheese crackers. He deemed them “awesome,” not to mention really easy to make.
Trouble is, I follow a gluten-free diet. And let me tell you: just smelling those homemade cheese crackers just wasn’t cutting it. So I decided to attempt a gluten-free version. The results? I would totally take these with me to a deserted island.
A cheese cracker recipe everyone can love
So, these crackers are gluten free. They’re also suitable for folks who are sticking to a Keto eating plan. But don’t let that send you off in search of a “real” recipe for homemade cheese crackers. These crackers are tasty enough to serve to your wheat-eating friends. Really. This cheese cracker recipe calls for two alternative flours: Coconut and almond (or sorghum, though that won’t work for the Keto folks). Usually found in the health food section at the grocery store, these flours are gluten free.
Hot tip: Don’t freak out when you see the price of the coconut flour like I did the first time I used it. It’s not used at a 1:1 ratio, so a cup of coconut flour goes a LOT further than a cup of all-purpose flour. A small bag will last you through numerous batches of these homemade cheese crackers!
Making these crackers
It’s easy. A food processor makes it easy, though you could also use a stand mixer, or even mix it by hand. I’ve recently added a video of the process so you can see how they come together. This is video of my husband making the recipe. You might spot a few places in there where he doesn’t follow the instructions to a T, but the crackers turned out great.
Related: Savory Pizzelles — DIY Lemon and Dill Crackers
★ Did you make these homemade cheese crackers? Don’t forget to give them a star rating below!
Homemade cheese crackers
Makes roughly the equivalent of a small box of Cheez-It crackers.
Ingredients
- ½ cup almond flour or sorghum flour (plus more for rolling out dough)
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 4 T cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, sharp or mild
- ½ tsp. sea salt
- ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
- 5 T. cold water
Instructions
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Combine flours and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times, then add cheese, salt, and cayenne pepper. Pulse until crumbly. Add almost all of the water and process just until the ingredients come together, adding remaining water as necessary.
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Preheat oven to 350ºF.
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Transfer dough to a sheet of parchment paper or a floured countertop. Use your hands to form dough into a ball, sprinkle liberally with flour, and then gently roll dough out into a thin sheet (Use more flour to prevent sticking if needed). Aim for no more than 1/8-inch thick; too thin is preferable to too thick.
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Use a pizza cutter to cut into one-inch squares. For a more authentic looking cracker, poke a hole in the center of each with a chopstick. Sprinkle with coarsely ground salt, if desired.
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Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until crackers are lightly browned and crisp. Break the crackers apart and cool. Any that don’t feel crisp enough should be popped back in the oven for another five minutes or so.
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Crackers not eaten immediately (ha!) can be stored in an airtight container.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Coconut flour is not used at a 1:1 ratio, so a cup of coconut flour goes a LOT further than a cup of all-purpose flour. A small bag will last you through numerous batches of these homemade cheese crackers!
Originally published in March 2012; this post has been updated.
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You just reminded me how much I used to love cheez-its. Thanks for this healthier alternative!
Oh, these sound incredible!…and so easy. Thanks, Kris!
Looks good. I will be sharing this for my GF friends. (And every once in a while, crap food product can hit the spot. mmmmtwinkies…)
Aw, now I have a hankering for Cheez-Its! I probably haven’t had them since I ate handfuls while babysitting at homes where cool moms actually bought snack food.
I make gluten-free cheese crackers too. Mine are simply almond flour, cheese, homemade butter, and salt. Not sure they taste like Cheez-Its but still, pretty yummy.
Oh cool, Iʻll have to try these! They remind me of a recipe of my moms (using wheat flour of course). With those you roll out a log, refrigerate and then cut slices to bake.
I didnʻt know there is coconut flour. Where do I find it?
I get the coconut flour at my health food store. Bob’s Red Mill makes it. One thing about coconut flour. It’s a great flour for baking gluten free, but you need a lot less of it that you do regular flour (keep in mind when you gasp at the price tag). Where I’d use 1 cup of regular flour, I only need about 1/4 cup of coconut flour.
@Attainable Sustainable Sure enough, I was at the health food store later in the afternoon checking out all the non-gluten flours and there it was! Thanks for the tip on not needing very much, I just got a little, since the price was near $5/lb.
Totally delicious! We made them into little stars. They get crispy as they cool. If someone needs to stay completely gluten free, then make sure to check ingredients on unsalted butter. With the coconut flour adding fiber are they still junk food?
Sounds nice except I’ve never, ever seen either sorghum or coconut flour for sale in NZ. Sigh.
Try ordering from iHerb. That site sells every kind of flour. They ship to where I live in Korea. I’m sure they can ship to you. =)
I’ll be these not only taste great, but make your kitchen smell really good while you’re baking them, too.
Do these taste as good as they look? Hmm..yummy!
I actually buy Cheez its to give to my dogs as little treats. Probably not the healthiest thing in the world for them, but better than some crap treat made in China with who knows what in it. These look awesome. I’m bookmarking the recipe!
As a Cheez-it fan (no, I don’t eat them anymore – I just lust after them), I have to try this recipe. What a great idea. I’m contemplating going gluten free. Recipes like this will help.
I have always been frightened of trying recipes like this one, but your illustrations make it sound so easy. Thanks for experimenting and coming up with real gluten-free!
These look tasty and I’m not even a Cheez-it fan. In fact, if I were stranded on that island I would request piles of chocolate
These look and sound amazing. And Cheez-Its are one of those non-foods where I could easily sit down and eat an entire box.
Incredible! I wonder if you could sell these at your local farmer’s market?
I am so going to make these! A nutrition expert M.D. I interviewed used the term “edible food-like substances.” That pretty much describes Cheez-its…
This is a great idea. I love cheez-its as a very occasional snack food. I know a lot of friends that are going gluten-free so I’ll be passing this along.
Coconut flour gives me cramps ahd other unpleasasnt side effects. Is there an alternative?
What about almond flour as an alternative to coconut flour?
I think flavor-wise it would be fine, but you’d have to figure out equivalents. Coconut flour is SO dense. 1/4-1/3 cup coconut flour subs for 1 cup regular flour!
These are a yummy snack and were easy to make.