Cheese Crackers
Tasty, savory, all-natural, homemade Cheese Crackers are not only kid approved, but you won't believe how easy they are to make!
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Homemade Cheese Crackers are one of those recipes that I've been meaning to try out ever since I had kids...but I just never seemed to get around to it. Well, that finally changed last week, my friends! And the funny part is, they were so easy to make, I don't know why I waited so long to give them a go.
Ingredients
These little cuties are as simple as pulsing together a few ingredients in the food processor -- grated cheddar (extra-sharp, please!), butter, flour, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper (black & cayenne)...and that's it!
Not an un-pronouncable ingredient in sight! Well, unless you're like me and have difficulty pronouncing Worcestershire.
Woos-ti-shire.
Wer-chest-er-shi-er... 😉
How to Make Them
After your dough comes together, simply form it into a disk and pop it in the refrigerator to firm up a bit.
Then roll it out and use a pizza cutter (or, if you want fancy edges, a pastry wheel) to cut it into little squares.
Pop 'em on a pan, use a wooden skewer to poke a little hole in each one (we're trying to be authentic here, right?), and bake until the edges just start to darken.
It sounds like a lot of steps but the hands-on time is actually surprisingly short.
Rolling Them Out
Now, I must disclose that the Homemade Cheese Crackers pictured in these photos are from the first batch I made.
In making these crackers a few more times since, I've come to discover that my family prefers them rolled out a little thinner (about ⅛") and baked a little longer for crispier, more cracker-like crackers.
The crackers pictured here were thicker (about ¼") and softer. Still good, but you'll need to decide which type of texture you're going for.
Don't kid yourself, though...this batch of slightly thicker crackers went over juuuust fine.
Cutting Into Crackers
I also feel the need to share that the yield of this recipe is a result of the size I cut my crackers, and the size I cut my crackers is a result of the ruler I used as a guide for my pizza cutter.
I am terrible at cutting straight lines in food, y'all. When there's a cake to be cut, I always try to pawn off the task on someone else. My pie slices are never even. My brownies range from tiny to jumbo (and not on purpose).
Anyhoo, I figured that a bunch of crooked crackers probably wouldn't make for an aesthetically pleasing blog post...so I washed a plastic ruler with some dish soap, thoroughly dried it, and laid it vertically along the edge of my rectangle of dough.
Then I took my pizza cutter and traced along each side of it, rendering my first "strip" of crackers 1 ¼" wide. I moved the ruler across the dough and continued tracing/cutting vertical strips.
Then I turned the ruler perpendicular and worked my way down the dough, cutting horizontal strips.
At the end, I had perfectly square, equally sized little crackers...which I never would have been able to accomplish in a million years, sans ruler. I took the jagged scraps of dough from the edges, re-rolled, and used my ruler to cut more squares. Repeat, repeat, done!
I hope it goes without saying that you absolutely do not have to use a ruler in order to ensure that your crackers are all square and symmetrical. Live on the edge and eyeball those babies! Using a ruler is just something that my fellow firstborn, type-A, perfectionist, Virgos might understand... 😉
More Tips & Tricks
You should be able to fit all of your crackers on one sheet pan, since they slightly puff up but don't spread out. But don't be surprised when these Homemade Cheese Crackers come out of the oven a lighter shade than the neon orange Cheez-Its we're all accustomed to.
Cheese + butter + flour ≠ neon. (And people think an English major can't be good at math...)
And speaking of cheese, I highly recommend using extra-sharp cheddar in these crackers for the best flavor (I used Tillamook), as they can turn out somewhat bland if you use a milder cheese.
Have I mentioned that, in addition to loving these crackers for a snack, your favorite kiddo(s) would love to help you make them?! This recipe would be a fun little project to tackle with your resident toddler/preschooler/insert-age-here-year-old. Said little helper can measure out ingredients, pulse the food processor (with supervision, of course), cut straight lines along the ruler or use mini cookie cutters to cut out shaped crackers (goldfish, anyone?), and best of all, taste-test!
All of my offspring appreciate a good snack, and sometimes it's nice to trade out the usual fruit or muffins or granola bars for something a little different...and non-sugary, to boot.
So if you've ever considered making your own Homemade Cheese Crackers, don't delay!
Now's your time! They're easy, they're yummy, and there's something so satisfying about knowing that they're chock full of real ingredients. In fact, they're guaranteed to elicit cheesy grins.
Sorry. Couldn't resist (the cute toddler or the lame pun)!
More Kid-Friendly Fare
- Easy Strawberry Cream Cheese Pastries
- Beefy Cheesy Tortellini Bake
- Healthy Oat Smoothies ~ Blueberry Muffin & Peach Cobbler Flavors
- Homemade Sloppy Joes
Homemade Cheese Crackers
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
- 4 ounces (1 cup) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 cup PLUS 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Place the butter, grated cheddar, salt, white pepper, and cayenne in the bowl of a large food processor. Pulse until butter breaks up into small pieces and the mixtures resembles cottage cheese. Add the flour to the food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles damp breadcrumbs. Add the Worcestershire and pulse a couple more times. The dough will be moist but it should come together in your hands.
- Turn the dough out onto the counter or a silicone mat. Knead it a couple of times to form a ball. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
- Place the oven rack in the center position of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and very lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape measuring ⅛-inch thick (if the dough seems sticky, you may use a bit of flour on your rolling pin, but it probably won't be necessary). Using a pizza cutter, pastry wheel, or sharp knife, cut the dough vertically into approximately 1-inch wide strips, then cut across the strips horizontally to make 1-inch squares (you may use a clean ruler as a guide, if you wish). Form a ball with any leftover scraps of dough, roll out again, and repeat until all crackers are cut out.
- Transfer crackers to baking sheet. The crackers shouldn't spread, so it's not necessary to space them out much. Use a wooden skewer to poke a small hole in the center of each cracker. Bake for 15 minutes or until crackers are just starting to darken around the edges. Transfer crackers to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Adapted from Make the Bread, Buy the Butter.
Hi Samantha,
Lovely recipe by the way, can’t wait to try it. I was wondering if there is a substitute for the Worcestershire sauce ? Thank you.
Hi Irina! I think you could just leave out the Worcestershire sauce, and perhaps add a tad more salt/pepper to make up for it. 🙂
I cannot wait to try these crackers. While I love these crackers the rest of my family does not eat as many. Can you tell me how long these usually last sitting out or can you freeze them?
These don't last more than a few days at our house, Kelly, so I can't answer your question definitively. 🙂 But I think the texture of the crackers would start to change after a few days in an air-tight container at room temperature. Yes, I think you should be able to freeze them at that point, but again, I haven't done so myself so I'm not positive if the texture would be affected once they thaw. Good luck and let us know if you decide to give it a try!
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe! My family's just raving about them.
Hi- is there a liquid missing? My dough is too crumbly, won't stick together? Heeeeeeelp! 🙂
Oh no, Naomi...I'm sorry to hear that! I just checked the recipe and it's accurate. Usually the dough forms a ball after a few kneads, but if it doesn't, you could always add a tiny bit of water (a teaspoon at a time), until it sticks together...just be careful not to add too much. Good luck!
This is the EASIEST recipe for these I've ever seen and I can't wait to try them! Maybe while we're stuck inside with all this snow!
Making these crackers would definitely be a fun snow day project, Meaghan! But hopefully your snow melts soon and you don't have to worry about those anymore... 😉 Have a fantastic week!
Super yummy recipe! This looks so amazing. Pinned and tweeted. We love to party with you, so I hope to see you tonight at 7 pm.. Have an amazing day! Lou Lou Girls
Thanks so much, Lou Lou Girls! Hope y'all have been having a wonderful week!
Samantha - I'm so glad we 'met' in our Bloggy Love group! 🙂 I adore your recipes and photos! Can't wait to try this one!
You are too sweet, Martha...I'm thrilled to be a part of the group and get to know you better as well! Joining the group also made me realize that I've been pinning a lot of your recipes all along, before I even "knew" you...so the feeling is mutual. 🙂 Hope you enjoy these when you try them, and hope you've been having a great week!
I'm the 5th out of 6.....just wing it cutting cut those babies! 😉 My eldest firstborn daughter would use the ruler!!
They look good!
That made me laugh, Mary...so true! I wish that I could be more laid-back, but firstborns are just cut from a different cloth. My firstborn is the child of two firstborns and he doesn't stand a chance! 😉
These look great! I made Wheat Thins for the first time on Saturday and they turned out awesome! I'm all ready to try these next. Thanks! Following on G+. 🙂
Thanks so much, Heaven! I have yet to try my hand at homemade Wheat Thins...adding those to my list. 🙂 And I appreciate the G+ follow...just followed you back! 😉
I've been wanting to try any kind of cracker, but have yet to give them a try. You have quite the cute taste tester!
My husband loves Cheese-Its but this is the one thing he is brand loyal for. I really have to try and make these, and see if we can win him over with the home baked goodness. I'm am adding this to my Pinterest board for "totally got to try recipes"
I hope your husband enjoys these, Nikki! I have to tell you that they don't taste exactly like Cheez-Its...they're a bit more "natural tasting." 😉 But he may like them as an alternative to his beloved box of crackers! And if you roll them thin and bake them up crispy, it might help your odds... 🙂 Good luck!
Hi Samantha, I saw this on the Best of the Weekend link party. My boys love crackers and I've always thought about making some for them, but didnt know how. This looks so easy abd I'll definitely try it. I, like you, can't cut food in a straight line and will also use a ruler or anything else with a straight edge. Pinning.
Ha, Diane...so glad to know I'm not the only one who needs a ruler! 😉 Hope these are a hit when you try them, and thanks so much for the pin! Happy Sunday! 🙂
My kids are huge cheese cracker fans! I never knew you could make them yourself! I can't wait to try these!
They're so easy, Krista! I hope your kids love them if you have a chance to try them. 🙂
Samantha,
Have you tried any substitutes with this recipe? We are finding out that my family is gluten sensitive and are greatly reducing our consumption. Some, once in awhile, is OK. I wonder if rice or quinoa flour would work? Any thoughts?
Maureen
Hi Maureen! I only recently made these cheese crackers for the first time, so I haven't done much experimenting with them yet. I also don't have any experience with rice flour or quinoa flour, so I'm not the best person to give advice on how to substitute them. However, I definitely think it's worth giving these a shot using gluten-free flour...perhaps only making a fraction of the recipe until you achieve success? I do hope you're able to successfully make some substitutes to this recipe so that your family can enjoy them. Good luck! 🙂
THAT FACE!!! THE SWEETEST!! She knows the good stuff in life, clearly 🙂 I love cheese crackers with a passion but have never made them. Can't wait to try!
She's always more than happy to be my little taste tester, Amy. 😉 And I'm with you...not sure why it took me so long to make my own cheese crackers. I've always thought about doing it but never realized how easy it would be! Thanks so much for stopping by and happy Friday!
Hi Samantha, I am making these asap! We have been replacing pre-packaged snack with home-made. I don't remember when was the last time I bought a box of Cheeze-its. I love how easy these are to make. I always have some extra sharp Tillamook. And yes-- the ruler! I am terrible at cutting a straight piece of anything as well. Why not add a ruler to the baking drawer, haha. I'll go dig up one of the kids' rulers.
P.S. your daughter is beyond words cute. Is she just over 2?
Ha, Mila...so glad I'm not the only one incapable of cutting straight lines! I think a ruler sounds like the perfect addition to the baking drawer...I believe you're onto something! 😉 And yes, my daughter is between 2 1/4 and 2 1/2. Time is flying a tad too fast for my liking these days... Hope your family enjoys these crackers if you have a chance to try them! 🙂