Move over little gold fish. There’s a new cheese in town.
Heidi emailed me a couple of months ago asking if I had a good cheese cracker recipe. Well no, I said, but I sure do love me a recipe challenge! It took a bit of trial and error, but I finally figured out a recipe that not only tastes good, but is SO easy.
Who knew a cheese cracker recipe that would qualify as a High Five Recipe!! (Oh, but psst…we’re not counting the tablespoon of water in this recipe as an ingredient…because that would mean there are technically six ingredients in this cracker. I really wanted to make this a High Five Recipe and it just would not work without a bit of water. Just sprinkle it in and look the other way.)
Crispy Cheese Crackers
¼ cup butter, softened
¼ t. sea salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, room temperature
1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ t. baking powder
1 T. cold water
Use beaters or food processor to mix butter and salt until creamy. Add cheese. Mix well. Gradually add flour, baking powder and water, mixing until dough begins to form a ball. Form dough into a ball with hands.
Roll the dough into 1/8 inch thickness onto a cookie sheet. (I find that placing the dough between two pieces of parchment paper helps me to roll them out more easily.) Cut the rolled out dough into 1 ½ inch squares. Bake 15 minutes at 350° or until lightly browned. Turn off the oven and leave the crackers inside to crisp up. Store tightly covered.
That’s all there is to it! I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that my kids will eat the entire pan of these (before Matt and I get some) in one ten minute time frame. They LOVE these! So much for trying to make a snack to “have on hand”. Guess I oughta double the recipe, huh?
I gonna try these! They look fabulous, and I like that they have real food in them, rather than fake stuff.
Cottonpickinfarm
http://www.cottonpickinfarm.blogspot.com
I have nothing to say about your wonderful cheese crackers…hehe. But I forgot to tell you that my mom will be here this week…is it ok for her to join us in lunching(this is a word)…I knew you wouldn’t mind. thanks…just kidding…but really is this ok?
I think I will try these once the boys go back to school. Any idea how many crackers this recipe makes?
Those sound great! Much healthier than the Cheez-its that my son is hooked on. I’m going to bake up some of these and see how he likes them.
These look great! I have been wanting to make my own crackers for a long time. My little sous chefs will be thrilled!
thanks so much for this! I’ve been thinking about learning how to make crackers, especially since I’ve been learning how to make lots of things to save money and avoid lots of prepackaged foods. Can’t wait to try this!:)
Nice!
I like the fork hole decorations too!
These are great – very tasty – and will go well with our soup tonight. As soon as I saw the recipe I knew I would have to try it. I have six children – 3 boys/3 girls – and know from experience that doubling this recipe probably wouldn’t help you to have any “on hand”. :)
Thanks for another great recipe! I needed a snack for the kids so I tried this today…very yummy. :)
Blessings,
Christy
http://www.mercyeverymorning.blogspot.com
Oh how yummy!-Oh I’m sure I had better do doubles the first time I make ’em!
They look wonderful!!!
These look great! Can’t wait to try them – I just know my husband will love them!
Thanks!
Wow that is easy, and they look so good, I have to try them!
Hi Laura,
I made these yesterday and they were so easy and super cheesy! The kids (and me) gobbled them up. I’m making a double batch today. we’ll see how long they last.
Stacy
I’m going to give this recipe a try with gouda cheese! It looks really yummy, and I’m all about easy recipes *L*
Off to try these – how long do you think these might last (were they to sit around longer than a day in the first place)? ;) Just wondering if making a double batch would be smart for us or not.
Thanks, these are going on my list of recipes to try, along with the bagels!
My kids got bunnies cut with a cookie cutter from your PB fudge recipe for Easter, and I’ve been enjoying a variation of your potato wedges lately. (Potatoes or sweet potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper.) They’re so simple and yummy, I can’t believe I’d never cooked potatoes that way before!
These look delicious. I’m going to try a gluten free version. I’ll link back if I am successful. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks for the great recipe! We tried it this morning and it was a huge hit. I just blogged about it, including a picture of our end results and a cost breakdown! Thanks!
I love that you used whole wheat flour in them!
I’m convinced that you read minds. I was just wondering (and going to experiment) to see if I could come up with a cheese cracker recipe. Lo and behold–you’ve done all the work for me! I always love your recipes–thanks! :)
This is GREAT!!! I am trying this over the weekend. My kids eat goldfish pretty much on a daily basis, and I’ve wished I could make something to replace them. Thanks!
You rock! I’m having my son make these today (he makes your graham crackers too). :-)
~Andrea
I just found your website and love the recipe section. I have been trying to cook more from scratch and healthier for about a year. I have a question about your cheese crackers. I made them but I couldn’t get the dough to make a ball. It was really crumbly so I added another TBSP of water and it made a crumbly ball that I was able to roll out. They taste great, but look horrible. Any clue what I did wrong?
Thanks!
I just made these the other day and I’m already going to have to make another batch! My kids love them plain or I even spread them with some natural peanut butter yesterday for a snack. Thank you so much!
Just made these tonight to take on a picnic for tomorrow. They turned out so great! The only problem is that I should have doubled this recipe…guess I’ll just have to make more. Thanks so much for this great recipe without all those yucky preservatives!
I made these as well and they weren’t bad, but we did not love them. It seems they were very flavorful – do you have any suggestions about what else I could add to give them a little more flavor? The texture and everything was great.
just made your crackers, Laura… we used extra sharp cheddar cheese and they have a delightful cheddar taste :)
Just took some of these out of the oven. They are really good! Nice and crispy.
Mine are in the oven right now. Can’t wait!
I succeeded in a gluten-free version of these crackers. I substituted a 1/2 cup of potato flour and a 1/2 cup of brown rice flour for the whole wheat flour. I then added 2 T olive oil to help bind the dough. In retrospect, I suspect I could have used more butter. In any event, they rolled out well and baked well. Thanks for a great recipe!
Laura,
These look really good and super easy, but I was wondering… Have you tried any recipes without cheese? My husband and I are both lactose intolerant. Thanks =)
I make a sourdough cheese cracker pretty often, but these are a great option for when I don’t have it freshly fed! We love cheese crackers around here! :)
Best,
Sarah
PS – I just made your sweet potato streusel muffins the other day – they were fantastic!
Sounds super simple – I have some sourdough cheese crackers right now, but I think I’d like them better w/o the sour. Have you ever soaked the dough for these?
Thanks! Katie
Yum, yum, yum! Made these yesterday and they turned out great.
Thanks for sharing.
I tried these tonight and found that my dough was too crumbly as well. I didn’t even use all of the flour that they call for. I’m using storebought whole wheat flour though. Do you think that’s the difference? They’re in the oven now so I’m not sure how they’ll turn out in taste. I also made your barbecue sauce for my husband as it’s the only condiment he eats and he LOVED it! I’m so glad to have found your site!
They were so good! My husband loved them too!
This had become an absolute favorite at our house. It is what the kids ask for almost daily. Thanks!
These are great! I have been trying to eat/cook more from scratch and trying to avoid packaged food. I have made some of your recipes, but thought this one especially deserved a comment. My 21-month-old and I are enjoying them now right out of the oven!
Thanks so much for your recipes and inspiring words!
I can’t wait to try these! In an effort to eat more healthy I have cut out most of the snacks that they had been eating and they LOVE cheese crackers!
I tried these and I must have done something wrong. The only thing I changed was using colby jack cheese instead of cheddar, it was what I had on hand. They tasted like I was eating pure wheat flour. I think I may have rolled them too thick. But I am definitely trying again!
I just made these. They are so good! I saw a cute little goldfish cookie cutter online last year. I am going to see if I can find it and see how big it is. I don’t like buying goldfish crackers and the Annie’s version are pricey. This would make a great, and healthier, alternative for my toddler (and big kids).
I made these a few days ago and devoured them. I made them again today in triplicate! So yummy and since there is no egg in the dough my toddler can “help” and if he eats some dough no big deal!
Miniature cutters, like the ones Pampered Chef has,
would make cute shapes the kids would like, don’t ya think?
This would be a fun “kids in the kitchen” recipe.
I made these for my 14-month-old grandson last week when we had him for the day – they are delicious! I had to keep my husband from eating them all ;)
I just posted them on my blog! Thank you!
About to put a batch in the oven. I’ve enjoyed them in the past and they seemed to mix up easier than usual. Yum and yay!
Thank you SO much for this! My little 10 month old son doesn’t have many snack-y foods to eat and I am soooooo excited to try this for him.
These are sooooo tasty. I love them and am taking them on a road trip with my sisters and son here soon. Does anybody know how to “soak” this recipe? I am trying to eat more soaked grains and don’t know how to do this one…
wondering how to soak this also!
This is a good recipe, made them yesterday, and they were good, to kick it up a notch, I added 1/4 tsp. tobasco, and used half cheddar, half parmesan. Great! Thanks for the recipe!
Brenda
I am making these with the sprouted kamut flour to go along with the gluten free idea…..
I’m really not sure on this one. I’d have to experiment a little bit to make sure these still turned out crispy!
two questions:
1. Can i make the dough in the bread maker? For some reason when i try to cream butter in my cuisinart it just pushes it to the sides and does not mix it. i can take the dough out as soon as it incorporates.
2. Will these stay crisp for very long? Like if i made a massive batch, could they keep in a tightly sealed jar for two weeks?
Lastly, thank you so much for blogging…and you have a great group of gals who follow you…everyone is so kind to answer even the most basic of question without an attitude of “how could you not know that?” toward us newbies!
many thanks!
I don’t have a bread machine, so I can’t say for sure. I usually just do this by hand, but I would imagine it would work in your machine.
Yes, they should definitely stay crisp for two weeks!
I think the Share link to FB isn’t working. I tried but it couldn’t find it. Great crackers!!!
Just made these and I really like them! For those who don’t think these have enough flavor, the sky is the limit; add any of you favorite seasonings. I did a second batch with half parmesan half cheddar, added some garlic to the dough and sprinkled the outside with more garlic powder. Next time I will try pressing some seeds in the dough for a different texture. Thank you so much, we will make these often!
Try a sharper variety of cheese.
Yummy Yummy Yummy….Made two batches a few days ago…gobbled them all up and I am working on another double batch tonite. Excellent recipe.
For those that said their dough was crumbly….Mine was to in the mixer, but once you get your hands on it to ball it it stays.
These turned out awesome! I just have to say thank you also. I am neither heavenly nor homemaker, but i have found tremendous inspiration in your blog. You have really beautiful ideas on home and health and family. So thanks :)
Do you soak this wheat at all? Or, just bake it as is?
I’ve not soaked the wheat for this recipe. I just bake as is. :)
I absolutely love your recipes! I just got started with trying to move from store bought to homemade, so I haven’t tried too many yet. Crackers is a very new thing for me, but I’m VERY excited to try them.
How long are you supposed to leave them in the oven to get them crisp?
Thanks for all of your work on this website, it is definitely helping to revolutionize the way my family eats, and I’m forever grateful.
I probably leave them in the oven for about 45 minutes, before they become crisp enough, but you’ll want to check them every 15 minutes or so to make sure they aren’t over baked. Even with the oven off, they can sometimes keep cooking in there!
Mine were super crumbly, even using my hands. My cheese was a little bit chunky. Maybe that is why.
Love these! I’ve featured the recipe link on our site’s “In the Kitchen” page.
Do you have any idea how long these would be good for? I am hoping to make some for vacation, but was wondering if I could make them in advance. Thanks!
Sounds like they needed just a tiny bit more water…maybe?
I found some that had been pushed back into the back of my pantry, and they were STILL good after about a month and a half. :)
Mine didn’t come out orange colored like yours. The cheese stayed a little chunky. They still taste good and my kids love them, but was curious what I did wrong.
The orange color is probably just my cheap(ish) camera and my lack of photography skills. :) They really are more of a golden brown. I use flour made from hard white wheat, which keeps the cracker from being very dark.
Not sure on the chunky cheese – maybe simply try shredding more finely next time?
Glad your kids loved them!
I didn’t really shred my cheese. I just stuck it in the food processor in chunks – lazy me. I just made sure to process it really well. I made a double batch. I put garlic salt on one batch and nothing extra on the other. The garlic salt batch definitely will be a repeat! I can’t wait for my daughter who loves cheese-its to wake up and try them. :)
do you have any calorie info on these
I just made these with coconut oil and a little less flour (because mine is store bought) and there are SO SO SO good. Last time I followed the recipe exactly and I think my flour made them really dry and not as good. THANK you so much for these fabulous recipes:O)
Has anyone tried this w/ Gluten-Free flour?
Loved these…planning to try them this week…
Regards,
Nan
This is a rough estimate but the whole pan would have about 1,272 calories.
I am not sure how much that would be per serving size. If you get 10 servings
out of the pan then each serving would be about 120 calories. :)
That makes sense to me Julie, that is why mine though DELICIOUS!!- were a tad on the dry side. I to did the coconut oil, MAN these were excellent. I don’t know how often I will make them bc they were wolfed down in less time than it took for me to make them, and I doubled the recipe, I do like the thought that I know what is exactly in them, but it is a labor of love. Will try a little less flour next time I make them too, which will be a special occasion, or I will have to remond the famiy what a “portion size” is…LOL!!
Going to try these this week!!! My 4 year old LOVES cheese crackers!!
WOW! I just baked these crackers and they are very, VERY good. My family and I enjoyed these so much there was not a morsel left. Thank you for sharing this delicious and easy recipe. God bless.
These are simply wonderful! For our family of 7 we have to double them. A Favorite!!!!
We made these these the other day……a single batch, as we weren’t too sure how they’d turn out. Well, they were gone before I could take my camera out and get a picture of the finished product! SOOOOOOOOO good…….and I have to admit…..they’re REALLY good with peanut butter on them. :)
next time, a double batch, at least!
If you freeze the dough for 20-30 minutes before rolling out, it’s much easier to handle :)
Could I use sprouted flour for these? Has anyone tried it please?
Although I haven’t tried it personally, it should work out fine!
Ahh!! The recipe I have been looking for!! Thank you, thank you!! I can’t wait to try this and never buy goldfish again!
When I came to the end of the recipe I thought “store?” Who gets to store crackers? Not me, which is why I make them so seldom. These sound delicious, BTW.
These were yummy! The kids say these crackers remind them of Cheezits(sp.?)!
I’m definitely trying these for my 18 month old! I’m using store bought whole wheat from hard red wheat. I noticed on some of the comments that store bought whole wheat might make it drier. How much more water or how much less flour do you recommend using?
I’m not sure off the top of my head, but I’d go with the same amount of flour, then just add dribbles of water as needed until you get a nice dough to roll out.