Name: easy homemade cheese crackers
Prep time: 75 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 95 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese ((6 ounces)); 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour ((125 grams)); 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (( or arrowroot starch)); 1/4 teaspoon salt; 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces; 2 tablespoons cold water; coarse sea salt, for sprinkling ((optional))

These Easy Homemade Cheese Crackers are delicious and crispy. And they’re ready to enjoy in a hurry.

I know. You’re probably thinking that it would be a lot easier to grab a box of Cheez-It’s and call it a day. Well …if you check on the side of the box, you’ll find that their formula now includes bio-engineered ingredients. That’s a hard pass for me.

Since I use organic non-GMO flour in all of my baking endeavors, I do my best to offer my family the healthiest snacks possible.

Let’s get started with the short list of ingredients you’ll need to make your Easy Homemade Cheese Crackers.

Shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese
Unbleached all-purpose flour
Cornstarch – or arrowroot starch
Salt
Cold unsalted butter
Cold water
Sea salt – for sprinkling, if desired

A note on the flour…

My current go-to all-purpose flour is from Sunrise Flour Mill. I always use their Organic Heritage White Flour when making these cheese crackers.

Add the shredded cheddar cheese, flour, cornstarch, and salt to the bowl of a food processor.
Process until combined, for about 30 seconds.
Add the butter and process until mixture resembles wet sand, for about 20 seconds.
Add the water and pulse until dough forms large clumps, about 10 pulses.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.
Divide it in half and pat each portion into a 6-inch square.
If the dough feels dry, moisten your fingers with cold water as you smooth out the dough.
Carefully wrap each square in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes and up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

I’ve adapted my recipe for Easy Homemade Cheese Crackers from one I found online at Sally’s Baking Addiction.

The formula remains the same but the technique is very different. My method of forming the crackers is to use small cookie cutters like these round and square guys. Sally uses the fluted edge of a pastry wheel to form small squares.

For your reference, here’s the alternate method… Place each piece of chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a 9-inch square. Doesn’t need to be perfect! Using a fluted pastry wheel, pizza cutter, or small sharp knife, trim dough into a neat 8 inch square. Slice square into 8 strips, each 1 inch wide, then make 8 perpendicular slices, each 1 inch wide. Each 8-inch square will yield 64 square crackers.

Unwrap each dough square.
Place each on a lightly floured work surface.
Roll out into a larger 9-inch square or oblong of about 1/8-inch in thickness.
Cut crackers into desired shapes (squares and rounds) using small 1 1/4-inch cookie cutters.
For the most authentic effect, cut with the fluted-edge side of cutter.
Re-roll any excess dough and cut out additional crackers to avoid waste.

Place the cut-out shapes on the prepared baking sheets.
Use a skewer or large toothpick to poke a hole through the center of each.
Lightly sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.

Bake until golden brown around the edges for about 16-18 minutes.
To promote even browning, rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking.
For crunchier crackers, bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.

Store leftover crackers at room temperature for up to 1 week.
If tightly sealed, they’ll lose their crunch.
Keep the lid slightly ajar to maintain some crunchiness.

5 from 1 vote

easy homemade cheese crackers

Adapted from a recipe at Sally's Baking Addiction

Ready to enjoy in less than two hours. Estimated prep time includes 45 minutes required to chill dough before forming and baking crackers.

Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings 10 dozen small crackers

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp yellow cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (125 grams)
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch ( or arrowroot starch)
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons cold water
coarse sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

Process the shredded cheddar cheese, flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a food processor until combined, for about 30 seconds. Add the butter and process until mixture resembles wet sand, for about 20 seconds. Add the water and pulse until dough forms large clumps, about 10 pulses.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Divide it in half and pat each portion into a 6-inch square. If the dough feels dry, moisten your fingers with cold water as you smooth out the dough. Carefully wrap each square in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 45 minutes and up to 2 days.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Unwrap each dough square. Place each on a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a larger 9-inch square of about 1/8-inch in thickness. Cut crackers into desired shapes (squares and rounds) using small 1 1/4-inch cookie cutters. For the most authentic effect, cut with the fluted-edge side of cutter. Re-roll any excess dough and cut out additional crackers to avoid waste.
Place the cut-out shapes on the prepared baking sheets. Use a skewer or large toothpick to poke a hole through the center of each. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt, if desired.
Bake until golden brown around the edges, about 16-18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. For crunchier crackers, bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool completely on the baking sheet before serving. Store leftover crackers at room temperature for up to 1 week. If tightly sealed, they’ll lose their crunch. Keep the lid slightly ajar to maintain some crunchiness.

Recipe Notes

Alternate method of forming cracker squares: Place each piece of chilled dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a 9-inch square. Doesn’t need to be perfect! Using a fluted pastry wheel, pizza cutter, or small sharp knife, trim dough into a neat 8 inch square. Slice square into 8 strips, each 1 inch wide, then make 8 perpendicular slices, each 1 inch wide. Each 8-inch square will yield 64 square crackers.

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