Homemade Cheddar Cheese Crackers

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You will love these homemade cheddar cheese crackers that are easy to prepare and takes just six ingredients. These crackers are cheesy, crunchy, salty, and perfect for a snack or adding to a cheese tray.

Cheddar cheese crackers in a white Staub casserole dish.

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Looking for a delicious snack to satisfy your cravings? Look no further than homemade cheddar cheese crackers! These crispy, cheesy treats will surely become a new favorite in your household. Not only do they taste amazing, but they're also surprisingly easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.

Whether you're looking for an afternoon snack or a party appetizer, these homemade crackers are the perfect choice. So grab your favorite cheese and get ready to impress your friends and family with this tasty recipe!

What cheese to use for crackers

A block of hard cheese works the best Skip the pre-shredded cheeses that are coated with starch which changes the consistency of the dough.
Sharp yellow cheddar cheese is always delicious; you can also use mild or white cheddar cheese.
Other tasty cheeses to use: Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Gouda, Havarti, Swiss, Cojtia or Parmesan.
When I can find Cotswold cheese, I will use that. It's one of my favorite cheeses and adds the best flavor to these crackers. Look at Trader Joe's.

What is Cotswold cheese?

Cotswold Cheese originated in England and is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese similar to cheddar cheese with chives. This delicious golden-yellow cheese has a hearty taste that is creamy and buttery with the extra savory flavor of chives.

Why we love this recipe

What could be better than snacking on homemade crackers made with your favorite cheese?
These crackers can be gluten-free by using rice flour, or you can use all-purpose flour.
You may think making crackers from scratch is a lot of work, but I am here to tell you it is easy to do. Simply mix the dough, roll out the dough and cut the dough into rounds, and bake.
You do not need store-bought crackers anymore when you can make your own.
The quick and easy recipe makes about 35 to 50 crackers, depending on how you cut them. Have fun with the shapes; I'm making mine round today, but making square or diamond shapes would be great too.
The great thing about making your own crackers is you can customize them any way you want.

Cracker ingredients

This recipe takes just 6-ingredients for an easy-to-prepare recipe

Cheese, butter, flour, herbs to make crackers.

Ingredient Notes:

Cheese - Use a block of cheese that crumbles easily or one that can be cut into small cubes.

Rice flour - use white rice flour for a gluten-free cracker, or use all-purpose flour. I've used both for this recipe.

Herbs - I like rosemary and chives but feel free to add the herbs you like, or you can leave them out. The Cotswold cheese contains chives, but I still add more chives when I use that cheese.

Sea Salt - I like using very fine sea salt on top of the crackers, or you can use coarse salt.

How to make cheddar cheese crackers: Step by step

Step 1. Crumble the Cotswold cheese into small pieces for easier processing. Or, if using another cheese, cut it into very small cubes.

Cheese, butter and herbs in a white bowl. — Crumbled Cotswold cheese

Cheddar cheese cut into cubes and sticks on a white cutting board. — Crumbled Cotswold cheese

Step 2. Add all the ingredients except the water to the bowl of a food processor, and, with short pulses, pulse until the ingredients are coarsely combined.

Step 3. Add one tablespoon of cold water at a time to the food processor and process in short bursts until the dough becomes soft and holds together. You may not need the full amount of water.

Step 4. Turn the dough out onto plastic wrap. Wrap the dough and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Cracker dough in the bowl of a food processor.

Step 5. Once the dough is chilled, turn it onto a lightly floured work surface and then roll it to ⅛" thickness. Using a 2" cutter, cut the dough into rounds.

Cutting rounds of dough with a cookie cutter.

Step 6. Place the dough rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat. Lightly sprinkle with additional sea salt and bake at 400 degrees F. for 13-15 minutes, until the crackers are golden brown.

This recipe makes about 35 crackers, perfect to set out with appetizers, or have as a snack. And, these crackers are perfect with a good creamy soup.

Check out the golden brown edges on these crackers...they are so good!

Cheddar crackers stacks on a board and in a white casserole dish.

Cracker FAQ's

Does the dough need to be rolled thin?

Thinner is better to ensure a crispy cracker

What shape can you make the crackers?

You can make any shape of crackers, squares, circles, diamonds, or hexagons. Just keep the shapes uniform so they all bake the same.

How do you keep homemade crackers crisp?

Bake the crackers thoroughly, cool them completely, and store them in an airtight container. If it is humid, bake the crackers per the recipe, then turn the oven off, open the door and let them cool in the oven.

Why are my crackers tough and chewy?

More than likely, the crackers were not rolled thin enough, baked completely, or cooled completely.

How do you get the crispy edges on homemade crackers?

Make sure the unbaked crackers are not touching each other on the baking sheets. This allows the edges to bake properly.

Can you freeze the cracker dough?

Yes, wrap the dough in plastic wrap, then in foil or place in an airtight freezer bag for up to three months.

Other flavor combinations

Cheddar Cheese and Cracked Pepper
Cojtia Cheese and Chili Powder
Swiss Cheese and Dill
Parmesan Cheese and Basil

More cheesy recipes

Bake these Pear & Asiago Puff Pastry Pinwheels filled with pistachios and cranberries for a delicious savory appetizer.
Bite-Sized Swiss Cheese Quiches are my go-to recipe for brunch, they are easy to make, and everyone raves about the taste.
Cheesy popcorn is always a favorite, so pop up a batch of Asiago Cheese Popcorn with a sprinkling of rosemary for a fun movie night snack.
Parmesan Puff Pastry Pinwheels are filled with sweet apricot jam and are easy to make with store-bought puff pastry.
Cornbread In An Iron Skillet is filled with lots of veggies and cheese.

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Recipe

Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Jere' Cassidy

These homemade Cheese Crackers are crisp, buttery savory crackers with the perfect hint of sea salt, and lots of herbs.

4.98 from 79 votes

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 13

chill time 30

Total Time 1 3

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 69 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour or use all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes
1 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives chopped
½ tsp. Sea salt, fined grained plus additional salt for sprinkling on top
5 ounces Cotswold Cheese or use cheddar cheese, Gouda, Swiss, Havarti, Cojita, Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack cheeses
⅓ cup Ice water

Instructions

Crumble the Cotswold cheese into small pieces and add to the bowl of a food processor.
Pull the leaves off the rosemary and chop, and chop the chives. Add both to the food processor bowl.
Add the flour, salt, and cubed butter to the bowl.
With the food processor running, add the water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms into a soft dough that holds together. You may not use all the water.
Turn the dough out on a piece of plastic wrap, then wrap and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
On a floured surface, roll the dough to ⅛" thick, then cut into desired shapes. I used a 2" round cookie cutter.
Transfer the cracker rounds on the baking sheet using a thin spatula, then sprinkle with additional sea salt. This just takes a small amount of salt.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the crackers are golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheets.
Once the crackers are cooled place in an airtight container for one week.

Notes

This recipe can also be mixed in a large bowl using a stand mixer In this case, it is best to crumble the cheese into small pieces so it can be mixed easily. Mix on medium speed, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time.

The crackers can be cut into different shapes. For this recipe, I used a 2" round cutter. You can use different shapes of cutters for your desired shape. Optionally, you can square the dough up and cut the dough into squares with a pastry cutter or knife.

The amount of crackers you get out of this recipe depends on the shapes you make.

Sprinkling sea salt on the tops of the crackers is optional, but it does add a nice flavor and crunch, just don't use too much.

If using other cheeses, cut the cheese into small cubes so it will process easily.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 69kcalCarbohydrates: 7.6gProtein: 1.6gFat: 3.6gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 68mg

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First Published: January 1, 2014. Last Updated: April 27, 2023.

Homemade cheddar cheese crackers on a white plate.

Thank you for stopping by the One Hot Oven blog. Please leave a comment to say hello or tell me what you are baking; I always love hearing from fellow bakers. Have any questions or want to chat about the recipe? Please visit my about page for information, and I’ll be happy to help!

About Jere'

From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing sweet and savory family-friendly recipes for your cooking and baking inspiration.

Homemade Cheddar Cheese Crackers