Cheesy, crunchy, and totally addictive, these homemade cheddar cheese crackers are truly snack-worthy!

Banishing store-bought junk food from your life doesn’t mean you have to make any snack-rifices. Now you can make your favorite cheese crackers, homemade and entirely from scratch!

Is there anything more satisfying than a handful of crunchy cheese crackers?

Yes, actually.

Two handfuls of crunchy cheese crackers.

(lol)

The perfect mid-day (or mid-night) snack, these cheese crackers are made with sharp orange cheddar cheese. Tillamook is my favorite brand if you can get your hands on it. In fact, I originally made this recipe as part of our ongoing partnership with Tillamook last year, but have since become utterly addicted to them and figured they were worth sharing here as well.

We could all use more homemade junk food in our lives! In fact, I’d argue that if it’s homemade, it’s really not considered junk food at all. Sure, it’s not health food (obvs) but since you made it yourself you can take comfort knowing there are no preservatives or artificial nasties in there.

Snack on!

As to what shape your crackers take, well, that’s up to you! I used a small triangle cookie cutter from this set which also has some other great small shape options that would be great for crackers.

Or, if you’re in a time crunch (cutting out hundreds of little triangles, hearts or fishies is rather tedious, I fully admit) you can also use a pizza cutter and a ruler to cut the dough into approximately 1-inch squares. Who cares if they’re perfect, really. It’s not like you’re going to be inspecting the shapes as you shovel them in your mouth…

As for the holes, use the tip of a chopstick or skewer to poke a hole in the center of each shape. Could you skip the holes? Sure, but they actually do serve a purpose, keeping the center of the cracker from puffing up too much. Without them you’ll just end up with puffier middles.

The dough comes together in a food processor in a matter of minutes. If you don’t have a food processor, you can still mix the dough by hand or in a stand mixer, just be prepared for an arm workout as the dough is quite stiff. Knead it really well to be sure the cheese is fully incorporated.

I recommend grating your own cheese fresh from a block, as pre-shredded cheese often has anti-caking agents that will prevent it from completely integrating into the dough.

Feel free to mix up the spices to your liking! I used cayenne and smoked paprika for a pleasant heat and smokiness, but a mix of garlic powder and herbs, or even simple salt and freshly ground black pepper would make for a lovely snack too.

Yield: about 4 cups

Homemade Cheese Crackers

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups (180g) all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 cups (225g/8oz) finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

1. Combine flour, salt, cayenne and paprika in the bowl of a food processor. Cover and pulse until evenly blended. Add shredded cheese and butter and pulse until a firm dough forms. Gather dough together in a ball and wrap tightly in plastic wrap; chill for at least 30 minutes. If you chill for longer than 30 minutes, let the dough sit at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before rolling.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
3. Roll dough to an even 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface or between two sheets of lightly floured waxed paper. Cut into desired shapes with a small cookie cutter, or use a ruler and a pizza cutter to cut basic squares approximately 1-inch in size. Gently transfer cut shapes to baking sheet using a thin spatula. Use the tip of a chopstick or skewer to make a small hole in center of each cracker (this keeps the cracker from puffing too much in the middle).
4. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until bottoms just start to brown, rotating pans partway through baking. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Crackers will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Adapted from White Lily.

All images and text ©Lindsay Landis / Love & Olive Oil

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