• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Email Series!

5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

Free email series of my best tips!

Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Free Email Series!

    5 Time and Stress Saving Cooking Secrets

    Free email series of my best tips!

  • Visit my other Site: Pancake Recipes

Rachel Cooks®

Easy Healthy-ish Recipes

  • Recipe Index
  • Popular
    • Instant Pot Pinto Beans
    • Green Beans with Bacon
    • Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
    • Roasted Sugar Snap Peas
    • Beef Stew Seasoning
    • Chili Seasoning Recipe
    • Thousand Island Dressing
    • Poppy Seed Dressing
    • Copycat Panera Squash Soup
    • Chocolate Chip Blondies
    • Instant Pot Pork Loin Roast
    • Frosé
    • Best Chocolate Cake
    • Dill Vegetable Dip
    • Instant Pot Jasmine Rice
    • Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs
  • Learn to Cook
    • All The Basics
    • Crostini
    • Delicata Squash
    • Butternut Squash
    • Kabocha Squash
    • Spaghetti Squash
    • Guacamole
    • Croutons
    • Snap Peas
    • Baked Potatoes
    • Baked Bacon
    • Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
    • Simple Syrup
    • Pickled Red Onions Recipe
    • Toasted Pine Nuts
    • Roasted bone-in Chicken Breasts
    • Poached Chicken
    • Roasted Whole Chicken
    • Easy Cheese Sauce

Dinner Made Easy:

Slow Cooker

5 Ingredients

Grilling

Make Ahead

Sheet Pan

Tacos

Pizza

Home Recipes by Type Appetizers/Snacks
FF Freezer Friendly 5I 5 ingredients or less

Homemade Cheez-Its (Cheddar Cheese Crackers)

4.79
/5
1 hr
124 Comments
Jump to Recipe Video
By: Rachel GurkPosted: 03/25/2022Updated: 09/19/2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Cheese crackers, text overlay reads "homemade cheez-it crackers."
Cheese crackers, text overlay reads "homemade cheez-it crackers - so yummy."
Cheese crackers, text overlay reads "homemade cheez-it crackers - irresistible."
Cheese crackers, text overlay reads "homemade cheez-it crackers."

Try making homemade Cheez-Its, the popular cheddar cheese crackers. They’re so delicious, and easier to make than you might think.

Recipe Overview

Why you’ll love it: Homemade is always better: healthier, more economical, and made with wholesome ingredients.

How long it takes: about an hour (that includes chilling time)
Equipment you’ll need: food processor, baking sheet, parchment paper
Servings: Makes 15 dozen small crackers

Overflowing bowl of homemade cheez-it crackers.

Crisp golden cheddar cheese crackers are wholesomely addictively delicious. They are surprisingly easy to make (it’s actually kind of fun!). You probably have everything you need in your pantry and refrigerator: sharp Cheddar cheese, butter, flour, ground mustard, salt, and water.

Did you know that the best combination in the world (okay, maybe “the world” is a bit of an exaggeration) is Cheez-Its and Diet Coke?

The Cheez-Its are best if they are on the extra brown side, and the Diet Coke is best out of a can. Trust me on this one.

So why not make homemade Cheez-Its? Or Cheese-Its, if you will. Sorry! I can’t stand it, I’m giving in to my inner editor. Does it bug anyone else that Cheez-Its is spelled with a Z?

About homemade Cheez-Its

These crackers are really easy (easier than you would guess!) and I bet you have everything you need in your pantry. Why not try them today?

If you’re wondering how the homemade version compares to the store-bought crackers, be assured that homemade wins hands-down!

A food processor makes it easy to shred the cheese and to mix everything together. If you don’t have one, the dough can be stirred up by hand but it will take a little arm power.

Cheez-its laid out on a white surface.

We’ll run through the recipe here to get you started and give you helpful tips. You’ll find the printable recipe card near the bottom of the post with complete instructions and nutrition information.

What You’ll Need

  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese: You’ll need 8 ounces of sharp cheese. Avoid using pre-shredded cheese. It just doesn’t work as well in this recipe. The sharper the cheese, the tastier your crackers will be. Look for extra sharp cheddar cheese.
  • Butter: Use cold unsalted butter, no substitutes. This is not the place for butter spreads. If you need to use salted butter, that will work. Decrease the amount of salt you add slightly to balance it.
  • Flour: Plain all-purpose flour is all you need.
  • Ground Mustard: Dry ground mustard is found in the spice aisle of the grocery store. It looks like a pale yellow powder. The crackers don’t taste like mustard, I promise you, but the spice adds depth to the flavor of the crackers. If you don’t have it, don’t worry, they can be made without it.
  • Salt: Crackers just need a bit of salt or they won’t taste like crackers. If you’re really concerned about sodium, cut back on it a bit but not too much.
Ingredients in separate bowls.

How To Make Homemade Crackers

Begin by shredding the cheese in your food processor. Use the shredding disk. Did you know that well-chilled cheese shreds more easily than warm cheese?

Shredded cheese in a food processor.

Remove the shredding disk and the shredded cheese. Insert the normal, S-shaped blade. Add the flour, butter (cut into little pieces), dry mustard, salt, and cheese.

Pulse the mixture several times. Stop when it looks like coarse crumbs.

Coarse crumb mixture in a food processor.

Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, and pulse briefly each time. The dough should come together. Don’t overprocess it.

Cheez-it dough in a food processor.

Remove the dough from the food processor, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes so it will roll out easily.

Wrapped cheez-it dough.

On a floured surface, roll the dough out nice and thin. If you want to divide the dough into two portions first to make it easier to roll it, that’s up to you. The thinner it is, the crispier your crackers will turn out. Shoot for ⅛-inch or even less.

Dough being rolled out with a wooden rolling pin.

Cut the squares with a pastry cutter to give them that trademark crinkle edge. If you don’t happen to have one, a pizza cutter or sharp knife works fine. Cheez-Its are about one inch square. You’ll get a lot of crackers, about 15 dozen, but that depends on the size and thickness. Re-roll the scraps to use up every bit of dough.

Dough being cut into small squares.

As for that little hole in the center, use a chopstick, skewer, knitting needle or whatever you can find. A toothpick is too small. If you want them to look like the store-bought crackers, go ahead and put a hole in them. If you don’t care, leave it out. It does help them crisp up a bit, too.

Hole being poked in crackers.

Arrange the crackers close together on a parchment-lined baking sheet. They won’t spread, so put them as close as you can so you can fit a lot of them on.

Unbaked cheez-its on a baking sheet.

Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until they are as crispy as you like them. The browner they are, the crisper they are. Pop the tab off a can of Diet Coke and snack away!

If you want, you can share them with the kids.

Baked crackers on a baking sheet.

By the way, these homemade crackers are perfect for a cheese board or charcuterie board. Your friends will be really impressed when they try your homemade crackers.

FAQS

Are Cheez-Its really made with real cheese?

According to the Cheez-It website, Cheez-Its are made with real cheese. If you take a close look at the list of ingredients, cheese made with skim milk is listed.

What kind of cheese is in Cheez-Its?

They are not specific about the kind of cheese other than that it’s made with skim milk. These cheez-its are made with sharp cheddar. If you prefer a more mild cracker, try mild cheddar.

Why is there a hole in Cheez-Its?

From what I can tell, the hole is there to make them crisp. It’s part of a process called “docking”. It allows the steam to escape while they are baking and keeps them from looking like little pillows. If you think about it, most crisp
crackers are punctured with holes.

Make It Your Own

  • Try different kinds of cheese. One note about the cheese: I find that pre-shredded cheese doesn’t work as well as block cheese. You have your food processor out anyways, why not quickly shred the cheese with it before you make the crackers? So easy and fast!
  • Try different spices. You could really go crazy experimenting with spices. I’d love to hear some of your combinations. Try adding taco seasoning, all-purpose seasoning, or curry powder!
  • Cut the homemade cheez-it crackers in different shapes. Have fun with this! Maybe the kids would like to help. Add homemade crackers to an after school snack board.
Pile of cheez-its.

Storage Tips

Let crackers cool completely before storing in an airtight container. They’ll keep for at least a week at room temperature. For longer storage, put them in a freezer-safe container and freeze for a month or even longer.

More Easy Snacks

I have a few more ideas that I’m sure you’ll love! Try:

  • Gluten-Free Crackers with sweet potato and rosemary
  • Seasoned Oyster Crackers
  • Air Fryer Zucchini Chips
  • Air Fryer Chickpeas – perfectly crispy!
  • Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas
  • Cinnamon Roasted Almonds (sugar-free)
  • Olive Oil Roasted Almonds
  • Chocolate Protein Balls (with mocha option!)
  • Cranberry Oatmeal Energy Balls (nut-free)
  • Superfood Healthy Trail Mix Recipe

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Homemade cheez-it crackers in a bowl.
Recipe

Get the Recipe: Homemade Cheez-Its

4.79 from 19 votes
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Additional Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 hr
15 dozen
Print Rate Recipe
Prevent your screen from going dark
Try baking Cheez-Its, the popular cheddar cheese crackers. They're so delicious and fun to make!

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (see note)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon dry ground mustard (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

  • In a food processor, shred cheese using shredding blade. Remove shredding blade and cheese from food processor and replace the blade with the normal blade (s-shaped).
  • Add flour, butter, salt, mustard, and shredded cheese to the food processor and pulse until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
  • While pulsing, add water 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together.
  • Remove from food processor, wrap in plastic wrap and put in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with Silpat or parchment paper.
  • On lightly floured counter, roll out dough quite thin (1/8 inch or less). The thinner they are, the crisper they get. Cut into one inch squares. A pastry wheel or pizza cutter works well. Use the tip of a chopstick or skewer to poke a hole in the middle of each cracker (see note).
  • Place crackers on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can place them close together, not touching, as they do not really expand.
  • Bake for 17 minutes or until crispy, up to 20 minutes. They should be lightly browned on the bottom and firm to the touch. The browner they are, the crisper the crackers will be. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

  • It’s important to grate your own cheese for this recipe for best texture. Don’t use pre-shredded.
  • Yield depends on the size and thickness of crackers. 
  • A one inch square with a hole in the middle mimics the Cheez-It crackers. Be creative and cut them into any shape you like!
  • Adapted from Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 118kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 24mg, Sodium: 211mg, Potassium: 25mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 245IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 111mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Author: Rachel Gurk
Did You Make This?Be sure to upload a photo & tag me at @RachelCooksBlog. I love seeing what you made!
Share A Photo! Tag on Insta Rate It
Holiday Quick-Start Guide

Get my Holiday

Quick-Start Guide!

Free email series of my best tips!

FREE BONUS!

You May Also Like...

  • Orange square bowlful of oyster crackers, with some scattered around bowl.
    Seasoned Oyster Crackers Recipe
  • Three crostini with cheddar leek dip arranged on square white plate.
    Cheddar Leek Dip Recipe
  • This roasted cauliflower and cheddar dip is unbelievably creamy and flavorful - blending the cauliflower into a silky dip helps greatly reduce the calories in this dip. Get the easy recipe on RachelCooks.com!
    Roasted Cauliflower and Cheddar Dip
  • Orange square bowlful of oyster crackers, with some scattered around bowl.
    Seasoned Oyster Crackers Recipe
White rice in a white bowl with an instant pot in the background.
Previous Post
Instant Pot White Rice – perfect every time!
Chipotle glazed meatballs in two pita halves with lettuce.
Next Post
Chipotle Honey Glazed Meatballs

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 1 MB. You can upload: image. Drop files here

  1. Lulu says

    December 12, 2022 at 8:25 pm

    5 stars
    These are delicious!! And they make my whole apartment smell amazing when they are baking haha! I used sharp cheddar & ground my own oats for the flour. They came out beautiful & light-crispy, perfect w/with a healthy broccoli cheese soup on a rainy day!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 14, 2022 at 8:35 am

      So glad you like them! I want that combo for lunch now!

      Reply
  2. Shannon says

    November 21, 2022 at 8:20 pm

    Hello,

    Love the look of these crackers! I googled to see if I could swap almond flour out for all purpose and the results weren’t conclusive; “yes, but add more of a binding agent”, “yes, but swap the almond flour at 3/4th of the amount of white flour required”, etc.

    I’m super picky about the dairy I purchased and don’t want to waste a batch. Do you think these could be made with almond flour & if so – at what ratio? Thank you in advance, can’t wait to whip some up if they can be made gf!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      November 22, 2022 at 10:17 am

      Unfortunately I can’t advise on this. My kids have severe nut allergies so I don’t have much experience baking with almond flour. I think it would be better to use a 1:1 GF alternative if you’re looking for a GF cracker.

      Reply
      • Shannon says

        November 29, 2022 at 3:53 pm

        Thanks :)

        Reply
  3. Tialyn John says

    May 22, 2022 at 1:49 am

    5 stars
    Love how crispy these turned out to be! Perfect recipe!

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      May 23, 2022 at 11:03 am

      Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed them!

      Reply
  4. Lois says

    December 19, 2017 at 4:48 pm

    Oh my gosh, I just made these crackers, and they are amazing. Their crispy  and
     tender.  Having a hard time not eating them all.

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      December 20, 2017 at 3:01 pm

      So glad you’re enjoying them! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!

      Reply
  5. Zakk says

    October 20, 2016 at 9:51 pm

    This is a great little recipe. I added red pepper flakes. Will be trying with different cheese again soon

    Reply
    • Rachel Gurk says

      October 24, 2016 at 8:04 am

      Love the addition of a little spice!

      Reply
  6. Oded says

    June 8, 2014 at 7:43 am

    Just tried it. The recipe is perfect, and works with Israeli cheddar. :-)

    Reply
  7. T.H. Gay says

    March 25, 2014 at 2:34 pm

    By the way, that is not a hole in Cheez-Its. If you look at the real ones, they use the other side of a pin to push the middle together. They are not little pillows. Try using any tool that has a small broad head and push just hard enough to seal it together. As I remember from seeing my ex-wife’s knitting gear, she had some blunt tipped needles that would do the trick. Happy creating all!

    Reply
  8. DeeDeeSanchez says

    March 21, 2014 at 10:56 pm

    Just made them today. Myself, 5 children and husband all loved them. Ive been interested in making my own copycats lately and this one definitely peaked my interest. My 3 yr old girl will only eat the white mozzarella flavored…..I didnt want to try mozzarella just yet….so I used extra sharp white cheddar, added the suggested dry mustard, and also I added smoked paprika! (that flavor is sooo much tastier than regular paprika). She ate them even though the paprika ended up making them yellow anyway.
    Another thing to note,
    is next time I will make sure to roll the dough out really thin (almost to be able see thru it), so they will be crispy. I rolled the dough out on my silicone mat, flipped it over onto some parchment paper, put it on my cookie sheet (with no sides) and cut it with my wavy cutter on the cookie sheet. I used the cutter to push and separate each row. That made it way easier, as to not have to individually transfer each cracker to the cookie sheet. Cant wait to try more variations, thanks so much!!

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

Hi, I'm Rachel! Life can be complicated, cooking shouldn't be! I believe that you can put a delicious meal on the table without stressing. It's possible, and I'm here to help. Have a seat at my table...let's chat, eat, and have fun! Read more...

Air Fryer Instant Pot 30 Minutes One Pan Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Slow Cooker Vegetarian 5 Ingredients

Trending

Cooked salmon fillet on a grey-toned plate with cooked asparagus spears. The salmon is being flaked with a fork.

Air Fryer Salmon – easy and delicious!

Pizza pasta being scooped from a pan with a wooden spoon.

Pizza Pasta – 1 pan, 20 minutes

Image of a giant bowl of spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

Baked Turkey Meatballs

Asparagus Panzanella Salad

Seasonal

Beef and vegetable stir fry in a black wok.

Beef Stir Fry With Vegetables

Hot honey chicken sheet pan dinner with honey being drizzled on.

Hot Honey Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Sweet and sour shrimp lettuce wrap garnished with green onion.

Sweet and Sour Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

BBQ Chicken burrito bowl with avocado and sour cream.

BBQ Chicken Bowl

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window
Free Bonus!

5 Cooking Secrets to Save Time & Stress

Free email series of my best tips and recipes!

Featured On:

Back to Top
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Work with Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2023 Rachel Cooks®
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled