Homemade Cheez-Its Crackers

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These genius homemade Cheez-it crackers are beyond easy to make and taste even better than the store-bought favorite! With customizable flavors and made from real ingredients, not powders, this will be a new family favorite. Get ready to ditch the boxed crackers for good!

These genius homemade Cheez-it crackers are beyond easy to make and taste even better than the store-bought favorite! With customizable flavors and made from real ingredients, not powders, this will be a new family favorite. Get ready to ditch the boxed crackers for good!

Homemade Cheez Its Crackers

I was on a quest (like I always am!) to start making my own crackers. I saw a few ideas for some homemade Goldfish, but I really like Annie’s “Bunny” version of those better.

What I was really looking for was more of a puffy square cheese cracker texture. Here’s what I ended up coming up with. I like to make a double batch of these because they taste so good!

Warning: if you are a cheese addict like me, you will not be able to resist the smell of these baking, yum!

Shredded Cheddar Cheese on a wooden table.

Ingredients in Cheez Its Crackers

  • All Purpose Flour. Plain flour is all you need for this recipe. You can also use gluten-free flour, but your crackers might be a little crumbly.
  • Salt. This gives our crackers the perfect salty flavor that you’d expect from any store-bought crackers.
  • Butter. Your butter should still be cold or at room temp to be able to cut into the recipe. Either salted or unsalted butter will work.
  • Cheddar Cheese. I’ve found that this recipe works best when you grate your own cheese, but if you only have pre-shredded cheese, that will work as well. I use sharp cheddar cheese, but mild cheddar or even white cheddar cheese will work here, too.
  • Water. This should be cold water as to not further melt your butter when you are working your dough.

Just tried the recipe. Didn’t have any cheddar cheese in the house, so I used a Mexican cheese blend. They came out so well. Surprisingly addictive.

Jessica, Little House Living reader
Cheez It Crackers

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Homemade Cheese Crackers

In a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, and butter until a smooth dough forms.

You can mix this dough by hand, but the crackers will turn out much better if you use a food processor. If you do decide to mix this by hand, be sure to use the finest grade of cheese that you can shred to prevent clumps of cheese.

Add the cheese about a 1/2 cup at a time.

Add the water a tablespoon at a time until it forms a chunky dough. Place the dough in a bowl, and chill this dough for at least an hour or 2, or longer. If you don’t chill the dough, it may be difficult to roll out.

Roll out the dough until it’s about 1/8 in thin. I use a double-sided rolling pin like this one.

Cut into 1-inch squares(or any kind of shape!) with a pizza cutter or cookie cutter. You can use a toothpick to put one little poke in the center of each cracker if you want to avoid them baking up to be too puffy.

Homemade Cheez It Crackers in a blue bowl.

Bake in the oven on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper at 350F for about 15 minutes or until slightly browned on the tops. Start watching them after about 12 minutes to make sure they don’t burn.

That’s it! Cool before enjoying. You can also make these with All Purpose Gluten Free Flour for a gluten-free treat.

Just made them and they are so good and easy! Thank you so much. These are one of my favorite snacks. YUMMY!

Rachel, Little House Living reader

More Flavor Ideas for Your Homemade Cheez-Its

  • Add a sprinkle of onion powder or garlic powder to the tops before baking.
  • Mix a little paprika into the dough for more color and a slightly spicy flavor.
  • Add dried rosemary and other herbs into the dough for a cheesy herb cracker.
  • Sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top before baking.

I have managed to “have to” make these 2 times in the last 4 days…why you ask? Because my 7, 4 year old and 36 year old “children”(okay so one is my husband…same thing right?) LOVE THEM…And so do I…not only are they amazing for a snack but I added a bit of chili powder and garlic powder for a bit of a kick…another bonus…I can pronounce EVERYTHING I am putting in my mouth unlike the boxed item where I feel like I’m reading a second language. Thank you for sharing this recipe…and to anyone not willing to take the time to make it shame on you…you will miss out on a very addictive, and tasty treat that will keep you away from the cracker isle at the grocery store forever!

Jaime, Little House Living reader
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Homemade Cheese Its Crackers

These genius homemade cheez it crackers are beyond easy to make and taste even better than the storebought favorite! With customizable flavors and made from real ingredients not powders, this will be a new family favorite. Get ready to ditch the boxed crackers for good!

Course Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Homemade Cheez Its
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Cooling Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 445 kcal
Creator Merissa

Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 Tablespoons butter cold
  • 2 cups cheddar cheese
  • 3 Tablespoons water

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, pulse the flour, salt, and butter.
  2. Add the cheese about a 1/2 c. at a time.
  3. Add the water a tablespoon at a time until it forms a chunky dough. Chill this dough for at least an hour or 2, or longer.
  4. Roll out the dough until it’s about 1/8 in thin.
  5. Cut into squares(or any kind of shape!) with a pizza cutter or cookie cutter.
  6. Bake at 350F for about 15 minutes or until slightly browned on the tops. Start watching them after about 12 minutes to make sure they don’t burn.
Nutrition Facts
Homemade Cheese Its Crackers
Amount Per Serving
Calories 445 Calories from Fat 279
% Daily Value*
Fat 31g48%
Saturated Fat 18g113%
Trans Fat 0.5g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 7g
Cholesterol 87mg29%
Sodium 897mg39%
Potassium 80mg2%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 0.3g0%
Protein 17g34%
Vitamin A 916IU18%
Calcium 408mg41%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I have been wanting to make these for a long time and finally did today. Oh man, I love them. I had to put them away or I would eat all of them and I made a double batch!

Barb, Little House Living reader
Crackers and Snacks

More Homemade Cracker Recipes

And of course, if you need extra cheese to go with your Homemade Cheese Its Crackers, you will want to make an easy Homemade Cheeseball too!

What are your favorite homemade cracker recipes to make?

Me and Kady

Merissa Alink

Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.

This recipe for Homemade Cheese Its Crackers was originally posted on Little House Living in February 2012. It has been updated as of December 2023.

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81 Comments

  1. Just tried the recipe. Didn't have any cheddar cheese in the house, so I used a Mexican cheese blend. They came out so well. Surprisingly addictive.

  2. Jessica: I think these would be fun to experiment with. For next time I was thinking about sprinkling Parmesan cheese on top before baking….:)

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  6. WE JUST MADE THE CRACKERS AND THEY ARE AWESOME! WE USED SHARP CHEDDAR CHEESE AND TURNED THEM OVER TO BROWN NICE ON THE UNDERSIDE FOR A FEW MINUTES AT THE END OF BAKING. IT WORKED WELL. DELICIOUS!!

  7. Merissa – Have you tried storing these? I’d love to make up a couple batches and store them. Is an airtight container good enough? How long do you think they would stay crisp? Thanks!

    1. These don’t tend to last very long here so I’m not sure how long they will store. I do usually keep them in a bag or a container in the fridge though.

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  9. I am a Cheezit addict, so I’m excited to make these with my girls for school one day this week! I don’t have a food processor so I’m hoping I can just make it work with a mixer. 🙂

    1. I’m sure it will be fine, the processor is just to get the cheese to blend up and mix well with the flour and butter, but a mixer (or even a hand cutting tool) should do the trick.

  10. I made these crackers today and they are wonderful! I used colby cheese since that is what I had on hand. Thank you for sharing the recipe! I also made your gummy bear recipe today for my husband. It was super easy and a surprise for him when he got home from work.

  11. Yum! Any thought about how to use gluten free flour? I have oat flour on hand right now and I wasn’t sure if it could just take the place of the regular flour. Thanks for your thoughts! 🙂

  12. I’ve not tried oat flour before but I think another flour might work fine in here. If you try it let us know!

  13. Thanks! I just might have to try it out this weekend. My husband loves Cheez-Its but recently found out he has a slight wheat allergy. This would be great.

  14. Jamie, my daughter has a wheat allergy. I think I would use a mix like 1/4rice 1/4tapioca and 1/2oat flour. Otherwise it may taste like cheesy oatmeal! I have a great flour mix that I often use. I will try to post it later.

    1. My daughter has a gluten allergy. These are the flours that I have on hand: white rice flour, brown rice flour, soy flour, tapioca flour & potato flour. What mixture would I use and do I need to add xanthum gum to keep them from crumbling and do they need baking powder? Just getting started baking gluten free and not having a lot of success just yet. Thanks!

  15. Well, I tried a batch today. I used 1/2 cup rice flour and 1/2 cup oat flour since those are ones I had on hand. The flavor is great. I think they may be a bit grainy, possibly from the rice flour since I ground it myself. My husband and 4 year old really like them but my 2 year old said they were yucky. I’m very pleased. I will probably try some other options with the flour at some point. It was also all done by hand since I don’t have a food processor. 🙂

  16. These look great! I have tried other homemade crackers, but there wasn’t a lot of flavor in them. I have been looking for another recipe to try and this looks great! If you put 4 holes in the middle they would look just like a cheez-it, except way better for you. Can’t wait to try them!

  17. I am going to be making these today with my munchkins. We plan on making two batches. One with 1/2 sharp cheddar 1/2 medium, the other with pepper jack. I am excited to try these out!!

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  19. Sounds great! I think I may have to try these with sharp cheddar, and then another with parmesan garlic, which is my favorite cheez-it flavor!

  20. We are cheese-aholics here. I have all kinds of cheese. I have to make these. I bet these would be good with bits of pepperoni in them. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

  21. I have been wanting to make these for a long time and finally did today. Oh man, I love them. I had to put them away or I would eat all of them and I made a double batch! Thank you so much for all your great recipes you share with us.

  22. I have managed to “have to” make these 2 times in the last 4 days…why you ask? Because my 7, 4 year old and 36 year old “children”(okay so one is my husband…same thing right?) LOVE THEM…And so do I…not only are they amazing for a snack but I added a bit of chili powder and garlic powder for a bit of a kick…another bonus…I can pronounce EVERYTHING I am putting in my mouth unlike the boxed item where I feel like I’m reading a second language. Thank you for sharing this recipe…and to anyone not willing to take the time to make it shame on you…you will miss out on a very addictive, and tasty treat that will keep you away from the cracker isle at the grocery store forever!

  23. What does the capital T & lowercase t stand for? I want to make these but don’t want to mix them up lol

  24. I made these yesterday for the first time, and they are amazingly good. Thank you for the recipe and very clear instructions. I cheated a little and used a pasta roller to roll the dough out evenly, and they turned out really, really good. Addictive and yummy! I tried a wheat cracker recipe a few days ago and, while they are ok, they aren’t great. I think I will give your recipe a shot.

  25. Do you use all purpose flour or some other kind? I noticed that there is no baking soda or baking powder in them. What makes them rise?

  26. Thank you for this wonderful website and awesome recipe. They sound so good and I can’t wait until I make the cheese crackers!

  27. I just happened upon your blog today and I’m seeing so many yummy recipes. I’ll be making these crackers for sure. I’m a new follower and am looking forward to seeing all that you share. 🙂

  28. Merissa!
    This homemade Cheese-It recipe is absolutely wonderful! Over the last year, I’ve cut back on store/boxed food for the benefit of my kids. Quick snacks like Cheese-it’s are one of my kids favorites. I made your version and could not tell the difference! Wonderful! Taste and smell just like the real thing. Tonight, going to try to make it with whole wheat flour. Thank you.

  29. Hi Just wondering if anyone has made up extra dough and put it in the freezer? I tend to do that with some cookie dough recipes. Was wondering if it was possible??

  30. We just made these the other night and they were AMAZING! My daughter loved making making her ‘favorite snack’ as she calls it and loved checking on the oven every 2 min! Super easy to make if you are thinking about making them stop thinking and just do them!
    To the comment above me- Colleen I didn’t freeze mine, but I let half of the dough in the fridge for over 8 hours and still tasted great.

  31. Oh wow! I was just wondering the other day how homemade crackers could be made. Thanks for the recipe! I will put it on my to do list. 🙂

  32. Quick tip from making lots of crackers over the years: if you roll out the dough directly on parchment paper you can cut and bake it all in one step without trying to transfer thin dough.

    1. I keep these in the fridge in an air tight container or bag and store them no longer than a week. They might be good for longer than that but they won’t taste as fresh.

  33. Mmm… these would taste wonderful… and would be eaten faster than we could make them! I will remember this idea though. 🙂

  34. I love making my own crackers, but we haven’t done it in a while. I think I will have to get on that.

    Thanks for sharing on #TastyTuesdays.

  35. THESE look totally delicious….going to definitely try!

    Would LOVE if you’d share at Reader Tip Tuesday.

    It’s brand new & open all week. Hope to see you & these yummy bites at the party because they are the perfect party share 🙂

  36. Cheesy snacks are some of my favorite – I should give these a try! Thanks for linking up with Merry Monday this week!

  37. So good! I added just a pinch of cayenne. Also used Cabot’s “Seriously Sharp” cheddar. And, no, like others point out, no need to store these – the family devoured them! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.

  38. Can’t wait to try these!!! Also so stoked you made up this recipe with no baking soda because i have to be careful how much baking soda i eat. 🙂

  39. In years past I have made crackers, actually the first time by accident. They are easy and really good.

  40. These are my favorite! If I’m not careful, I could eat a box in one day. I like your recipe Marissa. I’m going to give it a try. Thank you.

  41. 5 stars
    The only difference I made was to roll them out thicker, sprinkled cayenne pepper on tops and baked for about 20 min, they came out thicker and softer (which I loved). Did not have to salt the tops as the sharp cheddar supplied all the salt one would need. Will be making these again, but will incorporate the cayenne into the dough. This recipe is a keeper! Flavor exactly the same as the store bought ones.

  42. Is the kcal count for these crackers correct? I don’t know anything about measurement of calories, but when I put 445 kcal in a conversion calculator it says 445,000 calories lol.