A few readers have shared a homemade “goldfish” crackers recipe with me. I decided to try the recipe (with several modifications), and while the outcome tasted good, the process of rolling out the dough took some time and made a huge mess.
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As a busy mom I am a big fan of shortcuts, so the goldfish recipe inspired me to come up with these easy cheesy crackers. Making your own “crackers” from scratch sounds like such a daunting task, but trust me…this recipe is ridiculously easy!
Of course if you make this “easy” version you end up with round crackers as opposed to fun little shapes, but the last time I checked my daughters didn’t discriminate against a circle. They were too busy gobbling up these crackers and asking for more to even think about what shape they were eating.
And these are by no means just for kids. There are so many ways to get creative, which would surely impress any adult as well. Before baking experiment with adding some of these spices to the dough:
- black and red pepper
- fresh or dried rosemary
- diced olives
- diced jalapeños.
Or instead of mixing in herbs and spices, just top off the baked cheese crackers with something fun like pesto and grape tomatoes (just like we did for our dinner club last year). No matter what you end up doing, have fun with it and enjoy!
Easy Cheesy Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 5 tablespoons butter (cold (cut into tablespoon size chunks))
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese (grated (the sharper the cheese, the cheesier the crackers))
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine all three ingredients in a food processor and blend. The mixture will eventually turn into one big ball chasing itself around the bowl. Be patient because it can take a few minutes.
- Roll the ball into a log about 1 ½” in diameter. At this point you could refrigerate the dough until later.
- With a sharp knife slice ¼” thick pieces off the log (pictured above) and place each one flat on an ungreased baking sheet. Try to rotate which side you are cutting down on because the top of the log does start to flatten a little. It is like your very own homemade slice and bake!
- If you want your crackers to look a little fancy (as pictured above) take a fork and gently mash down the top of each one before baking.
- Bake for 8 - 14 minutes or until golden brown. The thicker the crackers the longer it will take.
These crackers can be stored in the freezer so double the recipe and save some for later!
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Entered on Food Renegade's Fight Back Friday
Marina says
could you make these in a cookie press i wonder, to have them be thin and uniform to one another? (i've ordered a cookie press as an impulse buy and now need to find some uses for it!!!!)
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Marina. Maybe. The dough might be too stiff. ~Amy
Susan Ziegler says
Marina I just posted a comment about my cookie press experience. Yes it does work, but use a simple disc with few holes. The heart disc was easy, sunflower was not. Made 55 crackers total.
Julia+ says
Excellent simple recipe. It reminded me of pie crust, but much more savory. I subbed Baby Swiss cheese for Cheddar. Not as oily, so I added a couple teaspoons of water. No problems; the mix still came out just fine for rolling and cutting. The salt I sprinkled on the first batch was green chile/garlic. Voila! I will try this with different cheeses, flours, and artisan salts. Great potential for a trail snack--or even as an addition to a trail mix.
Jamie Dunson says
These were not very good at all. Maybe I messed up, I don't have a food processor but I really couldn't stand them. My girls (12 & 11) on the other hand couldn't get enough of them.
Patricia says
I just made these with my son. We made starts and hearts - who needs fish..LOL!
I used organic mozza-cheddar cheese and added parmesan cheese, also sprinkled with salt.
Perfect for his snack for school or lunch.
Sally says
Has anyone tried making the recipe in a vitamix? I don't have a food processor.
christina says
I just made these and had to walk away from them before I ate them all. Here are the things I added/changed: I ground some raw buckwheat groats in my processor (ended up being 3/4 cup) and then just added the wheat for the rest of the flour. I added onion powder, some pink salt and just chopped the cheese into small chunks and then processed it. I rolled it into a snake (1 inch diameter) and cut. Then I smashed them with a glass cup dipped into some rice flour that I had. These crackers are so versatile-so I think they will do just fine for those wanting to make them gluten free. Mine won't stand up to dipping in a heavy spread, I think because of the lack of gluten, but I think my kids are going to love them just plain.
Keer house says
Made these with the kids, didn't have a food processor s added a tiny bit if water to mix ingredients. Came out fantastic. Will be making again.
Elizabeth says
Hi there-these look delicious. Can I used my stand mixer to make these?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Elizabeth. It is easiest to get the flour and cheese to combine with a food processor but other readers have made the recipe successfully without. ~Amy
Christy says
I have recently read Nourishing Traditions and like the idea of using "sprouted flour" for recipes. Do you have any idea how to sprout the flour for these crackers? How much water/yogurt would you use?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Christy. We have not practiced sprouting and can't advise on adapting this recipe in that way. This might be helpful: http://nourishedkitchen.com/how-to-make-sprouted-grain-flour/. ~Amy
Stephanie says
Can you freeze the dough instead of the crackers themselves and then thaw and bake later?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Stephanie. Sure, you can do that. ~Amy
Andrea says
I made this recipe exactly as shown. I used extra sharp cheddar cheese and still thought them pretty bland. I will try again with onion and garlic powder.
Liz says
This is basically a Cheese Straw recipe. The secret is using sharp cheese and the serve them the next day. They taste better after sitting for awhile. Also, garlic powder or onion powder would bring out additional flavor.
Christian says
Made these and loved them!!! They were so quick and easy to make too! My whole family LOVED them! I had to put them away so we wouldn't eat them all!!! I am going to make a batch again this weekend and use 1/5 jalapeno cheese to add a kick!!
April Davis says
Can they be made with out the use of a food processor?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi April. We've not tried. I do think it would be difficult to get the flour and cheese to combine without a food processor. ~Amy
Liliya says
I made them using the food shopper, it was $9 at Big Lots, I just had to cut the recipe in half, turned out great.
Em Chelberg says
I have made these without a food processor! It does take time, though not a terrible amount. I also mix everything together with my hands. Sometimes I'll even let my kiddos help out with that part, which they love. I've also found that adding a bit of fresh ground pepper makes these awesome!
Tamara Glennon says
Has anyone made these gluten free???
Kelly says
I'm going to try making them with gluten free flour today. I've done a recipe similar to this before and they turned great.
Tamara Glennon says
Love to hear how they turn out!
Kelly says
They taste very flour-y. My daughter that is celiac likes them, but no one else did.
Helen says
maybe use GF oat flour?
Stacie says
I just made these and added pizza seasoning and garlic and onion seasoning, they are WAY too good. Oh, I also used cream cheese in place of some of the sharp cheddar! Definitely something I will make again :) thanks for the awesome idea. Crackers are one thing I was still buying.
Thanks again!
Stacie
Leli says
YUM! I made one batch with the mild cheddar I had in the fridge and they were just "eh" tasting. Then I tried again with some extra sharp (added a tad more than called for) and WOW that was the difference. Everyone loved them. I pressed designs in the tops with small cookie cutters to make them fun for the kiddos. Can't wait to try them with different add-ins (I'm thinking sautéed onion, garlic, and/or maybe kale) . A big THANK YOU to 100 Days of Real Food for keeping me inspired even when it comes to convenience food!
Ronda says
Making these for the second time this week (and it's only Tuesday!). I'm slowly but surely getting away from buying boxed snacks for my kids. When I made these they both proclaimed "our house smells like Cheez It's!". They were a big hit and they wanted them again.
Wondering if you've ever made them with mozzarella cheese for a milder taste?
Today I'm making them much smaller, and square to resemble the actual Cheez It's (which I won't be buying anymore!).
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Ronda. Yep, the more mild the cheese the more mild the taste. ~Amy
Jennifer says
I made these today! So great! Cut them a little too thick, but made more a bit thinner and turned out awesome! My next batch, I am going to add minced jalapeno to them to male cheddar/jalapeno crackers.
Nicki says
We mill our own flour and this is one of the easiest, best tasting recipes ever! We use a variety of cheeses for a fantastic flavor! WOW. Thanks SO much for this site.
meghan says
Is there a way to make it vegan?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Meghan. Well, that's not something we've tried. You could substitute the butter with coconut oil but I've no idea how a vegan cheese would cook up. If you try it, let us know. ~Amy
christina says
In raw food people often use nutritional yeast and lemon juice or apple cider vinegar and salt to get the cheesy flavor. You would want to get the kind that has to be refrigerated since the shelf stable stuff tastes horrible. One thought, this is based on raw food, so I'm not sure what would happen to the taste when it gets put in the oven.
Kristi says
I just tried these for the first time. They look great!! I pressed the top with a fork before baking to make them look like the photo. I tried a bite of one, and they are not bad, there is just no taste. Maybe it was the type of cheese I used?? Anyone else have this result?
Kristi says
Also, any ideas of things to eat on these crackers?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
HI Kristi. The sharper the cheese, the more flavor the crackers have. You can put anything on them that sounds good to you! :) ~Amy
Debbie says
Hello! I hope i'm not asking a duplicate question, I scanned through *some* comments.....what is recommended for storage? Is air tight in the pantry okay? For how long?
Would freezing them add moisture to them and make them softer?
Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Debbie. You can store them in an airtight container for a few days but we freeze them if we want to keep them longer. Freezing will change the texture somewhat. I sometimes throw them very briefly back in the oven if they seem a little soggy. :) ~Amy
Sarah M. says
Not sure if I did something wrong (doesn't seem possible with a recipe this simple), but mine turned out yucky. Both my kids and my husband spit them out and I had to throw them away:( Maybe I'll try again.
Annie says
I tried making these with spelt flour and they came out great. Also, the poster who said that adding a little onion powder makes them taste like goldfish crackers was correct. I used sharp cheddar as well.
Fawn Simpson says
I'm going to use dairy free cheese and butter and make them vegan. Has anyone tried that?
Nat says
I am going to do the same thing and use daiya and earth balance. I'll probably add a little nooch, too.
meggs says
would whole wheat pastry flour work?
Darla says
Meggs, I used whole wheat pastry flour and they came out great!
Stacy says
Has anyone tried this recipe with rice four or any other gluten free flour? Wondering if they turned out? Thanks!
Kim says
Well, I made these wand was really excited about it because my kids were addicted to Cheez Its. Terrible. Anyway, I have not bought any crackers other than Ac-Mac and Triscuts for a month now, but this recipe was not loved by anyone in my house. I thought they were okay, but were gritty and many broke when I tried to get them off of the cookie sheet. Next time I will use parchment. Do you think they were gritty (and not very cheesy tasting even though I used sharp cheddar) because I used whole wheat flour?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Kim. The whole wheat flour definitely produces a different texture than what you would be used to in a Cheez It. :) Maybe try an extra sharp cheddar next time? Best of luck. ~Amy
Stacey says
I have a batch of these in the oven right now. I really do think the trick to getting the dough to stick together is to be patient. It took wayyyyy longer than I thought it would, but it eventually did exactly what the recipe said. Can't wait to try them!
Stacey says
Ok.....they are absolutely amazing!
Kaitie says
So, I've made these a couple of times. As is, they're pretty good; however, they're a little bland for my taste. I just made them again but added grated jalapeño, garlic and onion (all fresh) to the dough. Because they were fresh, I added just enough extra flour to soak up the excess moisture. I've found that pressing them down on the cookie sheet before baking super thin helps them come out crunchier than just cutting. I also topped with sea salt, red pepper, and extra cheese. MMM! :)
Lindsay says
These are great! I made them using what cheese needed using up: 1/2 c. strong cheddar, 1/2 c. pecorino and 1/2 c. danish blue cheese. A nice mix for adult tastes and next time I might add chopped chives. You really don't need a processor to mix the dough. Just rub in the butter first and then mix in the cheese and form it into a ball with your hands. Kids would love this! I also froze half the log for use later. It's too hot to turn the oven on this time of year but half a log was perfect for baking in a toaster oven. Thanks!
Sarah says
Thanks so much for this recipe! I've been making it every 2 weeks for a few months and putting them in the freezer. I have noticed that it works much better if you grate the cheese yourself, the already shredded stuff seems to be too soft. I feel so much better about giving my daughter a snack with 3 ingredients than any prepackaged food organic or not!
Jaime says
I'm new to food processors and I'm wondering, until I get myself one, could I put these ingredients into my bread machine and put it on the dough setting?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jamie. I don't know, quite honestly, if that would work these ingredients. Sorry that I can't be more helpful on this one but I've never attempted to make anything but bread with the bread maker. ~Amy
Jaime says
No problem Amy. I'll just have to get a food processor so I can make these lovely crackers :)
Kmom says
These are great. I don't roll and cut I just roll bits into a ball and flatten with my thumb (goldfish size) they are cute and just the right crispness. I like to use part pepper jack and they taste just like spicy cheezits. I've also used half almond flour and half wheat flour with a lot of success.
Kathleen says
I just made these today. There should be a warning with the recipe because they are so delicious, they are dangerous! I stored them in the freezer just so I wouldn't be tempted to over-snack. My toddler and husband really liked them too. I do have to say, they are more like cheese straws than crackers.
Rachel says
I just made these & followed the recipe exactly. A few tips: I had to blend it in the processor for quite sometime{several minutes}before the dough stuck together & was no longer crumbly.
A few additions I made:
-Rolled the dough out on a cutting board{placed saran wrap between dough & rolling pin} and used these super small food cutters to make dime sized hearts & stars {like the kind used in Japanese cooking think "cute carrots}, that I bought off Amazon for less than $3. They are so cute!
-Sprayed them with a light coating of olive oil and then sprinkled onion salt on top {onion powder is what they put on goldfish}. This added that extra flavor & they are the perfect size for my 2yr old.
I think I will try garlic powder, seasoning salt, Italian herbs...the list is endless to make them more savory!
Beth says
These are fantastic!! I know my kids will love them. Off subject, my son is allergic to nuts and plain eggs and I see a lot of your recipes include those. Do you have an alternative suggestion to peanut butter (say in the pb&j smoothie?) Thank you~ Beth
Rachel says
Beth- Chiming in here...I just bought Sunbutter {sunflower seed butter}, my daughter prefers it to peanut butter & so do I!
Jen says
These were MUCH easier to make than I expected. My son helped me run the food processor and then he placed them on the cookie sheet as I cut them. I cut them as thinly as I could, and they took about 12 minutes to bake. I used regular whole wheat flour and they turned out great. Next time I might try the white whole wheat.
Amber W says
Mine turned out kind of soft, not so much like a cracker. My two yr old didn't like them but my one yr old and my husband do. Why do you think they are smushy?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hello Amber. Could you have gone a bit heavy on the cheese? I have gone heavy on the cheese twice, per my kid's request, and they definitely turned out less crunchy...but really good. ;) Maybe give it another try? Also, be sure your butter is cold. ~Amy