If you have missed those crispy Cheez It crackers since going gluten free, I am so excited to share my newest recipe with you. These cheesy crispy Gluten Free Cheez It Crackers taste just like the the real thing! They are flaky and light and full of flavor!
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Who used to love eating Cheez Its Crackers? I remember loving them way back when before we went gluten free. My kids would snack on Cheez Its and Goldfish! They are the perfect finger food for snacking!! You can dip them into a hot cream cheese dip, or enjoy them plain!
This cheese cracker recipe is also great for making gluten free goldfish crackers! Check out the directions to make this classic kid snack!
Why these crackers are great:
I can't say enough about these homemade gluten free cheese crackers! They are buttery with flaky layers, crispy, and full of sharp cheddar cheese flavors!
This dough is really good for using cookie cutters! I used my small star cookie cutter to make some star shaped crackers too! This dough is not that sticky so it easy to work with!
I also have a delicious gluten free sourdough discard crackers recipe to try if you love to make crackers!
Ingredient notes:
- Gluten free flour blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- Xanthan gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Sharp cheddar cheese - If you want your crackers to be the most like Cheez It Crackers, you want to use sharp cheddar. You can use mild, but the flavor will not be as rich and cheesy.
- Butter - I recommend using unsalted.
You are seriously going to love how easy this gluten free cheese crackers recipe is to make! I have only recently started to make crackers because I had this image in my mind that they were difficult to make...I wish I had tried sooner because I was so wrong! Crackers are easy to make, and it is easy to customize flavors!
How to Make Gluten Free Cheez Its:
Step 1: Add all of your ingredients to a food processor. You want the cheese to get cut up into fine pieces so mixing by hand is not going to have the same effect.
Step 2: Mix on medium speed for 30 seconds. This is what your dough will look like. If your dough isn't easy to work with, it is possible your gluten free flour blend is starchier than what I used. If that is the case a tiny bit more water will help.
Step 3: Preheat your oven to 375º F. Place your cheese cracker dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Dust your rolling pin with some gluten free flour to prevent sticking.
Step 4: Roll the dough out as thinly as you can where you can still move the cut pieces of cracker. Use a pizza cutting wheel or pasta cutter to make cracker shapes.
Step 5: After you cut the crackers out, use the pizza wheel to gently move each cracker so there is distance between them all. This will prevent them from sticking together as they bake.
Step 6: Use a chopstick to poke a hole into each unbaked cracker. Sprinkle the crackers with coarse salt. If you are trying to be low sodium, you can skip this step.
Don't forget, you can use a mini cookie cutter if you prefer to make shapes like stars and goldfish.
Step 7: Bake the crackers for 15 minutes, or until golden.
If you love these crackers, you are also going to love these crispy Gluten Free Cheese Straws!
Tips and Recipe FAQ:
Regular store-bought Cheez Its are not gluten free, which is why I am so excited about this new recipe for gluten free Cheez Its!
Unfortunately, besides gluten, regular Cheez Its have a lot of not so healthy ingredients. That is a bonus with my recipe. I use healthy, simple gluten free ingredients.
Most shredded cheese is gluten free but it is very important to always read the labels to verify the shredded cheese you buy is gluten free.
I store the crackers in an air-tight container.
These crackers should keep fresh up to 3 days. These crackers do not have preservatives like regular store-bought mass produced crackers so they will not keep fresh as long.
Here are the baked cheese crackers in star shape!
More delicious gluten free snacks:
Recipe
Gluten Free Cheez Its
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese mild or sharp
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend * see note
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt for sprinkling over the crackers
Optional Additional Seasoning:
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Add all of your ingredients to a food processor. You want the cheese to get cut up into fine pieces so mixing by hand is not going to have the same effect.
- Blend the ingredients on medium speed for about 30 seconds. If your dough isn't easy to work with, it is possible your gluten free flour blend is starchier than what I used. If that is the case a tiny bit more water will help.
- Preheat your oven to 375º F.
- Place your cheese cracker dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Dust your rolling pin with some gluten free flour to prevent sticking.
- Roll the dough out as thinly as you can where you can still move the cut pieces of cracker. Use a pizza cutting wheel or pasta cutter to make cracker square or rectangle shapes.
- You can also use mini sized cookie cutters to cut out shapes like goldfish!
- After you cut the crackers out, use the pizza wheel to gently move each cracker so there is distance between them all. This will prevent them from sticking together as they bake.
- Use a chopstick to poke a hole into each unbaked cracker. Sprinkle the crackers with coarse salt. If you are trying to be low sodium, you can skip this step.
- Bake the crackers for 12-15 minutes, or until golden.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add ½ teaspoon.
- I love using sharp cheddar best, but you can use mild. White cheddar will give a slightly different flavor, and it will not turn out with that famous Cheez It orange color.
- Because these crackers have no preservatives, they should keep around 2-3 days in an air-tight container. My guess is they will be eaten up much quicker than that though :-).
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
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Amber
This is just what I wanted. When I had to go gluten free Cheese Itz were something I really missed. I made these last night and they were so easy. I didn't feel like getting out my food processor, but I used a microplane to grate the cheese and butter really fine and then used a pastry cutter to blend everything like I would when making a pie crust. It worked perfectly. I can't wait to try these again using different kinds of cheese.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much for coming back to let me know you loved this recipe! I love your idea to use a microplane. I am sure it is helpful for readers who don't own a food processor.
Alyssa
This recipe tastes JUST like regular cheese itz!! I love it, am about to make it for the third time. How long will extra dough last in the fridge / freezer?
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you loved them. The dough should keep fresh for 2 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze it too.
Anna
Yum!! Thank you for sharing!! My 2yr old daughter has a gluten allergy and she LOVES cheese crackers!! This is absolutely perfect!!
*note.. make sure you roll them out thin enough! I made a few thicker ones and it’s like a mini puff pastry and the taste is a little different but still yummy! I used Great Value gf flour and sharp cheddar!!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad your little one loved them!
ella
I made these tonight the first batch turned out great but the second and third both turned quite dull like a light grayish brown instead of golden, did i do something wrong?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Ella, I have never heard of this. Did you use the exact same flour blend, type of cheese, etc? Something definitely changed if this happened. What type of salt did you use and was it the same as the first batch? Assuming you used real butter and not anything dairy-free on the second and third batches?