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 Its crackers taste just like 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 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 homemade Cheez Its crackers are the best:
- 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! They taste like the real thing!!
- This dough is particularly well-suited for use with cookie cutters! I used my small star cookie cutter to make some star-shaped crackers, too!
- This dough is not that sticky, so it is easy to work with!
I also have delicious recipes for Gluten-Free Sourdough Crackers and Seed Crackers if you love to make crackers!
I just made your Gluten Free Cheez It Crackers-they’re fabulous! They’re ridiculously easy to make and taste even better than the original non-gf ones. I’ll be making them often.
jane, blog comment
Keep up the good work!”
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten free flour blend – I tested this recipe using both 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 a binder like 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. If you use salted, you will need to reduce the amount of added salt the recipe calls for.
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-By-Step):
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 will not 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, your gluten free flour blend may be starchier than what I used. If that is the case, a tiny bit more water will help.
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📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
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, gently move each cracker with the pizza wheel, so there is a 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. You can skip this step if you are trying to be low in sodium.
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 will also love these crispy Gluten-Free Cheese Straws!
Frequently Asked Questions:
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!
Most shredded cheese is gluten free, but it is very important always to read the labels to verify the shredded cheese you buy is gluten-free.
I store the crackers in an airtight container.
These crackers should last for 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.
First of all, thank you for sharing this recipe. My son and husband can not have gluten and are always trying to steal my girl’s cheese crackers. I wanted to try and find an alternative the whole family could enjoy and these were absolutely amazing.”
Sam, Blog comment
More Delicious Gluten-Free Snacks:
Love This Recipe?
💬 Did you make this gluten-free Cheez It cracker recipe? I’d love to hear how it turned out—and which pan or flour blend you used! Your feedback helps others (and helps me keep improving these recipes for you). ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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 8 ounces cheddar cheese, 4 tablespoons butter, 1 cup gluten free flour blend, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, 3 tablespoons cold water, and 1/8 teaspoon onion powder to a food processor. You want the cheese to get cut up into fine pieces so mixing by hand will 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 1/2 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 :-).
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SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn’t test, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
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.
I truly hope you enjoy this recipe. I have been testing and creating gluten-free recipes for over 15 years. Creating gluten-free recipes that do not taste gluten-free is my goal for every recipe. Sometimes I only have to test a new recipe a couple of times, and others it takes multiple times. I do this so you get reliable, delicious results every time!
Does your gluten free for flour have to be a type of self rising flour? I don’t see soda or baking powder listed.
The flours I tested are not self-rising flour blends. The recipe doesn’t need baking soda or powder.
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.
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.
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?
I am so glad you loved them. The dough should keep fresh for 2 days in the refrigerator. You can freeze it too.
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!!
I am so glad your little one loved them!
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?
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?
Sounds like a great recipe! Im wondering if anyone has ever frozen a batch to eat later?
Hi Nicki, I do not recommend freezing the crackers, but you can freeze the dough and make small batches from it.
Amazing taste and so easy to make. These will be something I make again and again. Thank you so much for giving me back a favorite treat. Even my family is munching on these and asking for more.
Thank you so much Olive, I am thrilled you loved them as much as we do.
Absolutely delicious!!! I sprinkled everything bagel seasoning on them and they were amazing! Thank you so very much!
Oooh, I love that idea! It sounds delicious Amy!
Ever use dairy free cheese?
Hi Rachel, I haven’t tried dairy-free cheese in my recipe. It melts differently and I am not sure it would turn out the same.
Tastes great and makes a lot! I made them a bit too thick (go thin and small!) but they were still a hit.
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Sarah. They are always a hit with my family.
Yum yum! Was craving cheez-its and so glad to find this recipe! Just made it now and it came out great!
I am so glad you enjoyed them, Nicole. Thank you for coming back to let me know!
I just made these crackers. Well, I to say a big thank you for posting this recipe, they came out perfectly. Will definitely be making them again. They have family approval.
I am so glad you loved them Victoria!!
Made these tonight & were literally the best gluten free cracker I’ve ever had. They tasted just like the real things. Super easy to make & simple ingredients. I’m so thankful I found this recipe!
I am so glad you enjoyed them Jenny :-).
Made these tonight and they are so good. Better than the store bought regular ones and far better than the gluten free store bought ones. Sharing this with my gluten free Facebook group tonight. Thank you!
I am so glad you loved them!