If you have missed those crispy Cheez Its since going gluten free, I am so excited to share my newest recipe with you. These crispy gluten free Cheez Its taste like the real thing. I created this recipe to use just a few simple ingredients, and you can make a batch in 30 minutes. You can even use cookie cutters if you prefer to shape these crackers.
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❤️ Sandi’s Recipe Summary
The Quick Bite: I made these to replace the crackers I used to eat by the handful. Sharp cheddar, a food processor, and 30 minutes, that is all you need. Roll the dough thin, poke a hole in each cracker, and give them space on the pan so they crisp up evenly. Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 and King Arthur Measure for Measure both work; the King Arthur version comes out slightly crispier. These are celiac-safe and have no eggs, oats, soy, or nuts.
When we went gluten free, we really missed Cheez Its. This recipe brings back that crispy nostalgia. These are the crackers my family snacks on, often asking me to make a double batch. You can now buy Gluten Free Cheez Its in most grocery stores, but my version uses only 6 simple ingredients, theirs uses 17!!
These homemade cheese crackers have a crisp snap when you break them, similar to the original. They stay crunchy for two days in an airtight container, then start to soften. They are still good, but different. If you want maximum crunch, make them the day you plan to serve them.
I have found after making these multiple times that the flour blend is pretty forgiving. It was more about finding the right balance between the flour and the shredded cheese. My first try contained too much shredded cheddar, and there was a little bit of oil separation. Adding more flour definitely helped.
This celiac safe cheese cracker recipe is also great for making Gluten-Free Goldfish Crackers! Check out the directions to make this classic kid snack! You can dip them into a hot cream cheese dip or enjoy them plain!
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 and King Arthur Measure for Measure. Other blends will work, but you may need to add more flour or water to adjust the moisture level, depending on your blend’s starch-to-grain ratio. Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more. You can also read What Flour Blends Work in Different Types of Recipes if you want to know more about blends that will work in this recipe.
- Binder – If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain a binder like xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon. Binders are very important in gluten free baking because they help mimic the stickiness of wheat. Read Why Binders Are Important to learn more.
- 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. I also tested using preshredded cheddar and block cheddar. I couldn’t taste any difference between the two.
- Butter – I recommend using unsalted. If you use salted, you will need to reduce the amount of added salt the recipe calls for.
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.
👀 Sandi Says: Several readers have asked me about the food processor lately. The food processor is not optional here. It breaks the cheese down into fine pieces that get distributed evenly through the dough. In testing I have found that mixing by hand leaves chunks that cause uneven baking.
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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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, so that you can still move the cut pieces of cracker. (The thinner the cracker, the crispier it will turn out.) Use a pizza cutting wheel or pasta cutter to make cracker shapes.
👀 Sandi Says: The thinner the dough, the faster moisture escapes during baking, which is what creates the snap texture rather than a soft cracker
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. This will prevent the crackers from completely puffing up. The crackers will puff, but they will be more controlled to look like regular Cheez Its. 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. Bake them 4-5 minutes longer for extra crispy. (Though I do recommend keeping an eye on them them during this time to ensure they don’t burn.)
The most common problem with these crackers is uneven browning. This happens when the edges darken before the centers crisp up, and it usually means the dough was rolled too thick in the middle and thin along the edges. Roll from the center outward and check the thickness with your finger before baking
Need more help? I have a huge Gluten Free Resources section on the blog and have written up my best Gluten Free Baking Tips to help you learn more. If you love these gluten free cheese crackers, you will also want to make these crispy Gluten-Free Cheese Straws!
Frequently Asked Questions:
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.
They are GFCO certified and considered celiac safe, but the store-bought version contains soy and multiple additives. My homemade version is free from soy, preservatives, and all of those additives.
You really do need a food processor, or something that chops food in the same way to make this recipe work. Cutting the cheese into fine particles distributes fat evenly through the dough. This results in an even baked, crispy cracker. Hand mixing leaves chunks that create uneven bake spots.
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:
If you are looking for more gluten free, celiac-safe snacks, here are a few of my Fearless Dining Reader favorites:
Love This Recipe?
💬 Did you make this gluten-free Cheez-It cracker recipe? I would love to hear how they turned out, and which flour blend you used! Your feedback helps others (and helps me keep improving these recipes for you). ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Gluten-Free Cheez Its (30 Minute Copycat Recipe)
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
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
Method
- 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.
Nutrition
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1. That doesn’t mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours. Every flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If your dough seems too wet, add more flour. If your dough seems too dry, add more cold water.
- 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.
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!
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!