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!
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:
This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)
- 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. Be sure to check to see if your shredded cheese is gluten free.
- 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:
I have had my Hamilton Beach Food Processor for years. It is durable and never lets me down.
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.
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 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!
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 has many unhealthy 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 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.
Here are the baked cheese crackers in star shape!
More delicious gluten free snacks:
- Gluten Free Granola
- Gluten Free Mandelbrot
- No-Bake Protein Balls
- Hawaiian Butter Mochi
Gluten Free Cheez Its
*As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
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 :-).
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, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
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.
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. Recipe was so easy and I’m all about great results with minimal effort. My 4 year old enjoyed rolling the dough out and it was not a big deal they were not perfectly shaped. I used a lactose free cheese and a truffle butter that needed to be used up along with French sea salt for the garnish. It’s great that I could alter slightly and still have them turn out! I was not thinking about my butter being salted and will take that into account in the future. Everyone loved these and I might be making more tomorrow! (The first batch is gone already)
You made my day!! I am thrilled everyone loved these Cheez Its and you no longer need to worry about them getting into non-gluten free crackers! I love you experimented, it is good to know lactose free cheese worked so well. Thank you!
These are so yummy. I used sharp white cheddar because that is what I had. I will roll them out thinner next time.
I am so glad you loved these crackers. Several people mentioned white cheddar, and I need to try it because it sounds really good. Thank you!
These are awesome! I made two sizes, one for dipping and one for munching. I also used aged cheddar so needed more water, but they taste amazing!
Cutting these cookies into different sizes is such a good idea! Thank you.
I’m pulling these out of the oven for the first time and couldn’t help but try a few, and I am pleasantly surprised how much they actually taste similar to cheez its. A great recipe!
I am so glad you loved these Cheez Its. Thank you so much!
Should the butter be cold or softened?
Hi Faye, I put it in cold. It helps to form the dough.
I honestly have been missing Cheez Its so badly since my celiac diagnosis and no “dupe” was good enough. This recipe is perfection. Instead of a food processor I used my Ninja blender.
Thanks so much! Can’t wait to make these again and again
I am thrilled you loved the recipe. I have heard good things about the Ninja blender!
How long do you think they would keep in a heat sealed bag?
Hi, I have no experience using heat sealed bags so I am not sure. You could ask in my FB Group, Gluten Free Living and Recipe Share.
So good!
I made it with goat milk cheddar, goat butter, and arrowhead mills 1-to-1 gluten free flour .
It was still mostly soft after the prescribed baking time (maybe I didn’t roll them as thin as you) but they were so good we ate most and let a few bake for 5 more minutes to crisp up. I started with a half batch because I was afraid it might taste goat-y but it didn’t at all. I will definitely be making these again.
I haven’t tried goat cheese, but we eat it often…thank you for the feedback!
Hello and thank you for sharing this recipe. Regarding the cheese, is it 8oz dry measuring cup after shredding or 8oz by weight?
Hi Sandra, I used an 8 ounce package of shredded cheese.
Can I use liquid cheese instead of shredded and how much should I use?
Thanks!
Hi Leslie, I haven’t tested this recipe with liquid cheese.
Has anyone tried using these crackers in Chex party mix?
Hi Carol, I haven’t heard of anyone doing this, but I bet it would be tasty!
Wow! These are easy and delicious and taste exactly how I remember cheez it’s! Thanks for the recipe 🎉
You are very welcome, Heather. I am glad you enjoyed the crackers.
This recipe is more challenging than it presents itself to be… flavor was good w/sharp cheddar cheese but cutting and trying to have uniform square crackers was my biggest disappointment..
That is a bummer. Did you use a food processor as instructed in the recipe? That will grind up the cheese, making it much easier to roll and cut. As you learn how to use your rolling pin with even pressure, it can also help a lot. I am really glad you loved the flavor.
I think it is unfair for you to leave a low rating when it wasn’t the recipes fault that it didn’t work out as you hoped. This recipe is spot on. It sounds like you were the one that had the difficulty. This is a fantastic recipe. It deserves five stars.
Thank you so much, Ella. I appreciate you :-).
I love them! It gets easier and easier to make. I use garlic salt instead of regular salt, so good. The broil at the end really gives that extra crunch! I’d love to share a pic!
I am so glad you love them. I love your tip to broil them for extra crisp! You can message me via FB with a pic :-).
Thank you! If I let myself I will go through a box of Simple Mills per week 😅 This is way more cost effective! I think I fixed the chewy “issuse” (I kind of enjoyed the texture, but I wanted the crunch. If you broil it on low for 2 minutes, it instantly gets crunchier! 🖤
I love the idea to broil them for extra crispiness, thank you for taking time to comment and add this tip!