Crispy Gluten-Free Cheez Its Crackers

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4.88 from 49 votes

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!

The top view of a big bowl of gluten free cheez its.

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:

  1. 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!!
  2. 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!
  3. 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.
Keep up the good work!”

jane, blog comment
Photos of the gluten free cheez its ingredients.

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.
A blue bowl filled with gluten free cheez its on the counter.

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):

Gluten free cheez its steps 1 and 2 photos.

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.

Cheez its steps 3 and 4 photos.

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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.

Cheez its steps 5 and 6 photos.

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.

Cutting out star shapes out of the cheese cracker dough.

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:

Are Cheez Its gluten-free?

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!

Is shredded cheese gluten-free?

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.

How do I store these gluten-free cheese crackers?

I store the crackers in an airtight container.

How long will these crackers keep fresh?

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.

Star shaped gluten free cheez its in a white bowl.
Here are the baked cheese crackers in star shape!

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). ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The top view of a big bowl of gluten free Cheez Its.

Gluten Free Cheez Its

Sandi Gaertner
Crispy gluten free cheese crackers that are a copycat flavor to Cheez Its. Easy step by step directions to make this popular snack.
4.88 from 49 votes
gluten free allergy icon
nut free allergen icon
soy free allergy icon
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces cheddar cheese mild or sharp
  • 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
  • 1 cup gluten free flour blend * see note
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt for sprinkling over the crackers

Optional Additional Seasoning:

  • teaspoon onion powder

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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

  1. 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.
  2. If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1/2 teaspoon.
  3. 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.
  4. 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, 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

Serving: 1personCalories: 286kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 12gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 883mgPotassium: 41mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 612IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 289mgIron: 1mg
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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!

4.88 from 49 votes

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Recipe Rating




137 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I used cup4cup gluten free flour and they were delicious! I’m going to try to make them thinner next time. Definitely make sure they are golden or they will remind you more of a biscuit than a cheez-it but delicious either way!

  2. 4 stars
    They’re tasty but don’t taste like cheese it’s. Totally different texture and flavor. I used sharp cheddar too but mine didn’t come out orange at all . I made them as thin as possible but they’re still kinda a little bit chewy in the middle. Still they do taste good!

  3. 5 stars
    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. Keep up the good work!

  4. 5 stars
    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)

    1. 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!

  5. 5 stars
    These are so yummy. I used sharp white cheddar because that is what I had. I will roll them out thinner next time.

  6. 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!

  7. 5 stars
    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!

  8. 5 stars
    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