Like boxed cheddar crackers? You’ll love these healthier homemade cheez its. Made with sharp cheddar cheese and a little whole wheat flour your snacking time just got a whole lot better.
I think I have done it. I didn’t think it would really turn out like I hoped. But, it did.
Yes, yes, it did.
I experimented with a healthier cracker. More specifically, I took the oh-so-addicting Cheez-It and turned it into real food. No more processed, highly colored, preservative-filled concoction, but real, food made with ingredients you can pronounce.
Yes, I am just as surprised as you are.
I took this recipe from Fine Cooking and tweaked it. I didn’t want a spicy flavor and I wanted to avoid nuts due to a suspected nut allergy in our family. I also simplified the recipe immensely. No egg separating from this mama. And I whirred it all together in the food processor.
And the end result? A homemade Cheez It worth writing home about!
This recipe produces a crisp, salty, cheddary cracker that smacks of the “I-could-eat-the-whole-box-but-they’re-so-bad-for-you-Cheez-It.” I hope you like them.
This is one healthy snack your hungry kid (and you too!) are going to gobble up.
Ingredients for these healthy homemade Cheez Its
- Flours – I used a combination of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour. Adding in a little whole wheat flour makes these a little heartier and fiber-filled.
- Cheese – For these cheddar coins, I like using sharp cheddar cheese. Of course a mild or medium cheddar cheese would also work. Shred it yourself to save a few pennies.
- Seasoning – To season these crackers a little bit salt and garlic powder is all you need.
- Dairy – Cube up some butter and add one egg.
How to make these cheddar coins – aka homemade cheez its
Normally a homemade cheez it cracker has to be rolled and cut into their typical square shape. But these are so much easier. The dough gets rolled into a log and then cut into coins, or round crackers.
- In bowl of food processor, combine flours, cheese, salt, and garlic powder. Add butter cubes and pulse until crumbs are formed. Blend in egg until dough comes together around the blade.
- Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Form into 1 inch log. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375 ° . Slice into thin coins. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on rack. Package in airtight container.
- Freeze for longer storage.
If you prepare this recipe, be sure to take a picture and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!
Cheddar Coins - aka Healthy Cheez-Its
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
- 5 ounces cheddar cheese (shredded) (about 1 1/3 cup)
- 1 tsp salt you may want to reduce this according to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 cup butter cubed
- 1 egg
Instructions
- In bowl of food processor, combine flours, cheese, salt, and garlic powder. Add butter cubes and pulse until crumbs are formed. Blend in egg until dough comes together around the blade.
- Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Form into 1 inch log. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 ° . Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Slice the log into thin coins and distribute them on the prepared sheets, leaving at least 1-inch space. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Cool on rack. Package in airtight container. Freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- Note: Nutrition Facts are based on one cracker
Nutrition
Jan J. says
I can’t wait to try these – they sound yummy! My girls won’t even eat bagged store-bought cookies since I’ve begun making all from scratch and I’ll be they will be the same with crackers. Hmmm, maybe I SHOULDN’T try them LOL!
Jaymie says
YUMMY! I can’t wait to try these! Cheezeits are addicting and we love them in my house. I can’t wait to try this healthier homemade cracker! I hope my kids love them! Thanks so much!
Kim says
thanks for simplifying & sharing your recipe!! I can’t wait to try these for my child care!
Christi says
I certainly want to try this! About how many does this make?
Amanda says
Wow, I’m going to have to try these! They look very yummy!
Melissa says
YUM! I love, love, love that these are cut from a “log”, rather than rolled out! They look wonderful! Do you think ww pastry flour would work for the unbleached, or would it be too ‘wheaty’? Thanks – I am trying them tomorrow morning!!
Jessica says
I don’t know. But, try it and see. Then be sure to report back. 😉
Allyson Kellner says
Wow! I can’t believe how easy it sounds! I will have to try this!
Stacy says
Thank you so much for posting this! My daughter has been addicted to Cheese-its and I really hate buying them. I know they aren’t the healthiest thing for her to have and would much rather her eat “real” food. Can’t wait to try these!
Liz says
I have thought about making my own crackers, but I’m not keen on baking. This recipe sounds really easy, and there’s no rolling out dough, which is a plus. I’m printing it out to try soon. Thanks!
Anne says
Oooh, I have a similar recipe lying around that I’ve wanted to try but haven’t b/c it seemed like too much work destined to fail. but your recipe looks simple and easy; definitely going to try it!
Ellen says
We’re going to try this. We like Cheezits a lot around here. And there was just a buy one get one sale on shredded sharp cheddar at my local store, so we’re set.
Stephenie says
I was just talking with a friend this week about making cheese crackers. My family thinks I’m off my rocker for making crackers! LOL Can’t wait to try this recipe. Love that it’s done in the food processor and that you don’t have to roll it!
Suzy @ GingerandBerries says
You read my mind!! Can’t wait to try these!
Danielle says
Can’t wait to try this out, I’ve been looking for a substitute for goldfish crackers, this might just do the trick.
sarah k. @ the pajama chef says
wow! i’ve never tried making my own crackers but these look so easy so i might just do that!
Kristi says
This is perfect! I have been trying to start changing our eating habits into better ones but we love Cheez-its. I wasn’t sure how to change this one out w/out having to give them up altogether. Can’t wait to try them!!!!
One question, if you don’t have a food processor, is a hand mixer ok to use?
Jessica says
I am not sure. I love my food processor and use it all the time. Do you use a hand mixer for making pie crust? You might be better off using a pastry blender or two knives to cut in the butter and cheese.
Tracy says
My daughter BEGGED me to get some cheese crackers at the store yesterday… I held out and am glad I did… I wonder how one would go about soaking this recipe and if it would work??
Steph @ The Cheapskate Cook says
Wow, here’s to you, Fishmama! I’m going to join the party and plan to make these in the near future as well 😉
MMM says
I am excited to try this. Cheez-its are a favorite around here. Do you think I could make them in my kitchen-aid or do you need a food processor? Thanks!
Jessica says
I’m not sure. Do you regularly use the KitchenAid for pie crust or scones? It’s the same basic technique of cutting in the ingredients, butter and cheese, specifically. Try it, and let us know!
Ellen says
Do you think you could use oil in these instead? I sometimes don’t have butter on hand… Maybe half butter half oil?
Jessica says
I’m not thinking that it would. It’s so much more like a pie crust or shortbread which I’ve never used oil in. But, you could always try…. 😉
Nicole says
The kitchen aid works like a food processor if you use the whisk attachment to cut in the butter.
amy says
Wow these sound great. Can’t wait to try it!!
Coby says
Oh, I am going to try this with all the free cheese I got from Albertson’s last week. Thank you for the recipe!
Frances says
These sound so yummy! How long do you think the shelf life is?
Jessica says
Probably not super long. I don’t think they’ll stay very crisp after a few days.
Kira G says
bet you could freeze then in vacuum sealed bag and they would last longer! 😉
Dana says
@Kira G, I have frozen them like slice and bake cookies and they taste just as good as fresh. Just remember to put them in the fridge to thaw. I like to bake half and freeze half. I would eat them all if I cooked all of them at once.
Lisa Hetherington says
@Kira G,
If you freeze half, would you need to thaw the roll, say overnight in the fridge, before flossing and baking?
…Lisa
Nancy says
i’ve never baked crackers but thought about it several times. this may be the recipe that pushes me over the edge to try them.
Jenny says
We love cheez its, and will definitely be trying these. I don’t have a food processor, but am guessing that a hand pastry blender and some muscle will cut in the butter and cheese just as well. These dough logs would be great to have in the freezer for quick snacks.
Thank you for posting this. I’m always on the lookout for fun snacky things we can make at home.
Dorothy says
Just made these, the logs are chilling in the fridge as we speak. I can’t wait to try them! I have a feeling they will not last long enough to even worry about how long they’ll keep 🙂 Thanks for the recipe! We’ve been missing Cheez-Its since we started eliminating HFCS/junk.
Leigh says
Oh wow – I love all variety of Cheese crackers. I can’t wait to make these!
Holly says
I have got to try these. I almost bought a box of Cheez Its at the store yesterday, but I managed to resist (barely). I have been craving those darn Cheez Its ever since too.
Marlene says
I tried these this weekend and had pretty good success. They “foamed up” when I baked them (not sure how else to describe it). It didn’t affect the taste though. My cheese-loving son didn’t think they were cheesy enough but it takes a LOT of cheese to satisfy his cheese-tooth! Thanks for the recipe. The original recipe that Jessica adapted from had some storage tips that would probably be applicable to the easier version. I would be interested to hear how this recipe works with oil.
Jessica says
Yes, I think the “foaming” is the bubbling of the cheese and butter. And you’re right, those storage tips would apply.
Jackie says
if you have time, ha ha, can you help me with printer friendly versions of my recipes on my website/blog. I am using webs.com for website and wordpress for blog. Any help would be fabulous.
Courtney says
Thanks so much for this recipe! I am always on the lookout for healthy homemade snack ideas. These were a big hit in our house, even though we aren’t big fans of Cheez Its. These taste so much better 🙂
Mary says
I’ll agree that they might need some more cheese for a true cheez-it flavor. Also mine weren’t very crunchy after 17 minutes, I think I’ll re-bake them today. I “flossed” mine to cut into coins instead of a knife which works great to not squash the roll. Oh and I used 1 cup white whole wheat pastry flour and 1/3 cup unbleached which seemed to work just fine.
Amy says
I would add that you need to use a non stick or spray your pan first! Half my batch ended up in crumbs trying to get them off the pan!
They are pretty taste though!
Caroline Mukisa says
These looks great! I’m always looking for something healthy-ish to put in my kids lunch boxes. They’re all cheese fiends, so this should go down well. Thanks for sharing
Kyda says
I know it’s been quite a while since you posted these, but I was wondering, do you think I could use plain ole all purpose flour? Thanks 🙂
Jessica says
Yes, I just prefer unbleached.
Amy says
Could you post approx. how many crackers this recipe makes? I have a large family and will probably need to double or triple the recipe, but not sure how much since there are no quantities listed. Thanks!
Jessica says
I haven’t counted, but it filled a quart size freezer bag at least half full. Hope that helps.
BEthany says
We just made these as I am home from vacation with a sick kid, empty fridge and nothing to eat. I couldn’t wait the two hours so I put in freezer for about 15-20min and then cut. They turned out great!
Sara says
I’ve been wanting to try these since you originally posted this and finally did today. YUM! My six year old was taken aback that they don’t look like cheese crackers from the store, but once he tasted them he was convinced. Thanks for all the awesome recipes that you share.
Jessica says
@Sara, so glad they were a hit!
Jessica says
How much approximately did it cost you to make these? I have huge snack cravings lately (bfing a 12 week old makes me want to eat non stop) and I can’t bring myself to spend $3 on a box of store bought crackers. If these are cheaper it sounds like a great solution – but in my experience making home made snacks is more expensive (unlike meals).
TIA!
Jessica says
I think it would depend on how you shop for those ingredients. If you pay full pop for things, they probably wouldn’t be “cheaper,” though they would be healthier by far. However, if you stock up on butter, cheese, and flour at good prices, I think it would be competitive. I don’t do cost analysis on those things very often because it varies so greatly across the country.
Angela says
I am prego and have been craving Cheez-its. This recipe saved me from the evil red box! Thank you, they are delicious!
Jessica says
Yeah! So glad you liked it!
Stacy says
This is off the topic, but what type of food processor do you have, and do you like it? I want to buy one in the lower price range, but I don’t want to get a bad one, if possilble. Just trying to figure out if there’s a good one that isn’t too expensive.
Jessica says
@Stacy, I have owned three Cuisinarts over the years. The first one was still going strong, circa 1975, I think. But, the bowl broke and a replacement was more than a new machine. The second one was their low end when my dad gave it to me ten years ago. It was $79. Again, it works like a champ, but several parts have broken off the bowl. I still use it because it’s easier to clean than the fancy schmancy high end Cuisinart (with three bowls) that I bought a few years ago. It works great, too, but is harder to clean than the standard version.
Stacy says
@Jessica, Thanks! I appreciate the info. I keep looking at reviews and such, but all of them have their issues. I’m wondering if the difference between lower and higher end is more about features or more about quality, or both in general proportion. If only about features, I’m OK sacrificing that for the price. If significantly about quality, then maybe not. Thanks again!
Jessica says
@Stacy, I love my lower end Cuisinart. I just wish they made a sturdier bowl.
Janet says
We made these tonight. They were a big hit. We all thought they tasted more like Red Lobster’s cheddar bay biscuits than Cheese Its.
Jessica Fisher says
Glad you liked them!
Christy says
Anyone tried this with gluten free flour?
Jessica Fisher says
I have not, but I would assume that it should work well with a 1-1 mix. If you try it, please let us know how it goes!
Kimmi says
The recipe does not state how to prepare a cookie sheet for baking the crackers. My inclination was to use a parchment-lined sheet, but because it was not in the instructions, I did not line mine. Big mistake! The crackers stuck and I ended up with crumbs. I used parchment on round 2 and they came out beautifully.
The crumbs will be tasty as a bread crumb replacement in meatloaf.?
Jessica Fisher says
My apologies, Kimmi! We just finished converting over 800 recipes to recipe cards and sometimes things got lost in the copy and paste. I’m glad that the second round was delicious. And yes, definitely save the crumbs wherever you would use bread crumbs. A topping for a cheesy potato casserole or other bake would be yummy.