Homemade Cheez-Its are crispy, cheesy, and completely irresistible with that perfect crunchy bite you know and love. These delicious little squares are packed with bold cheddar flavor and a buttery crunch that's hard to resist. Made with common ingredients, these homemade crackers taste even better than the store-bought versions. Once you try them and see how easy they are to make, you'll never want the boxed kind again!
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Snack
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 1 hour (including chill time)
- 🍴 Servings: About 4-6 servings
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Cheesy, buttery, salty, crispy
- 🍚 Best Served With: Dips, soups, lunchboxes, charcuterie boards
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, dough can be made ahead and chilled
Summarize and Save This Content On
There's something incredibly satisfying about turning basic components into a crunchy, cheesy snack from scratch. The aroma alone while these tasty crackers bake is enough to make your whole kitchen feel warm and inviting. Each bite delivers that perfect mix of salty, savory goodness with a light, crisp texture. One batch is never enough, so don't be surprised if they disappear as soon as they cool!
This was inspired by my Ritz cracker sandwiches and these chocolate covered Ritz crackers on this site. It pairs well with my ranch oyster crackers recipe.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Better than store-bought: Fresh flavor and no preservatives make these budget-friendly, from-scratch crackers taste amazing
- Simple ingredients: Only four common pantry staples needed and it's easy to switch up cheeses and seasonings
- Perfect crunch: Always bakes up crisp and golden. Perfect for anytime cravings, lunchboxes or travel snacks
Ingredients
You only need a handful of ingredients to make these delicious homemade cheese crackers, most of which you likely already have in your kitchen.
- Sharp cheddar cheese: Provides bold cheesy flavor and creates that signature taste
- All-purpose flour: Gives structure and helps form the dough
- Salted butter: Adds richness and helps create a tender, flaky texture
- Cold water: Brings the dough together and keeps it workable
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Variations
- Spicy version: Add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper or ½ teaspoon chili flakes for heat
- Garlic crackers: Mix in ½ teaspoon (mild) to 1 teaspoon (bold) garlic powder for extra flavor with 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- Herb crackers: Add 1-2 teaspoons dried herbs like Italian seasoning, oregano, basil or thyme total (try 1 teaspoon oregano + ½ teaspoon thyme)
- Ranch flavor: Add 1-1½ teaspoons ranch seasoning mix for a tasty change
- Taco Style: Add 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
- Everything Bagel: Add 1 to 1½ teaspoons everything bagel seasoning
- Italian Herb Cheese: Add 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning and add 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
- More Flavor: Add ¼ teaspoon mustard powder for sharper, slightly tangy flavor
Instructions
This recipe is easy to follow and comes together in just a few simple steps.
Combine the flour, cheese, salt, and water in a blender or food processor. Pulse on high speed until homogenous.
Remove the dough from the blender and work it into a disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 375. Roll the dough out into a large sheet no more than ¼ inch thick. Transfer the sheet to a large baking sheet.
Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into small ½-1 inch squares. Poke a small hole in the center of each square.
Bake your homemade cheez-its for 15 minutes.
Let your them cool for at least 15 minutes and then break apart.
If you enjoy delicious snacking recipes like this, check out my Buffalo popcorn. You won't be disappointed.
Recipe Tips
- Storage: Store crackers at room temperature in an airtight container or resealable bag to stay fresh and crunchy for up to 5 days.
- Make in Advance: Dough can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance and chilled in fridge or freezer for up to 2 months until needed.
- Use freshly grated cheese: Melts better creates a smoother dough and improves flavor.
- Grate cheese finely: Blends more smoothly into dough
- Don't skip the holes: It helps them bake evenly, prevents puffing during baking and gives them that classic Cheez-It look.
- Adding Seasoning: Always mix seasonings directly into the dry ingredients (flour + cheese) before forming the dough so the flavor is evenly distributed.
- Dough Consistency: Keep total add-ins (spices + extras) under 2 tablespoons dry or 1 tablespoon wet to avoid changing the dough.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy my cheddar chex mix.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with slow cooker tomato soup or my grandma's tomato soup
- Add to lunchboxes in a snack bag
- Pair with dips like roasted garlic hummus or cottage cheese ranch dip
- Include on charcuterie boards
- Serve as a party snack with hot honey pretzels and buffalo popcorn
- Pair with cheese spreads or cheese bacon dip
- Enjoy with deviled egg salad and chicken bacon ranch pasta salad for crunch
- Serve alongside crack chicken chili and crockpot chili mac
- Use as a topping for meatloaf casseroles and philly cheesesteak casserole
- Snack on them anytime
Recipe FAQs
It likely needs a little more water so add 1 teaspoon at a time until it holds together.
They may need more baking time or were cut thin enough. Crackers must be between ⅛ to ¼ inch thick. Thinner dough makes crispier crackers.
It may need more chilling time.
It helps, but you can mix by hand.
More Snack Recipes
Do you love cheesy snacks? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Homemade Cheez Its
Ingredients
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese finely grated, or your favorite kind of firm cheese
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cold salted butter butter must be cold to create a flaky, tender texture
- 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Combine the flour, cheese, salt, and water in a blender or food processor. Pulse on high speed until homogenous.
- Remove the dough from the blender and work it into a disc. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Making sure the butter is cold helps prevent the dough from sticking to the rolling pin when you roll it out.
- Preheat your oven to 375. Roll the dough out into a large sheet no more than ¼ inch thick. Transfer the sheet to a large baking sheet.
- Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into small ½-1 inch squares, making sure they-re all about the same size. Poke a small hole in the center of each square. Bake your cheez-its for 15 minutes. Rotate baking sheet at halfway mark for even baking. Watch closely for last few minutes as they can brown quickly
- Let your 150-170 cheez-its cool for at least 15 minutes and then break them apart. Your cheese crackers will be soft when they come out of the oven, but will develop more crunch the longer they cool. Separate them using hands or pizza cutter. They must have cooled completely before storing.
Notes
- Storage: Store crackers at room temperature in an airtight container or resealable bag to stay fresh and crunchy for up to 5 days.
- Make in Advance: Dough can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance and chilled in fridge or freezer for up to 2 months until needed.
- Use freshly grated cheese: Melts better creates a smoother dough and improves flavor.
- Grate cheese finely: Blends more smoothly into dough
- Don't skip the holes: It helps them bake evenly, prevents puffing during baking and gives them that classic Cheez-It look.
- Adding Seasoning: Always mix seasonings directly into the dry ingredients (flour + cheese) before forming the dough so the flavor is evenly distributed.
- Dough Consistency: Keep total add-ins (spices + extras) under 2 tablespoons dry or 1 tablespoon wet to avoid changing the dough.
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