Homemade Cheez Its

Make crispy homemade Cheez-Its with just 4 common ingredients! This easy cheese cracker recipe makes crunchy, cheesy, buttery crackers that are baked to crispy perfection and taste even better than store-bought.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Chill Time30

Total Time1

Servings:

Calories: 298kcal

Author: Karin and Ken

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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