A quick and easy cheese cracker recipe with just four ingredients and five minutes of hands-on time? YES, PLEASE! You know by now that I love homemade crackers. They are delicious and easy to make, but they’re also extremely versatile and can be made salty, sweet, savory or spicy! Whip up a batch today and replace those store-bought Cheeze-Its.
With different cheese and herb flavor variations, this cracker recipe never gets old. Plus, it can be converted to gluten or dairy-free, so no one has to miss out.
Why I Love This Cracker Recipe
If you’re trying to cut out store-bought processed food, slash your grocery budget, and keep up with your busy schedule, then you have found the right place. None of us should have to sacrifice our health simply because we want to enjoy delicious snacks.
When you have the right recipes, it’s easy to swap expensive processed junk for healthy homemade snacks like easy sweet potato tortillas, homemade granola bars, crispy rutabaga fries, homemade kale chips, and, of course, this cracker recipe (or my original cracker recipe that’s a bit more like a Wheat Thin).
Home and Hand Made
If you have my book, Home and Hand Made, you’ll recognize this recipe from page 17! If you don’t have my book and are looking for more delicious from scratch recipes, you’ll want to go snag your copy!
Cracker Recipe Variations
Looking for a gluten free or dairy-free cracker recipe? Or how about different flavors like homemade cheese crackers, sour cream and onion or sweet & salty?
If you’re looking for cracker recipe variations, I’ve got a free, downloadable PDF, which includes recipes for homemade cheese crackers (which is what I’m making in the video above), Italian crackers, sour cream and onion crackers and even a sweet and salty cracker option.
With this one cracker dough recipe, you can make virtually endless flavor options and adaptions. > Sign up here, and I’ll shoot them straight to your inbox, scouts honor.
Tips for the Best Cracker Recipe
Homemade crackers are a snap to make, and when you know these essential tips and tricks, you will have perfect homemade crackers every time.
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| Detail | Tip |
| Rolling | Though I don’t have issues with my dough sticking, you can always use parchment paper or a lightly floured surface to prevent your dough from sticking. If your dough is too thin, your crackers will burn, but if they are too thick, they won’t be crunchy. Aim to roll your dough to a consistent 1/8 inch thickness. |
| Cutting | You can cut your crackers into any desired shape and size, but for even baking, make sure each batch is uniform in size. To make this step a breeze, use a pizza cutter. |
| Baking | Rolling your dough to a consistent thickness takes time and practice. Until you have mastered this technique, check your homemade crackers for doneness a little bit early. Remove the finished crackers from the baking sheet and bake the remaining crackers for another 2 minutes. |
| Cooling | Leave crackers on a baking sheet to cool, they’ll crisp up as they cool. |
How to Make Homemade Crackers
Supplies Needed
- Large Mixing Bowl – I love these Pyrex measuring cups because the large ones double as mixing bowls!
- Pizza Stone – Did you know a pizza stone works great for crackers and cookies, too? If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can use a baking sheet.
- Rolling Pin – If you don’t have a rolling pin, a stainless steel water bottle or wine bottle works, too.
- Pastry Cutter – This recipe does not require a food processor. A pastry cutter or two sharp knives work great.
- Pizza Cutter or Pastry Wheel – This tool makes cutting the dough a breeze, but if you don’t have a pizza cutter, you can use a sharp knife.
- Parchment Paper – Parchment paper allows you to roll homemade crackers even thinner, and you can reuse the same sheet over and over again.
Ingredients Needed
Just four basic ingredients are needed for this base cracker recipe. No baking powder or other fancy ingredients, just common pantry staples you likely already have on hand:
- Flour – You can use all-purpose, whole wheat, or fresh ground. Just remember that whole wheat and freshly milled flours absorb more moisture, so you may need to adjust your water as needed.
- Butter – If you prefer dairy-free, you can substitute coconut or olive oil. I used salted butter, but if you want to control the amount of salt in the recipe, use unsalted butter.
- Water – Nothing fancy here; just plain tap water is great.
- Cheese – This is where you get to choose! I used parmesan because it’s one of our favorites, but sharp cheddar cheese, pepper jack or any other cheese is also delicious!
- Sea Salt – I always use a sprinkling of Redmond Real Salt on top of the crackers. (Use that link and type in “Pioneering” at checkout to receive 15% off your order!)
Step-by-Step Directions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Measure your dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl.
- Cut in the butter until the butter is about the size of a pea.
- Add cheese and water and mix until just combined. Dump the cracker dough onto a piece of parchment paper (or right onto your baking sheet; I never have issues with it sticking).
- Roll out the dough to about ⅛” thickness, and cut cheese crackers into desired shapes. You can also make the crackers into fancy shapes with cookie cutters.
- Sprinkle with sea salt (optional).
- If you didn’t roll your dough on your baking sheet, transfer the dough to a baking sheet or baking stone now.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 400°F.
- After 10 minutes, remove the crackers on the outer edges so they don’t burn and place them on a cooling rack. Return the rest of the cheese crackers to continue baking for 2-3 minutes until most of the crackers are golden brown.
- Allow the crackers to cool before removing from the pan. They will crisp as they cool.
Did you make these cheese crackers? If so, please leave a⭐star rating and a📝comment in the recipe card below (this really helps me out)… then, snap a photo and tag me on social media @melissaknorris so I can see! I love getting a glimpse of what you all make in your kitchens.
Best Way to Store Crackers
If you happen to have any cheese crackers left (which is unlikely) and need to store them, allow them to cool completely and place them inside an airtight container.
A Mason jar with the canning lid and band tightened down works great, and they’ll stay crispy for up to 5 days. (Probably longer, but that’s the very longest they’ve lasted before we’ve eaten them all.)
FAQ’s
What cheese can I use in homemade cheese crackers?
There are several options when it comes to cheese. We love parmesan, but Pepper Jack, cheddar (especially a sharp cheddar or white cheddar) and even Monterey Jack are all great options. Do avoid any soft cheeses as they will change the consistency of the cracker dough. Sign up here, and I’ll shoot more cracker variations straight to your inbox.
How can I make my crackers healthier?
For healthier crackers, use freshly milled or whole wheat flour and add sesame seeds or nuts.
How do I store my homemade crackers?
Keep your crackers fresh by storing them in an airtight container. Place them at room temperature for up to a week.
How do I serve my homemade crackers?
Homemade crackers are very versatile. Serve them as a snack, with cheese and charcuterie, or as a base for canapes. Be creative and find your favorite ways to serve them.
Other Posts You May Enjoy
- 5 Minute Marinated Cheese Balls
- Easy Sweet Potato Tortillas
- How to Make Homemade Indian Fry Bread
- Homemade Granola Bars
- Easy Honey Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread
- Crispy Rutabega Fries
- Homemade Kale Chips
- Easy No Knead Bread Artisan Recipe in 5 Minutes a Day
Homemade Cheese Crackers (Just 4 Ingredients!)
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Sheet
- Pizza Cutter
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups flour whole wheat, fresh ground, or all-purpose
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese or other cheese
- 1/4 cup water
- sea salt to sprinkle on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Measure flour into a large mixing bowl.
- Add cubed butter and cut in with a pastry cutter or two butter knives until it looks like pea-sized clumps.
- Add water and stir until just combined. Pro Tip: A few crumbly or dry pieces are fine, they'll incorporate as you knead the dough together a few times.
- Place the ball of dough on a baking sheet or stone. Roll dough out until it's 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch thick. Pro Tip: Press harder from the center of the dough and lighter as you reach the edges to try and maintain the same thickness throughout.
- Use a pizza cutter and cut into desired shapes.
- Pierce each cracker with the tines of a fork to keep them from puffing up.
- Sprinkle with sea salt or additional seasonings and bake at 400°F for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the outer crackers to keep them from burning and return the rest to continue baking, if needed, for 2-3 minutes.
- Allow the crackers to cool completely on the baking sheet. Once completely cool, transfer to an airtight container and store for up to a week.
Notes
- If you don’t roll the cracker dough thin enough, they won’t be crunchy, but still delectable.
- The edges will be thinner, remove them and bake remaining crackers for another 2 minutes.
- Leave crackers on baking sheet to cool, they’ll crisp up as they cool
- To make these a soaked traditional recipe, add 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar to the recipe and let sit for 8 to 12 hours before rolling out.
These are SO GOOD! I tried them with Parmesan, just like the recipe, and they’re delicious… now I can’t wait to try all the other cheese flavors!
Can’t wait to try these and hope they’re foolproof! If I use shredded cheddar instead of grated Parm do I need to adjust the fat or moisture?