Like Cheez-Its but hate the ingredient list? Make this homemade version with real, simple ingredients and snack on them all week long!
Hi Friends!
As promised, here is the recipe for the Homemade Cheez-Its I talked about in my Pistachio Pairings Challenge post for Recipe Redux!
I’m not actually a huge fan of Cheez-Its but I love making homemade versions of storebought crackers!
This recipe is a little bit tedious, but the ingredients are simple and with a little effort, you can have your very own cheesy crackers to snack on! This recipe was adapted from these Easy Whole Wheat Cheddar Crackers. It’s not uber healthy, but now that I have a base recipe I like, I can always experiment to put a healthier twist on them later 🙂
Here’s how you make them:
Homemade Cheez-Its
A simple, homemade version of your favorite store-bought Cheddar crackers.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 4 Tbsp butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 strips of cooked bacon (optional)
Instructions
- Place the butter and flour in a food processor and pulse to combine.
- Add the remaining ingredients and process until a ball of dough forms.
- Transfer to a flat surface, cover with parchment paper and roll the dough out.
- Cut into desired sized crackers and transfer to a baking sheet.
- Gather scraps and edges and re-roll and cut remaining crackers.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 6-10 minutes depending on the size and thickness of your crackers.
The notes listed in the recipe above are important so I’m going to list them here for you too:
- For the cheese you can use white or yellow cheddar, or you could use half cheddar/half pepperjack, or colby jack. Pick your favorite! Just remember if you use white cheddar that they won’t look like cheez-its.
- I made mine with bacon. I assume you could leave it out. You might want to add an extra Tbsp of butter if you do.
- The dough is very soft and sticky. It might roll better if you chill it for a little bit first but I didn’t try that. Putting the parchment paper on top will keep it from sticking to the rolling pin.
I made our extra spicy and used half spicy colby jack/half Cheddar. Watch them carefully while they cook. I cut mine pretty small and the first batch got a little crispy when I left them in for 10 minutes, so the second batch I only cooked for 6-7 minutes.
They’re the perfect addition to my trailmix!
Have you ever made a homemade version of your favorite crackers?
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
My whole wheat cheddar crackers I make (and just made a couple days ago too!) are pretty similar, but without the bacon and paprika, but with onion powdered added in. They’re addictive + better than store bough crackers. You actually know everything that goes into them!
I added onion powder to mine, too, and I really liked the taste difference! Reminds me to make another batch of crackers soon 🙂
oooh great idea!
yes! so perfect!
Oh my.
I am stoked you are posting all these cheese and carb combinations lately- I need to OD on it all before my whole30 challenge in March!
Oh yum! Brian will LOVE these 🙂 Thank you for sharing, Lindsay!
I’m still stuck on the fact that you don’t like Cheez Its. Whaaat? haha Seriously, though, I love that fake cheese taste. Sad, right? Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Hahaha I agree! Cheez-It’s are my weakness and when I saw that Lindsay was making these, I almost fell out of my desk chair…into my desk drawer where there is a giant box of Cheez-It’s. Whoops.
haha i always preferred gold fish over cheezits!
these look amazing!! i’ve never made my own crackers or anything, but i’ve totally been digging cheez-its lately, so i may have to try these!! sounds simple enough to me!!
oh heck ya! GF flour will do here and yes to bacon. I would never leave that out
Oh good, I was just wondering if I could make these with all-purpose GF flour! The kids (and hubs) will be so happy 🙂
Genius!!
Yay! I am so glad you posted this! I was thinking about those cheez its a lot yesterday! Thanks for the recipe! Cant wait to make!
This speaks to my heart. We go through so many boxes of cheese its in this house. Thank you for sharing,
give them a try! so good 🙂
I was so motivated to make homemade crackers when L was younger, and now I guess I’ve gotten lazy… I really need to try your recipe. Sounds so yummy, and I know she would LOVE them!
I make homemade graham crackers for my kids quite often. My kids would go ga ga over these especially if I made them into cute little shapes to mimic goldfish crackers. Pinning!
I’d love to see the healthy twist you put on these! I love making homemade crackers, but they get eaten so quickly around here I don’t do it that often. It takes longer for me to make them than it does for my family to eat them!
This is so brilliant! And of course, the bacon addition – I’ll definitely have to make these.
Not a big cracker eater but they look darn good in that trail mix — plus, I’m so impressed that you made them!
the boys in my house LOVE cheez its, great idea to make these!!
Cheez Its are my FAVORITE! I can’t wait to try this.
HOW do you not like cheez-its?! Crazy. But you’ve definitely redeemed yourself by creating this amazing recipe.
Perfect little squares of cheesy deliciousness. After trying these, I’m sure that the store bought kind will pale in comparison. Love the idea of adding bacon!
Thanks Candace! I think the bacon is the key ingredient 🙂
I love this! As a kid (and even now), I liked Cheez Its. I never buy them though because I don’t want to eat all the extra junk they throw in there, so I love the idea of making my own; plus, they sound super easy to make too!
yes! homemade for the win!
So cute! I would love to try to make these! Making crackers have never occurred to me but now I might just have to this out!
I love that you made yours spicy!! Those sound fantastic!
I love this! What a great idea- who knew making homemade cheese its could be so easy?
yes indeedy! 🙂
holy YUM! these look fantastic!!! I need to try them tho I bet they don’t look as pretty as yours!
luckily appearance doesn’t alter the taste 🙂 enjoy!
What a great idea! You should do a future post of all your healthified (not sure if that is a word-but hopefully you know what I mean) recipes!!
Those sound amazing! I can’t wait to try these.
Yum! Can’t wait to try these!
Yum! I love making homemade crackers, and yours look delicious!!
Omg I need to try these!!!
I was a “crackerholic” as a kid & when I was heavy so I have to be so careful! 😉
I haven’t had cheez-its in so long! These look delicious and not too difficult to whip up for an afternoon snack.
Oh my gosh, the ingredients list on a box of Cheez-Its makes me so freaked out. Same goes for those Goldfish. Yikes!
Good work on this recipe, girl 🙂
thanks! goldfish used to be my weakness!
Must. Try. These.
they’re so addicting.
Lindsay, I’m with you. Not a huge Cheez Itz fan. But I have an 11-year old daughter who is… Pinning this and giving it a try with her soon!
yay! hope she loves them!
I make a very similar one for parties but instead of bacon and paprika, I use chopped pecans and curry spices. (Although bacon would be an excellent addition!) And a good trick it to roll the dough into long tubes, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Then just slice and cook.
They’re not the healthiest snack, but i figure if you serve them to a lot of people, there’s never enough to overindulge yourself! 🙂