Homemade Cheez-Its
Guess what? An improved, updated version of this recipe can be found in my cookbook Classic Snacks Made from Scratch: 70 Homemade Versions of Your Favorite Brand-Name Treats.
If there’s a such thing as an origin story for my first cookbook, Classic Snacks Made from Scratch, homemade Cheez-Its (not homemade Goldfish crackers!) are at the center.
Way back in 2011, when print magazines were still a thing, I had a semi-regular contributing gig at ReadyMade magazine.
And for the magazine’s “Taste Off” column, I was tasked to create a recipe for homemade Cheez-Its as part of a blind taste test.
My from-scratch Cheez-Its would be judged against store-bought brands, both the namesake originals and the host of generics and “natural” versions.
Unsurprisingly, my call for taste test volunteers was well-received.
Putting a bunch of women in a room with a few bottles of wine and asking them to wax poetic on the merits of different cheese cracker brands is something to behold.
(The best comment of the judging panel: “Can we put these on pizza later?”)
Our highly scientific findings? An imperfect Cheez-It is still a mindlessly edible Cheez-It.
But though there’s really no such thing as a bad cheese cracker, the perfect Cheez-It has a few characteristics to set it apart.
It’s got superior crunch, unmistakable cheese flavor that doesn’t devolve into pure saltiness, and just enough grease to leave a light sheen on your fingers.
Those were the points I took with me when I created my homemade Cheez-It recipe, and the results were so stunningly addictive that I was inspired to continue on the path to creating more homemade versions of everyone’s favorite junk foods.
I started reverse engineering everything from Tastykake butterscotch krimpets to Cheez Whiz.
And two years later, Classic Snacks Made from Scratch was released to the delight of snack fans across the globe.
And even now, in 2019, when I make these homemade Cheez-Its, I am still thrilled by the results. They were my first love and they’re still here for me after all this time.
With the perfect salty crunch and just enough cheesy grease to make you want to lick your fingers, I guarantee they won’t disappoint.
Homemade Cheez-Its
Homemade Cheez-Its are crunchy, cheesy, salty, and just a little greasy. As seen in the cookbook Classic Snacks Made from Scratch!
Ingredients
- 1 8-ounce block extra sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) cubed unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (120 grams; 4 1/4 ounces) unbleached all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cheddar, butter, and salt until soft and homogenous.
- Add the flour and mix on low speed; the dough will be dry and pebbly.
- Slowly add the water and continue to mix as the dough coalesces into a mass.
- Pat the dough into a disk, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each into a very thin (1/8 inch or less) 10x12-inch rectangle.
- Using a fluted pastry cutter, cut the rectangles into 1-inch squares, then transfer to the baking sheets.
- Use the tip of a chopstick to punch a hole into the center of each square.
- Bake for about 15 minutes or until the crackers are puffed and browning at the edges. Watch carefully, as the high fat content of the crackers makes it a fine line between golden delicious and burnt.
- Immediately move the crackers to racks to cool.
Notes
Crackers will keep for up to 1 week in a sealed container at room temperature.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in 2011 and updated in 2019.
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Casey Barber
Casey Barber is the owner and founder of Good Food Stories LLC and a visual storyteller whose work often focuses on the intersection of food and culture. She is also the author of the cookbooks Pierogi Love: New Takes on an Old-World Comfort Food and Classic Snacks Made from Scratch: 70 Homemade Versions of Your Favorite Brand-Name Treats, and she couldn’t get anything done without the help of her executive assistant cats, Bixby and Lenny. Her favorite color is obviously orange.
I’ve been trying to duplicate cheez-itz for months now. Gotta give it a try. Thanks!
um…I was not invited to this taste test! I want to be sure to note that as far as Cheez snack crackers go, it’s always the “IT” never the “NIP!”
All this talk of Cheez-Its makes me want some. NOW!
Is this part of your book testing?
oh, these look very tasty! This are totally up my alley. Cheese Crackers and a bottle of wine, what could be better?
Congrats on the article!
oh my…i think i just decided what my first post-dress diet dinner will be. care to suggest a wine pairing?
Oh Man, just when I am trying to lose some weight and you have to show this!!!
man those look so yummy – yay for your article!!!
These look really yummy!
Oh yummy! I have made cheese crackers before, but have not tried to replicate Cheez-Its which my kids love! Will have to try these for sure!
“Is this a dog treat?” Classic! Now I want cheese straws. The hot kind with a jalapeno kick from my childhood in the South.
I volunteer for your next wine-fueled taste testing. I am really good at eating and drinking.
What are you doing to me? First homemade poptarts and now Cheez-its. Okay, I’m going to add these to my list to try. I really like the white cheddar ones though–I guess I should use white cheddar then? Or should I do half and half so that it’s sharp enough?
Oh man. I can practically feel the cheesy goodness of these wafting through the computer screen.
What?! Home-made pop-tarts? Must search through your archives for that one…
If one does not have the paddle attachment for the stand mixer, which other attachment would work?
Jen, you could also make the dough in a food processor – just use short pulses to mix the dough so you don’t overwork it. I wouldn’t recommend making it by hand, since it’s pretty dense!
if you don’t have a fluted pastry cutter, would a pizza cutter + fork tines work? Do you think the fork tines would even be neccessary?
I made these for the superbowl and they are so good! I did not have the correct pastry cutter so I used a small start cookie cutter – cute and tasty. I also added a bit of Parmesan cheese for extra bite. Thanks for the great recipe.
This would be awesome at a kids birthday party or if you are asked to bring finger food to a party. They were not time intensive and were every bit as good as the hype!
You definitely don’t need a fluted pastry cutter – a plain pastry cutter, a pizza cutter, a knife, a bench scraper, or cookie cutters will all work equally well. The squares are so thin that fork tines probably aren’t even worth the effort.
I bet those star-shaped Cheez-Its were super cute… if you’ve got photos, feel free to post them on our Facebook page!
My daughter was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease (toxic intolerance to gluten…found in wheat), and I have been lamenting my inability to buy Cheez-Its anymore. I am thrilled to find this post, and can’t wait to try this recipe with gluten-free flour…Thanks!!!
I can vouch for the fact that these are incredible! WAY better than the originals, these flight, flaky crackers and terribly addicting.
I’ve been experimenting with making a flatbread sort of version of cheese crackers — basically flour, water, a scant bit of canola oil, and cheese — salt and other seasonaings if desired.
that’s actually worked out quite well (and is easily mixed by hand), but, of course, a bit of a different thing than full on butter cheese crackers, which sound great.
Too funny: I bet you had no problem finding taste testers for this assignment. Only sorry I live so far away…
After downing a box of Cheez-It’s, I thought it would be fun to replicate it. Found you from Google search. I will try this one at some point!
I’m now drooling thinking of these but I already KNOW I can eat the whole box of cheese-its and that means I can’t wait until I try my very favorite xsharp, private stock, cabots cheese in this tasty goodness.
I just made these, and they are perfect. Absolutely the best possible combination of crispy, flakey and cheesy. Thanks!
I love these i double the recipe add two kind’s of cheeses and use cookie cutters to make themed ccrackers they are awesome
I made these today and were a real hit, used Tilamook Extra Sharp and added in about 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese!! Wonderful. I am going to add some cracked black pepper and possibly some rosemary to the next batch. Thanks for sharing.
IF you have a pasta roller and a couple of pasta cutters (flat and fluted), you can make these fancy and uniform – Also, add some baking soda to “fluff” the crackers. Warning – when using a Pasta Roller, you will discover the “hot spots” in your oven (turn the crackers around twice).
What if I don’t have a paddle attachment? Will regular beaters do something weird to it? Can I mix it by hand with a wooden spoon?
These sound amazing! Maybe I’ll try a half batch with regular beaters to see what happens!
Mrs. Worcester, it’s a very stiff dough (like a pie crust, but a bit tougher) so you need some horsepower to really work the cheese in – unless you’re Madonna, I don’t think a wooden spoon would cut it. If you have a food processor, you can bring the dough together using the blade attachment: pulse all ingredients except the water together, then add the water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream with the food processor running until the dough forms.
How long will stay good in a container in the pantry?
Bethany, the homemade Cheez-Its will keep for at least a week in an airtight container at room temperature. Beyond that, I can’t tell you because we’ve never had leftovers for very long!
When reading the comments I see that some of you are not aware that Cheez-its ARE made with real cheese; thousands and thousands of pounds, most of it made in a small rural town in Ohio. Cows in Ohio are busy providing milk for your Cheez-its cheesiness.
Whether or not store bought Cheez-Its contain real cheese isn’t the issue for me. I love making good stuff myself. Perhaps there’s a self-sufficiency motivation at work here, but I enjoy knowing that I can make my favorite things myself in the event that [God forbid] Cheez-Its become a thing of the past :)
Nate, you hit the nail on the head! There’s something so satisfying about making things by hand – whether it’s Cheez-Its, a batch of ice cream, or bacon.
Hi. this looks awsome. Can you freeze the dough till needed?
Jeanne, you could freeze the dough (it’s similar to pie dough) as long as it’s well-wrapped. Thaw in the refrigerator for about a day before rolling out.
Hi Casey, biscuits look great, can’t wait to make them. I’m in Australia and we use grams in baking… the amount of cheese you suggest, is that 18oz or 1 and an 8th oz.? Then my conversion will be more accurate.
Hi Fiona, thanks for checking in from Australia! The amount of cheese is one 8-oz. block of Cheddar (which is also a half-pound of Cheddar by weight). Hope that helps with your conversions!
Wondering if it would be possible to use coconut oil rather than butter? It tends to be a bit greasier in recipes so also wondering if you had a suggestion for the substitution?
These look amazing!!
Hi Sarah, I’ve never used coconut oil in place of butter in this recipe. You’re more than welcome to try it, but I can’t vouch for its success!
Is there a way to make these Gluten Free? Cheezits are a guilty pleasure that I’d love to be able to have again…
Nina, you can always use your favorite gluten-free flour blend (like Cup4Cup) in place of regular all-purpose flour.
Just what I wanted–nice and simple. Too much salt though. Cheese is already salt
fiona
8oz is 225g
Would it hurt the recipe to leave out the salt?
Why the hole in the middle of the cracker? Can’t I just be lazy and skip the hole? Or does it serve a specific purpose?
Holly, believe it or not, the holes in crackers (not just Cheez-Its, but Ritz and Town House and Club, etc.) do have a specific purpose! They are called “docking holes” and help vent the moisture and steam that builds up in the cracker as it bakes, thus preventing air pockets from forming. You can skip them, but you’ll have taller and puffier crackers as a result.
I’m an avid make-from-scratch cook but crackers never seemed to be on my radar as something I could make myself. I can’t believe how easy it is and I don’t know why I never knew about it before! This wonderful easy recipe was such a huge hit with my 5 boys that they ate most of them for their after school snack. They will definitely be made again and again.
Has anyone substituted coconut flour or almond flour for the regular flour before? Successful/fail??