Homemade Cheddar Cheese Crackers
Crunchy, bite-size squares of sharp cheddar and almond flour with a little paprika for color. They’re the orange snack-box cracker, made at home with a fraction of the carbs.
Nutrition per serving
about 16 crackers- Net carbs
- 2.4g
- Calories
- 206kcal
- Protein
- 8.9g
- Fat
- 18g
- Total carbs
- 4.3 g
- Fiber
- 1.9 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Nut-free (sunflower seed flour): Sunflower seed flour replaces the almond flour, so the crackers can go to nut-free schools and offices. They taste a little earthier and toastier.
- Use the sunflower seed flour exactly like the almond flour. It can turn faintly green when it meets alkaline ingredients such as egg white; that’s harmless, and ½ teaspoon of lemon juice mixed in with the egg white helps prevent it.
Parmesan & garlic: Nutty Parmesan, garlic and Italian herbs in place of the cheddar make a paler, savory cracker for soups and antipasto platters.
- Parmesan is drier than cheddar, so if the dough won’t come together, add cold water a teaspoon at a time. It also browns faster: start checking at 12 minutes.
Everything bagel: A generous coating of everything bagel seasoning pressed into the dough gives the crackers a crunchy, garlicky, seedy top.
- After rolling, peel off the top parchment, scatter the seasoning evenly over the dough, cover again and roll once more to press it in. Skip the flaky salt, since most blends are already salty.
- Nice to have (optional)
- Nice to have (optional)
-
½ tsp sweet paprikaleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $4.06 for 6 servings ($0.68 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Cut four sheets of parchment to the size of your baking sheets.
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Pulse the almond flour, salt and paprika in a food processor to combine. Add the cheddar and butter and pulse until the mixture looks like damp sand, then add the egg white and process 20–30 seconds, until the dough gathers into a ball.
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Divide the dough in half. Roll each half between two sheets of parchment into a thin rectangle about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, roughly 10 × 8 inches (25 × 20 cm). Peel off the top sheet and slide the bottom sheet, dough and all, onto a baking sheet.
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Cut the dough into 1-inch (2.5 cm) squares with a pizza cutter or sharp knife; there’s no need to separate them. Poke a hole in the center of each with a skewer and sprinkle lightly with flaky salt, if using.
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Bake 15–20 minutes, swapping and rotating the pans halfway, until golden brown at the edges and lightly golden in the middle. The edge crackers brown first, so lift them off and return the rest for 2–3 minutes if the center still looks pale.
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Turn off the oven, prop the door open a crack and leave the crackers inside for 10 minutes to dry out. Cool completely on the pans (they crisp as they cool), then snap them apart along the cut lines.
Tips for success
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Thickness decides the texture. Rolled to ⅛ inch (3 mm) they snap like boxed crackers; any thicker and they stay tender in the middle. - Shred the cheese from a block. Pre-shredded cheddar is tossed with starch and makes a drier, crumblier dough.
- If they soften after a few days, re-crisp them on a sheet pan at 300°F (150°C) for 5 minutes. Serve with pimento cheese, French onion dip or a bowl of soup.
Nice to have, not needed
- A food processor brings the dough together fastest — you can also mix it by hand with a fork, then knead briefly.
- A fluted pastry wheel gives the crackers crinkled edges; a pizza cutter or knife works fine.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 7 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Eat at room temperature; re-crisp 5 minutes at 300°F (150°C) if they soften.
Prep tip: Portion them into small bags or jars of about 16 crackers as soon as they cool, so a serving is easy to grab.
Store airtight at room temperature up to 5 days or in the fridge up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months. Re-crisp in a low oven if they soften.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosNut-free (sunflower seed flour)
DietSunflower seed flour replaces the almond flour, so the crackers can go to nut-free schools and offices. They taste a little earthier and toastier.
- blanched almond flour → sunflower seed flour
2.1 g net · 203 kcal · 8.9 g protein · 18 g fat · ≈$0.72 per serving (−0.3 g net carbs vs the original)
Parmesan & garlic
FlavorNutty Parmesan, garlic and Italian herbs in place of the cheddar make a paler, savory cracker for soups and antipasto platters.
- extra-sharp cheddar → finely grated Parmesan
- + ½ tsp garlic powder
- + 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- no sweet paprika
2.3 g net · 183 kcal · 9.4 g protein · 15 g fat · ≈$0.92 per serving (−0.1 g net carbs vs the original)
Everything bagel
FlavorA generous coating of everything bagel seasoning pressed into the dough gives the crackers a crunchy, garlicky, seedy top.
- + 2 tbsp everything bagel seasoning
3.1 g net · 219 kcal · 9.4 g protein · 19 g fat · ≈$0.86 per serving (+0.7 g net carbs vs the original)
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