Mix up this easy-to-work with cracker dough, then let the kids help to roll and cut your way to the yummiest homemade cheese crackers recipe! These crackers have whole grains and a delightfully crisp texture…so good!
Homemade Cheese Crackers Recipe
While I don’t always bake with my kids and I don’t always make homemade versions of foods we can buy at the store, there are times when I do both—and these crackers are one of our favorites! The dough is easy to make and for the kids to work with and my girls love to do the work of rolling it out and cutting shapes…and then eat the batch for snack time!
Easy Cheese Crackers
The method for making this dough uses the food processor, which turns the ingredients into a smooth dough that’s pliable and easy to work with. It’s also not too sticky, so it’s a good one for kids. There are no fancy ingredients or methods here, so you might even be able to make these with ingredients you already have in the house.
Ingredients in this Cheese Crackers Recipe
To make this recipe, you’ll need:
- Shredded cheese (like cheddar)
- Rolled oats
- Whole wheat flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
- Milk
- Butter
- Salt
- Dried rosemary, optional
TIP: The rosemary adds a nice flavor, but you can leave it out if you prefer.
How to Make Cheese Crackers Step-by-Step
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this toddler snack. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information.
- Add all ingredients to the food processor and blend until it sticks together.
- Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper coated with a little flour to prevent it from sticking.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out crackers.
- Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake!
TIP: Re-roll the dough and repeat the process to finish all of the dough.
Homemade Whole Wheat Crackers
The whole grains from the flour and oats add complex carbohydrates and fiber to the snack. Paired with the protein from the cheese, these are a nicely balanced food all on their own. We like to make them mid-morning or after afternoon nap time to enjoy as a snack when they’re fresh out of the oven.
How to Keep Homemade Crackers Crisp
These crackers are best eaten soon after they come out of the oven—they small so good I don’t know how you’d resist!—but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a day or two. They start to soften as they sit, so if you ‘re worried about eating the whole batch, make half and store the rest of the dough in a zip top bag in the fridge or freezer, and when ready to make more, bring the dough to room temp and bake!
Tips for Making the Best Cheese Crackers Recipe
- To make these gluten-free, use gluten-free flour blend and certified gluten-free rolled oats.
- Use the rosemary to add a little extra flavor, or omit it if you prefer.
- If your dough is sticky at any point, place it into the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
- If your dough seems to not come together when it’s in the food processor, add a few additional drops of milk.
- Set the timer for the lower end of the baking range to start, then add another minute until the edges are lightly golden brown. The edges can get very brown really fast at the end.
- These crackers are best eaten on the day they’re made, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two.
- To make a smaller batch, place half of the dough into a freezer storage bag, seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, roll out, cut out shapes, and bake whenever the urge strikes!
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe, so please chime in below to share!
PrintHomemade Cheese Crackers
Prep Time: 15
Cook Time: 18
Total Time: 33 minutes
Yield: About 2 dozen crackers (Makes 6-8 servings) 1x
Category: Snack
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Description
Try to get them about 1/4-inch thick so they bake uniformly. If your milk, cheese, and butter are cold the dough should be easy to roll out between parchment paper. (If the dough seems too sticky, stick it into the fridge for 5-10 minutes.)
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed (optional)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons cold butter, diced
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to grind, then blend for 15-20 seconds until dough comes together.
- Form the dough into a disc. Dust a piece of parchment with flour, place the dough on top, and another piece of parchment to cover. Roll out until 1/4-inch thick. Cut with small cookie cutters and place on the prepared baking sheet. Re-roll and cut remaining dough until completed.
- Bake 14-16 minutes or until crackers are golden. Cool for a few minutes on a wire rack before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days at room temperature.
Notes
To make these gluten-free, use gluten-free flour blend and certified gluten-free rolled oats.
To make these without a food processor, grind the oats in a blender (or use instant oats). Add to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, dicing the butter very small. Use your hands to squish the butter into the rest of the ingredients (like you would if you were making pie crust) to bring the dough together. You may need a smidge more milk.
Use the rosemary to add a little extra flavor, or omit it if you prefer.
If your dough is sticky at any point, place it into the fridge for a few minutes to firm up.
If your dough seems to not come together when it’s in the food processor, add a few additional drops of milk.
Set the timer for the lower end of the baking range to start, then add another minute until the edges are lightly golden brown. The edges can get very brown really fast at the end.
These crackers are best eaten on the day they’re made, but you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for a day or two.
To make a smaller batch, place half of the dough into a freezer storage bag, seal and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, roll out, cut out shapes, and bake whenever the urge strikes!
Not sure if I missed it, but wondering what age these are suitable for?
They should be fine from about 14 months and up
I used Gluten Free flour and the texture was perfect. I didn’t find Cheddar so I used Gruyere but I think it required a bit of salt… and I don’t have a mixer but Amy suggested that I shred the butter and voila … it worked!
★★★★
Very tasty! My toddler had fun helping to make these. The recipe was really simple, i mixed everything by hand and it came together into a nice dough, i added a little more milk and used regular flour bcus thats all i had. The first half of the batch seemed like it needed a little salt, so i added a little to half of the remaining dough. I would do these again!
★★★★★
These were so easy to make, and they turned out delicious!! I used a Mexican cheese blend, since it’s what i had on hand. My almost 2 yo girls are still on the fence about them, but I LOVED them!
★★★★★
What is the texture like? safe for 1 year olds? Thank you!
They are a little bit crispy on the outside, but fairly soft so they are fine for a 1 year old. They are much softer than a store bought cheese cracker—more like the consistency of a Ritz cracker.
Is it possible to use a different cheese than Cheddar. I usually dont store different variety of cheeses. Would Parmesan work in place of Cheddar
I think that amount of Parmesan would be too strong in flavor and I’m not sure if it would work the same in the batter. Cheeses with similar consistencies to cheddar would work like Monterey Jack, Colby, gruyere…
How much butter do I add? The method says to add butter but it’s not in the ingredient list (that I can see!).
It’s 2 tablespoons and is in there now! (I just added a printable option and that ingredient got left off, sorry!)
Would it be possible to just cut these into squares if I don’t have a cookie cutter?
Absolutely! Just slice them when the dough is rolled out and transfer them carefully to the baking sheet.
Great! Thank you for letting me know! I will be making these today!
Looks really great and I’m pretty confident my picky eater will love this.
Would substituting the whole wheat flour to regular white flour require any additional changes? (I only know that whole normally requires more liquids than regular but not sure how it plays here).
Thanks!
These are some sophisticated Goldfish. My daughter really enjoyed them–as did I.