Homemade Cheese Crackers
Are a Healthy Indulgence

Homemade cheese crackers are the most tender, rich, buttery, cheesy homemade crackers you have ever eaten. My mom tried some of these and said they tasted like tiny grilled cheese sandwiches. Make them with freshly ground flour and healthy coconut oil, and you can devour these crackers without guilt.

Homemade Cheese Crackers can give you a rich taste for less.

I found this recipe a few years ago in a gluten free cookbook, whose name I have unfortunately since lost.

I made it a couple times, and then quit because the original recipe called for so much margarine that it seemed a bit unhealthy.

Then recently I discovered the joys of cooking with coconut oil. This wonderful oil does amazing things for our bodies, including actually lowering cholesterol levels, and strengthening our immunity and digestive systems.

Athletes and body builders prefer coconut oil because it has fewer calories and is converted into energy much more quickly and doesn’t linger in the arteries. It also boosts energy. Who wouldn’t want more of this wonderful oil in their diets?

So with that in mind, I have dusted off this fabulous homemade cheese crackers recipe and am making it again. This recipe calls for a combination of both coconut oil and real butter. I am a firm believer in using real butter in my cooking.

All of our problems with heart disease didn’t start until we got away from butter and started eating margarine instead. Butter is much easier to digest than margarine, and I like its flavor, but if the thought of adding pure butter to your crackers has you alarmed, use only the coconut oil and omit the butter.

Homemade Cheese Crackers Ingredients

  • one fourth cup coconut oil and one fourth cup butter OR
  • one half cup coconut oil
  • two cups grated cheese
  • one cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • small amount of water

How to Make Them

Cream together the coconut oil, butter (if you’re using it) and the cheese.

Then add the flour and salt and mix well. Add just enough water for the dough to stick together.

Form the dough into a long roll and wrap it in wax or parchment paper. Then chill the dough for at least an hour.  You can also freeze the dough for later use.

To Bake

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the dough into slices an eighth of an inch thick and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the crackers are very slightly browned.

This recipe makes about four dozen cheese crackers.

Or Try These Tangy Cheese Crackers

Crackers & Dips Cookbook

I found this delicious recipe from the book Crackers & Dips: More than 50 Handmade Snacks by Ivy Manning. The next time you’re craving those small square cheese crackers that are loaded with sodium, make a batch of these homemade crackers instead. 

This recipe calls for annatto paste. It’s made from achiote seeds and can be found at Latino grocery stores or online here.

These crackers do call for shortening, but it still beats the sodium- and chemical-laden version you find at the store.

This recipe makes about 120 crackers. 

The ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon annatto, crumbled
  • 7 tablespoons water, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder or crumbled bouillon cubes
  • 1 cup finely grated loosely packed sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup chilled vegetable shortening

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a glass measuring cup, mix together the annatto and water. Mix well. Add the yeast and mix well. The annatto will turn the water a crimson color.

Put the flour, salt, baking soda, and bouillon into either a food processor or a large bowl and whisk together. Cut in the cheese and shortening with either a fork or pastry blender until the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. Gradually add the water until the dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Divide the dough into two balls. Then roll the balls out on a lightly floured surface into a rough rectangle. Place the rectangles onto two or more baking pans and bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Transfer the crackers onto a rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Want Something Different?
Try These Homemade Onion Crackers

I got this recipe from the book Crackers, Dips and Other Snacks by Nicole Moran. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup flaxseed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/4 onion, grated
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place your baking sheet in the oven so it can heat along with the oven. Using a mixer, combine the flour, baking powder, and flaxseed. Cut in the butter. Add the salt, onion and parsley. Then gradually add the milk as you continue mixing. Once the dough is well blended, roll it out until it is paper thin. Using a knife or pastry wheel, cut the dough into squares. Place the squares in a preheated baking pan. Whisk the egg and brush it onto the crackers using a pastry brush. Add more seasoning if desired. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping the crackers halfway through the baking.

Learn More Healthy Recipes

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About the Author

My name is Sue Merriam, and I began the journey of self-reliant living more than three decades ago, which enabled me to stay home with my children. Fifteen years ago, I founded Joyful Homesteading to help others save money and face the future without fear. My goal is to give you practical, honest advice so you can save money and experience the joy of simple living. I hope you join me.

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