These homemade Cheez-Its are made with almond flour in place of wheat flour, with extra sharp cheddar, mozzarella, and a little cream cheese melted into the dough. I knead the melted cheese into the almond flour and egg by hand, roll the dough thin between two sheets of parchment paper, cut it into squares, and bake them at 400°F for 7 minutes, then flip them and bake 3 to 5 minutes more. They come out crunchy, salty, and sharp with cheddar, a lot like the boxed crackers. One batch makes about 40 crackers, and they keep at room temperature for up to 5 days.
For two more homemade crackers, try my Almond Flour Crackers and Seed Crackers.
The extra sharp cheddar is what gives these the tangy bite of the boxed crackers, and the mozzarella and cream cheese melt into a soft dough that rolls out thin.
These are surprisingly easy to make.
Once you’ve made them a time or two, the prep becomes second nature. I can put everything together, roll out the dough, and get the crackers in the oven in about 10 minutes.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Can be made in as little as 20 minutes.
- No yeast or rest time required.
- Can be made nut-free (by using ground sunflower seed meal instead of almond flour).
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make gluten-free Cheez-Its
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Whisk Ingredients: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour and salt. Add an egg and whisk until well combined.
- Melt Cheese Then Mix With Other Ingredients: In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave cheddar, mozzarella, and cream cheese until melted, about 1 minute. Add melted cheeses to dry ingredients and, using hands, knead together until fully incorporated.
Recipe Tip: If the dough becomes too difficult to work with, return all ingredients to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- Roll Out Dough: Spray two pieces of parchment paper with cooking spray. Lay one piece down, spray side up, placing the dough in the center. Lay the other piece down, spray side down so it touches the dough, and lightly press down. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it is an even layer. The dough should be quite thin, about 1/8 inch thick. Remove and discard the top piece of parchment paper. Carefully slide a baking sheet beneath the parchment paper with the dough on top.
Recipe Tip: Ensure you roll the dough into a thin layer to achieve a crispier texture. Thicker crackers may result in a softer center.
- Slice Crackers and Sprinkle Salt: Using a pizza cutter, gently slice crackers into the desired size. Sprinkle coarse salt on the top of the dough. Optionally, use a fork to crimp all of the edges of the crackers and poke a hole with a skewer in the middle of each to resemble a traditional Cheez-It.
- Bake Crackers: Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the crackers for 7 minutes.
- Flip Crackers Over and Bake Again: Remove crackers from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Using a spatula, flip all crackers over (it may be necessary to re-cut some of the crackers with a pizza cutter as they may have melted together while baking). Return crackers to oven and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until golden and crisp.
Recipe Tip: Watch the crackers closely during the final few minutes of baking to prevent them from burning. The cooking time may vary depending on your oven and the thickness of the crackers.
- Break Crackers Apart: Remove the baking sheet from the oven, allow the crackers to cool completely, then serve.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Almond Flour: If you have a nut allergy or prefer a different flour alternative, use ground sunflower seed at a 1:1 ratio.
- Cheddar Cheese and Mozzarella Cheese: You can experiment with other types of cheeses such as white cheddar, Colby Jack, or pepper jack to customize the taste.
- Nonstick Cooking Oil: Use a basting brush and brush cooking oil, like avocado oil, all over the parchment paper.
✨ Variations
- Add some heat with a pinch of ground cayenne pepper and/or chili powder to the dough.
- Mix in dried herbs like onion powder, garlic powder, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and/or oregano to the dough.
- Add extra cheesy flavor and a boost of protein by sprinkling in some nutritional yeast.
- Prepare a mixture of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried onion flakes, dried garlic flakes, and coarse salt to yield about 1 Tablespoon, and then sprinkle that on top of the dough. Alternatively, you can buy or make Everything Bagel Seasoning.
〰️ How to serve
- Charcuterie Board – Serve alongside an assortment of your favorite cheeses, cured meats, olives, and pickles.
- Toppings – Crumble the Cheez-Its over soup, like slow cooker taco soup, cauliflower cheddar cheese bacon soup, chicken pastina soup, chicken bean soup, or vegan white bean chili.
- Salads – In place of croutons, crumble them over or serve them alongside bacon cheeseburger salad, healthy cobb salad, or cranberry chicken pecan salad for an extra crunch and cheesy flavor.
💬 FAQs
Can I use pre-shredded cheeses?
Yes, that’s fine. Store-bought pre-shredded cheese or freshly shredded cheese will work.
Can I make the dough in advance to bake these gluten-free Cheez-Its later?
Yes, after you’ve made the dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and, to ensure freshness, put the wrapped dough in a storage baggie. Transfer the dough to the refrigerator or freezer. If refrigerated, make the crackers from the pre-made dough within 2-3 days. If frozen, make them within 3 months after thawing the dough overnight in the refrigerator.
How should I store these gluten-free Cheez-Its?
Once the crackers have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Can I freeze gluten-free Cheez-Its?
Yes, these can be frozen for longer storage. Place them in an airtight container or storage baggie, and they should stay fresh for up to 3 months. Thaw them at room temperature before serving.
📚 More snack recipes
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🍴 Make This Next
- Beer Cheese Dip – Warm cheese dip for those crackers.
- Bacon-Wrapped Pickle Bites – Crispy bacon wrapped around a salty pickle.
- Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie – Warm cookie straight from the skillet.
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Gluten-Free Cheez-Its
Ingredients
- ½ cup almond flour, 56 grams
- ¾ cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, 84 grams
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 84 grams
- 1 ounce cream cheese
- 1 egg, beaten
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Coarse salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Whisk Ingredients: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together almond flour and salt. Add egg and whisk until well combined.
- Melt Cheese Then Mix With Other Ingredients: In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave cheddar, mozzarella, and cream cheese until melted, about 1 minute. Add melted cheeses to dry ingredients and, using hands, knead together until fully incorporated. (If the dough becomes too difficult to work with, return all ingredients to microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 10-15 seconds.)
- Roll Out Dough: Spray two pieces of parchment paper with cooking spray. Lay one piece down, spray side up, placing dough in the center. Lay the other piece down, spray side down so it touches the dough, and lightly press down. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough until it is an even layer. The dough should be quite thin, about 1/8 inch thick. Remove and discard the top piece of parchment paper. Carefully slide a baking sheet beneath the parchment paper with the dough on top.
- Slice Crackers and Sprinkle Salt: Using a pizza cutter, gently slice crackers into the desired size. Sprinkle coarse salt over the top of the dough. Optionally, use a fork to crimp all of the edges of the crackers and poke a hole with a skewer in the middle of each to resemble a traditional Cheez-It.
- Bake Crackers: Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake crackers for 7 minutes.
- Flip Crackers Over and Bake Again: Remove crackers from oven and allow to cool slightly. Using a spatula, flip all crackers over (it may be necessary to re-cut some of the crackers with a pizza cutter as they may have melted together while baking). Return crackers to oven and bake for another 3 to 5 minutes, until golden and crisp.
- Break Crackers Apart: Remove baking sheet from oven, allow the crackers to cool completely, then serve.
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