Homemade Cheez-Its
Like most processed, packaged snacks, I didn’t really get into Cheez-Its until high school. Waaaaaay past the days of grade school sleepovers with Ritz crackers and spray cheese. Seriously, why did cheese from a can taste so good?! As far as snacks go, Cheez-Its were pretty darn good – they were crunchy, a little salty, and totally cheesy. That’s pretty much all I’ve ever needed to be sold on a snack.
Even though I’ve been making homemade version of packaged snacks for awhile now (Klondike bars, Twinkies, Hostess Cupcakes, Nutella, peanut butter cups), I never fail to be amazed at how relatively easy each one is to recreate at home. These replica Cheez-Its were no exception; it takes only 5 minutes to make the dough, then it’s just rolling out and cutting!
Can you believe that these only have five ingredients?! Just cheddar cheese, butter, flour, salt and water. That’s it!
Do you know the incredible thing that happens when a simple list of ingredients is used? You can taste each and every one of them, in all of their glory! These crackers might be the best thing to happen to my kitchen since… well, those peanut butter cup cookies I made yesterday… both were total winners!
These crackers taste unbelievably cheesy and buttery. When I took the pans out of the oven, my Chief Culinary Consultant and I hovered over them, popping cracker after cracker into our mouths until we had to slowly back away from the counter. Needless to say, these lasted a mere day in our house. If I would have had more time before we left, I would have made a double batch for car snacks on our way to the beach. They would have been perfect!
The directions state to bake these for 15 to 17 minutes. The first pan I baked the lower amount, and found them to be closest to the color of the original Cheez-Its, albeit not quite as crunchy. The second batch I left in for an additional few minutes, and while they were a bit browner than what you’d normally see, they tasted pretty much exactly like them (minus the chemicals, of course!) and were super crunchy. That second batch was our preference, but feel free to play around and see what texture you prefer.
I think it’s safe to say you should just go ahead and make a double batch of these replica Cheez-Its before you get seriously upset with someone for eating the last one!
One year ago: Buttermilk Fried Chicken
Two years ago: Colossal Reese’s Pieces Chocolate Chip Cookies
Three years ago: Gazpacho
Four years ago: Baby Shower Cookies
Seven years ago: Dark Chocolate Chip Scones
Homemade Cheez-Its
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the cheese, butter, and salt on low speed until combined. Add the flour and mix on low until pebbly. Slowly add 2 tablespoons of the water and mix as the dough forms a ball. If needed, add the additional tablespoon of water a little at a time until the dough forms. Pat the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each into a very thin 10x12-inch rectangle (the dough should be no more than ⅛-inch high). Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut the rectangles into 1-inch squares, then transfer them to the baking sheets.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until puffed and browning at the edges. Immediately move the crackers to wire racks to cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
These are fantastic and so easy to make! Make sure to not over cook them and they taste better the next day.
Wow, great! Chees-Its are one of my favorite snack and comfort foods, but they are absolutely not available in Asia. I’ve been craving something like this for a while. Thank you so much!
Yes, I made these at Thanksgiving and they were a huge hit – just the two of us for dinner but I made gift bundles for contactless delivery to friends.
I used extra sharp cheese which seemed a little too salty, so next time I’ll use medium cheddar.
Very good and easy! My kids loved them!
Have you ever heard of anyone using gluten free 1 to 1 flour? I’m going gluten free and trying to put my whole household on the same.
Hi Denise, Yes I have heard of many folks using that! I’ve never used it myself but have heard great things about the substitute.
I tried this recipe but used sharp VT white cheddar. The
Flavor was very good. I do think it might make more sense
To roll out dough and then refrigerate otherwise the texture
of finished cracker is more like pizza crust. Very good flavor and love that there are only a few ingredients!
Thank you so much for this recipe! My family is social distancing right now due to Covid-19, and my kids were really wanting Cheez-Its. There is no way I’m daring brave my grocery store right now, so I searched for a make at home recipe. They ate them all! We’re going to have to make more :)
I can not wait to see how this compares to the box of Cheese-It’s I buy !!! Having this recipe is VERY EXCITING !!! Thank you !
Can these be air fried instead of cooking in the oven?
You forgot in the instructions to poke a hole in each square so they will bake properly. . I’ve been making this for a while now because I love Cheez-Its. I like spice too so I add cayenne pepper to the dough and dust the squares with rough salt before baking.
Thank you for the tip!
Omg. Whoever said making homemade cheezits was a waste of time..never had a homemade cheezit. These are so good.
Has anyone used mild cheddar?
This is probably too late, but I did. They were great!
My goal for 2020 is to make everything I can from scratch to eliminate as many preservatives and chemicals as possible from our food. So I’m trying recipes out and just made these. The smell coming from the oven is absolutely wonderful and they are sooooo delicious. Way better than store bought. Yummy! Thank you for the recipe!
HI. I would love to try this recipe but don’t have a fluted wheel. Would a regular pizza cutter be okay to use?
Yes absolutely!
Do these freeze well? I’ve made the recipe a few times and love it, but wondering if wools be good to make in bulk ask oulk out as needed.
Extra dough can be wrapped in a plastic bag and stuck in the freezer, for whenever you get a hankering for a snack. Just thaw a while and cut.
Didnt turn out at all disappointed
I tried these. They were crispy but too salty. Easy to make recipe but definitely half the salt.
I dust the squares with salt instead of putting salt in the dough.
Made these several times and the family enjoys them. Once and awhile, I substitute bacon grease for the butter and omit the kosher salt. Family thinks it’s a treat when I do.
I made these for my husband because he loves cheez-its. He loved them. He was so happy I had made them. I loved them too. They were one of the easiest recipes I’ve made in a while. Theytasted really good though I could still taste chemicals. That’s probably because literally everything in the universe is made of chemicals. 🙂 Great recipe though! 👍
That looks delish
Hey there! I just pulled a batch of these out of the oven. I originally made a double batch of the dough, and I was wondering how long the dough can be kept in the fridge? Can it be frozen? Thanks! :)
Hi Lydia, You can keep the dough in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months!
I do not have a stand along mixer would a hand held one work??? Please let me know.
Hi Eunice, Yes, handheld mixer would work just fine!
Do you dust woth flour before you roll these out? How about forking little holes in them? I’ll be making these soon!
Hi Debbie, I didn’t need to, but you can use a small amount if necessary (both for rolling and poking holes).
Great recipe Simple and easy to make! Way better than store bought!!and I can pronounce everything that is in them and there isn’t any fillers or preservatives. My co-workers loved them too!! Thank you for such a great recipe from one brown eyed baker to another!!
I made these a couple days and they were SO GOOD! I haven’t stopped obsessing over them since. I ended up needing quite a bit more water than the amount called for but once I got it figured out they turned out beautifully. Thank you!
The first thing that caught my eye about this recipe was that it is not deep-fried. I had always considered Cheese Its to be a deep fried treat. As much as I loved them, I avoided buying them or eating at parties. Do you have a nutritional break down on this yummy treat? It would help since I must watch carbs and salt. That said, the rest of t he gang will eat most of them anyway, thereby taking temptation out of my way. Aargh! I can do this. Not to worry!
Hi Coreen, I don’t have a nutritional breakdown, but I know there are some free sites that allow you to plugin ingredients and quantities to get that info. I believe MyFitnessPal is one of them (they also have an app). Hope that helps!
they turned out great my lil sis loved the she kept begging for them this recipe was so very very great
These are a little more expensive than buying cheesits but so much better – thank you!
This recipe is really good they only thing that I though might have helped me when I was baking was, spraying the wax paper. Other than that this recipe was really good!
I see the look alike Cheez-it type hole in the center of your crackers, but no mention of doing it. Do you poke a hole in each prior to baking? Thanks.
Hi Sammy, Yes, I used a toothpick!
I only make foods with real ingredients. Would it be possible to substitute the all purpose flour for King Arthurs whole wheat white flour?
Hi Michele, Yes, that substitute should work fine (although I’m sure you’re aware the flavor will be slightly altered).
Do you use packaged shredded cheese or do you shred it? Thanx
Hi Alexis, I shred my own. I only buy the packaged shredded cheese for things like topping tacos or chili.
Made this, added a little extra cheese. It came out kind of puffy, more like bread than crackers….but it got eaten right up by everyone.
these were the best cheese snacks ever .
the only problem with them is that they are sooo good you can’t stop eating them!!!!!
Really good snap shots! It looks like a treat for the weekend!Oh boy, these are going to be dangerous for me. Can’t wait to make them!
Thank you for posting this recipe…these are so quick and easy to make and I have been experimenting with different cheeses (like pepper jack). My only problem is I can’t get them to stay crispy even though I store them in an air-tight container. Any idea what I’m doing wrong?
Hi Reva, The thinner you roll them, the crispier they will be… make sure they’re not too thick. And make sure you cool them completely on wire racks.
Would it be ok to use White Whole Wheat Flour instead of All Purpose Flour? Just wondering because I only have a little All Purpose Flour, but I have some White Whole Wheat flour!
Hi Mariana, I haven’t tried substituting white whole wheat, I probably wouldn’t do a 100% replacement, but more like 25% or 50% at the most.
Thanks!!! I made them and they turned out great! (I ended up getting more all-purpose flour!) :)
These are deadly little darlings. The advice about just caving in to a double batch is good. I took them to an end-of-summer cookout and they were gone almost instantly. I was then chastised for not bringing more. Excellent recipe.
My 1959 KitchenAide mixer does not have a paddle attachment… Any suggestions?
Hi Susan, You can just use your regular beaters.
I remember seeing an article on weird stuff in processed foods, and powdered duck feathers are the ‘anti-caking agent’ in bagged shredded cheeses, Yummy! Shred the real stuff instead.
I have made these twice now and for some odd reason I can’t get them crunchy they come out of the oven soft.
I solved the lack of crunchiness by putting any that were too soft on a glass pie plate after baking and zapping them at 10 sec. intervals in the microwave until they were crisp. I turned some over between zaps.
I used a round melon baller for some, and poked a blunt toothpick through the hole to remove from that gadget, which served 2 purposes–dock the cracker and push it from the melon-baller. I liked the pizza-type ruffly cutter for others. If any holes start to close up before baking, twirl a toothpick in the center. I broke the toothpick in half and used the wider center to poke the holes. When they are crisp, they taste very much like Cheez-its.
Clarification: I obviously use the melon-baller just to press out a flat, round cracker shape after I rolled the dough. If you have something like a pill bottle, that would work, too, as a cutter. I set a sponge under the parchment paper when I press out the round dough circle because it’s easier when the surface has some “give.”
I made these as well as the cheesy bacon-wrapped dates for an Oscar part on Sunday. They were very addictive! I absolutely agree that the longer bake time is better. The super crunchy texture and taste is just better that way. I can’t wait to try it with other types of cheese! Next time I want to use a combination with maybe pepper jack or colby? We shall see!
can we let it refrigerate over night?
Hi Kristen, Yes, you could!
These are really good, will make again!
So easy and simple to make!!
Made these today with a smoky chipotle cheddar. Took them to a Cards Against Humanity party and they were a smash hit! Thank you, thank you :-)
Is it essential to refrigerate for the 1hour or can you get away with skipping that step if times short?
Hi Ally, I would not skip the refrigeration – the dough will likely be too soft to roll out and work with and the crackers may spread a bit during baking if not chilled.
Is it really that easy? This could be dangerous.
These are awesome! All four of my kids immediately requested them in their lunchboxes! Definitely better when cooked longer, browning on the edges and bottoms, I will make these again and again!
I’ve had this recipe on my list of treats to make for a while, and I finally got around to it the night before last. …kind of. Sunday afternoon, I mixed up the dough (all by hand – this worked fine for me), and then realized I didn’t have enough time to chill the dough and bake it before I had to head out for the evening. I’ll admit, at this point, I was a little skeptical. It pretty much looked like a pile of cheesy, orange playdoh. With nothing to lose, I wrapped the dough up in plastic wrap and tossed it in the fridge until Monday evening. I let it thaw on the counter for 20 minutes or so, rolled it to 1/6″ (according to my rolling pin guides), and put a sheet full of the cut out squares in the oven. When I checked on them a few minutes later, they were puffing up, and starting to really smell like Cheez-its! And after the full 15 minutes of baking, I was both amazed and excited to try them. They didn’t disappoint at all – they were absolutely delicious, and they actually looked like the pictures here. They didn’t taste exactly like Cheez-its, but they were still wonderfully cheesy and puffy crackers, and a huge hit at my house. Thanks for the recipe!
These are delish! They were a tad salty for my taste (even using the unsalted butter), and definitely saltier than what I’d want to share with my toddler, so I will reduce it the next time. One thing I did when I discovered they weren’t quite as crisp as I wanted was stick them back in the still-warm oven (after it had been turned off) and leave them to crisp up overnight. They were perfect in the morning. I love having a healthier cracker option for my little guy, and may try adding in some whole grain flour next time.
I stumbled across your site while looking for cheesy Mac and cheese recipes. That was three days ago and I made these crackers and your chocolate chip cookie cake. Both are A-mazing!!! Thx for a wonderful site to reference!!!! ;-)
Love the use of the ruler for making sure crackers are the same size. Techniques like these are used professionally and I love to see them in use for the home. Great recipe. I am starting to make these right now.
These are awesome! My fifth grader wants to take them for lunch tomorrow to show his friends!
These are delicious! My son found this recipe three days ago, and has made them twice. The instructions say they keep for a week, but we can’t seem to keep them for one day! :-)
These are amazing!!! I made them for my family over Thanksgiving, and now I’m not allowed in the door at any gathering unless I have these with me. I always use the sharpest cheese I can find. I also decrease the amount of salt in the crackers and sprinkle crunchy sea salt on them before baking. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Weird results…. I ended up with greasy fried cheese squares – nothing remotely resembling a CheezIt. Didn’t seem to be enough flour for one thing. While mixing flour into cheese/butter mix it didn’t bind and definitely didn’t form a “pebbly” texture as promised. Also had to add more water than called for to get it to form. There’s also no way you could separate the resulting dough into 2 balls that would each form 10X12 rectangles. The entire batch might…. If anyone manages to tweak this recipe to a successful result please post what you changed. I had such high hopes :(
Your “fried squares” experience sounds like the cheese was not incorporated well enough into the flour. I used a food processor to shred the cheese (much easier than a grater so, if possible, borrow one if you don’t have a processor. I put the shredded cheese into the freezer for about 1/2 hr. and then broke up the shreds a bit before adding to the butter so I wouldn’t have big blobs of melting, burning cheese in the crackers. Press the balls of dough with your hands as if you’re trying to make a firm snowball. Also, wrap the dough balls well in plastic wrap and give them AT LEAST the minimum time in the fridge before using. This lets the moisture permeate the dough so it won’t fall apart. Really lean on the rolling pin to get the dough thin!
I sprinkled mine with a little sea salt before baking and I loved it!
Thanks for the recipe
Just made these this week with mature English cheddar, tasted like a better version of the white cheddar Cheez-its! Thanks much for the recipe.
has any one done these with blue cheese or feta? what should I change to offset the sticky? love the blog and your comments on life. It’s like cooking with a friend (or a bunch of friends) Thank you in advance!
Just made these and I love them! They’re so good!
Do you think I could make these with bread flour? It is all I have at the moment.
Hi Tep, It would certainly change the consistency and they might be more tough, less flaky.
I came across your recipe & made a batch tonight – fantastic! Thank you for posting it. I had some smoked cheddar, which gave a wonderful flavor.
My pasta machine worked wonderfully for rolling the dough into thin, even sheets (my skills with a rolling pin are rather pathetic.) I only took the dough down to a 2, which was a little thick after they puffed up. A thinner setting of 3 or 4 might yield better results. I’m already looking forward to making them again. :-)
I tried these today (doubled the recipe) and they were horrible. Very dry and way too salty. Didn’t taste like cheese – more like salted baked flour cakes. What did I do wrong? My shredded cheese came from the freezer and I didn’t chill for a full hour. Could that make such a big difference? Also, the dough never formed a ball naturally, after mixing for awhile I hand rolled it into a ball.
Ooooh those look tasty. I have such a weakness for anything salty and cracker-ey. I just made the dough and now it is chilling. For anyone wondering, these were easily made with little effort without a mixer. I used a whisk for the butter and cheese part, and then used a wooden spoon for the flour and the water. The dough was a titch crumbly, but maybe that will go away with the chilling? Oh well, I’d probably eat the dough raw anyway. Thanks for the recipe and I can’t wait to fill an old peanut butter jar with them and take them everywhere I go! Take care :-)
I absolutely need to point out how perfect this is! The recipe in particular, yes. But the website as a whole, too! I have scanned through just about every recipe. ‘Cept the mains. I don’t fancy mains.
Quick question, can the all-purpose be replaced with almond flour? I’m not full in knowledge about the workings of almond flour, and have only ever seen it being used in desserts. But I do prefer the LCHF composition.
Thanks a bunch!
Hi Mary Anne, I haven’t done any baking with almond flour, but since this is a pretty simple recipe, I think it might work. You might need to increase or decrease the amount of water used to get the right consistency.
LOVE THESE!! I used a sharp, orange Craker Barrell cheese that I shredded myself. They puffed up quite a bit but when I tried to roll them thinner, they nearly burned. So, in the end, I yielded 4 cups of crackers. My 2 toddlers DEVOURED them!! If you look at the list of ingredients on Cheez It crackers you’d be amazed at all the *stuff* in them :( This is a great recipe. I think I may try adding some garlic and onion powder next time and see how those come out.
I’m trying these today – the dough tastes just like the crackers so I’m excited to get them baked (and eaten). MSG is the reason that the spray cheese tasted so good – it is addicting and dangerous to our bodies.
I can’t have gluten, do you think a gluten free flour would work for these??? I’ve been DYING for cheez-its!!!
Hi Shawna, I have never done any baking with gluten-free flours, so I couldn’t say for sure, but I think it would be okay.
I have made these twice with GF flour (using Pamela’s GF flour blend) and it worked out cup for cup. They were AMAZING!
Wow!!! I. Really love it…so tasty , yummy and de!vicious… So easy to prepare . I try it just right now wow!!!thanks a lot for sharing this tasty recipe…. I’m hoping for more more recipes to come,,,, More power to you and God Bless !!! Have a nice day ♥♥♥
Oh my goodness, those look so yummy. I just made my first batch of soda crackers earlier this week, and they were a huge hit, and I was thinking I should look for more cracker recipes to try when a friends shared this post on FB. I’m so glad she did. I can’t wait to try this one, and I can’t wait to check out some more of your posts.
Hi Michelle and all you cheese-lovers,
You may want to try this cheesy recipe.
MACADAMIA CHEDDAR BISCUITS
185 gm. coarsely grated mature cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. soft butter
70 gm. flour
60 ml. milk
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. paprika
70 gm. roughly chopped salted macadamia nuts
Beat cheese and butter together with a fork. Add flour, milk, paprika and salt, using the fork to mix til it forms a soft dough. Stir in the macadamia nuts. Place heaped teaspoonsful of the mixture on a non-stick baking sheet and flatten each slightly with a fork. (Works best if you roll the teaspoonfuls into balls with your hands first, then flatten.) Bake at 200 C. for 10-12 min. or until the biscuits are golden and crunchy on the sides. Cool on a wire rack. Makes about 24 biscuits. Rich and buttery-very nice as a nibbly with a glass of champagne.
i’m snacking on these now and they are quite tasty.
I am seriously so excited to make these for my sons!!!
YUMMY again! Throw in a little red pepper for some kick!
i want to try this for my little toddler! thanks for sharing =)
http://www.lesley-kim.com
Can you use salted butter?
Hi Missy, You can, you just may want to decrease the amount of added kosher salt then.
Oh my gosh – sooo good! I have made these twice in as many days – once with sharp cheddar and once with mozzarella. I cut the salt in half and they were still super yummy. My girls loved them and so did my co-workers!
I can’t wait to try these. I am seriously thinking of getting in the car to buy cheese (only ingredient I’m lacking) right now!
Cheese in a can? Never seen that in Australia!
I’m going to make these later this afternoon – judging by the ingredients, I think they’ll be a hit.
Hi! this recipe looks yummy!! but i have a question, do you think is possible to use coconut flour or almond flour instead of the all purpose flour?
thanks :)!
Hi Zahari, I haven’t tried using any other types of flours and don’t think that it should make too much of a difference, but you may notice some flavor and texture differences.
These look really good! I love cheez-its but if I bought a box they’d be gone within a day. This recipe looks fantastic! How many cups of 1 inch crackers did it make? I’m thinking these would be great for a potluck at work, but I’m not sure if it’d make enough. :)
I honestly didn’t measure these in cups. If I had to guess, maybe somewhere around 6 to 8? My husband and I ate an entire batch of these within 1.5 days, if that helps :)
I’m definitely making these as per the recipe but just out of curiosity, has anyone used whole wheat flour or a mix of whole wheat pastry and AP flour?
I used about 3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour and 1/4 ap flour and they turned out great! I just had a little bit left in the bag and wanted to use it up and topped it off with the ap flour.
We are going to start my 5 year old on gluten fee. Do you think gluten free flour would work with these?
Hi Erica, I think that should be fine, however I haven’t tried it.
Same gluten issue in my house. Would you mind letting us know how they turn out, if you make them gluten free? thanks!
Can a hand-held mixer be used?
Yes, absolutely.
Gonna try these… my husband LOVES Cheesits!
Ok Ladies, I made these last nght – the double batch with sharp cheddar and a double batch with pepper jack – both are a HUGE hit at work today – I work with 90% men and they are practically fighting over the bowls. Believe me, they are just as easy to make as Michelle says they are and I found baking at 16 minutes was plenty of time for each batch. Be sure not to roll them too thin (no more than 1/8″) or they will burn up (yes, I thought about trying to salvage that batch :/ ). These will be perfect packaged up at the holidays and for football tailgates. I’m going to try other cheeses too since the peppe jack came out so nicely. Thanks again Michelle for some great tasting and easy recipes that make me look like a kitchen goddess at work. LoL
So happy to hear these were a hit, and love the idea of using pepper jack!
Don’t cheezits have garlic or onion powder in them? I thought I saw that on the (enormously long) ingredient list once…
Hi Christine, They might, I’m not sure, have not eaten them in years. You could add seasonings to this if you wish, I loved the pure buttery/cheesy flavor!
Haven’t read all the comments, but recommendations about how to mix if don’t have a standing mixer would be great.
Thanks.
Hi Stacey, You could use a hand mixer or a bowl with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease.
I used a fork and had very good results getting all of the ingredients well blended quickly and easily. It hasn’t gone into the oven, yet, but I’m sure they will be perfect!
Cheez-its are my favorite guilty pleasure, I need to try making them at home!
I want to grab that bowl and eat my way to the bottom. Homemade cheese crackers are so much tastier than the box kind. Love this!
OMG, these look amazing. I would eat the whole batch!
These look amazing. I’ve always bought reduced-fat Cheez-its because I think they have that extra-baked taste that I love — it looks like that I could do that myself by baking these like your second batch. I can’t wait to try!
looks like a great homemade snack!
Take this dough and wrap it around a nice size pitted green olive and bake it. It is a delicious appetizer.
I’ve made homemade cheeze-its before too but I didnt have the adorable edge crimper you have (and I even looked for one!). Funny you’re comparing them to the PB cookies. When I made the cheeze its, they were for my PB cookbook. I worked PB into them! haha! Your crackers are beautiful – pinned!
Just to double-check, did you use the orange- colored cheddar as opposed to the white? Thanks.
HI Cyndi, Yes, the orange-colored cheddar.
These look absolutely delicious!
Cheez-Its are my ultimate weakness, these look so good!
It’s such a shame I’m lactose intolerant! My boyfriend loooves cheese though! If it wasnt for his training, he’d eat cheese al day long ;) I wouldnt mind to snack on one, okay maybe two pieces.
Hi My Linh … i’m pretty sure soy cheese would work just as well as ordinary cheese. I live in Australia and one of the dairy companies has brought out a range of “lactose free” products, including a cheese. Check out your local deli or grocery store to see what they have.
Aged cheese is very low in lactose (http://lifehacker.com/the-best-cheeses-to-eat-if-youre-lactose-intolerant-15633866630), so use aged cheddar and you should be able to eat these! The butter could be replaced with clarified butter for good results.
I’m lactose intolerant too and my nutritionist said cheddar cheese is the one cheese that’s okay to eat because there’s little to no lactose in it. Same with yogurt :]
Can you cut them while on the cookie sheet, and then bake them (breaking them apart after baking), or so they have to be separated on the sheet before baking – with space between them (how much space)?
Hi Nedra, I would recommend separating them before baking. I don’t see why you couldn’t cut them on the baking sheet, but I would separate them. You don’t need to leave much space – they don’t spread, just puff a bit.
These look amazingly good. I can’t believe they only have 5 ingredients!
Good morning
These look great. Can’t wait to try them for my son who is addicted to the store bought. I just have to say, every recipe I’ve made of yours comes out great and I get so many compliments. Thank you!
I know these have to taste so much better than Cheez-Its with only 5 real ingredients! They’re so fun and they’re a snack that I can feel good about giving my kids (and myself). :)
My husband is a Cheez-It-Aholic so I’m very excited to make these for him! One quick question – I don’t have the fluted pastry wheel – could I just use a pizza cutter instead? Thanks!!
Hi Sharon, Absolutely!
This gave me the excuse I needed to take a break from studying for finals and make something yummy!
I’m not entirely sure what Cheese-Its are as I don’t think we have them here in the UK but I am a sucker for cheesy snack! These looks so easy so will definitely try making them.
Think crispy cheese straws.
These look and sound delicious! I could just live on snack food and side
dishes. I like to shred my own cheese when I cook or bake. What happens if I used the pre-shredded cheese in a pinch. Don’t they put a powder in the shredded cheese so it doesn’t stick together? Does that alter the recipes at all?
Hi Sherri, Yes, they do coat pre-shredded cheese with a non-caking agent. I don’t recommend using pre-shredded cheese in any recipe where the cheese needs to melt, only as a topping.
YES, YES, YES!!!!! I used to eat half a box of Cheez-Its for dinner (sometimes… err… a lot of times) in high school. And by “high school,” I mean “last week.” These look PERFECT!
Thank you for posting this! Cheez-Its are a favorite guilty pleasure, but I haven’t been able to find them since moving to Tokyo. This will be a fun weekend project :)
Checking back in after making the recipe. These turned out great and it’s possible to make due without a mixer of any kind and without a rolling pin (put a ball of dough between two pieces of parchment and press down with your baking sheet). Having a little taste of home helps so much with homesickness while living abroad. Thanks again for making my day brighter :)
I wish I had thought of that with the baking sheets!!! (ended up using a cup to roll it out like I would with anything else, but that would have been wayyyy easier).
These were upsetting. I followed the instructions but they didn’t turn out right. What did I do wrong??
I just figured it out, never mind.🙈🤦🏼♂️
I am a cheez-its virgin but that because I unfortunately do not live in the USA. I am super keen on cheese right now, these picture are making me drool at midnight for that crispy, buttery cracker.
Wow! Thank you so much – I will definitely make these. I love making home made crackers!
I have to make these for my Dad. He is 88 years old and is the “unofficial” Cheez-it tester. His only complaint is sometimes they are not crispy enough. He will love these I am sure. Thanks for posting.
These look pretty tasty! Quick question: did you do a fine shred on the cheese or larger shreds? I tend to use the big holes on my old box grater for all my shredded cheese needs because the small holes always seem to be more messy.
Hi Theresa, I use the large coarse holes on my box grater for these, and it was fine! I agree, I don’t like the small holes for cheese, either :)