How to Make Homemade Cheez-Its

By Molly Durham in Food on Feb 9, 2012 5:00PM

Cheese and carbs are a magical combination. Put them in a bite-size niblet and I think we all can agree that "Once you pop you just can't stop" should really apply to the cheesiest snack of all: Cheez-Its.

This recipe is just as simple as our homemade Wheat Thins. You can have that so-cheesy-it's-almost-painful taste, and you don't even need the thiamin mononitrate or soy lecithin (both ingredients found in Cheez-It brand products).

This recipe could easily be modified with different cheeses of similar texture like white cheddar or another semi-hard cheese. Stored in a sealed container, they should last for a few weeks.

Homemade Cheez-Its Recipe:

Ingredients
1 cup flour
8 oz. cheddar cheese of your choosing, grated
4 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into squares
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until blended and crumbly. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms into dough. For us this was about 2 tablespoons. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about half an hour.

Place the ball of dough on a floured surface and roll out with a rolling pin until it's about 1/8 inch thick. This can be done in 2 batches, if you don't have enough surface area. Cut dough into squares about 1 inch x 1 inch. Poke center with one prong of a fork for that famous hole in the center. If you want the serrated edges, use a serrated knife to trim the very edges of each cracker. Sprinkle with extra salt on top.

Either line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray it with baking spray. Place crackers on sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.