Make Homemade Cheez-It Crackers

Reader Contribution by Justine Patton
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One of my favorite childhood snacks was a delicious cheesy cracker: Cheez-It Original Baked Crackers.

That’s why I was so alarmed when I glanced at the nutritional information the last time I was grocery shopping. Twenty-seven crackers (which to a Cheez-It-crazed kid like I was is nothing) contain a whopping 160 calories. The crackers are made of mostly fat and carbohydrates, which isn’t exactly what I’m searching for these days. A serving of those yummy orange squares contains 10 percent of your daily sodium intake and saturated fat for the day. 

Troubled by this discovery, I checked out the calorie count on Kraft Cheese Nips and had similar findings–150 calories, 11 percent daily fat and 14 percent of your sodium for the day. The news didn’t get any better when I scanned the label on Nabisco Better Cheddars.

So, as I was aimlessly hitting the “Stumble” button on my new favorite website last night, I was pretty excited about this recipe I came across. It is a recipe for homemade baked cheese crackers that allows you to satisfy your snacking cravings without even leaving your home. Also, since you’re the chef behind the munchies, you can be sure of every single ingredient going in–minus all the preservatives in store-bought items. Enjoy!

These homemade crackers satisfy cravings while saving you from preservatives.
Photo by .m.e.c./Courtesy
Flickr

Homemade Cheez-It Crackers

MAKES ABOUT 40 CRACKERS 

• 1 cup flour
• 4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small squres
• 1 (8-ounce) bag grated extra-sharp 2 percent reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in food processor. Pulse until crumbly.

2. Add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. Roll into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

3. Place dough between two pieces of plastic wrap, and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet and cut into 1-inch squares.

4. Sprinkle with kosher salt, and bake for 25 minutes. Test for crispiness. If not crisp enough, bake a few more minutes or until crackers start to brown. Let cool and serve. 

  • Published on Aug 11, 2011
Tagged with: Reader Contributions
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