Gluten-Free Cheez Its Copycat

4.95 from 18 votes

Gluten-Free Cheez Its Copycat

These gluten-free Cheez Its taste just like the original you loved! Crunchy, buttery, salty and packed with cheddar flavour, these 5-ingredient homemade crackers are an easy and delicious snack.

Prep Time25

Cook Time15

Chill Time1

Total Time1 40

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings:

Calories: 163kcal

Author: Olivia Parsons

Equipment

Food Processor optional

Ingredients

1 cup old cheddar cheese shredded and packed into the cup
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum I use Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour (blue bag) or Robinhood's GF Mix
½ teaspoon salt plus extra for topping, add ⅛ teaspoon extra if using unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup salted butter cold and cubed
4-5 tablespoon cold water

Instructions

Place the shredded cheese, flour, salt, garlic powder, and butter into a large bowl. Mix lightly with a fork then use a pastry blender or your hands to cut all of the ingredients together, breaking the butter into small chunks throughout. Work quickly to ensure the dough stays cold. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture comes together to form a ball. Divide into two discs and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Food Processor: If you have a food processor, it can make this process easier. Pulse the ingredients together, adding water until the dough forms a ball. Divide in half, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Once the dough is chilled, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Flour the counter and use a rolling pin to roll out one half of the dough, adding more flour if anything sticks. Roll the dough as thin as you can without seeing through it. Use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to slice horizontal and vertical lines, creating small squares across the dough (see images in the blog post). Use a bench scraper to lift the squares and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Arrange squares so that they do not overlap. Use a chopstick or skewer to create a hole in the centre of each cracker. This is optional and just for the classic Cheez It look. Sprinkle with more salt and repeat with the second dough disc.
Bake the Cheez Its at 375ºF for 14-16 minutes until crisp. Keep an eye on them to avoid browning, you want them to be a nice golden orange.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring the crackers to a cooling rack to cool completely. They will crisp up as they cool. Enjoy!

Notes

Cheese: For best results, don't use pre-shredded cheese as it won't incorporate into the dough as well. Shred it yourself from a block.
Use a food processor: If you have a food processor, it can make the creation of the dough easier. Pulse the ingredients together, adding water until the dough forms a ball. Divide in half, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
For less salt: Omit the final sprinkle of salt before baking.
Spices: Add extra spices if you want more flavour. Onion powder, paprika, cayenne, dried dill, and/or nutritional yeast would be great.
Make Ahead Instructions: Cheez It dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead of time. Store the plastic-wrapped discs in the fridge. They may need 10-15 minutes out of the fridge before you are able to roll them.
Storage Instructions: Gluten-Free Cheez Its store great in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. They will generally crisp more overtime, but if you notice any softer crackers, place them in the oven for a few minutes to re-crisp.

Nutrition facts are an estimation.

Nutrition