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Gluten Free Cheese Crackers Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Gluten Free Cheese Crackers Recipe

I started making these gluten free cheese crackers the week I ran out of store-bought ones and refused to pay another eight dollars for a tiny box. What came out of my oven that first try shocked me, they were crispier, cheesier, and honestly better than anything I'd been buying.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup gluten free all-purpose flour blend — pick one with xanthan gum already mixed in to save yourself a step
  • ½ teaspoon xanthan gum — skip this if your flour blend already contains it otherwise it keeps the dough from crumbling
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt — balances out the richness of the cheese and butter
  • 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cubed — cold butter is what gives these crackers their flaky, crisp bite
  • 1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese freshly grated — grate it yourself rather than buying pre-shredded, since the anti-caking coating keeps it from melting properly
  • ¼ cup cold whole milk — brings the dough together without making it sticky
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika optional — adds a subtle color and smoky depth that makes these taste closer to a store-bought cheese it

Method
 

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together your gluten free flour, xanthan gum, and salt until fully combined. This step spreads the salt and xanthan gum evenly so you don't end up with a patchy texture later. It only takes a minute, but it makes a real difference in the final bake.
  2. Add your cold, cubed butter along with the freshly grated cheddar cheese to the flour mixture. Toss everything together with your hands or a spoon so the cheese and butter get coated in flour. This coating step helps prevent the dough from turning greasy once it bakes.
  3. Create a small well in the center of your mixture and pour in the cold milk. Stir everything until it starts clumping together into a rough dough. If it feels too dry, add milk a teaspoon at a time until it holds together without crumbling apart.
  4. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for about 20 minutes. Chilling firms the butter back up, which is what gives these crackers their signature flaky crunch once they hit the oven.
  5. Unwrap your chilled dough and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to about ⅛-inch thickness, keeping it as even as you can. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into small, uniform squares.
  6. Transfer your cut crackers onto a lined baking sheet and poke a small hole in the center of each one with a fork. Bake at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping the tray halfway through so everything browns evenly. Let them cool completely on the pan, since they'll continue to crisp up as they sit.

Notes

  • I always grate my own cheese block instead of using the bagged kind, since it melts and bakes so much better.
  • I keep my butter in the freezer for ten minutes before I start, which keeps the dough colder and flakier.
  • I roll my dough as thin as I possibly can, since thinner dough gives me that satisfying crunch instead of a soft, chewy bite.
  • I never skip poking holes in each cracker, since it stops them from puffing up unevenly in the oven.
  • I rotate my baking sheet halfway through baking, because my oven runs hotter in the back and the crackers near the edges burn otherwise.