Phebe Rossi, Nuflours Founder and CEO, is a self-proclaimed cheese addict. And as anyone who has gone gluten-free will know, cheesy crackers and other snacks are a hard thing to find allergen-friendly substitutes for. This recipe is one that Phebe wrote up years ago, and we are excited to share it with you now, just in time for back-to-school. These delicious crackers taste just like your favorite store-bought brands, and are sturdy enough to hold up in a lunchbox. Let’s get to it!
Gluten-Free Cheese Crackers
Makes 5-6 servings (about 80 crackers total)
Ingredients:
- 5 oz cheddar cheese, grated
- 2 oz parmesan cheese, grated
- 4.5 oz (~9 Tbsp) butter, softened
- 220 g flour*
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¾ tsp smoked paprika
*Use the gluten-free flour of your choice. I used the Nuflours custom blend of millet, sorghum, tapioca, and potato flours.
Other items you will need:
- Food scale
- Stand mixer OR handheld mixer and large mixing bowl
- Small mixing bowl
- Parchment paper
- Rolling pin
- Large baking sheet
Instructions:
-
Preheat oven to 350F.
- Weigh cheese, butter, and flour for precision.
- Combine room temperature butter and cheeses in a large bowl or stand mixer on low.
- Once incorporated, turn up to medium speed and whip until texture becomes uniform.
- In a small mixing bowl, add dry ingredients: flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, and paprika. Whisk to combine.
- Add combined dry ingredients to the cheese mixture and mix together until it forms a dough ball.
- Roll dough out onto floured parchment paper to ⅛ inch thickness.
- Dock the dough, using a fork to poke holes that will allow steam to escape. I opted to make a pattern that I could later cut along.
- Move to baking sheet, place in oven, and bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cut into 1¼ inch squares.
- Put back in oven and bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until crackers are golden brown and don’t have any give when pressed.
- Let cool completely before serving.
I had a great time making this recipe, and the crackers came out so nicely! My final thoughts:
- The ⅛ inch thickness when rolling out the dough is crucial to getting a nice, crispy cracker. I didn’t roll it quite thin enough in places, and some of my crackers came out a bit soft and crumbly because of it (though still very tasty). Don’t be afraid to use more than one baking sheet if needed.
- As far as the classic cheese flavor goes, the cheddar and parmesan balance in these is perfect. Once you’ve got this recipe down, try experimenting with other flavors! Add a bit of pepper jack or jalapeño to spice things up, or play around with white cheddar or swiss. Just be ready to adjust your recipe accordingly. Softer cheeses will change the texture of your dough a lot, so proceed with caution.
