Since cheese is its own food group in our house, Cheez-Its are an obvious staple. If you’re even half as addicted to Cheez-Its as we are, then you’ll love this tasty, unprocessed, kid-friendly homemade version that’s even better than the real thing. These quick and easy, tender yet crunchy crackers are cheesy, salty, and buttery, and are sure to be your new favorite snack food.
Ingredients
Cheez-It Crackers
8 oz extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature and cubed
1 Tbsp vegetable shortening
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp water, ice cold
Directions
Cheez-It Crackers
Place the cheese, butter, shortening, and salt in a food processor and pulse until combined. Add the flour and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
Add the water and pulse until the mixture comes together and forms a ball of dough.
Use your hands to pat the dough into a disk shape. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll out to ⅛-inch thick.
Use a pizza cutter, pastry wheel, or sharp knife to cut the dough into 1-inch squares. If you’re not using a fluted pastry wheel, you can use a fork to make indentations on the edges of the squares. Then use a skewer or chopstick to poke the center of each square to prevent them from puffing up too much during baking.
Transfer the Cheez-Its to the prepared baking sheets, and bake for 12-18 minutes, or until puffed and golden. (The longer they bake, the crispier they get. In our house, extra toasty Cheez-Its are the superior flavor, so I always bake my homemade Cheez-Its for longer.) Allow the crackers to cool before eating.