Pepper Jack Cheese Crackers

Why buy Cheez-Its when you can make homemade pepper jack cheese crackers that tastes even better and aren't loaded with preservatives.

I have always wanted to make my own cheese crackers, but just never had gotten around to it - until today that is. We were actually at the grocery store recently and Lauren was talking about how much she liked pepper jack Cheez-Its but most stores don't carry it anymore. So I used that as my reason to just make some ourselves.

Needless to say, they were a hit. Lauren might not want to admit it, but she ate about ¾ of it. I will say that homemade cheese crackers don't stay fresh nearly as long (partly because there is no extra stuff in them), but it won't matter as you'll eat them quickly anyway.

These would actually make a great snack for a party. And don't worry, they are not hard at all. If you have the time and are up for something new, give these homemade cheese crackers a try.

What Ingredients are in this Pepper Jack Cheese Cracker Recipe?

• Pepper jack cheese
• All-purpose flour
• Cornstarch
• Salt
• Unsalted butter

How to Make Homemade Cheese Crackers

1. Process the cheese, flour, cornstarch and salt in a food processor until combined.
2. Add the butter and process for about 20 seconds or until mixture resembles wet sand.
3. Add the ice water and pulse until the dough comes together, about 10 pulses.
4. Transfer dough to floured surface and divide in half.
5. Form dough into two 6 inch circles. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
6. Place dough on floured surface and roll out to a 9 inch square where the dough is about ⅛ inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut 8 strips 1 inch wide. Cut 8 more perpendicular strips so you have 64 crackers. Use a wooden skewer to poke a hole into each square.
7. Preheat oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the squares on the baking sheet, keep about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.
8. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges, rotating the sheet halfway through. Let cool completely before serving.

Can I Use a Different Cheese?

Of course. The traditional is cheddar but you could also use something like smoked gouda as well. It really just depends on what you're in the mood for. Just keep the ratio of cheese to every other ingredient the same.

Tips for Homemade Cheese Crackers

• Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don’t need.
• You want cold butter to help create the crunchy/buttery texture.
• Use parchment paper so the pepper jack cheese crackers don't stick.
• The longer you bake, the crunchier they become. If you want a slightly softer cracker, bake for about 20 minutes. I found 25 minutes to be the right time.
• Store leftover crackers at room temperature. If they are sealed tightly, they’ll lose their crunch.

Other Appetizer/Snack Recipes

• Brazilian Cheese Bread
• Buffalo Quinoa Bites
• Sweet Potato Rounds with Goat Cheese
• Cajun Boiled Peanuts
• Pepperoni Bread

If you’ve tried these Homemade Cheese Crackers or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

Pepper Jack Cheese Crackers

Ryan Beck

Why buy Cheez-Its when you can make homemade pepper jack cheese crackers that tastes even better and aren't loaded with preservatives.

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Servings 128 crackers

Calories 14 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 8 oz pepper jack cheese, finely grated
• ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 4 tablespoon cold butter, cut into pieces
• ▢ 3 tablespoon cold water
• ▢ sea salt for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

 

• Process the cheese, flour, cornstarch and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and process for about 20 seconds or until mixture resembles wet sand. Add the ice water and pulse until the dough comes together, about 10 pulses.
• Transfer dough to floured surface and divide in half. Form into two 6 inch circles. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Place dough on floured surface and roll out to a 9 inch square where the dough is about ⅛ inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut 8 strips 1 inch wide. Cut 8 more perpendicular strips so you have 64 crackers. Use a wooden skewer to poke a hole into each square.
• Transfer squares to baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on the edges, rotating the sheet halfway through. Let cool completely before serving.

Notes

• Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don’t need.
• You want cold butter to help create the crunchy/buttery texture.
• Use parchment paper so the pepper jack cheese crackers don't stick.
• The longer you bake, the crunchier they become. If you want a slightly softer cracker, bake for about 20 minutes. I found 25 minutes to be the right time.
• Store leftover crackers at room temperature. If they are sealed tightly, they’ll lose their crunch. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1crackerCalories: 14kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 0gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0gMonounsaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 16mgPotassium: 1mgFiber: 0gSugar: 0gVitamin A: 50IUVitamin C: 0mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 0mg

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