You don’t have to be a kid to enjoy these gluten free crispy, cheddar crackers. Believe me…my husband devoured half the bowl!
You know what I love about these crackers? Minimal ingredients. Minimal effort. Super tasty outcome.
Do you spy sneaky hands grabbing a cracker below? That was the entire photo shoot. Little hands begging to eat another cracker. And then there was me begging to finish taking pictures before they were gone! Ah the trials of quarantining at home with kids!
Then the littlest woke up the next morning asking where the crackers were? Um…buddy, that ship sailed long ago yesterday when you, your dad, and your siblings devoured the entire batch!
Isn’t that a sign of a good recipe? I think so!
Ingredients you’ll need:
- I always use my own gluten free flour blend.
Almost every gluten free flour blend you see in the store contains xanthan gum, which DOES NOT settle well with my stomach. I use guar gum in its place. I also like to keep it separate from my flour blend, which allows me to add the appropriate amount depending on the recipe.
If you prefer to purchase a gluten free flour blend (I totally get it!), these are two very comparable brands to the one I blend myself: King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1. NOTE***make sure to check your flour blend recommendation of grams to flour as it can vary greatly between brands and adjust in the recipe as needed. - Sharp cheddar cheese
Shredding your own cheese should be your first pick as packaged shredded cheese contains chemicals and/or additives to help preserve the cheese from molding (it has more surface area), and sticking together. These additives also prevent the cheese from melting as well as it would if you shredded it yourself.
Sharp cheddar cheese will give you the extra cheddar flavor you want in these crackers. - Spices
Garlic, paprika and salt give these crackers a nice flavor.
- Butter
I used salted butter. You can use unsalted butter, especially if you want to put a little extra salt on top of the crackers for finishing.
- Ice Water
I know most recipes for cheddar crackers call for less ice water; however, I find with gluten free flours you often need a little more water to help hydrate the flours. This is definitely the case with these crackers. Try adding 2-3 Tbs to start and add more as you go. When I’m making the final determination on adding water, I like to pull the dough out and knead with my hands to form a ball. If you keep pressing the dough, it will more than likely come together with 4 Tbs of water. Be careful not to add too much water as it might be tempting!
A few things will make this recipe go quick and smooth.
1. A food processor. I used a small 4-cup process which was more than enough room to hold all of the dough. If you don’t own a food processor another option would be a blender. And if you don’t have that, very finely grate your cheese and mix together. The end result should resemble coarse sand.
2. If you would like a fancy edge, use a fluted pastry wheel. I like the double wheel that allows you to cut two different ways. A pizza cutter will do the trick as well as a trusty old knife.
3. While you don’t need it, I always love using my silicone baking mats! As you can see below, it works perfectly for rolling dough out and cutting on. I baked the crackers directly on the baking sheet, but you can bake them on a silicone mat too.
4. I used the round end of a bamboo skewer to poke holes in the center of each cracker. If you don’t have a skewer handy, try searching your kitchen for another small round object you can cleanly use to poke holes with. Or, skip it altogether as it is purely decorative.
I hope you enjoy these gluten free cheddar crackers as much as we did!
If you make them, please share a comment below, share a picture on Instagram or Pinterest, join our Facebook group, or sign up for email updates below so you never miss a new recipe!
Happy baking!
Need more ideas on gluten free snacks? Check out this Pinterest board and save a few ideas to your own board!
https://www.pinterest.com/JustAsGoodGlutenFree/gluten-free-snacks/
Gluten Free Cheddar Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 cup (150 grams) gluten free flour blend
- ½ teaspoon guar or xanthan gum (omit if in blend)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- 4 Tbs butter, cut in small pieces
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups once shredded)
- 4 Tbs ice-cold water
Optional:
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (for sprinkling on top of crackers)
Instructions
- In a food processor (I used a small 4 cup processor) combine gluten free flour blend, guar gum, kosher salt, garlic powder, paprika, butter and cheddar cheese and pulse until it resembles coarse sand.
- Add ice water in by the tablespoon, and continue pulsing and adding water until the mixture just comes together. You may need to remove the dough from the processor and gently knead with your hands to combine all of the dough together.
- Shape into a disc and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out to ¼ inch thick with a rolling pin. Using a knife, pizza cutter, or pastry wheel with rippled edges, cut strips about 1 inch apart across the dough, and then again perpendicular to the previous cut, again in 1 inch strips. You should have several squares. Poke each square in the middle with the large round end of a wooden skewer.
- Place each square on a baking sheet, leaving just enough room between each cracker so they don't touch. Optional (but definitely worth it!): lightly sprinkle kosher salt over the top of the crackers.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes. The crackers will turn slightly golden brown. Allow to cool for a few minutes before removing from baking sheet. Place in airtight container to store if not eating the same day.
Recipe adapted from Food Network
Hey there! Just As Good Gluten Free LLC participates in the Amazon Associates Program, which mean many outgoing links on Just As Good Gluten Free are affiliate links. After clicking on a link, I may receive a small percentage of the sale for referring you, which comes at no extra cost to you. This allows me to continue creating gluten free recipes for you! Many thanks – Amy
Barb (Neff) Voss
Hi, Amy! My sister, Mary Lou, told me about your web site. I’m having card club at my house for the first time since my husband died and a couple of the ladies are gluten intolerant. I thought of you when I went looking for recipes! We go out to eat before we meet to play cards. Then we gather at the person who is hosting, sharing good conversation, friendly competition of card playing & delicious snacks. When the winners have been crowned, we then share desserts and coffee (decaf) before heading home. Of course, I would like to have something everyone can enjoy! Just asking for suggestions – What are your favorites? I know that Lou says when you all get together, she lets all of you bring most of the food and it’s always delicious! I’ve also passed your website information on to some of my friends.
Amy Wilson
Hello Barb!! I’m so glad you reached out. How sweet of you to think of your gluten intolerant friends! I love that you have some special friends to share life with – that is such a blessing. I have a few desserts that come to mind…maybe because fall is around the corner, but this apple cake came to mind. I’m not sure if peaches are still in season there, but this peach and blueberry cobbler is delicious and you could serve it with ice cream. OR, if you’re in the chocolate kind of mood, this triple chocolate bundt cake would hit the spot. And finally, this one tastes just like pumpkin pie, but in a cake-like form and its really delicious, its a pumpkin crumble cake. I hope that helps! If you have any questions about it just let me know.