Homemade Cheez-Its, Air Fryer or Baked
Enjoy this homemade version of Cheese Its crackers made in either the air fryer or oven baked. They are preservative free and taste so much better than store bought boxed crackers. Enjoy the classic recipe or vary the cheese and seasonings. The crackers also freeze very well.
Servings 36 servings
Calories 90kcal
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded Note 1
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 + 2 Tablespoons cups all-purpose flour 2 Tablespoons of flour will be for the flat surface the crackers are cut on so they do not stick. Note 2 - Gluten-Free option
- 2-3 Tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, optional topping before baking
Instructions
How to Make Air Fryer Cheez-Its
- In a food processor, add the shredded cheese, butter, garlic powder, onion power, and salt. Pulse a few times to blend the ingredients.
- Mix in the flour and pulse to blend into the other ingredients.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of water and pulse 2-3 times. If the dough has not yet formed a round ball, add the second Tablespoon of water. Again, pulse a few times. The dough should form a ball.
- Cut the dough into 3 separate balls of dough. Cover and place into fridge for 1-2 hours. This allows the dough to get nice and cold so it cuts easily.
- Remove one piece of dough from the fridge. Place on a lightly floured work surface and flatten the dough.
- If you plan to salt the crackers, do so now. Use a fluted pastry cutter to cut the dough into 1" squares. Use a toothpick to punch a hole in the center of each cracker. This avoids them puffing up.
- Put the crackers in the air fryer basket. Bake at 370°F for 6 minutes. Remove crackers. Let them cool and dry on a wire cooling rack.
- Repeat this process with the 2 other balls of dough.
How to Bake Homemade Cheez-Its
- Follow steps 1 through 6 above.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.
- Place the cut and prepared crackers from step 6 onto the baking sheet.
- Bake in the heated oven about 15 - 16 minutes. The edges will be golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.
- The cheez-its can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for about 5 days.
Notes
*Servings size is 6 crackers per person based on 216 crackers.
Note 1: For best results, use block cheese and shred yourself. Pre-shredded cheese can have a coating on it which makes it more difficult to melt.
Note 2: For Gluten-Free crackers, I use Bob Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten-Free flour with much success.
Variations:
- Mix in a teaspoon of any of your favorite seasonings, such as Cajun, Homemade Seasoning, or Taco Seasoning.
- Use any of your favorite cheese or cheese blends. Some great choices are Gouda, Fontina, Colby Jack, and Gruyere.
- Combine different cheese with spices such as Rosemary and Gouda or Monterey Jack and Cumin.
- Add in Ranch seasoning for a nice flavor to your crackers.
I’m not a registered dietician, I do my best to provide the most accurate nutritional values. Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation. Actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and portion sizes
Nutrition
Serving: 6crackers | Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 112IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1mg