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Are you wondering how to make delicious crackers from scratch? This recipe is certainly delicious, and easy too. You’ll be amazed at how cheesy these dairy free “cheese” crackers taste.
Since we use almond flour in this recipe, you’ll get a crunchy and irresistible cracker that’s gluten free and grain free (Paleo approved).
Better than Cheeze-Its
I used to LOVE cheeze-its. As in, give me a box and you might not get any back when I’m through with them. I loved the flavor, the saltiness, and the crunch.
But that was before.
That was when I didn’t care what was on the ingredient label and back when I didn’t know how easy making homemade crackers actually is. Now I know I can make these crackers that are even better than store bought in just 20 minutes.
Tools needed to make your own dairy free cheese crackers
- Almond flour – We’ve been getting this kind at Costco, but they also sell it on Amazon here.
- Nutritional yeast – loaded with B vitamins, and gives the crackers the cheesy flavor
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper – I love these pre-cut parchment sheets.
- Rolling pin
- Pizza cutter
Why Should You Make Your Own Crackers?
Making your own crackers at home sounds a little crazy to some people. And I get some funny looks…like I’ve gone off the deep end.
I think most people just don’t realize how simple it is to make food from scratch. They don’t know that they have options other than what the store provides. But YOU know, don’t you. That’s why you’re here!
Honestly, I think it’s really fun to go to a store and look at something with tons of terrible ingredients, and then go home and make something that tastes just as good, if not better, with only a handful of nutrient dense ingredients.
When you make your own crackers, you can choose what ingredients to use. That means you don’t have to eat the stuff in the store bought crackers.
And if you’re following any special diets like Paleo, dairy free, or Keto, the crackers that meet your diet criteria are likely VERY expensive.
Not only do you get to choose your ingredients, you can make whatever flavor of crackers you want. Cheese, herb, pepper, spiced, ranch, etc..
Better Ingredients
Today we’re making “cheese” crackers…without the cheese. How do you do that? Well, let me tell you. The cheese flavor isn’t actually cheese, it’s nutritional yeast.
If you’ve never heard of nutritional yeast, you should get some and see what you think. It gives food a cheesy flavor and it’s loaded with B vitamins. In addition to making yummy crackers, we love flavoring our popcorn with it.
More Flavor Options
It’s not like there aren’t enough choices in the grocery store. Too many choices, actually. Does anyone else get overwhelmed trying to buy something simple like toothpaste? Yeah. I’m the one staring at the shelves for ten minutes and then I end up getting the same thing I got last time. Sheesh.
We sometimes add a bit of cayenne for a spicy version of this dairy free “cheese” cracker. Or you can put some herbs or spices in there with or without the nutritional yeast. Oh, and you’ve got to try these ranch flavored Paleo crackers too!
How Do You Make Dairy Free cheese Crackers?
These crackers are really simple to make. With three ingredients (I don’t count the salt), it comes together start to finish in 20 minutes tops.
Mix the Cracker Ingredients
Mix the ingredients together until the dough comes together and will hold its shape in a ball (see below). If your dough feels a little crumbly, just add a tablespoon of oil and it should come together.
Roll Out the Dough
Then roll out the dough with your rolling pin. If you sandwich the dough between two sheets of parchment paper, it won’t stick to your rolling pin as much. As you can see in the image below, the edges don’t have to be perfect. Just try to roll the dough out so that it’s about the same thickness everywhere.
Cut the Dough into Crackers
Once the dough is rolled out, cut the dough into cracker size pieces. I usually use a pizza cutter and cut the dough in a grid to make crackers. If you want a different shape…triangles, diamonds…do it! Who says crackers have to be rectangular? But the pizza cutter is a big time saver in this recipe.
Side note: I love using these pre-cut parchment sheets. It saves a lot of time that you don’t have to measure and cut pieces to fit the cookie sheet.
Bake Your Dairy free cheese Crackers
When I made my very first batch of homemade crackers several years ago, the recipe suggested I transfer each square individually onto the cookie sheet to bake them. It took a long time and they didn’t really look like squares after that. More like lumps.
So I’m suggesting a different way.
You have a piece of parchment paper with the dough (cut into squares). All you have to do is transfer that whole thing (parchment paper with the dough on it) onto the cookie sheet. Lift on the corners of the parchment paper, set on your cookie sheet. And bake.
If you want to poke holes in the crackers with a fork, go for it. I haven’t found that it affects the bake time though, so it’s mostly just an appearance thing. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and bake for 8-12 minutes until golden.
Enjoy your dairy free crackers! Eat them by themselves, or with some avocado mayonnaise or hummus. Bring them to your next party and people will be impressed.
You don’t need to tell them it only took three ingredients and 20 minutes to make them. And you definitely don’t need to mention they’re dairy free. They’ll never know. Your secret is safe with me!
Looking for more Paleo recipes from scratch? These tortillas are always a crowd pleaser and can be made easily with a tortilla press.
Don’t Forget to Share this with your friends on Pinterest!!
Homemade Cheese Crackers (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups almond flour
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 (F)
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl
- Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper into a big rectangle to your desired thickness
- Use a pizza cutter or a knife to cut the dough into squares
- Transfer the dough to a cookie sheet (you can just leave the dough on the parchment paper when you transfer it over). Then sprinkle a tiny bit of salt on top
- Poke the crackers with a fork if you'd like holes in the crackers
- Bake in the oven for 8-12 minutes, or until slightly golden
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
Jill says
These are delicious and very simple!!
Excited to serve them at a birthday party tonight.