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These copy cat Sourdough Cheez-it Crackers are so simple to make and have way less ingredients than the classic cheez-it crackers. This recipe uses sourdough discard and cheddar cheese to make a crispy cracker the whole family will love! They come together quick and easy with the help of a food processor and make a great snack for your kids!
Recently I’ve been in my “I probably could make that” era. Cheez-Its are a classic and delicious cracker that I’ve loved since I was a kid so I knew I needed to make a homemade sourdough version! And let me tell you, we prefer these over the store bought Cheez-Its any day. They are so yummy and my kids ate them up so quickly! They are a great snack you can feel good about giving to your kids because they are made with wholesome ingredients and free of all preservatives.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- What is sourdough discard?
- What type of cheese do you use to make Copycat Cheez-Its?
- Tools to make this recipe
- Ingredients for Sourdough Discard Cheez-Its
- How to make the Sourdough Discard Cheez-its
- How to store the crackers
- Tips for success
- More Sourdough discard recipes
- Sourdough Cheez-It Crackers Recipe
Why you’ll love this recipe
- They are just like the classic Cheez-Its but with a sourdough spin and tastier.
- They are a delicious combo of crunchy, salty, and cheesy the whole family will love.
- They are super easy to make, just throw everything in the food processor and blend.
- They are made with ingredients that you likely already have at home.
What is sourdough discard?
Sourdough discard is a sourdough starter that has gone past its peak and has fallen back down. After this point, the starter can no longer leaven dough, but it makes the perfect addition to sourdough discard recipes! You can learn more about sourdough discard here. Or, if you want to learn how to make a sourdough starter from scratch, you can follow this Easy Sourdough Starter recipe using just flour and water!
What type of cheese do you use to make Copycat Cheez-Its?
To make this recipe taste like the original Cheez-It, you’ll want to use cheddar cheese, sharp cheddar or medium cheddar works great! If you want to switch it up, you could use any type of hard cheese for this recipe. It’s important to use hard cheese for this cracker recipe so they hold their shape and get crispy. Soft cheeses like Brie will not work well.
You can recreate other flavors of Cheez-Its such as Cheddar Jack, Pepper Jack, and White Cheddar, by simply swapping out the regular cheddar in this recipe for a different type of cheese. Feel free to get creative and try different types of hard cheeses or combinations!
Tools to make this recipe
Food processor– Using the food processor makes this recipe a breeze to make. If you don’t have one you could get away with mixing it in a stand mixer.
Pasta Cutter or Bench Scraper –You can use a bench scraper to cut straight lines or use the pasta cutter for fun edges that mimic original Cheez-It edges. I find the pasta cutter to be easier because it works like a pizza cutter and is round, so you can cut your crackers quickly and with ease.
Rolling Pin– This is by far my favorite rolling pin. It is butter soft and smooth and just rolls out my dough so well.
Silicone Baking Mat– These are textured and grip slightly to the counter so I find it easier to roll out the dough on these versus parchment paper but either works.
Ingredients for Sourdough Discard Cheez-Its
- Cheddar cheese – The cheddar cheese gives the classic Cheez-It flavor.
- Sourdough discard – You’ll want to use discard and not a bubbly starter. The bubbly starter will make them rise more, and since we want to have a crispy cracker, the flatter the better.
- Butter – This recipe is already pretty salty so I would use unsalted for this recipe.
- Ranch seasoning – This may be unexpected, but using a little bit of ranch seasoning adds to the savory flavor of the crackers.
- Salt – Any type of salt works here. If you do not want your crackers overly salty cut the salt in half.
- Flour- I recommend using unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Flaky sea salt- This is optional, but the flaky sea salt tastes great sprinkled on top of the cracker.
How to make the Sourdough Discard Cheez-its
Add all of the ingredients (besides the flaky sea salt) to a food processor and blend until fully combined, about 40-50 second.
Next, take the ball of dough and place it onto plastic wrap. Add to the fridge for at least 20 minutes to chill the dough. It can always stay in the fridge for a day or two if needed.
Right before you roll out the dough, preheat your oven to 350F.
Remove the dough from the fridge and divide the dough in half. Roll out the dough on a silicone baking mat, my preferred method for easier rolling, or on parchment paper. You want to roll the dough out as thin as possible, about ⅛ of an inch thick. The thinner you roll out your dough, the crispier the cracker will be.
Cut the crackers into small squares, about an 1″ wide, with a bench scraper or a pasta cutter.
Poke a hole in the middle of each cracker with a toothpick to help the dough from puffing up while baking. Then if you want, sprinkle flaky sea salt over the crackers. The sea salt is optional, but it tastes delicious on the cracker!
Keep the crackers as is, they do not need separated before baking. Place the baking mat on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned and crispy. Timing will depend on how thin your crackers are.
Repeat this with the other half of the dough.
How to store the crackers
Store the Sourdough Cheez-Its in an airtight container and keep them on your counter or in a kitchen cabinet. I love to use a mason jar with a lid to store the crackers in. They will stay fresh for a couple weeks, but they never last that long in my house! Be sure to let the crackers cool completely before storing.
Tips for success
- If the dough is sticky after mixing it in the food processor add a little extra flour. You should be able to touch the dough without it sticking to you.
- Roll the dough out as thin as you can. The thinner the cracker the crispier they will be. I’m always surprised how thin these can roll out.
- Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes before rolling it out. Slightly cooled off dough is easier to roll out. However, if you keep the crackers in the fridge for several hours, the dough will be harder to roll. In that case, I recommend letting the dough warm up on the counter for 10-15 minutes before rolling it.
- The dough should not be sticky. If it is sticky after coming out of the food processor mix in a little extra flour.
- After the cheez-its bake let them sit in the oven with the door slightly ajar. This will allow them more time to dry out resulting in a crispier cracker.
More Sourdough discard recipes
Sourdough Animal Crackers – Another kid favorite! These crackers use sourdough discard and are cut into fun animal shapes. They are more on the sweet side, and have multiple flavor options.
Sourdough Goldfish – Your kids are going to love these goldfish crackers! I love having these on hand for an afternoon snack.
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies – These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever! They are soft, chewy, and so chocolatey!!
The Ultimate Sourdough Banana Muffins – Everything you love about banana bread in muffin form! These are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and the perfect grab-and-go snack for your kids!
Sourdough Cheez-It Crackers
Ingredients
- 226 grams cheddar cheese, chopped (8oz block), 2 cups
- 85 grams flat sourdough discard, heaping ⅓ cup
- 28 grams unsalted butter, chopped, 2 Tablespoons
- 5 grams ranch seasoning, ½ Tablespoon
- 5 grams salt, 1 teaspoon
- 65 grams all purpose flour, ½ cup
- Flaky sea salt, optional for the top of cracker
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients in a food processor, except for the flaky sea salt. If you prefer a less salty cracker, cut the salt amount in half.226 grams cheddar cheese, chopped (8oz block), 85 grams flat sourdough discard, 28 grams unsalted butter, chopped, 5 grams ranch seasoning, 5 grams salt, 65 grams all purpose flour
- Place dough onto plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and split it in half. Roll out half the dough as thin as possible, ⅛”. I prefer to roll out on a silicone baking mat but you can also use parchment paper. The thinner the better for a crispier cracker.
- Cut the crackers in 1" squares with a bench scraper or a pasta cutter.
- Poke a hole in the middle of each cracker with a toothpick.
- Sprinkle the crackers with flaky sea salt.
- Do not separate the crackers. Place the parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake for 15-18 minutes.
- Repeat with the other half of the dough. If you bake the 2 trays together rotate the trays halfway through.
- After the cheez-its bake let them sit in the turned off oven with the door slightly ajar. This will allow them more time to dry out resulting in a crispier cracker.
Notes
- The thinner the better on this dough, thinner dough will yield a crisper cracker.
- If the dough is sticky after mixing it in the food processor add a little extra flour. You should be able to touch the dough without it sticking to you.
- Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes before rolling it out. Slightly cooled off dough is easier to roll out. However, if you keep the crackers in the fridge for several hours, the dough will be harder to roll. In that case, I recommend letting the dough warm up on the counter for 10-15 minutes before rolling it.
- This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
- Once completely cooled store in an airtight container. A glass mason jar is my preferred container.
- This recipe will make about 125 crackers
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you make this without a food processor?
You could shred the cheese and butter and then knead together by hand until it comes together.
I’m excited to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing. Could you use a cheese powder instead of grated cheddar? I’m not sure how that might change the consistency.
It will most likely change the consistency. I’ve never worked with cheese powder so I really am not sure. Sorry!
Lovely cracker!
Thanks for the review!
I’ve made these several times. They are delicious, and quick to make. I like the fact that I can use my sourdough discard for it. For crispy crackers, roll the dough thin, go with the longer baking time, and cool completely.
Thanks for the review! I’m so happy you liked them.
I love this recipe because they actually taste like cheez-itz! My only issue is that I rolled mine out as thin as I could get it and they puffed up in the oven like half an inch thick. Was definitely more of a cheez-its puff’d… Maybe it was because I let them sit in the fridge for 45 minutes instead of 20 on accident? Either way they’re still yummy. Thanks for the recipe!
Sometimes if your starter still has bubbles and activity it can still leaven the crackers slightly so maybe that’s what happened? But I’m glad you still liked them.
These were a huge hit with our family! I didn’t have ranch seasoning, so used 1/2 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp dried dill. I followed everything else exactly and they will be on the rotation
I’m so glad to hear it. Thanks for sharing.
I must have messed something up! Not only did these burn at the 15 min mark but they tasted nothing like Cheezits! They were also very greasy! The dough was extremely sticky I wound up adding another 1/2 cup flour but it was still sticky!
Oh no! I’m so sorry you didn’t have a good experience with the recipe. It does sound like one of the measurements was maybe off or your discard was maybe really runny? Mine is never that sticky. Using the gram measurements is always going to be best as cups can vary person to person depending how they measure. Also some brands of cheese do have more moisture than others. I always have a good experience with Tillamook. As far as bake times go your oven may run hotter. I would recommend turning down the temperature to 325F to help with that.
Thinking I will try these today but can the dough be run thru a pasta sheeter or is it too sticky? TIA
Yes just tried it out yesterday and it worked well. I did it on 1. Roll out the dough a little bit before so it’s thinner before going through the machine.
Simply outstanding! Great recipe – I did white cheddar with ranch and they were phenomenal. I made a double recipe and the first batch wasn’t as thin but were still yummy like a cheese straw. The second batch was really thin and I love the thinner, crispier ones. The recipe wasn’t too hard or time consuming – totally worth it and great macros for such a yummy snack!
So happy to hear you liked them!
These were a big hit! Thanks! Trying w white chedder and old bay seasoning. Also I make a marble sized ball and flatten w a juice glass. Seems easier to me.
Sounds delicious I’ll have to try the old bay seasoning!
These are so tasty! It was so easy to make and now I have a ton of cheez its. I put them in a mason jar but how long do these last in the pantry?
They should be fine for a few weeks if they last that long 🙂