These keto cheese crackers are just as delicious as the traditional store-bought kind! Nobody will believe that these are low-carb, gluten-free and grain-free.
Growing up, my favorite snack foods were Cheez-its and Goldfish. Despite my hardcore love of cheesy junk food, I only first made cheese crackers after moving to Germany.
By the way, if you love cheesy carby food like I do, try my healthy alfredo sauce. It’s grain-free and has a keto option!
I looked high and low in German grocery stores and couldn’t find them anywhere (and still can’t!) I guess that’s okay because cheese crackers are my biggest weakness. I definitely don’t need easy access to them!
Every time I make these low-carb cheese crackers, it ends badly. I only make cheese crackers for special occasions but they normally don’t even make it there.
Mr. T will typically find me after eating a tray of crackers, tell me how naughty I am, try one himself and then eat half the next pan.
Perhaps they’re so addictive due to the ridiculous amount of cheese in there. The first time I made them, I was kind of shocked. It’s a ton of cheese.
But they’re so delicious and so much healthier than store-bought so I decided I didn’t care. :)
And there’s no need to worry about the weird combination of almond and coconut flour with cheddar. All you taste is cheddar with a hint of cayenne and onion powder!
I’ve made cheese crackers before but this was the first time I’ve added cayenne pepper. Just a little goes a long way! They’re not spicy at all so if that’s what you’re going for, you’ll want to add more spice.
But I need to warn you that these keto cheese crackers may only stay super crisp on the first day. I’ve made them several times and sometimes they stay crisp for weeks and sometimes they stay crisp for one day. But even then, they’re still kind of crisp, but with a slight bit of a chew.
I always weigh everything when I bake so it’s not a measuring issue. It either has to be a slight difference in the brands of cheese I use or perhaps in humidity. I’m not really sure.
It doesn’t make the crackers any less delicious, though! And if you want to, you can always pop them back in the oven for a few minutes (6 minutes at 350 °F) to crisp them back up. :)
If you try them out, I’d love to hear what you think! If you’re in the mood for something sweet, try my coconut flour cookies or paleo chocolate chip cookies (both of which also have keto options!).
Questions about these keto cheese crackers?
- Can I use something other than almond flour?
Another nut flour might work but I don’t think they’d taste as good. As much as I love hazelnut flour, I think hazelnut flour + cheddar would be strange.
- Can I use something other than coconut flour?
Unfortunately not. Coconut flour absorbs so much more liquid than other types of flour.
- Can I use something other than onion powder / cayenne?
You can omit them or replace them with whatever you think sounds good.
- What can I use instead of an egg?
I haven’t tried making these with an egg replacer because I figured with all the cheese in there, they’re not vegan anyway. I’m not too optimistic that an egg replacer like a chia egg would work, but if someone tries, please let us know how it works!
- Do I have to use cheddar?
I’ve tried cow milk Gouda and goat Gouda. Neither were nearly as flavorful as the cheddar version. But it worked!
Keto Cheese Crackers (grain-free, gluten-free)
- Prep Time:
- Cook Time:
- Ready in:
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200 grams) blanched almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons coconut flour
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 large egg (50 grams, out of shell), room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) butter
- 2 1/2 cups (10 ounces / 283 grams) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- for rolling out the dough – additional almond flour or other grain-free flour
Directions
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with an S-blade, process all the dough ingredients together. Pulse for about 15-30 seconds or until a ball forms.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, punch down, and freeze for an hour or until well-chilled (which will make rolling easier).
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Sprinkle a piece of parchment paper with almond flour (or other flour of choice), place 1/4 of the dough in the center, and place another piece of parchment paper on top. Leave the rest of the dough in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Roll the dough out to 1/16". If you roll it too thick, the crackers may not crisp up and if you roll it too thin, it'll be difficult to remove the crackers from the parchment paper.
- Use a ravioli cutter or desired cookie cutters to cut out shapes. I made mine as 1" squares. If you like things on the salty side, lightly salt the tops of the shapes.
- If you find the shapes to difficult to remove from the parchment paper, place it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. Then they should pop right off.
- Remove the shapes to the prepared baking sheet, leaving just a little room (about 1/4") between the crackers, and bake for 14-17 minutes or until the edges have started to brown. They'll be soft once removed from the oven but should crisp up once cooled. If they're still not crisp after cooling, return to the oven and bake for another 4-7 minutes.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. If they lose their crispness, bake for 6 minutes at 350 °F (175 °C).
128 comments on “Keto Cheese Crackers (grain-free, gluten-free)” — Add one!
7 comments are awaiting moderation!
Mine did not come out flat. They puffed up. They still taste good but don’t look as pretty as yours do. Is there a trick?
Did you make any subs or changes to the recipe at all? And did you roll the dough out to 1/16″ thick? If so, I’m not sure what the problem could have been. Were they still crisp? I’m happy they were tasty! Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you.
These crackers are REALLY good! I made them today for the first time, and I can see there will be none left till Tuesday’s dinner, when I need them for guests. Thanks for coming up with this recipe!
Haha. I always have that problem, too! I just can’t not eat them all right when I make them. They’re too addictive. ;) Thanks for your comment! I hope your guests will enjoy them if you give them another try.
There’s how to switch the almond flour to another flour? I have a peanut allergy, and sometimes, bad surprises regarding nut flours… :-(
Thanks!
This cheese crackers recipe is nut-free. :) I hope that helps!
Do you use the prepackaged shredded cheddar or do you shred your own off a block? I know there are ingredients added to the prepackaged shredded cheddar to keep the pieces from sticking together – any recommendation?
I shred my own because I don’t like the stuff they add to the pre-shredded stuff. It’s all blended together in the food processor so there shouldn’t be any issue with sticking! I hope you’ll enjoy the crackers. :)
Cheez-its! Such fond childhood memories. So happy to know that I can make them grain free now. Yum! I’d eat half the pan too, Erin. ;) Thanks for sharing, my friend. Will definitely be making and pinning these babies!
Thanks for pinning! And I hope you do get a chance to try them out. They’re so, so good!
I bet these taste wonderful! Ten thumbs up for healthier Cheeze-Itz type crackers! (yeah, I know you can’t really give ten thumbs up…but I would if I could =)
Haha. Thanks so much, Mandie! And yeah, they totally deserve all the thumbs up. :D
Mmm….what a great but dangerous idea!
I know gold fish crackers are all the rave for kid’s these days. Maybe one day I’ll have to make these crackers for my little girl to offer her a non-processed alternative ;)
Have you ever had them? I know you grew up in Germany so maybe you’ve been saved from the addiction that is cheese crackers. ;)
I can tell you right now that there is no way that I’d be able to stop myself from eating the whole pan. “Addictive” should be somewhere in the title of this recipe! :)
That’s definitely an almost certainty with these crackers. ;)
I get cravings for Cheez-its and when that happens it’s dangerous. I could easily eat the family size through the course of a day. They are just so easy to eat and that crunch….total deliciousness. However, now that I have the option to make a healthier and better ingredient cracker I think I’m going to be all over that! I love that this uses almond flour because I have a big bag of it just waiting to be used!
Same here. It’s awful. What’s even worse is that I love making peanut butter sandwiches out of them.
My hubby and son love cheese crackers. These look so perfect. I love the heart shaped ones. How cute would they be for school lunches on Valentine’s day. I actually dig that there is so much cheese in these. You should see how cheese I put on pizza. It should be illegal. lol
YES! These would make the best packed-lunch snack ever! :)
These look amazing! Do you know if there’s a substitute for the almond flour?
Almond flour is really only interchangeable with other nut flours, but I don’t think the taste would be very good here. I have a whole wheat cheese cracker version that you may want to check out. :)
I also loved Goldfish when I was a kid! Still do but I try to stick with healthier snacks ;) Your recipe looks fantastic! I cannot believe these cracker are grain free. You’re the best, Erin!!
Where did you find Goldfish in Germany?! Did you have a connection to an American army family? :)
My husband loves Goldfish, he’s actually eating some right now haha. I made whole wheat cheese crackers ones time and they were good but not like his beloved Cheesy Goldfish! I’m guessing that I’m going to be making these soon and probably will end up hiding in the corner eating a whole pan by myself too. haha
Haha. I don’t even tell my husband when I make them. I just do so quietly and let him discover the disaster himself. ;)
Wow a gluten free cheeze it! I’m so going to make these for my family soon.
I hope they’ll enjoy them! :)
I’ve never been a huge fan of storebought cheese crackers, but I love homemade ones. My kids love them all, though. I’ve found that storing completely cool crackers in a paper bag keeps them crisper longer (even though I don’t think they’d last more than a day in my house). These look great!
What a great tip! I’ll try that out next time. Thank you. :)
I absolutely love these crackers! Can’t wait to make them!
I hope you’ll enjoy them!
Your take on cheese crackers sound so much better than the store bought ones. They look absolutely amazing and I really wish to be able to just reach through the screen and get my hands on a handful of them.
Thank you! I just wish there were a way to make them DF without using weird cheese. ;)
they sound delicious
Yum, an easy and gluten-free Cheez-it – I can’t wait to make these at home and veganize them!
I’d love to see how you veganize them!
Erin,
I don’t know whether to hug you or curse you! ; p I still miss Cheetos occasionally. I finally got Miyoko Schinner’s Vegan Cheese cookbook for Christmas so once I make a batch of cheddar, this is the first thing I will make with it.
Do you buy coconut flour here in Germany or do you order it?
Carla
Oh, no. Sorry for the slow reply! You can make vegan cheddar?! Does it really taste like cheddar? Sounds good to me. :) And I get my coconut flour from Alnatura but every Bio store has it. They also sell it on Amazon!