Home > Snacks > Homemade Crackers Homemade Crackers December 17, 2015 | 67 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. We’re obsessed with these Homemade Crackers made with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Making crackers from scratch may seem excessive or intimidating, but we’ve simplified the process and are delivering a drool-worthy recipe. Once you try it, you won’t forget it! Is It Worth Making Your Own Crackers? Here’s an exact quote from my sister as I practically shoved this cracker in her mouth for a taste test – “I can’t imagine having my life together enough to ever make my own crackers!” Okay, fair enough. And I hear you. It may seem like making crackers is unnecessary, (store-bought ones actually DO taste good) and are difficult or overly complicated to make. But one bite of these crackers and I think you may change your mind — at least a little. These crackers are ridiculously tasty — as in the best crackers I’ve ever eaten. And yes, they take a little work, but honestly, not too much more than driving to a store and buying your own box. Besides, gourmet crackers can be costly, and it’s quite economical to make your own. Additionally, you have control over the quality of ingredients used and what exactly goes into your crackers. (If you’d prefer making homemade crackers for toddlers or babies, instead of having them eat store-bought, this is the recipe to use!) I’ve tried to make this recipe as simple as possible, and think you’ll be impressed with how easily they come together. Next up on the bucket list? Making homemade graham crackers! 🙂 How To Make Homemade Crackers Homemade Crackers are incredibly easy to make and use simple ingredients. And you can have them in just four easy steps! Just like our go-to Biscuit Recipe and our favorite Pie Crust Recipe, we use the food processor to pulse together a dough in mere minutes. Combine all the ingredients together in the food processor. Pulse (never purée) to form a dough. Press the dough together and then roll out the dough to 1/8-1/4 inch thick. Place the dough on large greased and floured baking sheets and score with a very sharp knife. Bake. Remove from the oven, sprinkle on salt, let crackers cool, and break ’em apart. Add to a festive charcuterie board? I think yes! Homemade Crackers Recipe: Tips Score the dough — or don’t. Before baking, I like to score the dough so the crackers break into uniform squares. If you’d rather not score the dough, simply wait for the sheet of baked crackers to cool and set. Then simply break apart into rustic-looking crackers (kind of like making peppermint bark– just with crackers!). Roll the dough thinly. If the dough is too thick, the crackers won’t be crispy and crunchy (and might even be a little doughy in the center). Homemade cheese crackers rely on good cheese! Grab a block of Parmesan and grate it on the small holes of a grater. Alternatively, use finely grated Parmesan cheese. Parmesan from the can will be too salty and won’t work very well in these crackers. The better the Parmesan, the tastier these crackers will be! Homemade Crackers FAQs1How do you get Homemade Crackers nice and crispy?To get nice crispy crackers, here are a few suggestions: Roll the dough thinly. Bake a touch longer. Wait for the crackers to cool completely. 2How do you keep Homemade Crackers crisp?To maintain the crispness, allow the crackers to cool completely on a wire cooling rack. Then, place them in an airtight container. Protecting the crackers from the air will help them stay fresher and crispier for longer. 3Why are my Homemade Crackers tough?Toughness is likely because the dough was overworked. Don’t over-mix or knead the cracker dough more than necessary. Another culprit could be too much flour! 4How long do Homemade Crackers last?Stored properly, these crackers last about 5-7 days. 5Should you knead cracker dough?No! This will result in tougher crackers. Just mix until it all holds together. 6Why are my crackers too hard?Hard crackers happen from over-working the dough or over-baking the crackers. Too much flour can make them denser than you want. 7How do you score a cracker?Take a knife and run it most (but not all of the way) though the dough. This leaves the perfect scoring marks! Variations Healthy Homemade Crackers: Try these seeded ones instead! Garlic Crackers Recipe: These crackers have dried minced garlic in them, which gives a nice hint of garlic. For a stronger flavor, bump up the amount of minced garlic in the dough. Homemade Saltine Crackers: Give this recipe a go! QUICK TIP Swap the seasoning: Instead of Italian seasoning, you could try one herb instead for a stronger flavor (think dried crushed rosemary, thyme, parsley, basil, etc.). STORAGE Can I Freeze Homemade Crackers? Another bonus of making your own crackers is how well they freeze. Freeze the disc of dough (wrapped in plastic and in a gallon-sized bag) in the freezer for 3-4 months. Thaw overnight and roll out the next day. Alternatively, store baked crackers in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature, but note they do lose some crispness. Store completely cooled baked crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. These are best the first day they’re made! Use These Crackers In One Of These Appetizers: Cheese Ball Recipe with bacon and pecans Pistachio Crusted Cheese Ball with dried apricots Chipotle Ranch Dip with real chipotle peppers Queso Dip Recipe made with white Cheddar Baked Potato Dip with bacon and green onions FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Homemade Crackers 4.95 from 18 votes - Review this recipe We're obsessed with these Homemade Crackers made with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Making crackers from scratch may seem excessive or intimidating, but we've simplified the process and are delivering a drool-worthy recipe. Once you try, you won't forget it! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Homemade Crackers 4.95 from 18 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe We're obsessed with these Homemade Crackers made with Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Making crackers from scratch may seem excessive or intimidating, but we've simplified the process and are delivering a drool-worthy recipe. Once you try, you won't forget it! Course Snack Cuisine American Keyword Parmesan Crackers Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Cook Time 10 minutes minutes Total Time 25 minutes minutes Servings 30 -45 crackers Chelsea Lords Calories 16kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $3.98 Ingredients▢ 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Note 1▢ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold▢ 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper▢ 1/8 teaspoon paprika▢ 1/8 teaspoon dried minced garlic▢ 1 cup white all-purpose flour▢ 4-5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (not whipped)▢ 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning▢ Optional: Maldon sea salt flakes or fine sea salt InstructionsPREP: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray and then lightly flour the surface. Don't use parchment or Silpat liners. Set aside. Cube the butter into 8 equal cubes.PULSE: In a food processor, pulse the Parmesan cheese and butter until crumbly, about 10, one-second pulses. Do not puree.PULSE AGAIN: Add in the salt, pepper, paprika, dried minced garlic, and half of the flour. Pulse 4 more times to combine. Add in the rest of the flour and 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream. Pulse a few more times and then add the last tablespoon if needed (clumpy dough should be forming.)ADD HERBS: Dump the dough mixture straight from the food processor onto a sheet of plastic wrap or wax paper. Pour the Italian seasoning on top and fold the herbs into the dough gently until a nice dough comes together. Avoid kneading or overworking.ROLL: Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the ball of dough and roll out the dough to 1/8th-1/4th inch thickness (according to personal preference). We like thinner better-- If the dough is too thick then the crackers won't be crispy and crunchy (and might even be a little doughy in the center). Remove the parchment paper on top and (if desired) trim the edges (not necessary). Then use the plastic wrap to pull up the large sheet of dough and invert it onto the prepared baking sheet.SCORE: Using a super sharp knife, perforate the dough to make lines for the crackers. (Don't cut all the way through the dough).BAKE: Bake for 8-14 minutes or until lightly browned at the edges (thicker crackers bake longer -- keep an eye on them and check every minute or so). Remove from oven and sprinkle immediately with fine sea salt (if desired). Let stand on sheet pan until cooled.BREAK INTO CRACKERS: Break into the crackers along perforated lines and enjoy!STORAGE: Store completely cooled baked crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Freeze the disc of dough (wrapped in plastic and in a gallon-sized freezer bag) in the freezer for 3-4 months. Thaw overnight and roll out the next day. Alternatively, store baked crackers in an airtight container for up to 4 months. Thaw at room temperature; note: they do lose some crispness. Recipe NotesNote 1: Parmesan Cheese: Grab a block of Parmesan and grate it on the small holes of a grater. Alternatively, use finely grated Parmesan cheese. Parmesan from the can will be too salty and won't work for this recipe. Good quality cheese will give the best flavor to these crackers! Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 16kcal | Carbohydrates: 2.2g | Protein: 0.6g | Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 1.4mg | Sodium: 15.3mg | Fiber: 0.1g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below. Recipe adapted from NY Times.
Those crackers look delicious! I’d say my favorite dip would have to be good old guacamole with cilantro & lime. 🙂 Reply
This looks so good! But I don’t think anything can beat a good homemade (or restaurant tableside) guacamole with crackers! Reply
I tend to go for French onion dip, but I also really like a cream cheese dip with Rotel tomatoes/salsa. Reply
White Corn and Bean Salsa ALL DAY! LOL! I could eat it without the tortilla chips. Here is the recipe: White Corn and Bean Salsa 1 can white shoepeg corn 1 can of black beans rinsed 1 jalepeno pepper 1/2 to a whole red onion chopped 1 sliced tomato minced garlic a few shakes of cilantro Add Olive Oil, Red wine vinegar, salt and pepper Reply
Yum! These look great, perfect for snacking. With veggies I love ranch dip but I really love tortilla chips and queso! Reply
I often snack on crackers when reading different blogs and getting some inspiration for my baking and cooking. Your recipe sounds like a great idea for a nice snack! Definitely going to try it :). Reply
I LOVE CRACKERS! and I haven’t made homemade ones in waay too long. These beauties are reminding me that I need to change that and they look like the perfect place to start! Loooove the parmesan and how crisp they look! (and my favorite dip is probably sour cream and onion? or maybe spinach artichoke?) Reply
oh my! i’m not usually tempted to make homemade crackers but these look incredible. great job and beautiful photos 🙂 my favorite dip is either guacamole (the chunkier the better!) or mexican layer dip ! Reply
I was craving cheese crackers tonight and had a chunk of parmesan in the fridge. This recipe was so quick and easy, and they are perfect! Thanks! Reply
Can I substitute half and half for heavy whipping cream? Trying to use what I already have in my pantry/fridge 🙂 Reply
Sorry Kristie, I haven’t ever tried that so I can’t say for sure! I think if you do, maybe start with a little less since it’s not as thick as heavy cream. Reply
