A Houseful of Love

These sourdough Cheez-Its are the perfect dupe for your favorite crispy, crunchy cheddar cheese crackers, without any of the junk. Just clean whole food ingredients you can feel good about feeding yourself and your family. You can even use fresh-milled flour, if you have it!

Made with simple ingredients, they come together in a food processor so easily that it would be more work to go to the store. Either make them quickly with sourdough discard to use up your fridge stash, or long ferment them with an active starter for all the benefits of sourdough fermentation.

An Easy On-the-Go Snack for Crunchy Moms

I’m pretty “crunchy” as a mom, so I almost never buy packaged snacks, for myself or my kids. Part of the reason I don’t buy them is that the last I bought a big box of Cheez-Its, I ate the entire thing in one sitting. Yikes. It was quite a wakeup call to the fact that ultra-processed food hijacks hunger and satiety signals.

But while healthy, whole food snacks are great at home, it can be hard to take it (and dole it out) on the go. Sometimes I don’t want to bring a cooler bag to keep cheese or hard-boiled eggs refrigerated, and sometimes I need something I can discreetly hand to my toddler without him making a mess!

Luckily, these homemade sourdough Cheez-Its are shelf-stable just like their boxed counterparts. Because they’re made with real ingredients, they actually satisfy and nourish. And honestly, I think they taste even better! It’s a healthy snack swap you’ll want to make.

Do these sourdough Cheez-Its taste like normal Cheez-Its?

Yes! If baked until properly crispy, they have the same flavor and texture as Cheez-Its from a box (including that amazing crunch)! They may look a bit different since it’s hard to cut perfect squares with holes perfectly in the middle, but that’s the only major difference. I honestly think they taste even better because they have a more intense cheese flavor (and salt can be adjusted to your preference).

Can I use sourdough discard to make these sourdough Cheez-Its?

Yes! Sourdough discard will work, especially if you want to bake them immediately or don’t plan to long-ferment the dough. If you want the benefits of long-fermented sourdough, use active starter or relatively fresh discard (not the jar that’s been at the back of your fridge for months).

How long do these sourdough Cheez-Its keep?

I keep my sourdough Cheez-Its in a mason jar or other airtight container in my pantry. As long as I bake them until they’re crispy (not soft at all), they keep for a couple months. However, they rarely last that long before someone eats them up!

Ingredients

• 227g (8oz) sharp cheddar cheese, chopped
• 85g sourdough starter – active starter or fresh discard if you plan to long-ferment the dough. Older discard is fine for baking immediately!
• 2 tbsp (28g) butter, chopped – beef tallow also works
• 65g flour – if you’re using fresh-milled flour, use soft white wheat
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp (5g) fine sea salt
• Kosher salt, for topping

Directions

Step 1: Blend cheese, starter, butter, flour, parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and sea salt in a food processor on high until it is a smooth ball of dough.

Step 2: Cover and ferment 8-12 hours (optional).

Step 3: Split the dough in half and shape into discs. Refrigerate dough for at least 20 minutes. While the dough is in the fridge, preheat the oven to 275°F.

Step 4: After 20 minutes, remove one half of the dough from the fridge. Roll it out as thin as possible on a silicone baking mat or on parchment paper. Cut the crackers into 1” squares with a pizza cutter, then poke a hole in the middle of each with a toothpick or kebab skewer (this prevents them from puffing up too much). Sprinkle the crackers with kosher salt. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Step 5: Bake 20 minutes, rotate the pans, then bake 20 minutes more. Check the crackers for doneness – they should be crispy/crunchy, not chewy or soft at all. Add 5 minutes at a time until done. Be sure to watch carefully because they burn easily!

Step 6: Once crackers are done, turn off the oven and leave the door ajar until the crackers cool (if possible). This helps them to dry out and crisp up even more. However, if you cannot leave the oven door ajar, just transfer the crackers to a cooling rack. It will still work, but you really need to make sure the crackers are fully crispy before doing so!

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Nutrition Facts

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 101 kcal
Fat: 6g
Total Carbohydrates: 7g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 4g

The nutrition data provided here is for informational only and is only an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It cannot be verified or guaranteed, and should not be used in the treatment of medical conditions. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice This data should be interpreted and used at your own risk.