Get started now
All recipes

Chef John’s Extra-Cheesy Snack Crackers

Appetizer 🧄Side Dish 🥗Snack 🍿 American Low-CarbVegetarian 🥦Halal 🕌Kosher ✡️Comfort-FoodPescatarian 🐟

Chef John’s Extra-Cheesy Snack Crackers are thin, crisp bites packed with sharp Cheddar and nutty Parmesan, finished with a gentle warmth from paprika and cayenne. They’re perfect alongside cocktails, tucked into lunchboxes, or served atop soups and salads when you want a salty, toasty crunch that really tastes like cheese.

  • Prep20 mins
  • Cook15 mins
  • Serves36
  • DifficultyEasy
Chef John’s Extra-Cheesy Snack Crackers
  1. 1

    Gather the ingredients. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly grease it with vegetable oil.

  2. 2

    Place the butter in a mixing bowl; add the Cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt. Use the back of a spatula to mix until fully combined.

  3. 3

    Use a fork to mix the flour into the cheese mixture until it becomes crumbly. Sprinkle in cold water, 1 or 2 drops at a time, and mix with the spatula until it forms a dough that holds its shape when squeezed.

  4. 4

    Move the dough to a work surface and press it into a thick, flattened disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  5. 5

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). On a floured work surface, roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut 1-inch-wide strips, then cut the strips crosswise into rectangles about 1 1/2 inches long.

  6. 6

    Using the back of a bamboo skewer, punch 5 small holes in each cracker. Arrange the crackers on the prepared baking sheet.

  7. 7

    Bake in the preheated oven until the crackers are browned and crisp, about 15 minutes. Let stand about 3 minutes to cool and release from the foil. Let cool completely before serving.