Make easy Keto Cheese Crackers with only 5 ingredients! Crispy, salty, and deliciously cheesy, they taste like your favorite snack crackers but with a fraction of the carbs.
My kids swear that these Keto Cheese Crackers taste just like Cheez-Its. I wish I could confirm this myself, but it’s been about a billion years since I had anything resembling a Cheez-It.
What I can tell you is that these crispy, salty crackers are seriously hard to resist. They have everything you want in a savory keto snack, satisfying that primal urge for crunch. But with only 2g net carbs per serving.
I made a batch recently and they were gone far too quickly! Everyone kept grabbing a handful as they walked through the kitchen. Guess I will just have to make a double batch next time!
You’ve got to try this recipe
If you love crunchy snacks, these keto cheese crackers have your name written all over them. In teeny tiny little letters, can’t you see it?
This recipe is a modified version of fathead dough, which is useful for all sorts of recipes. I’ve made keto pizza dough, keto bagels, and even cinnamon rolls with fathead dough variations.
The dough is very easy to prepare and and bakes into deliciously crisp crackers. And you can make different flavors as well. I love to use pepper jack and some red pepper flakes for a spicy little kick.
But you could also do regular cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack. Or even mozzarella with a sprinkle of Italian seasoning. The variations are endless!
See what readers say!
“Love love love these crackers! i make them all the time , Im a little lazy so I use a fork and prick the crackers. we leave them sitting on the counter and they seem to get better evert day. Great cracker to take to a party because you can make it a few days before.” — Sharon
“Delicious and easy! I didn’t have pepper jack cheese so I substituted Cabot shredded mac-n-cheese blend and used parm reggiano with the butter on top instead of salt. So close to a real cheezit!! Maybe better…” — Allison
“I read this recipe tonight and I just HAD TO MAKE THEM. Spot on girl. I’m dreaming of my next day of discovery in your cookbooks. Keto excitement. What a load of fun!!!!” — Sarah
Ingredients you need
- Cheese: I really love using the Pepper Jack from Cabot Creamery but cheddar, Colby, or Monterey Jack works well too. Even mozzarella works nicely!
- Almond flour: I recommend a good fine almond flour like Bob’s Red Mill for the best texture.
- Eggs: You need egg to help bind the dough properly.
- Butter: Brush the tops of the crackers to make them extra buttery, and to help the salt stick.
- Seasoning: Garlic powder, salt, red pepper flakes (optional)
Step by Step Directions
1. Melt the cheese: In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the cheese on high in 30 second increments until well melted and can be stirred together to a smooth consistency.
2. Add the dry ingredients: Add the almond flour, salt, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and the egg and stir to combine. Work in well together with a rubber spatula, kneading the dough up against the sides of the bowl.
3. Roll out: Turn the dough out onto a large silicone baking mat dusted with almond flour. Top with a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Roll out as thinly as you can, no more than about 1/8 inches thick.
4. Cut into crackers: Cut the crackers into the desired shape and size using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife. To make little circles in the middle, take a straw and poke a hole in the center. You can also simply take a fork and prick the crackers a few times.
5. Brush with butter: Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle with the coarse salt, pressing lightly to adhere.
6. Bake: Transfer the silicone mat to a large baking sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and the edges are beginning to crisp up, then turn off the oven and let the crackers remain inside.
Expert Tips
These keto cheese crackers are easy to make, but I have a few extra tips for you to ensure your success.
I usually melt the cheese in a glass bowl in the microwave, in short bursts on high. But you can also melt the cheese on the stovetop in a pot. Just be sure to keep the heat very, very low and stir constantly until the cheese is easily stirred together.
If the dough is sticky at all, it means it doesn’t have enough almond flour. Work in more flour one tablespoon at a time. The dough should be very pliable and roll out easily but it shouldn’t be tacky to the touch.
As they bake, the edge pieces often brown more quickly than the center. That’s okay, just break them off and set them aside to cool, and keep letting the rest bake and crisp up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conventional crackers are made with wheat and are quite high in carbs so they should be avoided. These keto cheese crackers, however, are very low carb and you can eat them without worry. There are also a few good brands of keto crackers on the market now, and my favorite is RealPhat Foods.
Crackers made with almond flour have fewer carbs, more protein, and more healthy fats than conventional crackers. They are also gluten-free and grain-free. So if you follow a keto or paleo diet, almond flour crackers are a healthy choice for snacking.
I have used coconut flour fathead dough to make similar crackers but it’s harder to get them to stay crisp. If you want to try it, use 1/3 cup coconut flour in place of the almond flour.
Keto Cheese Crackers Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170.1 g) shredded cheese, Cheddar or Pepper Jack
- 1 ½ cups (160 g) almond flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) garlic powder
- ¼ tsp (0.25 tsp) red pepper flakes, (optional)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- Coarse salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF and line a work surface with a large silicone baking mat. Dust the mat lightly with almond flour.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the cheese on high in 30 second increments until well melted and can be stirred together to a smooth consistency.
- Add the almond flour, salt, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and the egg, and stir to combine. Work in well together with a rubber spatula, kneading the dough up against the sides of the bowl. If the dough is really sticky, work in another few tablespoons of almond flour.
- Turn the dough out onto the prepared work surface and top with a piece of parchment or waxed paper. Roll out as thinly as you can, no more than about 1/8 inches thick.
- Cut the crackers into the desired shape and size using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife. For snack size crackers, make them about 1 inches across. To make little circles in the middle, take a straw and poke a hole in the center of each cracker. You can also simply take a fork and prick the crackers a few times.
- Brush the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle with the coarse salt, pressing lightly to adhere.
- Transfer the silicone mat to a large baking sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown and the edges are beginning to crisp up, then turn off the oven and let the crackers remain inside until crisp. Keep a close eye on them!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I made these using cheddar and added the chili pepper flakes. They were delicious and easy to make, but I rolled mine too thin and left them in the oven too long. They were still good but I’ll try another batch and not roll them out thicker. I’d like to try this with other types of cheese too, and I think your kids are right in saying that they’re like Cheez-Its. (only better) I enjoyed these even overcooked – they were cheesy with a bit of a kick from the pepper flakes. A lot lower in calories and carbs than regular crackers. Thanks for another great recipe!
Is the 6oz cheese by weight or by volume?
Ounces is a weight measurement, not a volume measurement.
Carolyn, I was wondering if it was by volume or weight . I took a chance and measured the cheese by volume which was 3/4 of a cup and it worked out perfectly.
These are so delicious, easy to make and way more affordable than any options out there on the grocery store shelves. Thank you so much. This is a wonderful recipe.
I am confused why people keep asking if the cheese should be measured by weight or by volume. Ounces is ALWAYS a weight measurement for dry ingredients. FLUID ounces are a volume measurement but they are ONLY ever used to measure liquids. Please read this for a better understanding. https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/stocking-your-low-carb-pantry/
These were delicious! I added 3.5 grams of squid ink powder to turn the dough black and then used a bat-shaped cookie cutter to make them as black bat crackers for a Halloween themed dinner.
That is SO fun!
It’s almost embarrassing how often i make these. My husband had cheeze-its. I had theses. I SWEAR these were better.
QUICK NOTE: I used my metal decorator cake tip to make the holes in the cracker. (The plain circle tip opening for lettering Wilton tip #7) Because decorator tip “v’s” out, the cracker dough didn’t clog up like it did when I tried a straw. A quick inverted tap popped the small cracker circle remains right out!
Great tip!
You must be a patient soul lol! I opted to just prick the tops and then based with butter before baking. They turned out great. I skipped the salt because I felt like there was enough salt in the cheese and they turned out perfectly. This is definitely going into my regular rotation.
can I use parchment paper?
Sure. It has a tendency to move around a lot as you try to roll out the dough…
This recipe sounds great. I’m hoping that parchment paper would work as well as a silicone mat for baking these. I got rid of my silicone mat because it was nasty and slimy.
If you use parchment paper I would spray it, just to be safe.
I wanted some crackers to eat with a cheese spread so I made these crackers for the first time. I didn’t want the pepper flavor so I substituted regular Monterey Jack cheese for the pepper jack. I think they came out spectacular! I also chose to use a fork to poke the crackers instead of the straw.
Oh no!! I used COCONUT flour instead of almond!! Is there anything I can do to salvage these ingredients? I added an extra egg and some water but it’s still a crumbly mess. Help!!
I answered this comment already… not sure what’s going on here?
Oh no!! I used COCONUT flour instead of almond!! Is there anything I can do to salvage these ingredients? I added an extra egg and some water but it’s still a crumbly mess. Help!!
I made these using red pepper cheese from Sam’s Club. The cheese is quite spicy and I love it. Didn’t change anything but the cheese and they are delicious! Thanks, Carolyn! You are the best!
Hi Carolyn – Thanks for all of your creative recipes! I was wondering about these pepper jack crackers – the Cabot PepperJack cheese comes in 8oz bricks, although I know some of their varieties come in 6oz bricks. I want to verify the recipe calls for 6oz of the 8oz brick. Thanks!
Just measure out 6 ounces from the 8 ounce blocks.
There is nothing like Cabot cheese. Crackers will be simple to make, will be nice to have, to snack on.
I love your recipes. I’m getting better at the savory items I’m making but I’m having issues with cakes, breads and such. I’ve tried so many and sorry to say they have been a disaster. I recently tried the blueberry scones and muffins. They came out awful. Really dense and just had a nasty taste. Any ideas on what I may be doing wrong.
Loved the chicken fritters! Im a widow so I do have to cut some recipes in half but they came out just fine:
Thanks for all you do!
What almond flour are you using? What sweetener? What brand of coconut flour?
Love love love these crackers! i make them all the time , Im a little lazy so I use a fork and prick the crackers. we leave them sitting on the counter and they seem to get better evert day. Great cracker to take to a party because you can make it a few days before, the only down side is you better take a few copies of the recipe because Everyone will want it.
Hi Carolyn
Do I need to wait for the cheese to cool before adding the dry ingredients? Thanks! These look awesome ????
No, you definitely do not want it to cool or the cheese will firm up to much to mix in properly.
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! Highly recommended!
Yum!! Better than cheez-its! Love these delicious cheesy crackers! Perfect protein rich cheese cracker! I’m a little nutty… I like cheese crackers in my chicken soup. These are perfect for that! 🙂
These EASY keto cheese crackers are so delicious! We love serving these with dips!
Hi Carolyn
I have made your Keto Cheese Straws and love them. I was going to make these crackers and was wondering what the difference in texture is. I use the Cheese Straws as crackers. Just wondering before I make them.
Thanks for taking the time to make sense out of this post. lol
Debbie
The cheese straws are softer, more like a sandy shortbread texture. The crackers are crisp and a little sturdier.