These Flaky and Buttery Cheese Crackers are light and delicately layered, with a texture that is closer to a cheese pastry or cheese twists than a traditional crunchy cracker. The dough is made entirely from scratch with cheddar cheese and ricotta to get perfectly golden, crisp-edged bites with a soft flaky centre. Top them with sea salt and caraway seeds and you get some savoury treats that everyone will love.
If you are looking for some savoury bites that are perfect for snacking and entertaining, these flaky cheese crackers are a fantastic homemade recipe that will be made again and again.
Together with my Cheese Twists Recipe (From Scratch), these snacks are the ultimate finger food for every occasion. They are actually pretty similar texture wise, but the crackers use ricotta cheese for a delicate touch.
Puff pastry isn't something I have ever been too curious to try to make it myself at home, but I must say that these crackers do have a puff pastry-like texture, and that's actually incredibly easy to achieve.
These are cheesy and perfect for those of you with a savoury tooth, but what really takes them to the next level is the coarse sea salt and the caraway seeds. I absolutely the seeds, but if you aren't quite the biggest fan of them, poppy seeds or sesame seeds would work too.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
- plain flour - all purpose flour
- ricotta - or mascarpone
- butter - either salted or unsalted, I prefer salted
- Cheddar cheese - mild or mature, mature will give you a sharper flavour
- egg - for brushing the crackers, it gives them a lovely golden colour
- coarse sea salt & caraway seeds - to topping the crackers
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- in a bowl, add the flour and butter cut into cubes, and use your fingertips to rub them together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs
- add the grated cheese and ricotta and knead well into a dough
- cover the dough in kitchen foil and chill it in the fridge for at least one hour
- roll the dough, and use a ravioli cutter to cut out small rectangles
- brush them with beaten egg and top with coarse sea salt and caraway seeds
- bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden
Expert tips
Unlike classic crunchy cheese crackers, these are intentionally flaky and laminated for a rough puff pastry-like texture. You must chill the dough for at least one hour, so you can get the best possibly texture.
If you work with the dough straight away, the crackers will flatten in the oven and won't have that nice lamination about them. Given that they are pretty buttery, the colder the dough, the better results.
The ravioli cutter seals the edges and adds a nice texture, but you don't have to use one, you can get any cookie cutter of your choice, the crackers will still be delicious. Depending on the size of the cutter used, they might take longer or shorter in the oven.
If you’ve tried my HOMEMADE CHEESE CRACKERS or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Flaky and Buttery Cheese Crackers
Ingredients
- 100 g plain flour (all purpose, ¾ cup)
- 100 g ricotta (â…“ cup, â…— oz)
- 100 g butter (½ cup, 3.5 oz)
- 100 g Cheddar cheese ( 1 cup, 3.5 oz)
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 2 tablespoon caraway seeds
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Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the flour and butter cut into cubes.
- Use your fingertips to rub the flour and butter together until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Add the grated cheddar cheese and ricotta.
- Use your hands to mix everything well and knead into a dough.
- Wrap the dough up with clingfilm, then refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
- Roll the dough with a rolling pin sprinkling flour to prevent the dough from sticking, then use a ravioli cutter to cut out small rectangles.
- Line 2 baking trays with non-stick paper if needed.
- Brush each cracker with beaten egg, and sprinkle sea salt and caraway seeds on top.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.
Video
Notes
- Unlike classic crunchy cheese crackers, these are intentionally flaky and laminated for a rough puff pastry-like texture. You must chill the dough for at least one hour, so you can get the best possibly texture.
- If you work with the dough straight away, the crackers will flatten in the oven and won't have that nice lamination about them. Given that they are pretty buttery, the colder the dough, the better results.
- The ravioli cutter seals the edges and adds a nice texture, but you don't have to use one, you can get any cookie cutter of your choice, the crackers will still be delicious. Depending on the size of the cutter used, they might take longer or shorter in the oven.
Nutrition
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Sophie says
Hi
I followed this recipe, and the crackers are lovely but they were softer than I was expecting… almost like a puff pastry? I like the texture but just wondered if this was correct or I’d done something wrong?!
Daniela Apostol says
The texture seems to be right - they aren't meant to be too crispy. I originally made them for my toddlers, and this texture was easier for them to deal with.
Dana says
Perfect recipe! Made this for my daughters snack box for daycare. I used cream cheese instead of ricotta, and added 1 tsp Dijon mustard and some paprika for extra flavour. Also go well with red wine for the parents 😉
Daniela Apostol says
That's great, I am glad you all enjoyed them 🙂
Alice says
Made these today for my 20 month old. They were delicious and very simple to make. My butter was well incorporated within the dough but still a lot of cubbed butter remained and lots of melted butter was on the parchment paper after baking. Assume this is normal?
Daniela Apostol says
Use your fingers to rub the flour and the butter well, in this way you should not have big lumps of butter left in the dough.
ZZ says
Hi, can I replace the multi purpose flour with oat flour and how much?
Daniela Apostol says
Hi! I am afraid I have never tried with oat flour, so I am unsure how that would change the texture and taste.
Mrs Charlie Pennell says
Could I make double the dough and freeze one lot to use in the future?
Daniela Apostol says
Yes, absolutely!
Sara says
Hi can these be made without being chilled? Wanted to make at my school but wouldn't have time to chill. Thanks x
Daniela Apostol says
Hi! They can be, but the pastry might spread in the oven and the cookies might not be that uniform. A chilled pastry helps with the flakiness too. I hope that helps!
Nimarta Kaur says
Super easy to make and tastes amazing!!! Didn't have ricotta at home so used cream cheese and was super super yummy!! Thank youuuuu
Daniela Apostol says
I am glad you liked them 😊
Naz says
Hi how to store it for longer, about a week ?
Daniela Apostol says
Hi! An airtight container kept in a cool place should help.
Jenna Holden says
Can these be frozen after making and the defrosted when needed ?
Daniela Apostol says
Yes, absolutely!
Heather says
Hi I'm having trouble finding where the US Customary Link is located for cups instead of grams. Let me know if you get the chance. Thanks!
Daniela Anderson says
Hi! I have updated the link, you should be able to see it now!
Heather says
Thank you!
Nadia says
Hi there, instead of ricotta can I use cream cheese?
Daniela Anderson says
Yes, it should work the same way.
Iana says
Hello, very easy recipe. Im sure these taste good! Can I use wholewheat flour?
Daniela Anderson says
Thank you! Yes, absolutely, but you might need to add a bit less flour, since the wholewheat one is denser than the regular white flour. Add about 3 quarters of flour first, then add more if necessary. I hope it helps.
Free says
Regarding storage, can it be frozen?
Daniela Anderson says
Yes, they can be frozen. To defrost, just place them in the oven, but keep an eye on them not to brown too much.
Sharon Shutovich says
How do you store them?
Daniela Anderson says
In a plastic container they will last for 2-3 days. They can be left at room temperature.
Robyn Harmon says
Instead of flour, I would like to use coconut flour. Do you know the amount of coconut flour that I would be able to use instead of the flour?
Daniela Anderson says
Hi! Thank you for your comment! I'm afraid I have not used coconut flour before, so I am unsure what texture you get if you use it. I assume you will need more flour, since the coconut one is not as dense as a wheat flour. I would start with a cup of coconut flour, and add more until you get a dough that can easily be rolled and cut into differnt shapes.