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This Vegan Cheez-Its Recipe is a fun snack you can make at home. With just a few simple ingredients, you will have crispy, cheesy vegan crackers ready to eat.
Guys, this recipe is super fun. I mean who doesn’t love a crispy, cheesy, salty vegan cracker? And while there are pre-made vegan cheez-it options at the store, sometimes you just want to take on the challenge, and make them yourself.
As you may know I am not the biggest fan of vegan cheese. You rarely see it in my recipes and I have openly discussed my aversion to it on Instagram. BUT, I feel like when it comes to this recipe, you can’t really taste any weird “vegan cheese tang” (as I like to call it). And let’s be honest, it’s not like original Cheez-its taste like real cheese anyways – from what I remember at least 🙂
So, if you already have a favorite vegan cheddar shreds brand, go ahead and use it. I went with Miyoko’s.
How to Make Vegan Cheez-Its
These are pretty straight forward to make. Add the vegan cheese, seasonings and flour to a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add in some very cold vegan butter and pulse again.
Lastly, add some water until the dough forms into a ball. This is where things can get a little tricky. Depending on the vegan cheese you use and how cold your vegan butter is, you may need to add more or less water. You want the dough to stick together, but you don’t want it to be wet.
Don’t worry too much about it, you can always add more flour when you roll out the dough if it is too wet.
How to Roll Out Cracker Dough
There are a couple methods to rolling out the dough. You want to roll it super thin, so an easy way to accomplish this is by placing the ball of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and rolling it out that way.
The other way you can do it is by placing the dough on a floured surface and rolling it out. If you follow this method, your dough will inevitably have more flour added to it, which will make it easier to transfer the crackers to the baking sheet. It will alter the end result slightly.
Both methods turn out tasty crackers, so you will be good either way.
How to Cut Out Vegan Cheez-Its
I used this super handy cracker cutter to make these crackers look official. But you can simply cut them into squares using a knife or pizza cutter.
The tricky part is transferring the cut dough to the baking sheet. Don’t worry if they lose some of their shape as you transfer them. After they bake they will look just fine.
The last step you need to do to make these look “super official”, is poke a hole into the center of each cracker. Obviously not necessary, but cute.
Need more vegan snacks? Check out these recipes:
- Air Fryer Buffalo Tempeh
- BLT Summer Roles
- Avocado Egg Rolls
- Chickpea Salad Pinwheels
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Vegan Cheez-Its Recipe
Servings: 80 crackers
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Chill Time: 20 minutes mins
Total Time: 45 minutes mins
This Vegan Cheez-Its Recipe is a fun snack you can make at home. With just a few simple ingredients, you will have crispy, cheesy vegan crackers ready to eat.
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Instructions
Add vegan cheddar, flour, garlic powder, smoked paprika and salt to a food processor. Pulse until combined.
Add the chilled butter and pulse again. Lastly, slowly pour water in while the food processor is running. Only add water until the dough forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
To roll the dough out, you have 2 options. You can place the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll out with a rolling pin. You can also add the dough to a floured surface and roll out with a rolling pin. You want the dough as thin as possible.*
Once the dough is rolled out, cut out the crackers using a cracker cutter**, knife or pizza cutter. Carefully transfer the crackers to the baking sheets.*** Use a kabob stick (or other pointy tool) to poke a hole into the center of each cracker – optional. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt and place in the oven for 15-17 minutes.
Remove the crackers from the oven and allow to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
*If you notice the dough is too wet when rolling it out (i.e. it sticks too much and is super hard to transfer the cut out pieces to the baking sheet) add 1-2 tbsp of flour to dough and knead it through. Try rolling it out again.
**I used the medium size of this cracker cutter set.
***Don’t worry too much if the crackers lose some of their shape as you transfer them to the baking sheet. They don’t need to be perfect squares and will look just fine after you bake them.
****I’m going to recommend eating these right away. I’m sure you could store them in an airtight container for a few days, but I don’t know exactly how that works with vegan cheese in the mix, and don’t want you to risk it 🙂
*Inspired by Half Baked Harvest
Calories: 7kcal, Carbohydrates: 1g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Sodium: 19mg, Potassium: 5mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Iron: 1mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Snack
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If you make any of these recipes be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag#thissavoryveganand@thissavoryvegan!
FAQs
One of the primary ingredients in Cheez-It® snack crackers is 100% real dairy cheese, making Cheez-It® crackers not vegan.
What are the three main ingredients in Cheez-Its? ›
From the Package
ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 [THIAMIN MONONITRATE], VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN], FOLIC ACID), SOYBEAN OIL (WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS), WHITE CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK, CHEESE CULTURES, SALT, ENZYMES).
When was Cheez-It invented? ›
On March 31, 1921, Green introduced Cheez-It crackers, commonly called Cheez-Its, as a new product. The company marketed the cracker as a "baked rarebit", a reference to a dish of melted cheese over toast. On May 23, 1921, the first Cheez-It logo was submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
How much cheese is in Cheez-Its? ›
That's 100% real cheese.
Is Cheez-It gluten free? ›
Unfortunately, most Cheez-It crackers contain wheat flour, which means they are NOT gluten-free. If you're wanting a cheesy cracker snack fix, definitely check out these Cheese Bites from Schar-they are 100% gluten-free!
What is the Cheez-It controversy? ›
A Controversial Food Preservative Hides in the Crackers. The Gist: Cheez-It baked snack crackers have been a hit for over a century. Though they're "made with real cheese," ingredients like food preservative TBHQ, high levels of sodium, and enriched flour make them fairly unhealthy.
What are the side effects of TBHQ? ›
The possible dangers
And according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), cases of vision disturbances have been reported when humans consume TBHQ. This organization also cites studies that have found TBHQ to cause liver enlargement, neurotoxic effects, convulsions, and paralysis in laboratory animals.
What cheese is vegan but real? ›
Real Vegan Cheese (RVC) is a grassroots, non-profit research project working to produce real cheese using cellular agriculture. We add the genes for cheese proteins to yeast and other microflora, and turn them into little protein factories, then make real cheese by adding plant-based fats and sugars.
Why are Ritz Crackers not vegan? ›
Around 60% of the available Ritz Cracker varieties do contain non-vegan ingredients, notably those boasting cheese as part or all of the flavor. The Originals Honey Wheat is likewise not vegan. Some unexpected varieties of Ritz also contain various dairy ingredients including milk and its many derivatives.
What the heck is vegan cheese? ›
What Ingredients Are in Vegan Cheese? Vegan cheeses are 100% animal-free and made using vegetable proteins. Usually, they're made from soy; nuts, such as cashews and macadamias; and vegetable oils, such as coconut oil. You can also find cheeses that derive from agar, tapioca, peas and arrowroot.
Kellogg explained the reasoning behind the more peculiar name, “Kellanova,” saying that the “Kell” part “overtly recognizes” its name to the former company, and “anova” combines the letter 'a' and the Latin word for new, “nova.” The logo features the recognizable “K” and a sassy, forward-pointing 'v' that signifies its ...
Is red dye 40 in Cheez-Its? ›
From the Package
CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF MALTODEXTRIN, GARLIC POWDER, SALT, SUGAR, MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, SODIUM DIACETATE, CHILI PEPPER POWDER, DRY HOT SAUCE (RED PEPPERS, VINEGAR, SALT, GARLIC), NATURAL FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID, VINEGAR SOLIDS, PAPRIKA EXTRACT COLOR, RED 40 LAKE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE.
What is the British version of Cheez-It? ›
Wotsits is a British brand of cheese flavoured corn puffs sold first by Golden Wonder and now by Walkers Crisps. The most common form is the "Really Cheesy" flavour of corn puffs.
Is Cheez-It Tabasco being discontinued? ›
We are no longer contracting with "Tabasco" therefore, the image and claim has been removed from the packaging. However, the flavor composition has NOT changed. We still have hot sauce in our product for that spicy flavor you love.
Why is Cheez-It so good? ›
Cheez-It® reveals to the world their secret of how they've been making their crackers so delicious: It's all in the 100% real cheese!
Can vegans eat Cheez-Its? ›
Unveiling the Truth About Cheez-Its and Dairy
Cheese, being a dairy product, is not considered vegan due to its animal-derived nature.
Is there a healthy version of Cheez-Its? ›
Baked kale chips seasoned with nutritional yeast offer a cheesy taste and satisfying crunch. They are high in vitamins A, K, and C, and lower in calories compared to Cheez-Its. While not cheesy, these snacks are savory and provide a satisfying crunch.
What does cheese it mean in slang? ›
Stop, look out, as in Cheese it! Here come the cops! This term, generally stated as an imperative, may have been a replacement for the earlier “Stop at once.”
Do celiacs eat cheese? ›
If you have coeliac disease, you can eat the following foods, which naturally do not contain gluten: most dairy products, such as cheese, butter and milk. fruits and vegetables. meat and fish (although not breaded or battered)
Are M&Ms gluten-free? ›
The following Mars candies have no gluten-containg ingredients: M&Ms (except pretzel, crispy, and potentially seasonal items) Milky Way Caramel Bars (not the original Milky Way Bar) Snickers Bars.
Cheeses
- Blue cheese is usually gluten-free. ...
- Brie is gluten-free. ...
- Cheddar cheese is gluten-free.
- Cottage cheese is usually gluten-free, but some brands may contain wheat starch or modified food starch made from wheat. ...
- Cream cheese is gluten-free.
- Feta cheese is gluten-free.
- Goat cheese is gluten-free.
This product has 5 ingredients with concerns:
- TBHQ. This additive is of higher concern in food. ...
- DISODIUM PHOSPHATE. This additive is of moderate concern in food.
- Natural and Artificial Flavor. This additive is of lower concern in food.
- Enzyme. This additive is of lower concern in food.
- RIBOFLAVIN.
TBHQ is obtained from a hydroquinone substituted with a tert-butyl group. In 1972, it was FDA-approved for its use as a food antioxidant. In 1998, TBHQ was authorized as a food additive by the FAO/WHO Expert Committee, and in 2004 its approval was confirmed by the European Food Safety Authority.
What are the white balls in Cheez-It Mix? ›
A perfectly seasoned snack mix of Cheez-It® crackers made with real cheese, salty pretzels, mini toasted bread slices, savory wheat squares, and cheese-flavored rice balls!
