These homemade gluten free and vegan Cheez it crackers are made with simple ingredients you've probably already have stocked in the pantry. They're the best vegan goldfish alternative and satisfy any cheddar cracker craving without the dairy. All you need is 7 ingredients!
Cheesy cheez it crackers were one of my favorite snacks growing up. My dad would buy them in bulk. Seriously, 5-10 boxes at a time...lol. When I went vegan, I knew I had to create a vegan and gluten free homemade version that would be nostalgic of my old favorites.
These copycat vegan cheez it crackers are seriously a crowd pleaser and will take you on a trip down memory lane!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make! Finding gluten free and vegan cheez it crackers in stores is no easy feat. But making them from scratch is not only easy, but cheaper and addicting! All you need is 10 minutes to prep the homemade gluten free cheez it dough. Perfect to pair with my Dairy Free Charcuterie Board.
- Easy to control the salt. If you're looking for low sodium vegan snack option, you'll love making homemade vegan cheddar crackers. Add as much or as little salt as you'd like.
- Great for on the go lunches. If you work out of the home and are looking for a healthier grab and go vegan snack idea, these crackers are perfect for you! Make them over the weekend and eat them all week long. You can even make a double or triple batch if you're sharing with a partner or larger family!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- gluten free flour - When making these gluten free cheez it crackers, it is important to use a 1 to 1 GF flour blend. Isolated gluten free flours like oat flour, almond flour, cassava flour etc. are not going to work. Each absorbs a different amount of liquid and cannot be substituted for one another 1 to 1. When possible, please use Bob's Red Mill GF 1 to 1 flour for best results.
- vegan butter - I recommend using vegan butter sticks like Earth Balance or a block of vegan butter like Miyokos Creamery. Avoid using whipped vegan butter spreads.
- corn meal - Adding cornmeal to the gluten free cheez it crackers helps makes them crunchy and crumbly. For best results use finely ground corn meal instead of coarsely ground corn meal.
- nutritional yeast - Nutritional yeast is the magic vegan ingredient that makes these vegan cheez its taste cheesy with no dairy. If you prefer, you can substitute the nutritional yeast with vegan parmesan 1 to 1.
Step by Step Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix together the gluten free flour, nutritional yeast, corn meal, baking powder, and garlic powder.
- Add butter and oil. Using a wooden spatula, slowly mix the butter and oil into the dry ingredients. This mixture will still be very dry and crumbly and doesn't need to be perfect - just mix the butter and oil in as best you can.
- Slowly add in the water. Continue to mix to combine until a dough ball forms.
- Roll out the gluten free cheez it dough. On a large piece of parchment paper, roll out the vegan cheez it dough until the dough is about ¼" thick. Do your best to roll the dough out evenly.
- Cut the dough into 1" squares. Starting from top to bottom, then side to side, cut 1 inch squares within the dough. Form any leftover scraps into another dough ball, then roll it out to cut additional squares.
- Bake! Transfer the parchment paper to a baking sheet, and bake the vegan cheez it crackers for 15-20 minutes or until they are golden and crispy. Enjoy!
Storing Instructions
Baked vegan cheez its are best stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Freezing these vegan cheddar crackers is not recommended.
Time Saving Hacks
- Make the dough ahead of time! If you don't have time to prep and bake these vegan cheez it crackers in one day, you can split it into two days. Form the gluten free cheez it dough by following steps 1 to 4, then tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Then, in a day or two, and continue following steps to roll out dough and bake.
FAQs
Yes, store-bought cheez it crackers are made with wheat flour and are not gluten free.
Homemade gluten free cheez it crackers don't contain preservatives, so they have a shorter shelf life than store-bought crackers. If stored in an airtight container at room temperature, your homemade crackers should last for about 1 week.
These homemade crackers are healthier than store-bought cheez it because they are dairy free, low in fat, lower in salt, and contain more nutrition. They're the perfect alternative that you can easily make from scratch.
If your crackers ended up chewy, they were either underbaked or not rolled out thin enough. Chewy crackers are a result of them containing too much moisture, so make sure to roll the dough ¼" thin and bake until crunchy.
Tips for Success
- Brush your crackers with oil to make them extra golden and crispy! If you want extra golden, crispy gluten-free cheez it crackers, lightly brush the crackers with olive oil before baking.
- Take care to cut the cheez-it crackers evenly. If the dairy free crackers are cut different sizes, they will bake differently and some are likely to over bake and some are likely to underbake.
More Vegan Snack Ideas You'll Love
If you make this recipe, I would absolutely love for you to leave a rating and review. I absolutely love connecting with you!
Gluten Free + Vegan Cheez It
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten free flour I used Bob's Red Mill 1-1
- 1 tbsp yellow corn meal
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp vegan butter melted
- ¼ cup + 1 ½ tbsp cold water
- Course sea salt for topping
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lay parchment paper on a flat surface.
- In a large bowl, combined all the gluten free flour, corn meal, nutritional yeast, baking powder and garlic powder. Mix until it is combined.
- Using a wooden spoon, add in the melted butter and olive oil. It will not mix too well, and it will be very crumbly.
- Slowly add in the cold water and continue to mix. It may be easiest to do it by hand. Continue to mix until a dough forms.
- Place the ball onto the parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll the mixture flat, to about ¼ of an inch. Try your best to make sure it is even throughout.
- Starting from top to bottom, then side to side, cut 1 inch squares within the dough. This will be your cheez-it.
- If you have any pieces, specifically on the sides, that do not make a square shape, combine the pieces into a ball then re-roll it, repeating the step 6 to make more crackers.
- Place parchment paper on cooking tray and cook for 15-20 minutes, until they are crispy on the bottom. Enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
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