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CPA: Certified Pastry Aficionado

Cheddar Sesame Crackers

appetizer· Easter· snacks· Tailgating Recipes
January 10, 2022

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Cheddar Sesame Crackers – Crispy, buttery crackers loaded with cheddar cheese and topped with sesame seeds

close up of bowl of cheddar sesame cracker

I used to think making my own chips and crackers was a silly waste of time. Why make when I can buy? After making these crackers, I am not ashamed to say how wrong I was.

Homemade crackers have a stronger flavor and a flakier texture than anything I’ve bought before. And because you control the ingredients, you can make them taste however you like! I love sesame seeds so I added them to a cheesy cracker. I also added in a pinch of cayenne for a hint of heat that barely hits the back of your palette.

The resulting snack was these Cheddar Sesame Crackers. How yummy do these look??

zoomed out shot of bowl of cheddar sesame crackers
overhead shot of cheddar sesame crackers in a bowl
cheddar sesame crackers laying on a striped napkin

Similar to pie dough

The process to making these crackers is, funnily enough, similar to making a pie dough. It’s formed in a food processor and derives most of it’s moisture from fat. In this case, the fat comes from butter and cheese. Water is only added to help it come together. Only 2 tablespoons are needed, though!

Forming the crackers

After the dough has formed, it’s chilled to get slightly firm. Then, it’s rolled out into a square and brushed with egg wash. The egg wash helped the sesame seeds stick to the cracker. The seeds get sprinkled all over the dough. Finally, the dough is sliced into smaller rectangles. I used a fluted pastry cutter to form crinkle edges on mine. But you can use a simple pizza cutter, too.

The crackers are baked until crispy and slightly brown on top.

baked cheddar sesame crackers on a baking sheet

Tips & Tricks

  1. The dough in this recipe is made with a food processor. It chops up the cheese and butter perfectly into the flour. I think it will be pretty hard to do without a food processor so I don’t recommend making this recipe by hand.
  2. Make sure you cook the crackers until they start to brown on top. This ensures they’re perfectly crispy and the sesame seeds toast on top.
  3. Only use a dash of cayenne in the dough. You won’t taste any heat from it but you will get a little flavor kick at the end of each bite.
Print Recipe

Cheddar Sesame Crackers

Prep Time30 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Chilling time:1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 50 minutes mins
Servings: 64 crackers

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • 6 tablespoons butter unsalted, cold, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 1 egg wash (1 beaten egg with 1 teaspoon water)
  • 3 tablespoons sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Add shredded cheese, flour, cornstarch, salt, and cayenne to the bowl of a food processor. Close and blend until combined, about 15 seconds. Add cubed cold butter and process until mixture resembles wet sand and butter is in teeny pieced.
  • Turn processor on and drizzle in cold water. Process until dough forms, about 10-15 seconds. Turn off. Split dough into two halves and form each half into a square of dough. Wrap eat with plastic wrap and chill until more firm. at least 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove one square from the fridge and place onto clean counter dusted with a little flour. Using a rolling pin, roll square until each edge is 9-inches long. Trim the edges so they are smooth, making an 8-inch square. Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with half of the sesame seeds.
  • Cut square into 8 strips. Cut each strip into four rectangles. Pierce each rectangle with a fork about 4 times. Place onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in preheated oven for about 18 minutes or until the tops just begin to brown. Repeat with other square of dough.
  • Let the crackers cool completely before serving.

Pin for later:

collage of cheddar sesame crackers with descriptive text

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20 Comments

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Comments

  1. Amy Nash says

    January 17, 2022 at 12:16 am

    Such a tasty little snack and they were fun to make too! So much better than storebought crackers!

    Reply
  2. Tammy says

    January 16, 2022 at 3:02 pm

    Cheddar crackers are my guilty pleasure. I’ve not tried making my own but my goodness these look SO good! I love that buttery crisp texture…they definitely will not last long in my house!

    Reply
  3. Aya says

    January 16, 2022 at 10:10 am

    These are so good and easy to make! They are cheesy and amazing! I will definitely be making them again!

    Reply
  4. Amanda Mason says

    January 16, 2022 at 9:08 am

    I’m still in shock with how easy these were to make. And so delicious!

    Reply
  5. Dennis Littley says

    January 15, 2022 at 7:02 pm

    I made a batch of your crackers and they were devoured in minutes!

    Reply
  6. Veronika Sykorova says

    January 15, 2022 at 1:22 pm

    I remember making similar crackers every few weeks when I was a kid, it was our family’s favorite snack! Just without the cheese. These were really good! Will definitely make again.

    Reply
  7. Kayla DiMaggio says

    January 13, 2022 at 9:56 am

    Yum! I am loving these cheddar sesame crackers! So easy and delicious!

    Reply
  8. Tisha says

    January 11, 2022 at 5:15 pm

    These look so simple to make and delicious!

    Reply
  9. Irena says

    January 11, 2022 at 4:02 pm

    OMG, these are dangerously good. Very hard to stop eating…but not complaining. Great recipe, never made crackers like this before.

    Reply
  10. Kate says

    January 11, 2022 at 4:01 pm

    These crackers were amazing! Let’s just say I am not buying from the stores again, now that I have learned to make my own!

    Reply
  11. Jessie says

    January 11, 2022 at 3:58 pm

    These were so light and crisp! My kids went crazy for these crackers and I can’t wait to make them again!

    Reply
  12. Vanessa says

    January 11, 2022 at 3:49 pm

    This is such an easy and delicious recipe. I love these crackers!

    Reply
  13. Denay DeGuzman says

    January 11, 2022 at 3:49 pm

    These crackers are amazing! And super easy to assemble. I made a double batch to pack as snacks for going boating. So tasty. This yummy recipe’s a keeper.

    Reply
  14. Vanessa says

    January 11, 2022 at 3:46 pm

    This is such an easy and delicious recipe. They are dangerously moorish!

    Reply
  15. Sandhya Ramakrishnan says

    January 11, 2022 at 11:14 am

    Homemade cheese crackers are the best ever and these look so tempting. I am in love with the recipe and they are so easy to make.

    Reply
  16. Marta says

    January 10, 2022 at 8:51 pm

    These remind me of cheez-its, only a gazillion times more tasty and healthy.

    Reply
  17. Amber Myers says

    January 10, 2022 at 8:18 pm

    Oooo these look amazing! I have always liked munching on crackers.

    Reply
  18. Karen says

    January 10, 2022 at 8:14 pm

    These crackers look delicious! Love the combo of cheddar and sesame, think I am going to try this recipe over the weekend.

    Reply
  19. Gloria says

    January 10, 2022 at 3:43 pm

    I have never tried to make homemade crackers. These sound delicious and I bet they are addictive too. Perfect for snacking.

    Reply
  20. Megan says

    January 10, 2022 at 3:32 pm

    My kids LOVE to make homemade crackers. It’s definitely better than store-bought. I bet they’ll love these ones since they look cheesy!

    Reply

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Hi, my name is Sharon. I’m an accountant by day, risk-taking baker and food enthusiast by night. Come join me as I share my favorite recipes and test out new ones along the way!

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