Think it's a big deal to make homemade crackers? Think again! These easy wheat-thin-like Sriracha cheese crackers bring an incredible, spicy & cheesy flavor that you just can't find in store-bought crackers.
Have you tried homemade crackers? I know it seems silly to make crackers when you can buy good quality crackers inexpensively - but believe me, this recipe is amazing! I think it will have you adding cracker-making to your regular baking list.
I had made crackers a couple of times before, most notably my other "worth-it" cracker, Whole Wheat Sourdough Crackers which are crispy and have a really good sourdough flavor - plus it's an easy and quick way to use up your extra starter.
While crackers don't take as long to make as you'd think (just about an hour), most recipes do involve rolling and cutting, so they have to be really good for me to want to take the time to make them.
This whole wheat Sriracha cheese crackers recipe - and the sourdough recipe - definitely makes my short-list of crackers that are worth it.
Whole Wheat Sriracha Cheese Crackers
Mixing in a food processor makes quick work of the dough, but you do have to plan for an hour to refrigerate the dough to make it easier to roll out.
After that it's just a matter of rolling, cutting (a pizza wheel makes quick work of that, too!), spraying with olive oil and salting the tops before baking.
You can use a sharp cheddar cheese like I did or try your hand at mixing up the flavors - maybe parmesan or Fontina?
If you're worried about the spice, the Sriracha really adds more flavor than spice, and you can use the smallest amount - or leave it out if you want.
But then you'll have just cheese crackers - but that isn't a bad thing, is it? Make them like you want!
I used the 1-1/2 teaspoons and we'd only call it "slightly spicy." Though we do like spicy things, so there's that. Start with 1/2 teaspoon if you're not sure and work up from there.
And oh, the flavor of these Sriracha cheese crackers is incredible!
We ate them plain and also as an easy appetizer spread with cream cheese and my home-canned Spicy Rhubarb Chutney. So far my whole family has raved about them, eating the first batch quickly and asking for more.
I, um, ate my fair share, too - they're a little bit addictive! Plus everybody is like, "you made crackers?" It's like you're Ma Ingalls or something (well, if she had Sriracha, ha!).
Trust me, these crackers are really that good. If you've never tried your hand at crackers before, you'll want to start now - like, right now. I hope you have some Sriracha and cheddar in the house!
Whole Wheat Sriracha Cheese Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 4 tablespoons cold butter cut into pieces
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese*
- 1/2 to 1½ teaspoons Sriracha**
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- coarse salt and oil for topping
Instructions
- In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, salt, and butter pieces. Pulse until the butter is incorporated and no large bits remain. Add the cheese and process a to combine.
- Add the Sriracha and water and pulse until the mixture forms a ball. Remove dough to a piece of wax paper, flatten a bit and wrap with the paper. Refrigerate for about an hour.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly flour a cutting board and roll half the dough out to an even 1/8-inch thickness (keeping the other half covered in the wax paper). Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into squares, triangles, or rectangles (Tip: don't worry too much about uniform shape).
- Spray the tops with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with pinches of coarse salt before transferring the crackers to a parchment or silicone-lined cookie sheet. Leave just a bit of space between each - they don't spread, but shouldn't touch.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, rotating halfway for more even cooking if needed. The crackers should be mostly golden brown, but there will be variety - some more brown than others. If you care, you can remove the darkest ones and continue cooking the others (I don't bother, it's just another sign that they are homemade and imperfect, to me). The lighter ones will still be crunchy, though they might have some chew to them as well.
- Repeat with the other half of dough, rolling and cutting while the first batch is baking.
- Cool the crackers completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container. I'm sure they'd last a week somewhere and still be crunchy, but not in our house!
Notes
Nutrition
Other easy snacks to Try
Sourdough Whole Wheat Crackers Recipe
Game Day Sriracha-Honey Nut Mix
Healthy Maple Sweetened Chili Pecans
Cashew, Cranberry & White Chocolate Granola Bites
Pantry Basic: Ultimate No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars
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Janae says
Hi Jami!
These crackers sound wonderful! Good thing there is still tons of snow on the ground here making me feel like a baking day! I remember making crackers when we were kids "just for fun." Hmm, not a fan of spicy so I will make just cheese crackers. I'm off to the kitchen now to try these "just for fun!"
Jami says
Hope you enjoy them any way you make them, Janae!
[email protected] says
Hi Jami,
Just wanted to let you know that we still use this recipe for our house standard cheesy crackers every couple weeks! We don't always do the sriracha--sometimes we play around with other spices and herbs--but we always love the results. Thanks!
Jami says
Oh, Jon, I LOVE reading this - thanks for letting me know how much you are enjoying the crackers!
Lisa says
I've made these several times now, they are SO good, if you haven't made them yet do yourself a favor and just make a double batch right off the bat, trust me! And may I suggest brushing or spraying with olive oil and sprinkling with salt BEFORE you cut them? Also, I left the salt out of the dough, finding the cheddar and salt sprinkled on top to be plenty.
Thank you for posting this recipe!
Jami says
Yeah! These don't last very long when I make them here, so my family agrees with you, Lisa. 🙂
Shauna says
These crackers are fantastic!! We ate them all the day they were made!! And you are right about the past machine, tried it before I read your response and it tore up the dough!
Jami says
So glad you liked them, Shauna!!
lisa says
When I try these, I'm going to spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt BEFORE I cut them! Bam!
brenda from ar says
We had these for dinner tonight with one of your soup recipes. They are wonderful. Thanks.
Jami says
Yeah, Brenda! Aren't they something? It's like I never thought I'd bother making crackers and then I tried it and they're SO good, now it's why wouldn't I make crackers, ha! Glad you enjoyed the soup, too. 😉
Jenelle says
ok, Jamie I'm going to give these a shot. I've always thought about making my own crackers, but it looked like a lot of work. But it actually doesn't look too bad. Well See!
Jami says
Great, Jenelle! You're right, they aren't a lot of work, but they do take some time - worth it, I think you'll see!
Laura says
Just stumbled upon this recipe and had to try it. They are so great!!
Kellie says
I wonder if you could us a pasta machine - hand cranked - to roll out the dough? I am awful at rolling with a rolling pin!
Jami says
I don't know, Kellie. I think this dough might be too delicate, but that's just my impression. You can always try. 🙂
lin says
i've done that with other cracker dough and it works wonderfully
Anonymous says
Wow, this sounds very good, i will give it my attention very soon...have a vacation to go to.
Thank you for sharing Jami. C.N.
P.S. where do you find such recipes??? 🙂