by 
Light and crisp with a cheese flavour, these Homemade Cheese Crackers are a tasty addition to lunchboxes, snack plates, or grazing boards. They bake in just 12 minutes and freeze beautifully, making them great for batch prep.
Crackers are always a hit with little snackers, and these homemade cheese crackers are no exception. Made with real cheese and full of crunchy goodness, they're a great alternative to store-bought versions.
They are loved by my two Little Foodies, just like our other homemade crackers; Sweet Potato Crackers, Chickpea Crackers and Scottish Oatcakes.
Jump to:
Reasons to Love This Recipe
- Freezer Friendly - Store well to have at all times.
- Lunchbox Filler - perfect for snack time or school lunches.
- Delicious - that cheesy flavour kids adore.
- Kids in the Kitchen - an easy recipe great for getting toddlers and kids involved in cooking.
Ingredient Information (and Alternative Suggestions)
- Quinoa Flakes - Add a light, nutty flavour and a boost of protein. If you don't have quinoa flakes you can sub with rolled oats or a little more flour.
- Sesame Seeds - Provides crush and nutty flavour, can skip.
- Cheddar Cheese - Use a strong cheddar for a cheesier taste and. You can mix with parmesan for a sharper flavour. Younger children may prefer a mild cheese.
- Butter - use unsalted if trying to control sodium levels in younger kids.
- All Purpose Flour (plain floour). Forms the base of the dough, can sub with white whole wheat but whole wheat will give a denser texture.
- Baking Powder - gives a lighter texture. If you prefer a crispier texture then skip.
- Milk - used to bind the dough, could sub with water.
Step by Step Instructions (With Images)
- Blitz: Add the quinoa flakes and sesame seeds to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add the butter, cheese, flour and baking powder, pulse until crumbly
- Form Dough: Add the milk and continue to process until the mixture starts to come together into a dough.
- Roll: Gently knead the dough on a lightly floured surface, then roll with a rolling pin between two sheets of parchment paper until around 5mm thick.
- Cut and Bake: Cut out desired shapes using a cookie cutter, sharp knife, pizza cutter or fluted pastry wheel. Place on baking sheet and bake until golden brown.
Top Tips
- Boost Flavour: Mix up the flavour by adding spices and herbs such asn garlic or onion powder, smoked paprika, rosemary or thyme.
- Use Freshly Grated Cheese: used freshly grated for best flavour and texture. The pre-shredded cheese often contain additives which stop it melting as well.
- Roll Evenly: Aim for an even thickness around 5mm (¼ inch) so the crackers bake uniformly.
- Check Early: Ovens vary, so keep an eye on them around the 10 min mark, they can turn golden quickly.
- Cool Completely: Let the crackers cool fully on wire rack for maximum crunch.
Storage Instructions
- Room Temperature: Store cooled crackers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Add a sheet of baking paper between layers to keep them crisp.
- Freezing: Freeze in an airtight container or freezable bag for up to 2 months.
- Avoid humidity: Moisture will soften the crackers.
Recipe FAQs
Hard , crispy crackers can be a choking hazard, so if making these for under-twos, ensure to roll the dough thicker so that they aren't too firm once baked. You can also serve with soup or dips to soften them.
These crackers contain what, dairy and sesame, all potential allergens. Each should be introduced separately and safely before offering this recipe.
Most babies can manage these from around 10 months onwards, once confidently eating finger foods and able to bite and chew well. However please be mindful of salt levels. Reduce the cheese and use unsalted butter to reduce sodium. Cut into easy to hold strips or larger pieces.
For informational purposes only. Every baby develops on their own timeline. Make choices that feel right for your child, and never disregard or delay seeing professional advice because of something you have read here.
You can try using a gluten free flour and dairy free cheese and plant based butter & milk. However the texture and flavour will differ and the recipe has not been tested with these substitutions.
Didn't find the answer you were looking for? Ask AI to help based on this specific recipe...
*AI responses are for general guidance only. Healthy Little Foodies is not responsible for their accuracy or reliability.
More Cheese Recipes...
Looking for more healthy kid recipes?Sign up for my free recipe newsletter to get new family friendly recipes in your inbox each week! Find me sharing more kid-friendly inspiration on Pinterest and Instagram.
Homemade Cheese Crackers
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor
Ingredients
- 45g (½ cup) quinoa flakes * can sub with rolled oats.
- ½ tbsp sesame seeds
- 50g (3 ½ tbsp) butter ,cut into small cubes, unsalted best for younger kids.
- 75g (¾ cup) cheddar cheese ,finely grated (shredded)
- 65g (½ cup) all purpose flour (plain flour)
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (fan)/ 350℉ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- Add the quinoa flakes and sesame seeds to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the butter, cheese, flour and baking powder and pulse until crumbly.
- Add the milk and continue to process until the mixture comes together.
- Gently knead the dough on a floured surface and then roll, between sheets of baking paper, until approx 5mm (¼ inch) thick.
- Cut out desired shapes using cookie cutters, pizza cuter or fluted pastry wheel.
- Bake for approx. 12 mins, or until lightly golden.
- Allow to cool for approx 2 mins before transferring to racks to completely cool.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutritional facts
*Recipe first published Aug 2017, it was updated Nov 2025 based on reader feedback. Recipe halved, flour changed and alternative to quinoa flakes given. If you wish a copy of the original recipe please email me. amy (at) healthylittlefoodies (dot) com.
Paola
Hi!
We’re leaving soon for the holidays and I think I’ll give this a go as on-the-road snack!
I don’t own a food processor big enough though: I can still knead the dough by hand, right?
Thank you for all these lovely recipes
Amy
I am so sorry for the late response, Paola. To be honest I don't think it would work by only kneading. THe food processor also breaks down the quinoa flakes. They would be a lot more textured.
Christina
Made these last night and they are fantastic!!
Can I ask how you would recommend freezing them? I purposely made mini version for my 13 month old, so this made a LOT of crackers, that even I couldn't binge eat! Thankyou xx
Amy
Thanks Christina, I'm thrilled you liked them. You can pop the leftovers in an airtight container and freeze, they freeze well 🙂
Cristin
My 2 y.o. daughter loved these crackers... as in, she ate nearly half the batch in 24 hours. This recipe was perfect-easy to make, delicious, and healthy! Thank you for another hit.
Simone
I hope you are not offended but I completely butchered this recipe because I did not have everything in the pantry/fridge to make them but really wanted to. I swapped the spelt four for teff flour, used unsalted butter but with a pinch of salt and added an egg because the dough was a little too dry. I also couldn’t get to my kitchen machine so I just mixed it up in a bowl without processing. Baked for approx. 17 minutes. Still turned out delicious!
Amy
Love it! So happy the recipe worked for you, even though you didn't have all the ingredients! Thanks for the comment and detailing what you used to replace the ingredients. Great to know!
Nadine
Delicious! I used an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend and these came-out perfect. The dough was very workable- I was able to re-roll five times without sacrificing the flakiness of the pastry. My fussy son was also a fan!
Amy
Thanks Nadine, so happy these were a hit with you and that your son liked them too 🙂
Violeta
Great recipe! I have a question, am I going to get from these ingredients 1kg of cookies??
Amy
Hi Violeta, these do make a lot of cookies - I'm not sure of the total weight. They freeze well though. Alternatively, you could half the recipe.
Jade
These crackers are the best! This recipe is an absolute constant in our household. Thank you so much
Amy
Thanks Jade, this comment has made my day! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Joey Choong
Hi Amy, can I use wholemeal flour or all purpose flour for this? Spelt flour is rather hard to find at my local grocer. Thanks!
Amy
Hi Joey, either should work well but as I haven't tried it I can't say for sure. Let me know how you get on!
Alexandra
Hi Joey,
I just made these using wholemeal self raising flour and they still worked a treat!
My daughter loves them!
Amy
Hi Alexandra, thanks for the feedback - great to know what flours work well in this recipe 🙂
Alexandra
Looking forward to trying these for my little one! Just wondering if you've since tried freezing them and how they went? Love having things like these on hand to grab from the freezer when we're out and about!
Thanks!
Amy
Hi Alexandra, I have now frozen them and they froze well. I'm always popping them into lunch boxes straight from the freezer.
Alexandra
Thank you! Going to make them this week. My daughter loves the mango coconut oat slice, so did I! Loving all these new recipes to try 😀
Tammy
Another great recipe! Finally a healthy cracker the little ones enjoy! Bought some adorable animal cracker cut outs on Amazon too, so they're fun to eat as well.
Carlie
Can't wait to try these! Where did you get your cookie cutter shapes from? They look fabulous!
Amy
Thank you! I got my cutters from a cookware store in Sydney but I can't remember the name of it. You can probably get them online easily.
Laura Soper
What flour would you recommend to make them gluten free? Chickpea flour? Or just a regular gluten free mix? Thanks!
Amy
Hi laura, I haven't tried any other flour in this recipe so can't say for sure. I would give chickpea a try or your gluten free mis. Maybe buckwheat would be good? Let me know if you do try and how it works for you ??
Laura Soper
Thanks Amy, I used Chickpea flour and my fussy eater ate them! I thought they tasted pretty good but cant say if they were better then the original, as I couldn't compare.
Although my mix was a bit sticky so I kneaded in some GF flour to make it firm enough to cut. Note to other mummy's, don't make my amateur mistake of using soft butter instead of hard butter...
Jen
What are quinoa flakes?
Amy
Hi Jen, quinoa flakes are just rolled quinoa. They are quicker to cook and you should get them in most health stores ??
Jo
Would it work with regular Quinoa?
Amy
Hi Jo, I haven't tried so can't say for sure but you could perhaps try grinding / blending the quinoa and use that or do the same with some rolled oats.
Frida
I've never heard of quinoa flakes. Do you think you can make them pulsing quinoa in the food processor?
Amy
Hi Frida, if you pulse quinoa in the processor it will make quinoa flour. I haven't tried the recipe with quinoa flour so can't say for sure how it will work out but it is worth a try ??
Aria Smith
This Cracker looks so good, you make me smile, I remember my childhood again!!! Thanks you
Amy
Thanks Aria! ?