If you have a spritz cookie press sitting around that only gets used once a year, these Black Pepper, Parmesan & White Cheddar Spritz Crackers will put it to good use! These are essentially like a savory, cheesy cookie and they're a delicious snack for the holidays.
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These white cheddar spritz crackers are very similar to Southern cheese straws, just piped into a different shape, and with a few different ingredients!
They're crisp, buttery, cheesy, and just as delicious as they sound. We like ours with extra sharp white cheddar, parmesan and lots of black pepper for flavor.
This is the perfect way to use the spritz cookie press that you only use once a year (for spritz cookies!). They're a great bite-sized snack to leave out at the holidays, or give as an edible gift for those that prefer savory over sweet.
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White Cheddar Spritz Cracker Ingredients
- White Cheddar: For maximum flavor, we suggest using extra sharp white cheddar cheese. It's best to use cheddar in a block and shred it yourself before adding to this recipe, as pre-shredded cheese typically contains an anti-caking agent that may keep this dough from forming properly.
- Parmesan: Again, it's best to use parmesan from a block and shred it yourself! A fine shred is best for the parmesan so it incorporates well into the dough.
- Butter: Make sure to let it soften to room temperature, otherwise the dough won't come together properly.
- Salt: We always use kosher salt unless otherwise noted. If using table salt, you may want to use less.
- Pepper: We wanted these crackers to have a nice, peppery kick. If you would prefer more subtle pepper flavor, you can cut this down to ยฝ-1 teaspoon.
- Flour: Regular all purpose flour works best for these white cheddar spritz crackers. We have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour, but it should work.
How to Make this White Cheddar Spritz Cracker Recipe
PREP: Preheat oven to 400หF / 205หC and set aside a few sheet pans. Do not use parchment paper on the sheet pans.
STEP 1: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add in the cheddar, parmesan, butter, salt and pepper. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed until all ingredients are well incorporated.
STEP 3: With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the flour. Continue mixing, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until the dough is well mixed.
STEP 4: Transfer dough to your spritz cookie press fitted with the shape of your choice. Alternatively, you can place the mixture in a piping bag and pipe the dough into strips.
STEP 5: Bake the crackers for 8 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom. We bake them on the bottom rack of the oven for the first 5 minutes, then move them for the top rack for the last 3 minutes. This ensures the bottoms get crisp and golden brown, without drying out and burning the crackers. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
- Cheddar - Feel free to use regular sharp cheddar instead of white cheddar in this recipe.
- Parmesan - You can experiment with different types of similar hard cheeses, like pecorino romano, grana padano, or asiago.
- Seasonings - Try adding in garlic powder for an extra punch of flavor. Or, leave out the black pepper and try these with some paprika and cayenne for heat.
- Gluten free - We have not personally tried this recipe with gluten free flour, but it should work. This is the gluten free flour we prefer to use.
Equipment
- Stand mixer: This recipe makes a lot of dough, so a stand mixer is definitely the easiest way to incorporate all of the ingredients.
- Spritz Cookie Press: If you don't have one, you can just use a piping bag.
Storage
Keep these stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
You can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before enjoying.
Tips and FAQ
Top tip
Make sure all of the ingredients (specifically the cheeses and butter) are at room temperature. If the ingredients are too cold, they may not incorporate properly and your dough may not have the right consistency for piping.
More tips
- This recipe makes a very large batch,ย since the crackers are pretty small. If you're serving a smaller crowd or just making these for yourself, you may want to cut this recipe in half.ย
- Don't have a spritz cookie press? You can use a piping bag instead. Pipe the dough into swirls or strips.
- How to serve these: Serve them on a charcuterie board, or as a snack of their own. This is a great snack to leave out at the holidays for guests to enjoy whenever they want!
- Edible gift: These make for a lovely DIY holiday gift for those that prefer savory over sweet. Package them in a cute box, bag or jar and add a tag.
More homemade cracker recipes
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๐ Recipe
White Cheddar Spritz Crackers
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 100+ crackers 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
If you have a spritz cookie press sitting around that only gets used once a year, these Black Pepper, Parmesan & White Cheddar Spritz Crackers will put it to good use! These are essentially like a savory, cheesy cookie and they're a delicious snack for the holidays.ย
Ingredients
- 12 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (room temperature)
- 4 ounces parmesan cheese, grated (room temperature)
- 1 ยผ cups (2 ยฝ sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ยฝ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 ยฝ cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400หF / 205หC and set aside a few sheet pans. Do not use parchment paper on the sheet pans.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add in the cheddar, parmesan, butter, salt and pepper. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed until all ingredients are well incorporated.ย
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the flour. Continue mixing, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until the dough is well mixed.ย
- Transfer dough to your spritz cookie press fitted with the shape of your choice. Alternatively, you can place the mixture in a piping bag and pipe the dough into strips.ย
- Bake the crackers for 8 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom. We bake them on the bottom rack of the oven for the first 5 minutes, then move them for the top rack for the last 3 minutes. This ensures the bottoms get crisp and golden brown, without drying out and burning the crackers. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Enjoy!
Notes
This recipe makes a very large batch, since the crackers are pretty small. If you're serving a smaller crowd or just making these for yourself, you may want to cut this recipe in half.ย
Make sure all of the ingredients (specifically the cheeses and butter) are at room temperature. If the ingredients are too cold, they may not incorporate properly and your dough may not have the right consistency for piping.ย
Keep these stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.ย
You can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before enjoying.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 crackers
- Calories: 156
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 155 mg
- Fat: 10.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 4.8 g
Allison says
These are so delicious! For those looking to make a celiac friendly/gluten free version, I subbed King Arthurโs gluten free pizza flour in measure for measure. It pressed out great and I did have to bake it a bit longer - 10/11 minutes a batch to get them crispy but theyโre delectable. They didnโt brown as much as the photo.
Lexi says
So glad to hear it worked well with that flour!
Paula Sinadinos says
This recipe looks amazing. I am wondering if dough can be made ahead, frozen and then thawed before piping with cookie press? Since it makes such a lathe batch, maybe half could be frozen?
Lexi says
That should work great! Or, pipe it, freeze them on a sheet pan, then transfer to a container and bake straight from frozen. Probably even easier so you only have to clean your spritz press once!
Lina says
As more of a savory girl myself, when I saw this recipe on Instagram, I knew I had to pull out my cookie gun earlier this year! I added 3min to my baking time for extra, toasty crunchiness; I had to stop myself from eating the whole pan. They taste exactly like Cheez-its and these crackers were heartily approved by my two little boys. Thank for sharing this recipe with us! ๐
Lexi says
That's the best feedback! I'm so glad you all enjoyed ๐
GT says
Why canโt you use parchment paper?
Lexi says
It's really hard to use a spritz press with parchment paper because it keeps lifting up from the tray and doesn't stick as well!
Jessica Pack says
Sorry. Why no parchment paper?
Lexi says
It's very challenging to use a spritz press with parchment paper because it doesn't stick well and lifts from the pan when you try to release the dough!
Jill says
What brand of kosher salt do you use? Diamond kosher salt has a finer crystal than Morton, so that will affect the volume. If you donโt know the brand, could you weigh it and then I can always figure out the conversion from there. (You can weigh a larger amount if your scale doesnโt like small items.)
Lexi says
We use Diamond!
Sharon Johnson says
Can I use grated cheddar cheese?
Roslyn says
Try putting your cookie sheet in refrigerator for 1 to 2 minutes. Also, sometimes a silicone mat works.
Lyanna McMahon says
My dough is to thick how do I thin it down? my press keeps popping apart
Chris says
They turned out so well! So pretty and yummy! Such a wonderful savoury treat.
Julia says
I have had such trouble with my cookie press. The first few just won't stick to the surface. Do you have any tips for how to get the dough out of the press and into the cute shape it is supposed to be?
Lexi says
Unfortunately this usually has to do with the cookie press, so it's hard to say why exactly it's happening! We found that this dough actually is easier to work with than most spritz cookie recipes.
Michelle says
Frist I wash my cookie sheet very well with straight soap and then I stick them in the freezer to get chilled and if I still have trouble I double press the cookie