Keto Cheez its
Published February 4, 2023 • Updated June 23, 2026
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Puffy, crunchy keto cheez-its made with real cheddar and almond flour. These low-carb cheese crackers are gluten-free and have just 1 carb per handful.
Cheez-Its are my kryptonite. Always have been. If my kids have a box on the counter or there’s a handful sitting on someone’s plate, I’m stealing a few. And a few turns into a lot, which is the problem. A serving of 27 original Cheez-Its (about two handfuls) has 17 grams of carbs, and they’re not even gluten-free.
I’ve been making my own version for years, and this is the one I keep coming back to. This recipe has about 1 carb per 14 crackers. Real cheddar cheese, almond flour, xanthan gum, and a few pantry staples. That’s it. You get a cracker that actually crunches, actually tastes like the orange box, and won’t wreck your macros.
Here’s what sets this apart from most homemade versions: I’m not just baking a slice of cheese and calling it a day. I tried that method early on, and it tastes like baked cheese (because it is). If you want that, grab some homemade pork rinds or pasta chips. This recipe gives you an actual dough, rolled thin, cut into squares, baked low and slow at 250 degrees. The edges get golden and almost crackle when you bite in.
I roll the dough between two sheets of parchment to about the thickness of a fork prong. That sounds oddly specific, but it matters. Thicker than that and you get a soft, spongy cracker. Thinner and you’re in chip territory. The fork-prong thickness is the sweet spot for that crunch everyone’s after. My reader Elaine mentioned she’s on her third batch this month and that rolling thinner was the biggest improvement she made. She’s right.
These pair well with just about anything. I eat them straight out of the container most of the time, but they’re great with million dollar dip or buffalo chicken dip. Add some keto Doritos to the spread and you’ve got a low-carb snack table that nobody will complain about.
A reader named Stephanie told me her 8-year-old ate half the tray and had no idea they were keto. When kids can’t tell the difference, you know the recipe works. The cheese powder is optional, but it pushes the color and flavor closer to the real thing. I always use it now.
How to make homemade cheese crackers
- Mix the dry ingredients – almond flour, xanthan gum, cheddar cheese powder (if using), and salt.
- Stir in shredded cheese. Don’t try to get the cheese to melt into the dough. The shreds melt during baking and create the air pockets that give each cracker its puff.
- Add water and stir until a dough forms. It looks like there’s not enough water at first. Start kneading with your hands and it comes together like play dough.
- Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. I aim for the thickness of a fork prong. Thinner than you think.
- Cut into squares and poke a hole in the center of each one with a toothpick or chopstick.
- Bake at 250 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Pull them before they turn golden brown.
- Let them cool. They continue to harden on the baking sheet and get crispy as they sit.
Key ingredients and substitutions
- Almond flour – Use blanched, super fine almond flour for the best texture. I haven’t tried coconut flour in this recipe, but if you want to experiment, I’d start with about 3 tablespoons.
- Xanthan gum – Holds the crackers together as you roll and bake. Without it, the dough crumbles and sticks to the parchment. One reader, Lindsay, used ground flaxseed mixed with hot water as a substitute and said it worked well.
- Cheddar cheese powder – Optional, but I always use it now. It adds extra cheddar flavor and gives the crackers that bright orange color.
- Sharp cheddar cheese – Extra sharp gives the best flavor. I’ve also made these with smoked cheddar and pepper jack. Both worth trying once you have the basic recipe down.
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Ingredients
100 g (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup) almond flour -
4 teaspoons cheddar cheese powder, optional
-
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
-
4 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
-
3 tablespoons water
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Mix dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cheddar cheese powder (if using), xanthan gum and salt.
- 100 g almond flour (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup)
- 4 teaspoons cheddar cheese powder, optional
- 2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Say cheese!
Stir in shredded cheese.
- 4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
Make dough
Add water and stir until a dough forms. It looks like there’s not enough water at first. Start kneading the dough with your hands and it should come together as a dough similar to play doh texture.
- 3 tablespoons water
Roll out dough
Place dough in between two sheets of parchment paper. Flatten into a square or rectangle shape. Roll out dough, trying to keep a square or rectangle shape as much as possible. Roll until the dough is about as thick as a dull pencil tip or thickness of a fork prong. Carefully peel off the top layer of parchment paper. (See video above for best practices on rolling the dough)
Cut into crackers
Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut dough into squares. To give the center a hole to prevent the crackers from puffing too much and for that iconic cheez-it appearance, use a skewer or chop stick to poke a hole in the center.
Bake
Bake in a 250 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20-25 minutes. Take them out just before they turn golden brown around the edges. The cheez-its will continue to harden and get crispy as they cool.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Are Cheez-Its gluten-free?
No, the original crackers contain wheat flour and are not gluten-free. That's one of the reasons I developed this recipe. My version uses almond flour instead of wheat, so it's completely grain-free. Same crunch, same cheesy flavor, none of the gluten.
Why aren't my crackers crispy?
Nine times out of ten, they're too thick. I roll mine to about the thickness of a fork prong, which is thinner than most people expect. If yours came out soft or spongy, try rolling thinner on the next batch. Also make sure you're letting them cool completely on the baking sheet. They keep hardening as they sit. I've had readers add 5-10 extra minutes at 250 degrees and that works too, but thinner dough is the real fix.
Why does the recipe call for 250 degrees instead of 350?
I know 250 sounds low. Several readers have asked me about this. The lower temperature lets the crackers dry out and crisp up without burning. At 350, the outside browns too fast while the center stays soft. At 250, you get even crispiness all the way through. I pull them just before the edges turn golden. They continue to harden as they cool, so what looks underdone on the baking sheet will be perfectly crunchy 10 minutes later.
Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
I haven't tested coconut flour in this recipe myself, so I can't guarantee the result. Coconut flour absorbs way more liquid than almond flour, so if you want to try it, start with about 3 tablespoons and add more water until you get a play dough consistency. The texture will be different. I'd still recommend almond flour as my first choice here.
Can I use nutritional yeast instead of cheese powder?
A couple of my readers have asked me this. I haven't tried the swap myself, but nutritional yeast does add a cheesy flavor to things. If you try it, I'd start with the same amount and adjust from there. Keep in mind the cheese powder also gives the crackers their orange color, so yours will look paler without it. I'd love to know how it turns out if you test it.
Can I freeze the dough before baking?
Yes. I wrap the unbaked dough tightly in plastic wrap, slide it into a freezer bag, and it keeps for about a month. When I'm ready to bake, I let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then roll and cut as usual. I wouldn't freeze the baked crackers though. They lose their crunch once they thaw.
What other cheeses work besides cheddar?
I've tried pepper jack, smoked cheddar, and colby jack. Smoked cheddar is my favorite variation. It adds a depth that regular cheddar doesn't have. Pepper jack gives you a little kick without needing to add hot sauce or cayenne. I always stick with a cheese that melts well. Harder cheeses like parmesan on their own won't give you the same result.
How can I get those crinkled edges like the original?
I use a fluted pastry wheel instead of a pizza cutter or knife when I cut the dough into squares. Picked one up for a few dollars and it makes the edges look almost identical to the real thing. It's a small detail but it makes the whole batch look more legit.
How much protein is in these crackers?
More than the orange box, which is part of why I keep making them. The sharp cheddar and almond flour both bring real protein to the dough, so a handful actually holds me over instead of leaving me hungry ten minutes later. I don't stamp an exact gram count on them because it shifts with how thin you roll and how big you cut your squares. If you want to push these closer to true protein cheez-its, I've stirred a tablespoon of unflavored whey protein in with the dry ingredients. One tablespoon blends in without anyone noticing. Go past two and the dough turns tough and the crackers lose that snap, so I keep it light.
two women at my book club last week, neither of them keto, stood at the snack table for like five solid minutes not moving, which honestly told me more than any compliment would, one of them made me read the carb count out loud because she was convinced I had it wrong, and I think what got them is the cheddar is sharp enough to actually taste like cheddar and the crunch holds up the whole night, there's a snap when you bite into one that I just wasn't expecting from an almond flour cracker, I went ahead and added the optional cheese powder and I'm pretty sure that's what put it over the top, my only four-star note is I ate about half of them on the drive over and showed up with what could generously be called a bowl
Will pre-shredded cheddar work, or does it have to be freshly grated?
Freshly shredded extra sharp cheddar makes a real difference here. I used the pre-bagged stuff my first two batches and the dough was greasier and harder to roll thin. Switched to shredding my own and it came together way cleaner. The crackers crisped up noticeably better too. Worth the extra 30 seconds at the grater.
Homemade keto crackers have burned me enough times that I almost scrolled past this one. But real shredded cheddar instead of just cheese powder felt worth trying. Two batches in and I've stopped buying those store-brand low-carb crackers that taste like cheese-flavored cardboard. The snap. That's the one thing the others never get right.
Wasn't sure if skipping the cheese powder was a mistake, so I added it. My older kid grabbed one from the edge and one from the middle and told me the middle ones were too doughy. Which is my fault, I didn't roll thin enough. Flavor's clearly right though, so four stars and I'll fix the roll next time.
Fork prong thickness, Maria. Way thinner than it seems like it should be. Your kid's edge-vs-middle check was dead right.
First time using xanthan gum and I had zero clue what I was doing. The dough looked way too dry to ever roll out, I was this close to giving up. But kept going and got an actual cracker snap. From almond flour! Did not see that coming. Do you use the cheddar cheese powder when you make these, or is extra sharp cheddar enough on its own?
Xanthan gum dough always looks too dry at first (it hydrates as you work it, the snap is the proof). Both cheeses though. Extra sharp alone is fine but the powder is what makes them taste like the actual thing instead of just cheese crackers.
Made these yesterday and the flavor was great, but mine came out soft instead of crispy. I rolled between parchment like the recipe says, wondering if I just didn't go thin enough. Is there a target thickness before cutting?
Pulled these out of the oven about an hour ago and I'm still a little stunned they worked. First crackers I've ever made from scratch, and I spent most of the prep convinced something was about to go wrong. What got me was watching them puff up. I expected flat, dense little squares and instead they came out with this light snap to them. I did skip the cheddar cheese powder (didn't have any on hand), and now I'm wondering if I missed the key flavor. Would it add that sharp, almost powdery tang you get from the real thing, or is it more of a color boost?
Both, but mostly the tang. The extra-sharp cheddar handles the color on its own. What you're missing without the powder is that specific dusty bite that makes them taste like Cheez-Its instead of good cheese crackers.
Double batch every Sunday, portioned into little snack bags for the week. The xanthan gum keeps them crisp for days (I was genuinely surprised, most keto crackers go soft by day two). Pool bag staple now.
Stealing the pool snack bag idea. Mine never last long enough to get portioned around here.
Cheez-Its were the one snack I genuinely grieved when I went keto. Made a batch of these last week and the sharp cheddar bite is so close to the real thing I had to double-check the ingredients. Grateful this exists.
Ha, same. Extra sharp is what gets it there - I tested with regular cheddar first and it just didn't have that bite.
Batch four and the crunch when they come out of the oven still gets me every time. I never thought I could actually make crackers from scratch, but the dough comes together so fast I barely have time to second-guess myself.
Batch four means you've got the feel for it. Roll the dough cold if you haven't - it fights back less.
Swapped half the almond flour for finely ground parmesan and the dough came together faster than usual. The crackers have a sharper, saltier bite that I prefer. I skipped the added salt since parmesan runs salty on its own.
I want to try the parmesan swap now. Yeah, pulling the added salt makes sense, parmesan runs salty enough without it.
Threw the dough in the fridge for 20 minutes before rolling and the difference was immediate. It rolled out so much thinner without cracking, and thinner means that satisfying cracker snap on every single one. This is the only way I'm making them now.
Yep. Cold dough rolls thin without fighting you. Snap is the payoff.
okay so I've been keto for two years and cheez-its were the thing I was most convinced I'd never have again (like not even a passable version, just gone forever) and then I made these last night with the extra sharp cheddar and I kept eating them straight off the pan while they were still warm because I couldn't stop myself, the flavor is so sharp and salty and that little hole in the center makes them look exactly right which sounds silly but it matters when you've been missing something that long, I didn't even use the cheese powder and honestly at 1.1g net carbs I'm already planning my next batch
Extra sharp doesn't need the powder. That's why I made it optional. Try smoked cheddar on the next batch.
First time using almond flour and I kept second-guessing the dough (three tablespoons of water looks like nothing). Pulled them out and they had that real cracker snap, not the soft chew I was expecting.
That snap is the whole goal. Three tablespoons really does look wrong the first time.