Keto Cheez-Its

I added an extra teaspoon of water the first time because the dough looked dry and I didn’t trust the recipe’s note about that being okay. Big mistake. It got sticky, tore when I tried to roll it, and I lost most of that batch. Second batch I followed the original amount and they crisped up fine. Four stars, not five. Crackers are good, but some guidance on what the dough should feel like at that point (stiff, barely tacky) would have saved me a whole batch.

Not sure why the cooling step doesn’t get mentioned more — these come out of the oven softer than you’d expect and it’s easy to pull them early or keep baking past the right color trying to fix it. Let them sit on the rack, they’ll firm up in about 10 minutes. Salt level as written is a little shy for a snack cracker, worth a pinch on top before they go in. Two things that would’ve saved me a batch.

I always think I’ve rolled them thin enough. Batch nine.

Edges go fast. My kids didn’t leave the kitchen.

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.

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?

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?

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.

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.

Batch four or five at this point, lost count. First time I made these I kept wanting to add more water to the dough (you really don’t need it, even though it looks like you do), now I just trust it. Extra sharp cheddar only, mild just doesn’t cut it. Watch out in the last couple minutes — they go from done to overdone fast. I’ve been pulling them a minute early and letting them finish on the pan.

Tried a bunch of keto cracker recipes this year, most fall apart or taste like sad almond bread. The extra sharp cheddar here actually gives these a snap. Two batches in, not looking back.

Threw in a pinch of garlic powder because I wasn’t sure the cheddar flavor would come through on its own (it does, I was overthinking it). Still adds a nice savory edge though, no regrets. Pro tip: if the dough looks crumbly, wet your hands slightly before pressing it together instead of adding more water. My second batch rolled out way smoother.

Added a pinch of cayenne to the dough and the kick completely changes how addictive these are. Cool them all the way on the pan before touching them or they’ll fall apart (learned that the hard way).

swapped regular cheddar for smoked cheddar. way better

My 8 year old ate half the tray and had no idea they were keto. The cheese powder is worth getting.