Homemade Healthy Cheese Crackers with Freshly Milled Flour
These homemade cheese crackers made with freshly milled flour are a delicious and healthy snack your kids will love. They are easy to make and full of wholesome ingredients!
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
There’s something special about making homemade snacks for your kids. Not only do you know exactly what’s going into them, but you can also feel good knowing they’re eating real, wholesome food.
One of my favorite snacks to make are these simple cheese crackers. They’re crunchy, cheesy, and a much healthier option than store-bought versions.
These homemade cheese crackers use freshly milled flour, which adds extra nutrients and flavor compared to processed flour.
With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a snack that’s not only delicious but also much healthier. Plus, the process is so easy, even your kids can join in on the fun!
The Problem with Store-Bought Processed Snacks
Almost everyone has enjoyed the classic Cheese-Its and Goldfish. They are definitely yummy and kids love them, but have you ever looked at the ingredient list?! They both contain vegetable oil among other preservatives, artificial flavors, and refined ingredients.
While these and other cracker options offered at the store might be convenient, they don’t offer the best nutrition for growing kids. That’s why I love making my own snacks at home. It’s an easy way to give my kids something tasty that’s also packed with real ingredients I trust.
Freshly milled flour from wheat berries, raw cheese, butter and a few spices make these crackers delicious without the need for artificial extras.
Why Freshly Milled Flour?
Freshly milled flour is made from milling whole wheat berries in a grain mill at home. It retains all the natural vitamins, minerals, and fiber found in whole wheat berries.
The wheat berry is the whole grain form of wheat. It is composed of three parts: the wheat germ, bran, and endosperm.
A Little History of Flour
Originally wheat berries were ground using a stone mill which allowed the wheat to retain it’s nutrition. During the industrial revolution, the roller mill was invented which helped flour production dramatically increase.
However, this method stripped the wheat kernel of the bran and germ. This leaves a flour with empty calories and carbohydrates and very little nutritional value. Therefore, the flour you buy from the store is significantly lower in vitamins and minerals that your body needs.
Choosing to Use Freshly Milled Flour
With bread, muffins, crackers and other flour-based baked goods being staples in our diet, our family chooses to mill our own flour at home with a grain mill.
I love using my Mockmill Lino 100 Grain Mill to mill my own flour. I get these wheat berries from Azure Standard which saves me so much money too!
Read here about how I source a lot of my food from Azure Standard and save lots of money by doing so. If you don’t have a grain mill, you can also use this high quality all purpose flour to make these cheese crackers.
Freshly milled flour is also free of additives and preservatives. Store-bought flour is often treated to extend its shelf life, but in doing so, it loses much of its nutritional value. By milling you own flour at home, you ensure your ingredients are as close to their natural state as possible.
In addition to the health benefits, freshly milled flour adds a richer, more complex flavor to your baking. It has a slightly nutty, earthy taste that enhances the overall flavor of your crackers, making them taste fresher and more wholesome than anything you could buy at the store.
Ingredients for Cheese Crackers:
Freshly milled flour from soft white wheat berries – You can also use all-purpose flour or einkorn flour.
Butter – I like to use this organic unsalted cultured butter, but any kind of butter is fine.
Cheese – Real raw milk cheese adds the rich, cheesy flavor your kids will love. I like using using sharp cheddar for a classic taste, but feel free to experiment with other cheeses like parmesan or gouda to switch things up. Using real cheese, especially raw milk cheese, ensures your crackers are packed with protein and good probiotics.
Dried herbs – I like to use garlic powder and onion powder. You can also try rosemary or paprika to give the crackers an extra burst of flavor.
Sea Salt – My favorite kind of sea salt to use is Redmond Real Salt.
Tools You May Need:
Rolling Pin
Leaf shaped cookie cutters or fish shaped cookie cutter (optional)
How To Make Cheese Crackers:
Measure out 120 grams of wheat berries (I use about 1/2 soft white wheat and 1/2 spelt). This will give you about 1 cup of freshly milled flour.
Shred the cheese if using a block.
Take the butter out of the fridge right before measuring so it’s cold. Cut it into tablespoon size slices.
Combine the shredded cheese, butter, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder in a food processor, if available. Otherwise, combine ingredients in a large bowl and use a mixer.
Add flour and again pulse until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
Add 2 or 3 Tbsp of water and pulse (or mix with your hands) until the mixture resembles dough. Be patient, this can take a few minutes using a food processor, and a little bit longer using your hands. I start with adding 2 Tbsp and I add a third Tbsp if the dough seems too dry.
Cover the dough, and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Working with the Cracker Dough
Get dough out of the fridge, and cut in half. It is easier to work with a smaller piece of dough. Let it warm just a bit to room temp so it’s easier to work with.
Place dough onto a piece of parchment paper and then top with another piece of parchment paper. The dough can be sticky, so this helps the dough not stick onto the rolling pin.
Roll out super flat with a rolling pin.
The key is to get them really thin (less than 1/8 inch thick if possible).
Shaping the Cheese Crackers
Pull off the top piece of parchment paper. Use cookie cutters to cut out cracker shapes or use a pizza cutter to cut into 1×1 inch squares, then place on the lined baking sheet. Sprinkle very lightly with a little salt (optional).
If you go the pizza cutter route, you can use a chopstick to put a single hole in the middle to give the cheese crackers that Cheez-It look. My family prefers the cookie cutter method because my kids love to choose which design we will use each time!
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crackers have puffed and start to brown on the edges. I always check them at 10 minutes because this can happen fast!
Pull the crackers out of the oven and remove them from the baking sheet. Let them cool completely on a cooling rack. Try not to eat them all at once!
How to Store the Crackers
If, somehow, your family doesn’t eat them all in one sitting, they will store well in an airtight container. Make sure to allow them to cool completely first. For longer storage, let cool, then place in a freezer safe container, and freeze for 4-6 months.
Homemade Healthy Cheese Crackers with Freshly Milled Flour
Equipment
- Parchment Paper
- Large Bowl
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutters (optional)
Ingredients
- 120 grams Freshly milled flour from wheat berries (I use 1/2 soft white wheat and 1/2 spelt) Equivalent to 1 cup of flour. You can use all-purpose flour also.
- 4 tbsp Butter
- 8 ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese I like to use a block of raw cheese but any kind of real cheese will work
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2-3 tbsp water
Instructions
- Measure out 120 grams of wheat berries (I use about 1/2 soft white wheat and 1/2 spelt). This will give you about 1 cup of freshly milled flour.
- Shred the cheese if using a block.
- Take the butter out of the fridge right before measuring so it’s cold. Cut it into tablespoon size slices.
- Combine the shredded cheese, butter, salt, onion powder, and garlic powder in a food processor, if available. Otherwise, combine ingredients in a large bowl and use a mixer.
- Add flour and again pulse until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.
- Add 2 or 3 Tbsp of water and pulse (or mix with your hands) until the mixture resembles dough. Be patient, this can take a few minutes using a food processor, and a little bit longer using your hands. I start with adding 2 Tbsp and I add a third Tbsp if the dough seems too dry.
- Cover the dough, and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Get dough out of the fridge, and cut in half. It is easier to work with a smaller piece of dough. Let it warm just a bit to room temp so it’s easier to work with.
- Place dough onto a piece of parchment paper and then top with another piece of parchment paper. The dough can be sticky, so this helps the dough not stick onto the rolling pin.
- Roll out super flat with a rolling pin.
- The key is to get them really thin (less than 1/8 inch thick if possible).
- Pull off the top piece of parchment paper. Use cookie cutters to cut out cracker shapes or use a pizza cutter to cut into 1×1 inch squares, then place on the lined baking sheet. Sprinkle very lightly with a little salt (optional).
- If you go the pizza cutter route, you can use a chopstick to put a single hole in the middle to give the cheese crackers that Cheez-It look. My family prefers the cookie cutter method because my kids love to choose which design we will use each time!
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the crackers have puffed and start to brown on the edges. I always check them at 10 minutes because this can happen fast!
- Pull the crackers out of the oven and remove them from the baking sheet. Let them cool completely on a cooling rack. Try not to eat them all at once!
These crackers taste MUCH better than store-bought. Highly recommended!
I’m so glad you liked them!!