How to Make Vegan Cheesy Crackers

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: September 12, 2019

Tasty cheesy crackers make an ideal afternoon snack or the perfect side for your favorite sandwich. If you're vegan, though, the crackers are a big no-no because they contain cheese and other dairy products. But just because you're keeping animal products out of your diet doesn't mean you can't enjoy some crispy, cheesy crackers. By using nutritional yeast to give the crackers their cheesy flavor and coconut oil instead of butter to form the dough, you can have delicious crackers that are just as good as any store-bought non-vegan version.

Ingredients

¾ cup (94 g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (40 g) cornmeal
1 to 2 tablespoons (4 to 8 g) nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
½ teaspoon (1 ½ g) garlic powder
¼ teaspoon (1 g) baking powder
⅛ teaspoon (¼ g) paprika
3 tablespoons (41 g) refined coconut oil
3 to 5 (45 to 75 ml) tablespoons cold water

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:
Preparing the Dough

1
Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet. To ensure that the oven is hot enough to bake the crackers, set the temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and allow it to fully preheat. Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper to keep the crackers from sticking.
- You can substitute a silicone baking mat for the parchment paper if you prefer.
2
Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor. Add ¾ cup (94 g) of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (40 g) of cornmeal, 1 to 2 tablespoons (4 to 8 g) of nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon (6 g) of salt, ½ teaspoon (1 ½ g) of garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon (1 g) of baking powder, and ⅛ teaspoon (¼ g) of paprika to the bowl a food processor. Process the mixture until all of the ingredients are fully combined, which should take approximately 10 seconds.^{[1]
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- It’s best to mix the ingredients with the S-blade in place on the food processor.
- You can substitute whole wheat or chickpea flour for the all-purpose if you prefer.
- The nutritional yeast helps give the crackers their cheese flavor, so add more if you want them to be very cheesy.
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3
Mix in the coconut oil. Once all of the dry ingredients are mixed, add 3 tablespoons (41 g) of refined coconut oil to the food processor. Pulse the mixture several times until it resembles coarse crumbs.^{[2]
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- You can substitute vegan butter or olive oil for the coconut oil if you prefer.
4
Add the water gradually to form a loose dough. When the mixture reaches a coarse crumb texture, begin adding cold water to the food processor 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time, pulsing after each addition. It should take between 3 and 5 (45 to 75 ml) tablespoons to form a loose dough with the mixture.
- You can substitute plant milk or unsweetened non-dairy yogurt for the water if you want the crackers to have added protein.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:
Cutting the Crackers

1
Form the dough into a disc. When the dough has formed, remove it from the food processor. Use clean hands to form the dough into a disc and place it on a lightly floured surface.^{[3]
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- You may want to line your work surface with parchment paper to make it easier to clean up.
2
Roll the dough out. After you’ve formed the dough into a disc, lightly dust it with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out to ⅛-inch (3-mm) thickness.^{[4]
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- If you don’t have a rolling pin, you can use a wine bottle, thermos, or heavy can to roll out the dough.
3
Cut the dough into small squares. Once the dough is rolled out, use a knife or pizza cutter to cut it into small square shapes. Do your best to make sure that the squares are all the same size.^{[5]
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- If you want your vegan cheesy crackers to resemble store-bought Cheez Its, use a chopstick or the prong of a fork to poke a hole in the center of each square.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:
Baking the Crackers

1
Arrange the crackers on the baking sheet. After you’ve cut the dough into squares, carefully lift them off your work surface and place them on the lined baking sheet. The crackers won’t expand during cooking so you don’t have to worry too much about spacing them on the sheet.^{[6]
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- If you like, you can sprinkle some additional salt over the crackers before you bake them.
2
Bake the crackers until they are golden brown. Once the crackers are on the baking sheet, place them in the preheated oven. Allow them to bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until they are golden brown.^{[7]
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- Keep an eye on the crackers near the end of the baking time. The edges can burn easily.
3
Allow the crackers to cool for extra crispness. When the crackers are finished baking, remove them from the oven. Transfer them to wire cooling rack and let them cool completely so they become crisper, which should take about an hour. Serve the crackers with your favorite beverage.^{[8]
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- Store the crackers in an airtight container or plastic bag. They should stay fresh for up to a week.
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