These easy Cheddar Cheese Crisps are buttery, crunchy, and full of toasted cheese flavor with a hint of spicy heat. They're great as a party appetizer or just for some anytime snacking!
If you're looking for a simple and delicious finger food to serve with drinks this holiday season or to hold guests over before the big meal, give these a try. Perfect for any occasion, they're sure to be a hit!
Jump to:
A variation of classic Southern cheese straws, these crispy cheese wafers are made extra-crunchy by the addition of Rice Krispies cereal (and they're much easier because you don't need to fuss with a cookie press to make them).
They're somewhat similar in taste to Cheez-Its - which I love - but even better (and absolutely addicting)!
And they're super easy to make with a few basic ingredients that you likely already keep on hand - and if you don't you should - so you can make them any time.
Whether it's a holiday, birthday, shower, wedding, game day, tailgate party, cocktail party, or any get-together with friends or family, they're a crowd-pleaser that'll make your guests very happy.
And for the grown-ups: I will say that they're especially excellent paired with a glass of cold, crisp white wine!
But there's no need for a special occasion to bake up a batch of these savory treats. I love keeping them on hand for a super yummy snack when those hunger pangs come a-callin'.
You could even serve them alongside a bowl of soup or chili for a tasty alternative to saltine crackers.
However and whenever you decide to enjoy them, I'll bet you can't eat just one!
Ingredients You Need
Note: Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Salted butter
- Extra-sharp yellow/orange cheddar cheese
- Worcestershire sauce
- Cayenne pepper
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- All-purpose flour
- Rice Krispies cereal
Special Equipment Needed
- Electric stand mixer or hand mixer
No electric stand mixer or hand mixer? No problem! They just make the mixing quicker and easier. You can mix everything together by hand instead.
How to Make Cheddar Cheese Crisps
Note: This video is just a brief overview of the steps. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe with detailed instructions.
Recipe Tips & Tidbits
- Please grate your own cheese for this recipe. It only takes a minute. The anti-caking agents in many pre-shredded cheeses could prevent the cheese from properly blending into the dough and can cause the crisps to be crumbly.
- Be sure to use yellow/orange extra-sharp cheddar for that nice color; white cheddar will make crisps that are very pale.
- The small amount of cayenne pepper doesn't make these hot; it just gives a slight, almost-undetectable background heat that makes these extra-delicious. Of course, you can omit it (or add more) if you'd prefer.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of any of the spices to suit your own tastes (or experiment with different spices).
- I recommend using light-colored baking sheets so the crisps don't get too dark, especially on the bottom. If using dark pans, you might need to reduce the cooking time or reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and keep a close eye on them.
- I have never had a problem with these sticking to the pan; they always slide right off (and I don't use a non-stick pan), and so I don't use parchment paper. But you can if you'd like.
- If the dough is sticking to your hands when rolling and shaping the crisps, dampen them with a little bit of water.
- These will crisp up even more as they cool, so be sure to wait until they have cooled completely to enjoy all of that awesomely cheesy crispiness!
Make-Ahead, Storage and Freezing
- Make-Ahead: These are at their crispy best when freshly baked, but you can make them several hours or up to a day in advance. See next for storage instructions.
- Storage: Once completely cooled, store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4 to 5 days (they might start to lose their crunch after a couple of days, so they're best enjoyed within a day or two).
- Freezing: Not recommended.
Definitely consider making a double batch of these because they will disappear fast. Once they have one, they'll keep reaching for more!
I hope you try this Cheddar Cheese Crisps recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
If you make this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Cheddar Cheese Crisps
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, softened (1 stick)
- 4 ounces extra-sharp yellow/orange cheddar cheese, freshly and finely shredded
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Rice Krispies cereal
Special Equipment
- electric stand mixer or hand mixer
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the butter, cheddar cheese, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, paprika, and garlic powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or use a large bowl and an electric hand mixer); mix on medium speed until well-combined.
- Add the flour; mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated (the dough will be rather stiff).
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and add the Rice Krispies cereal; mix in by hand until evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- Roll into tablespoon-sized balls and place them about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets (preferably lightly-colored rather than dark baking sheets). You should get 28 balls, and they should fit on 2 large baking sheets. If the dough sticks to your hands while rolling the balls and shaping the crisps, dampen your hands with a little water.
- Using your fingers, flatten the balls into rounds (they should be about 1½ inches in diameter and about ¼ inch thick).
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the crisps are light golden brown.If you can't fit both pans on the middle rack of your oven, place one pan in the top third of the oven and the other pan in the bottom third of the oven and rotate them halfway through the cooking time so the crisps cook evenly.
- Transfer the crisps to wire cooling racks and allow to cool completely (about 15 minutes). Enjoy!
Notes
- Please grate your own cheese for this recipe. It only takes a minute. The anti-caking agents in many pre-shredded cheeses could prevent the cheese from properly blending into the dough and can cause the crisps to be crumbly.
- No electric stand mixer or hand mixer? Just go ahead and mix it by hand.
- I recommend using light-colored baking sheets so the crisps don't get too dark, especially on the bottom. If using dark pans, you might need to reduce the cooking time or reduce the oven temperature to 325°F and keep a close eye on them.
- Once completely cooled, store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 4 to 5 days (they might start to lose their crunch after a couple of days, so they're best if enjoyed within a day or two). If you want to make them ahead, I recommend making them several hours and no more than a day in advance.
Leave A Comment