Sourdough Cheez-Its
These homemade Sourdough Cheez-Its are a fun and delicious way to use sourdough discard! Made with five simple ingredients, sourdough discard, butter, cheddar cheese, salt, and paprika, they bake up crispy and cheesy in just 30 minutes! Your kids will love these crunchy little crackers and will ask for them again and again!
Carmyn's notes
We’re all about reducing food waste by turning sourdough starter discard into something delicious. These Sourdough Cheez-Its are a recipe you’ll make again and again.
They’re incredibly easy to make too! Just mix the ingredients in a bowl, spread the batter on a baking sheet, and bake until crispy.
Kids love them because they’re a homemade, healthier version of classic Cheez-Its, and they’re perfect for lunchboxes, after-school snacks, and on-the-go munching.
If you love crunchy sourdough discard snacks, you'll love our sourdough butter crackers, sourdough seed crackers, and sourdough garlic parmesan crackers.
Enjoy! xx
Ingredients for Sourdough Cheez-Its
- Ingredients: You will need sourdough discard, melted unsalted butter, finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, salt, and paprika.
How to Make Sourdough Cheez-Its
Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Step 1
Add the melted butter, sourdough discard, finely shredded cheddar cheese, salt, and paprika to a large mixing bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined.
Step 2
Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and use an offset spatula to spread it into a very thin layer.
The rectangle of dough should cover the entire sheet, leaving a 1 to 2-inch border around the edges.
Step 3
Bake the dough for 10 minutes, remove the tray from the oven, and use a pizza cutter to cut it into small squares.
Use the back of a chopstick or the large end of a wooden skewer to poke a hole in the middle of each square.
(This step is optional, but it will help them avoid being puffy and give them the classic Cheez-Its shape.)
Step 4
Bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the crackers are baked through. If the dough was not spread thin enough, this could take a few extra minutes.
Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to crisp up as they cool. Store them in an air-tight container.
How to Store Sourdough Cheez-Its
Store the sourdough cheez-its in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
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Sourdough Cheez-Its
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup (200 g) sourdough discard
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter (melted)
- 1 cup (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese (finely shredded)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Melt the butter and let it cool. Add the melted butter, sourdough discard, finely shredded cheddar cheese, salt, and paprika to a large mixing bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and use an offset spatula to spread it into a very thin layer. The rectangle of dough should cover the entire sheet, leaving a 1 to 2-inch border around the edges.
- Bake the dough for 10 minutes, remove the tray from the oven, and use a pizza cutter to cut it into small squares.
- Use the back of a chopstick or the large end of a wooden skewer to poke a hole in the middle of each square. (This step is optional but will help them avoid being puffy and give them the classic Cheeze-It shape.)
- Transfer the baking sheet back to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the crackers are baked through. If the dough was not spread thin enough, this could take a few extra minutes.
- Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet. They will continue to crisp up as they cool. Store them in an air-tight container.
These are so easy and so delicious. I followed the recipe exactly, except I used a 1/4 tsp hot paprika and a 1/4 tsp sweet paprika. Also, salted the top with a sprinkle of our favourite garlic salt.
I love this recipe but had trouble getting them off the parchment paper? Did I spread them too thin? Please give me some advice! Thanks
Hi Sue, it is possible they were too thin! Also, some parchment paper "behaves" better than others. We have found the Kirkland brand is the BEST!
What size is your sheet pan? Btw, I haven’t bought a loaf of bread since I started baking your sandwich loaf 2 years ago. Perfect every time.
Hi Collen, we are thrilled to hear that! I am pretty sure ours is 12"x16".
I didn't have any finely shredded cheese -- tons of med shreds and no discard on hand just starter available -- they were still a hit with my family and DISAPPEARED. I probably overbaked them to get them crispy which was a little hard for me to chew (dental issues), but LOVED them and am going to try tweaking for the ingredients I have available. Interesting to note, I used a white cheddar (no paprika) and they still turned kinda orangish like the traditional box brand. 🙂
Thank you for the recipe and I'm excited to see if I can make it easier on my teeth!!!
I had some time to play around with this recipe a bit; I made a denser starter, added about 1/4c of flour and 1/2 t. baking soda to the mix after chopping my preshredded cheese finer; while the consistency wasn't truly like a Cheez It, it was a lot easier to chew and still got a the Cheez It flavor with a slightly fluffier texture with a crispy outside. So, if anyone is missing crackers because of dental issues that might be a solution for it; I can't wait to eat them again!
So easy and delicious. I have started adding other herbs and different cheeses. it is fun to experiment and find out which combination you like best.
Shred up some pepperjack cheese, yum yum. I left out the butter, because where I live is very humid. And I have to cook'em a bit longer.
It turned out great and tastes delicious!
It got a 5- star review from my friends who were my taste testers.
I doubled the recipe and used a cookie sheet to spread the dough out on. They turned out great!
These are fantastic! Super easy and my family gobbles them up. I let them bake a little longer to be super crispy. Thanks for a great useful discard recipe!
Can you use dairy free cheese and butter in these?
Hi LeAnne, we have not tested this recipe with dairy-free ingredients. Please let us know if you give it a try!
sound delicious! what size sheet pan? thx