When I was a little girl, I loved eating the cheese crackers that my mum would bring home as a surprise for us.
Naturally, I wanted to try making my own at home – and I was amazed at how easy they are to make.
If you’ve never made your own before, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. This recipe is extremely simple and you can make an entire batch in just 30 minutes, with just a handful of ingredients.
All you need is some all-purpose flour, salt, Parmesan cheese, butter, heavy cream, and fresh rosemary.
With a bit of mixing and rolling you’ll bring the ingredients together to form the dough, which you will cut out into rectangles and then bake. It’s really as simple as that!
This recipe yields between 30 to 40 crackers per batch, and you can easily double or triple the recipe as needed.
These will keep well in an airtight container for up to a week, but I honestly doubt they will last that long! In my house, a batch of these never last more than an afternoon!
The rosemary is optional, or you can replace it with your favorite combination of fresh or dried herbs.
I suggest making a delicious party appetizer with whipped cream cheese and freshly chopped chives. This combination is divine.
Or, include them with charcuterie, cheese, and roasted olives for your very own meat and cheese board!
Are you set to bake your own homemade crackers? Let’s head straight to the recipe!
PrintHomemade Parmesan and Rosemary Crackers
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 30 crackers 1x
Description
These homemade Parmesan and rosemary crackers are deliciously tasty and addictively crispy at the same time. Bake a batch at home in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour (+ more as needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup cold butter (cubed)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- Coarse or flaked salt for sprinkling
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, Parmesan cheese, and cubed butter.
- Cut the butter and cheese into the flour mix by using a pastry cutter if you have one, or two knives like I did, until you get a sand-like mixture.
- Pour in the heavy cream and mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon until a dough is formed.
- Sprinkle flour on a piece of parchment paper and use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out to a ¼-inch thickness. Use a sharp knife to cut the dough into small rectangular pieces that are evenly sized.
- Place the dough rectangles on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer, leaving 1 inch of space between each. Use a fork to poke holes in the crackers.
- Sprinkle the tops with salt and chopped fresh rosemary. Use your fingers to lightly press the rosemary down onto the surface.
- Bake for 10 minutes, until golden brown.
- Allow the crackers to cool fully on the baking sheet before storing or serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: crackers, herb, rosemary, Parmesan, snacks
Cooking by the Numbers…
Step 1 – Preheat Oven and Prepare Mise en Place
Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Get your ingredients ready.
Measure out the flour, salt, Parmesan cheese, butter, heavy cream, and fresh rosemary.
I prefer to grate my parmesan fresh, using a microplane or standard box grater.
Feel free to leave out the rosemary or replace it with a different type of herbs, if you prefer.
Step 2 – Prepare the Dough
In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, cheese, and butter.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until you get a sand-like mixture.
Add the cream and mix well with a wooden spoon until a uniform dough is formed.
Step 3 – Cut It Out
Sprinkle a piece of parchment paper with flour and use a floured rolling pin to roll out the dough to ¼-inch thick.
Cut the dough into 30-40 small rectangles, or diamond shapes of equal size. This will help them to bake evenly.
Transfer the crackers to the preparing baking sheet, making sure to leave at least 1 inch of space between each cracker.
Step 3 – Prep and Season
Poke holes in each cracker with a fork, in a checkerboard pattern. This helps them to bake evenly and releases steam during baking.
Sprinkle the tops with salt and chopped fresh rosemary. A coarse or flaked salt is great for this, like Maldon, sel gris, or fleur de sel.
Use your fingers to press the chopped rosemary down lightly into the dough.
Step 4 – Bake Until Golden Brown
Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow the crackers to cool completely on the baking sheet before eating or storing in an airtight container.
Tuck in and Enjoy!
I like to serve these crackers as an appetizer before meals, and they’re excellent spread with a soft, fresh cheese or pate. These tasty snacks store well for at least a week in an airtight container.
Have you tried making your own homemade crackers before? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
For more homemade recipes like this one, we have a few to try:
Photos by Felicia Lim, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally posted December 20th, 2016. Last revised and updated September 26th, 2019
*Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Felicia Lim
Felicia Lim is a Singaporean who moved to Argentina for love. Based in Buenos Aires, also known as “the Paris of South America,” she fills her days with freelance writing, recipe development, and food photography – three passions that give her endless joy. When she isn’t typing away at her computer, cooking in the kitchen, or shooting in her balcony-studio, you can probably find her curled up on the couch, lost in the pages of a good book.
Simply divine. Add a little cheddar or some jalapeno jelly. Nom, nom, nom.
★★★★★
Wow this was quick and simple. I used wheat flour, thyme, and garlic powder with mine. So flaky. I dare you to eat just one. This seems like a great base recipe you can experiment and do a lot with.
★★★★★
Absolutely AMAZING! Made this for our family and friends for Christmas – cut them into Stars and I had to Hide them so that I could serve them with a presentation platter so they wouldn’t all be eaten beforehand Lol! Made the recipe as written, just tripled it – It was Perfection! Thank you for a great recipe, I am now looking to see what other wonderful recipes tips and tricks you offer on your site! Thanks again
Thanks for the feedback, B! We’re so glad you enjoyed them!
Have you ever made these with almond flour so that they are keto? Wondering if the consistency would still be right? Thanks!
We have not, but if you give it a try please let us know! Blanched almond flour is higher in moisture and fat than AP, so you will likely need to adjust the quantities of butter and cream to make the recipe work. I’ve also seen similar almond flour cracker recipes that include an egg, to help with binding.
I’ve tried making other rosemary cracker recipes and this one is way better! Yes to butter and cheese. Flakey, lovely taste.
★★★★★
Not a fan. Look at the ingredients. This is more like a savory shortbread than a cracker. Even rolling out to 1/4″ the crackers puff up while baking and shrink in overall size. Save your time and ingredients, add sugar and make shortbread instead – it tastes much better. Then go and find an oil based cracker recipe – they seem to turn out much more like crackers.
★★