I love these Cheese Wafers because they’re the perfect homemade version of goldfish crackers and my kids LOVE them.
Some moms make their kids sugar cookies, gingerbread people and or maybe even Peppermint Brookies. My mom made cheese wafers. I’m not talking about a tins worth, I’m literally talking pounds and pounds! You would have thought she was starting her own cheese 
wafer business with the amount of cracker barrel cheese kept in our 
refrigerator. I remember standing by her salivating as she made them. 
Really they’re THAT good. She placed a perfect pecan on top of each one and added 
a touch of paprika for a little zip. Don’t have pecans on hand? You can substitute walnuts or even go nut free. When I give them to my kids they pop them in their mouthes and crunch away so fast, I 
had to hide them. Now the only trouble is that I know where they are and I may eat the entire tin! I’m not kidding. Of all recipes on Weelicious these Cheese Wafers are in my top 10 favorites.
If you have a child that loves goldfish this is the perfect homemade substitute. I mean who can resist a deep cheddar flavor in a super crispy, crunchy cracker. They’re truly made from heaven and the best hostess gift ever. I package them in cute little tins to make them easy to transport too. Bonus? They freeze beautifully so you can make them months ahead of time.
This recipe is perfect to make for a big group because they’re super simple and who doesn’t love a savory cheese cracker? These Cheese Wafers are way better than any cheese cracker you can get in the store and adding a crunchy pecan on top is the perfect combination.
Are you making Cheese Wafers for any holiday parties? Let me know in the comments!
Cheese Wafers
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
- 5 tablespoons butter, cut into cubes
- 1 cup all purpose flour, plus additional for sprinkling
- raw pecan halves, or other nut of preference (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and combine (dough may be a bit crumbly, but it will stick together).
- Remove all the dough to a piece of parchment or waxed paper and shape into a thick flat circle. Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate for one hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Open waxed paper and roll out dough on it into a 1/4 inch-thick piece.
- Take small cookie cutters and cut out into shapes (you could also take an empty plastic medicine bottle to make circle shaped crackers. Just make sure you clean out the bottle thoroughly first.).
- Place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with a silpat or parchment paper). Add pecans or other nut on top (if preferred) and bake for 12-15 minutes. Let cool on sheet for 2 minutes before removing.
- Serve.
- *Gluten Free- use the same amount of gluten free flour. They turn out amazing!
I had the same crumbling problem with this recipe. I made it the second time using 3 tablespoons more butter. This time the batter was perfect consistency. Hope this helps.
I would start with 1/4 teaspoon so you don’t get them too salty!
I made these last night and baked some this morning. They are good but there is no salt in them. I am going to try them again but I want to add a little salt. Any suggestions on how much?
i’d like to try making them with pecans. how did your mom used to cut them, and did she put the pecans on before she baked them?
I tried making the dough by using 1 cup cheese, 5 T butter, and 1 cup of coconut flour (gluten free) and the dough is really crumbly and not holding together. I put it in the fridge for a couple of hours and it was rock hard. I gave it a couple of minutes before trying to roll it out, but it’s just crumbly again. Any suggestions?
another option is to use a stoneware baking sheet – you can roll out the mix right on it and cut it in shapes – saves transferring the crackers and saves on dishes. i hope to try these crackers soon.
I tried to make these last night but the dough would not stick together, even after I chilled it for 2 hrs. I put it back in the food processor and added about a tablespoon of milk. I know that’s not int he recipe, but I don’t see how else it would work. What did I do wrong?
Will try to bake them tonight…
do you think whole wheat flour will work? or half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour? I’m really excited to try these b/c all the cheese crackers I’ve seen have tons of sodium!
do you think whole wheat flour will work? or half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour?
Hi! Quick question: In the recipe itself it says to use 2 cups of cheese, but in the comments you say you use 1 cup. Which is correct? Can’t wait to make these; my daughter loves goldfish crackers and cheddar bunnies.
Thank you!
THESE ARE AWESOME!
I used “mexican” shredded cheese because it was what I had and they turned out delicious! I had a little bit of trouble rolling out the dough because when I took it out of the fridge it was hard as a rock but I just broke off little pieces, rolled them, smooshed them and used flower shaped cookie cutters. My house smelled great while they baked! My daughter keeps asking for crackers!
Mine turned out a little crumbly/breadlike…but they were great!!! Cant wait to try them on my 2 1/2 year old!!!!!!
My family loves these & everywhere I take them I get asked for the recipe. I roll mine out on a Silpat and it makes the crumbly dough easier to work with. (To the mom whose wafers turned out bready, make sure you chill the dough at least an hour. If you don’t, they’re really easy to roll out but they turn out puffy.)Thanks for the great recipe, Catherine!
I use 1 cup of shredded cheese 🙂
I love the recipe, but I am having a little trouble with the cheese measurements. The recipe says 1/2 pound or 1 cup, but the two are not the same amount. 1/2 pound is 8 oz. by weight and 1 cup holds 8 fluid ounces. A bag of pre-shredded cheese says 8 oz and approximately 2 cups. Did you use 1 cup or did you use half of a pound?
I’m not a huge fan of cheese crackers, but my husband and twin boys are. Even I thought these were great! I will be making them again!
[…] think it was time i finally cooked something for her, besides scrambled eggs lol. first i made her cheese wafers . they have been a hit. my sister rachel especially likes them. they basically taste like cheese […]
Have you ever tried to make these with a mixture of flours? Like, half white and half whole wheat? I’m thinking if it works, it could make for a healthier treat. Thoughts?
Since there’s no yeast and baking powder in them, they should be pretty crispy and flat. How did you make it? Sometimes when you over work the dough, it will lose it’s consistency when you bake it. You make have over worked it in the food processor.
I made these last night and they were delicious! (I think I may have eaten the majority of them…)
I was wondering what the texture was supposed to be like on these? I used cold block sharp cheddar and cold butter and they were more bread like than cracker like. Is this right?
Half a pound = 8 oz.
It’s about 1 Cup of cheese.
hi there, thinking to make this cheese wafers today, but not sure how much is 1/2 lb of cheese in grams or ounces?
can you help
thanks
They will last about 4 days, if no one eats it all up…its best refrigerated. Frozen would last about 4 months.
How long will these keep, either in an air-tight container or frozed?
I made these wafers for my son and he loved them! I have one question though, are they supposed to turn out soft like a cookie or crispy like a cracker? My son loves them regardless but I was just wondering because mine were softed and I think they would even be tastier if they stayed crispy like how they are when they come out of the oven. Thanks!
[…] Again, haven’t tried this yet, but will be shortly with a recipe for cheesy homemade crunchie cheese wafers from Weelicious.com – difference being that their recipe calls for flour without specifying […]
Thanks for this recipe. I have been looking for ideas for things I can make for my two little ones. We are really trying to eat less processed foods. I just found you and it looks like you have a lot of things that I will try.
Question…should the butter have been melted for the cheese wafers. My dough was exceptionally crumbly, even after refrigeration. Therefore, it did not roll out and no shapes held…they just crumbled. What did I do wrong???
These looks incredibly good! I know that my kids would love them. Easy enough to make, too!
They’re on my “to try” list! Thanks for sharing!