Kristin's Homemade Rice Crackers

Finally!  A delicious cracker that's both easy, crispy (and stays crispy for several days!), and can be easily modified to add desired flavors.  I've tried many cracker recipes that just didn't have the taste and texture I was wanting - which mean I often ended up making our favorite 'cheez-it' style crackers.  But, I still wanted a plain cracker that could be used for dipping or topping without having cheese added into the dough.  The trick, I found, is using cooked short-grain brown rice - it's stickiness is perfect for these crackers.  I loved brushing these with a spicy chipotle-infused olive oil before baking, but you can use the olive oil of your choice.  These are ready to eat fresh out of the oven, or you can cool them to eat later.  Enjoy!

Delicious homemade gluten-free crackers, ready for toppings!  

Kristin's Homemade Rice Crackers
Makes about 24

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix together with a spoon:
1/2 cup cooked short-grain brown rice
1/2 cup Kristin's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda

Add:
5 Tbsp cold water

Mix until dough just holds together.  You can add another tablespoon of water if it's too crumbly.  

Scoop dough onto parchment paper.  Top with plastic wrap and roll dough until it's nice and thin - however thing you want your crackers is how thin you should roll it.  Remove plastic wrap.  Slice the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet.

Brush the top with:
1 Tbsp olive oil (herb-infused or chipotle-flavored olive oils are delicious)

Sprinkle the top lightly with:
fresh ground salt

Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Slice into cracker-sized squares and flip all squares over. (OR, you can flip the whole thing first, then slice into cracker-sized squares). 
Bake an additional 5-10 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack and eat hot, warm or cool.  Great with sharp cheddar cheese, or any favorite cracker toppings.  Store in a tightly-sealed Tupperware.  These are best within the first few days to retain crispness.   

Gluten-free 'Cheez-It' Style Crackers

I can't tell you how long it's been since I ate a cheez-it cracker, but I still remember the distinctive taste and these hit the spot!  In fact, these taste better than cheez-it crackers - they're freshly made, crunchy, cheesy, and so fun to whip up.  Enjoy!!!

These have little bits of cheese that bubbled out since I didn't mix it quite as thoroughly (I was working with a 2 year old, who doesn't have a huge amount of patience when she wants to be 'helping'), but they're wonderfully cheesy and crisp!

Gluten-free ‘Cheez-It’ Style Crackers

Makes 2 – 3 cookie trays of cheese crackers

 

Preheat oven to 400F. Line 2 cookie sheets with silicon mats or parchment paper.

 

Mix together using a pastry cutter:

1 ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese (I used Black Diamond Sharp Cheddar)

¾ cup Kristin’s gluten-free flour mix

3 Tbsp butter (cold, not softened)

1 pinch cayenne powder

 

Once chopped and butter mixed thoroughly into the mixture, add and chop in:

1 egg yolk

 

Once the egg yolk is chopped in, chop/mix in:

2 Tbsp milk (lactose-free works well)

 

Roll out the cheese dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap until 1/8” – ¼” thick (I tended toward the ¼” thick, which I found worked great.  Pull off the top sheet of plastic wrap. 

You can either 1. Use mini cookie cutters to cut out shapes, or 2. Slice into squares using a pizza cutter OR ravioli cutter. 

So easy a 2 year old can do it! Such fun!

If you use the cookie cutters, remove and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat.  Pile up remaining dough and re-roll out between sheets of plastic wrap.  Continue cutting until you’ve used up all your dough.  (* You may need to lift the plastic wrap up a bit to help remove the crackers from the wrap in order to place them on the mat.  But you will find they won’t stick.)

Lift up the plastic wrap a bit if you're having trouble picking up the crackers from the plastic wrap.

Line on the tray like this. They hardly spread out, so you can space them close together.

Sprinkle or grind fresh salt on top of the crackers prior to baking. Don’t forget this step!!! 

Don't forget to sprinkle with salt!!!

Bake 10-15 min, until nicely browned around edges.  Remove to cooling rack to cool. Store in a air-tight container. 

Enjoy!!!

 

My version made with my 2 year old daughter.

The version made by my brothers and parents ~3,000 miles away. They rolled out the dough and use a ravioli cutting to trim theirs into rectangular crackers. Don't they look great? Way to go, guys!