Gluten Free Cheese Crackers

While no gluten are contained in these gluten free cheese crackers, they are more flavorful than some of the gluten crackers I have tasted in the past. Rolled thin and baked crisp, they make a wonderful treat. You can even use them as gluten free gold fish crackers. It is important to note that you can either control the color or the level of spice in this recipe, but not both. Turmeric and paprika are used to enhance the color, as well as carrot juice. Simply put, these gluten free crackers are crisp, flavorful, and colorful. I chose to make these crackers with cornstarch, alone, as it provides the most crispness in baked goods. Enjoy!

I created this recipe for KitchenAid’s 13-Cup Food Processor with ExactSlice™ System. It works well for this recipe as you need to use the food processor twice, if making homemade carrot juice, and this product contains two bowls! It saves so much time. If you have recipes to share using a KitchenAid product post them to their new Recipe App on their Facebook page; or browse recipes as they become available. Let’s show the world that gluten free food can be just as delicious as their gluten cousins!

Gluten Free Cheese Crackers

51

Yield: Makes 2 cups of crackers.

Gluten Free Cheese Crackers

Slightly spicy and crispy, gluten free cheese crackers with a touch of sweetness and salt. The perfect combination.

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz. (1/4 lb.) carrots, washed and peeled
  • 1/4 cup water, boiling
  • 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups mild cheddar cheese, shredded and loosely packed (Daiya brand for dairy-free)
  • 1 Tablespoon non-fat dry milk
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons cooking oil of your choosing
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch (or potato starch for corn-free)
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon gluten free baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (or guar gum for corn-free)
  • 1/16 teaspoon (pinch) turmeric powder, for color
  • 1/16- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, for color and spice, to your liking
  • 3 Tablespoons carrot juice, for color and moisture

Instructions:

    To Make Carrot Juice:
  1. Puree carrots in the small bowl of the food processor; add carrots to heat-proof bowl or jar; add boiling water; allow to steep for 20 minutes; strain juice using a hand strainer (to remove more pulp add layers of cheese cloth); discard pulp and set it aside.
  2. To Make Crackers:
  3. Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
  4. To the large bowl of your food processor, combine all the remaining ingredients. Mix on high speed until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and mold the dough into a disk. Alternatively transfer them to the baking sheet and mold as directed above.
  5. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. Spread the dough with your hands as thin as possible into a rectangular shape and pinch cracks closed. The use of a pastry roller works well for this step. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  6. Cut the dough into 3/4-inch squares using a knife or pizza cutter. Be careful not to cut your silicone mat, if using.
  7. Using the tip of a knife or other object, create a hole in the center of the each square. Sprinkle the tops with salt, if desired.
  8. Bake approximately 15 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Remove the crackers and using 2 spatulas transfer them a cutting board.
  9. Re-cut them or otherwise they will stick together. This also provides air to allow the crackers to bake to a crisp texture. Transfer back to the baking sheet and bake an additional 10 minutes or until crisp.
  10. Serve immediately, or at least same day.

Tips

It is extremely important to roll the dough very thin, as will turn out chewy if rolled thick.

Did you know?

The reason cornstarch provides the most crispness to baked goods is due to its high amount of amylose. Amylose is a polymer (a substance made up of several molecules) which provides crispness to baked and processed goods. The more amylose a starch contains and the closer those molecules are to each other, the crisper the baked good. Cornstarch contains 25% amylose. Though there are two other cornstarch varieties that contain up to 70%, they are generally not available to the general public. Potato starch would be your next choice as it contains 20% amylose. Tapioca starch only contains 15 – 18%. Read more about Gluten Free Starch Substitutes.

2 Replies to “Gluten Free Cheese Crackers”

  1. Can an egg be used in the place of xanthan gum? Also, could these be stored in an air tight container to be kept for longer than a day?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.