Is there a vegan version of Cheez-Its?

The actual brand of Cheez-Its, Kellogg’s, does not make a vegan version. There are some storebought options at specialty grocery stores and online, but I prefer to make them homemade because they’re so easy to make and much tastier!

Do Cheez-Its contain dairy?

Yes! The classic storebought version is considered vegetarian because it does not contain any meat, but it does contain dairy (and gluten, too!). My homemade version of vegan Cheez-Its has no dairy!

Healthy Vegan Cheez-Its (Gluten-Free)

Description

Healthy Vegan Cheez-Its–a delicious twist on a classic snack made vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and high in protein! Better for you and super fun to make at home!

Ingredients

Units Scale

3/4 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup fine oat flour
3–4 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
3 tbsp tahini
3–5 tbsp cold water
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
crack of black pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt*

optional

pinch of ground turmeric (for colour)
2 tsp miso paste (if using, reduce salt to 1/2 tsp)
1/4 cup vegan cheese, grated or pulsed in a food processor (highly recommended!!)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F while you prepare your dough.
In a large mixing bowl, sift in chickpea flour, oat flour, nutritional yeast, baking powder and spices. Whisk until combined and no lumps remain.
To the bowl, add tahini, miso paste if using, and water by the tablespoon. Begin to mix dough with a spatula or your hands and add additional liquid as needed until a dough forms. Dough should stick together, pull away from sides of the bowl but not be too sticky to handle.
If using vegan cheese, grate it finely or pulse in a food processor to break down into small pieces. Incorporate and mix into the dough.
Place the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll out to create a thin layer. Aim for the thickness of a traditional cheez it (the thinner, the crispier the result!).
Using a knife, cut horizontal lines and vertical lines to create cheez it sized squares, and poke a hole in the center of each square using a chopstick or other stick.
Bake at 350F degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until edges are crisp and cracker is golden brown. Let cool completely before storing.

Notes

Secrets to Success

I recommend using Violife parmesan for these vegan Cheez-Its, as it grates wonderfully and has a great sharp taste to it. You can also use vegan cheddar cheese as well.
When making this vegan Cheez-Its recipe is to be sparing with the liquids you add, go by a tablespoon and only add as much as you need. Also, go as thin as you can with your rolling of the dough in order to achieve max crunchiness! The ridges, as you see here in the photo, are optional, and I’d actually recommend skipping that part because I found that it created a thicker texture in my crackers, took a lot more time (of course), and resulted in more of a biscuit.
If you really want that thin cracker reminiscent of a Cheez-It, you’re better off rolling the dough thin and scoring it to separate the crackers on the sheet pan. Lastly, if you feel inspired to use a cookie cutter to make various shapes, you know I support creative baking! Go crazy with the shapes but keep the shape small. Small and thin cracker sizes will produce the best results.
The last note is about adding vegan cheese to the recipe. I experimented with 2 batches, a second batch I made with added grated vegan cheese, and it was definitely delicious, but of course, not quite AS healthy. So, if you really want a super cheezy flavour and typically don’t find nutritional yeast cheezy enough, add the optional vegan cheese (see recipe notes). This vegan version does not disappoint!

Storage Tips

Let the vegan Cheez-Its cool completely. Then, store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15-20 mins
Category: snacks
Method: baking

Keywords: vegan cheez-its, gluten free, oil free, healthy snack, dairy free, vegan cheese