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These crackers taste like Cheez-Its®, but they are so much healthier.
I came up with this recipe on accident. I was juicing sweet potatoes to make Parmigiano Reggiano Sweet Potato Corn Soup. When I went to clean the juicer, I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet potato pulp. At first touch, it felt like a soft bread dough.
Although, it would probably be great in bread, I was in the mood for crackers. Since I had grated Parmigiano Reggiano on hand, I mixed that with the potato. I tasted it and the flavor was great. Next, I added a pat of butter. Even better.
Next, I had to figure out how much flour to add…you have to be more precise with baking, as opposed to cooking. I started with a ¼ cup at first, but it was still a little too wet, so I added another ¼ cup. Next, some simple seasoning. The dough tasted great and was so pliable.
I rolled it out, cut it like crackers and baked it, checking it every two minutes. Once they came out of the oven, my husband said I created a copy-cat recipe for Cheez-Its®.
Why make your own when it’s easier to buy the box? Well…the second ingredient in Cheez-Its® is vegetable oil. The second ingredient in my crackers is sweet potatoes.
According to the Cheez-It® website, here are the ingredients in their crackers: enriched flour, vegetable oil, cheese made with skim milk, two percent or less of salt, paprika, yeast, paprika oleoresin for color, soy lecithin.
My crackers include: unbleached all-purpose flour, sweet potatoes, Parmigiano Reggiano, butter, salt and smoked paprika. You decide which is healthier.
Bon appétit!
Sweet Potato Cheese Crackers
1/3 cup sweet potato pulp
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 T. butter, softened
1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 tsp. kosher saltThe pulp for this recipe is from two sweet potatoes that have been passed through a juicer. You don’t need the juice, just the remaining pulp.
Combine all of the ingredients and knead to form a soft dough.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll until 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick.
Cut the dough into crackers.
Using a spatula, lift the cracker dough and place the crackers on a silpat-lined cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until brown around the edges. They won’t be quite as crisp as a Cheez-It®, but the flavor is spot on.
Cool and serve.
9 comments
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says:
January 7, 2012 at 18:00 (UTC -7)
I love this recipe. It looks so simple! I know my girls are going to love these cute little crackers
Jess says:
November 2, 2011 at 22:40 (UTC -7)
Yumm! Homemade crackers are so much fun!
Amee says:
August 7, 2011 at 18:32 (UTC -7)
These look AMAZING!! Thank you for sharing!! I will be making these very soon.
Eron says:
July 10, 2011 at 19:48 (UTC -7)
Great idea! I teach cooking to kids and am always looking for cool ideas that incorporate veggies into snack foods they recognize. Thanks!
zestuous says:
July 10, 2011 at 22:07 (UTC -7)
You’re welcome. I promise, kids won’t know the difference. To make it look more like a Cheez-It. Cut them into squares and push a toothpick in the center to make the little signature hole.
Stacey West-Feather says:
July 10, 2011 at 16:08 (UTC -7)
These look soo good!!!! Love your blog!
zestuous says:
July 10, 2011 at 17:40 (UTC -7)
Thank you Stacey
zestuous says:
July 10, 2011 at 15:25 (UTC -7)
You could try that, but you might need to add more flour. The juicer takes all of the extra moisture out of the pulp. After you pulse it, place the mash into a sieve and press out as much liquid as you can…or place the mash in a salad spinner and see if that will work. Good luck. Let me know if it works.
Anonymous says:
July 10, 2011 at 15:21 (UTC -7)
This sounds so good! If I don’t have a juicer, could I shred the sweet potato and pulse it in the food processer to make my own pulp? What is your expert advice?