This adorable recipe for Christmas Tree Cheese Crackers is only 5 ingredients and is a perfect homemade addition to any holiday cheese or charcuterie board!
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Welcome to day 2 of my holiday series: 5-Ingredient Fancy! In case you missed the day 1 recipe, be sure to check out this post for Hot Honey Drizzle.
The recipes in this 5-Ingredient Fancy series are perfect for:
- Anyone who is cooking on a budget but still wants some festive recipes to contribute to holiday gatherings.
- Beginner cooks and college students that want to make something impressive to bring to holiday parties without spending too much time or money with little stress.
- People who like make-ahead recipes that are simple and easy to follow.
- Adding to cheese boards with store-bought items so that you have an element of “homemade” in the mix.
These Christmas Tree Cheese Crackers meet all of the desirable factors above. When people taste them, they are always astonished about how much they remind them of Cheeze-Its, but WAY better! I love recipes that take classic cultural food and turn it into a better homemade version. These crackers are filled with sharp cheddar flavor that is enhanced and amped up by sweet smoked paprika and my favorite Southern condiment, Louisiana Hot Sauce. They are surprisingly simple to make and totally addictive - you've been warned.
Step one for making these crackers involves making a dough. You can do this with a stand or handheld mixture. Blend some room-temperature butter, freshly-shredded cheddar, paprika, and hot sauce together until smooth. Then add flour in three additions. What you will get is a shaggy dough that looks like this:
Use your hands to smoosh the dough together into a log or disk, then refrigerate it for a minimum of 1 hour. Next, you will roll it out on a floured surface and cut it with a mini Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter, just like you would do with sugar cookies!
Once the Christmas tree crackers are cut, you will bake them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 16-18 minutes until they are golden and crisp on the bottom. While they are still warm, sprinkle the tops with sea salt. At that point, you must try one while still warm! You can serve them warm or cool on a wire rack and serve at room temperature. The dough can also be frozen whole or as sliced unbaked trees between layers of wax paper for up to 3 months and baked as needed!
These are perfect served alongside:
- Tomato soup
- On a cheese or charcuterie board
- On a kid's themed Christmas snack board
- With a pimento cheese-themed board
- With kettle corn as part of a fun game night
- Alongside chili
And I'm sure you can think of many other ways to serve them! Be sure to check back later this week for a step-by-step tutorial of how I styled these Christmas Tree Cheese Crackers on the charcuterie board below.
Are you ready to make some Christmas Tree Cheese Crackers? I’m so excited for you to try this recipe. Once you get the chance to make it, please let me know how it turns out for you! Leave a comment and rate the recipe below. This will help me with the creation of future recipes! I’d also love to feature your creation in my monthly newsletter, so you can upload a photo to Instagram or Twitter with the tag @sweetcayenne5 to be featured!
*PLEASE rate and comment on the recipe if you make it! This helps my SEO – THANKS!*
Christmas Tree Cheese Crackers
Ingredients
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Louisiana
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- Sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cheese, butter, smoked paprika, and hot sauce on low speed until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes. Add the flour in 3 additions on low speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until a shaggy dough ball forms. Use your hands to shape the dough together into a log. Wrap the log in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 1 ½ hours or up to overnight.
- When ready to roll out and bake, preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Place the log on a floured surface and roll to ¼’’ thick. Use a mini Christmas tree cutter or other cutter to cut out shapes. Transfer the cut crackers to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 16-18 minutes until the crackers are light golden brown and crisp on the bottom. Remove from heat and lightly sprinkle the crackers with sea salt while still warm. Serve warm or transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
- Store crackers at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Unbaked dough can be frozen for up to 3 months and thawed in the fridge overnight before rolling out, cutting and baking. Alternatively, you can freeze the unbaked cut Christmas trees between layers of wax paper for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen, adding an extra minute or two to the baking time.
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