Chipotle cheese crackers are zippy, smokey, and cheesy bites of goodness. Every once in awhile, I come up with a recipe for something that you immediately want more when you take a bite. It is when you know you have made something special. These Chipotle Cheese crackers are definitely something special. The plain round coins may look a little unassuming and almost dull. But looks can definitely be deceiving. These spicy disks are utterly tasty and addictive.
I was invited to a socially distance outdoor movie night at my friend’s house, and I wanted to bring something you could snack on. Being in Colorado, spicy is always the right choice, especially if you use chilis. I had this can of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce I had used part of in a recipe for these incredible Chipotle deviled eggs. I Have been making these cheese crackers for many years based on this old Christmas cookie cookbook I’ve had since the 90s. (weird they were in a Christmas cookie book, but I digress!) I decided to try adding them, and oh my! These are absolutely incredible. I tasted one to make sure they were ok for the party and immediately ate 2 more. I had to stop myself from not bringing them and just eating the lot.
I admit I like a bit of spice but not too hot. These are on the higher side for me, but that didn’t stop me from eating my way through a bunch more of them at the movie night. They were definitely the hit of the party. And there was a long discussion about what could be put on top of these little disks of spicy goodness. Several suggestions of toppings were experimented with as we all sat around devouring them. Topping with YellowBird Blue Agave Siracha was one for those who wanted even more heat. But I think the best one was topping the crackers with ranch dressing and a piece of pepperoncini. It was like the ranch cooled the crackers down, but the pepperoncini brought some acid and a different heat to the bite. They all were delicious. Someone else suggested using these crackers as a base for a little slider of Greek lamb with tzatziki sauce. Yum! You see how my foodie friends think?!
These chipotle cheese crackers are very easy to make if you have a food processor. The recipe calls for only one bowl and takes just a few minutes to get the dough ready. The finished dough logs can be chilled for an hour and then baked, or you can freeze the logs and bake them up to 6 months later. The key is to find a good sharp cheddar. It will bring out the cheese flavor. The recipe calls for ¼ cup of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, which can be found in most grocery stores or here on Amazon. The chilis come whole, packed in this very smokey adobo sauce. Getting a ¼ cup, you may need to eyeball it or roughly chop them to measure them out. But they are what make this cracker so especially delicious and worth seeking out. (I get a very tiny commission at no cost to you from amazon if you use any links on this blog. Please consider using to help fund my site) If you don’t have some Silpat baking mats, here is the link for those too. They make clean up a breeze and are invaluable in my kitchen.
I genuinely hope you make these little disks of spicy goodness. They are extraordinary and yet incredibly quick and easy to make. Let me know in the comments below what you come up with as a topping. The possibilities are endless if you want a little zip added to your fun. Granted, these are so very good just the way they are in a big napkin lined bowl!
- 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese 2 cups shredded
- ¼ cup chopped chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
- 1-1/2 cups 7-1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 8 tablespoons chilled butter cut into 8 pieces
- 3 tablespoons water
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Shred the cheddar cheese using a shredding disk or grate separately. Remove the cheese and set aside, no need to clean the bowl.
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Place the chilis in adobe sauce in a food processor and process until finely chopped, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
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Add the cheddar, flour, cornstarch, salt, and paprika into the food processor bowl and process until combined, about 20 seconds.
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Scatter the cold butter pieces over the top of the flour cheese mixture and process until the mixture resembles wet sand, about 20-30 seconds.
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Sprinkle the water over the flour-butter mixture. Process until dough almost forms a ball, about 20 seconds.
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Transfer dough to counter and divide in half. Roll each half into a 10-inch log, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight. (the dough can be frozen at this point and thawed and baked at a later time up to 6 months.
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When ready to bake; adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350°
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Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with Silpat, parchment paper, or grease them.
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Unwrap logs and slice into 1/4-inch-thick disks, giving the dough quarter turn after each slice to keep log round. Place disks on prepared baking sheets spaced 1/2 inch apart.
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Bake until lightly golden around edges, 22 to 28 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Try not to over bake them as they will continue to cook on the baking sheets after they are removed from the oven.
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Let the crackers cool completely on the baking sheets before serving.
The chilis come whole, packed in this very smokey adobo sauce. Getting a ¼ cup, you may need to eyeball it or roughly chop them to measure them out.
