Sourdough Cheez-Its Snack Mix (Printable)

A crunchy blend of sourdough cheddar crackers, nuts, and pretzels with garlic and smoked paprika seasoning.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Sourdough Cheez-Its

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed
04 - 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
05 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
06 - 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 1/4 cup sourdough starter
08 - 2 tablespoons cold water

→ Snack Mix Components

09 - 2 cups mini pretzels
10 - 1 cup mixed roasted nuts
11 - 1 cup cheese crackers
12 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
13 - 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
14 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
15 - 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
16 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

# How-To:

01 - In a food processor, pulse together flour, butter, cheddar cheese, salt, and baking powder until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
02 - Add sourdough starter and pulse until dough forms. If too dry, add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time.
03 - Form dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
04 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and poke a hole in the center of each cracker with a skewer.
05 - Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until golden and crisp. Cool completely before proceeding.
06 - Preheat oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, combine cooled Cheez-Its, pretzels, and mixed nuts.
07 - In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika.
08 - Pour seasoned butter over snack mix and toss thoroughly to coat all components evenly.
09 - Spread mix onto a large baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until toasted and fragrant.
10 - Cool completely before serving or storing in an airtight container.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Homemade sourdough Cheez-Its taste like a completely different snack than the box version, with real cheese tang and a satisfying crunch that feels like you're eating something special.
  • It's the kind of thing you can make on a lazy weekend and have people asking for the recipe at every gathering afterward.
  • You're actually using that sourdough starter instead of letting it languish in your fridge like a pet rock.
02 -
  • If your dough cracks when rolling it out, don't panic, just keep going and patch any tears with extra dough because they'll seal themselves in the oven and nobody will ever know.
  • Cooling the crackers completely before you assemble the mix is non-negotiable because warm crackers will steam and lose their crunch, which I discovered by trying to rush things once.
03 -
  • Use a pizza cutter instead of a knife to cut the dough into squares, it's faster and creates cleaner edges that brown more evenly.
  • If your sourdough starter is very active and bubbly, use discard because active starter might make the dough too wet and unpredictable, but if it's sleepy, active is actually better.
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