Easy Vegan Cheez Its (Goldfish Crackers)
This recipe gives you a quick and easy way to make cheese-flavored crackers that taste like vegan Cheez Its or goldfish crackers. These seasoned oyster crackers have all the taste of cheesy vegan crackers with very little effort. They’re perfect for snacks, parties, and to serve with soup. Plus vegan kids and toddlers love them – and adults too!
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If you like cheesy-tasting snack food you will love these cheesy crackers! Even non-vegans like them. I’ve made them as snacks for my kid’s vegan birthday parties numerous times and the non-vegan kids devoured them.
My mother always made those seasoned oyster crackers with a Ranch dressing seasoning packet when I was a kid. When I went vegan and wanted cheesy crackers, I decided to use the same method to make my own.
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- They satisfy your cravings for Cheez-Its or goldfish crackers.
- You can make them for about $2 instead of buying expensive vegan snacks.
- They can be seasoned in a variety of ways so that you will never get bored.
- You don’t actually have to make crackers from scratch!
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Oyster Cracker – These are the small round crackers that come in a large bag. Sometimes they are also called soup crackers. You could also use saltines if you can’t find oyster crackers.
- Oil – you can use any type of neutral-flavored oil that you would like. You need this to give the crackers more flavor and help the seasoning stick to the crackers. You can reduce the amount a little but don’t omit it or your spices won’t stick.
- Nutritional Yeast – to give them a cheesy flavor. Nutritional yeast is a yellow flaky powder that is sold at most major grocery stores and health food stores. It has a cheese-like umami flavor. Be sure it’s nutritional yeast and not brewer’s yeast. This is a key ingredient if you want them to taste cheesy.
- Salt – for flavor.
- Garlic Powder – for flavor.
- Turmeric – for color (optional).
🔪 Helpful tools
A Cookie Sheet – to toast your crackers. One with edges works best.
🥄 How to make vegan cheese crackers
Step 1– Preheat the oven to 225° F (107° C).
Step 2– Pour a bag of oyster crackers onto a cookie sheet and drizzle them with 1/3 cup of oil. Then use a spatula to stir them around until they are well coated in the oil.
Step 3– Sprinkle the nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and turmeric on the crackers and stir well again.
Step 4– Place in a 225° F (107° C) oven for 5 minutes, then take it out and stir well again before putting it back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
Step 5– Allow the seasoned crackers to cool for a few minutes before eating. Serve with soups, salads, or as a snack.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Make sure that your oven is not hotter than 225° F (107° C) or the seasoning can burn.
- Don’t overcook the crackers, they will dry out too much and the seasoning can burn.
📖 Flavor variations
Make these seasoned oyster crackers in any flavor that you want. Here are a few of my family’s favorites.
- Ranch – After the cheesy crackers have cooked for 5 minutes, sprinkle them with 2 teaspoons of dried parsley, and 2 teaspoons of dried dill weed. (The dry herbs tend to burn if cooked too long.)
- Old Bay – omit the salt and sprinkle the crackers with 1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning.
- Cajun – Omit the salt and sprinkle them with Tony Chachere’s or another creole seasoning.
- Smokey Cheese Crackers – Sprinkle the cheesy crackers with 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika.
- Taco – Omit 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of chile powder and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin.
🍞 Can I make it gluten-free?
I don’t know of any gluten-free oyster crackers on the market at this time. However, you could break up other gluten-free crackers and season them the same way or make your own homemade oyster crackers.
🥡 Storage
Store these crackers in an air-tight container in the pantry for up to 1 month. I like to use a glass jar so they don’t absorb the taste of a plastic container.
🌟 Serve with these soups
- Vegan Minestrone
- Vegan Zucchini Soup
- Creamy Pumpkin Bean
- Vegan Cream of Broccoli Soup
- Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
Want another delicious vegan snack food? You have to try my vegan pork rinds made with rice paper!
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Vegan cheese cracker recipe
Vegan Cheez Its (Goldfish Crackers)
Ingredients
- 1 (10 oz.) bag oyster crackers, (about 4 cups)
- 1/3 cup cooking oil
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 dash turmeric
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 225° F (107° C).
- Pour a bag of oyster crackers onto a cookie sheet and drizzle them with 1/3 cup of oil. Then use a spatula to stir them around until they are well coated in the oil.
- Sprinkle the nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, and turmeric on the crackers and stir well again.
- Place in a 225° F (107° C) oven for 5 minutes, then take out and stir well again before putting back in the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
- Allow the seasoned crackers to cool for a few minutes before eating. Serve with soups, salads, or as a snack.
Notes
Flavor Variations
- Ranch – After the cheesy crackers have cooked for 5 minutes, sprinkle them with 2 teaspoons of dried parsley, and 2 teaspoons of dried dill weed. (The dry herbs tend to burn if cooked too long.)
- Old Bay – omit the salt and sprinkle the crackers with 1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay Seasoning.
- Cajun – Omit the salt and sprinkle them with Tony Chachere’s or another creole seasoning.
- Smokey Cheese Crackers – Sprinkle the cheesy crackers with 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika.
- Taco – Omit 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of chile powder and 1/2 teaspoon of cumin.
Did you make this recipe?Please leave a star rating and review below!
Looks great – but what can those of us who have no idea what ‘oyster crackers’ are or have no access to them use???
Oyster crackers are also sometimes referred to as soup crackers. They are basically a very dry round little cracker. You can use saltines or some other very dry plain cracker in its place. Enjoy! 🙂
I have never understood where people get the notion that nutritional yeast tastes like anything but yeast. I am always disappointed at recipes that claim to be “cheesy”. I have had cheese, this ain’t it. But I have to say I am loving your other recipes.
Be sure that you are using nutritional yeast and not brewer’s yeast. Good nutritional yeast should not taste like yeast at all. However, if you don’t like the flavor of it, use one of the other flavor variations that I give.
What a brilliant idea! I always wanted to like plain oyster crackers but found them way too bland in flavor. Thank you for this recipe. 😀