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When you need a healthy snack that’s quick, flavorful, and delicious, cheese crackers are the perfect choice. They’re shelf stable, packed with cheesy flavor, and have a satisfying crunch. But there are more reasons to love cheese crackers than just the basics.
But nutritionally, many cheese crackers aren’t that appealing. High in nutrients you want to limit, like sodium and saturated fat, and low in nutrients you should be eating more of, like fiber and protein, they’re not the healthiest snacks on the shelf. While no particular food will make or break your health, frequently eating snacks high in calories, fat and sodium can increase your risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and lead to unnecessary weight gain.
We’ve reviewed some of the healthiest cheese crackers available in stores, as well as some that you might want to limit or avoid entirely. Whatever cheese you’re looking for – real cheese, vegan, gluten-free, allergy-friendly – you’ll find a healthy cheese cracker in our picks.
How to Choose the Healthiest Cheese Crackers
While what is “healthy” can be subjective depending on each person’s unique nutritional needs and goals, here are the criteria we used to find the most nutritious and healthiest cheese and cheese-flavored crackers:
- Reduce sodium: Snacks like crackers are notoriously high in sodium, and when you add cheese, most options have more sodium than you’d want in a snack. We chose crackers that are under 10% of the daily sodium recommendation, or as close to it as possible.
- Whole Food Ingredients: Instead of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives, we choose crackers that contain whole foods, seasonings and spices to maximize flavor while being less processed.
- Low in saturated fat: Cheese is naturally high in saturated fat, so avoiding it when choosing cheese crackers isn’t a viable option, and the American Heart Association warns against eating too much saturated fat, which increases your risk of heart disease.
The 10 Healthiest Cheese Crackers
Best: Simple Mills Farmhouse Cheddar Almond Flour Crackers
Nutritional Information (per 17 crackers/30 grams):
calorie: 150
fat: 8g (saturated fatty acids: 1.5g)
sodium: 230mg
carbohydrates: 17 g (dietary fiber: 1 g, carbohydrates: <1 g)
protein: 3g
If you want a certified gluten-free cracker made with whole food ingredients, try Farmhouse Cheddar Almond Flour Crackers. Made with a blend of almond flour, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds, these crackers have 3 grams of protein and a satisfying crunch and cheesy flavor. Each serving contains 10% sodium and only 1.5 grams of saturated fat, despite including real cheddar cheese as an ingredient. They’re also grain- and corn-free, making these cheese crackers perfect for those with allergies and sensitivities.
Best: Annie’s Cheese Crackers with Hidden Veggies
Nutrition facts (per 45 crackers/30 grams):
calorie: 150
fat: 8g (saturated fatty acids: 1g)
sodium: 300mg
carbohydrates: 18 g (dietary fiber: 1 g, carbohydrates: 2 g)
protein: 3g
Annie’s Cheese Crackers with Hidden Vegetables are certified organic, and vegetables like pumpkin, tomato, and carrot add natural color and flavor. Each serving of 45 crackers contains only 5% of your daily recommended intake of saturated fat and 13% of your daily recommended intake of sodium. These crackers contain no artificial colors or flavors.
Best: Everyone eats sliced meat without cheese
Nutrition facts (per 25 crackers/30 grams):
calorie: 130
fat: 4g (saturated fatty acids: 1g)
sodium: 140mg
carbohydrates: 21 g (dietary fiber: 2 g, carbohydrates: 0 g)
protein: 3g
Every Body Eat Cheeseless Thins are gluten-free, corn-free, allergy-friendly, vegan cheese cracker snacks. They have just a few ingredients: brown rice flour, potato starch, olive oil, nutritional yeast (for the cheese flavor), and seasonings. They contain just 6% of your daily sodium intake, making them a great choice for those on a low-sodium diet. They also provide 3 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber per serving of 25 crackers.
Best: Cheddy’s Classic Cheddar Cheese Crackers
Nutrition Facts (Per 1 oz/28 g):
calorie: 130
fat: 7g (Saturated fatty acids: 3g)
sodium: 200mg
carbohydrates: 14 g (dietary fiber: 0 g, carbohydrates: 2 g)
protein: 6g
Cheddy’s Classic Cheddar Crackers are made with just seven ingredients: flour, organic cheddar cheese, cornstarch, whey protein, sugar, onion powder, and jasmine extract. They’re full-bodied with 6 grams of protein per serving and packed with cheesy flavor, yet contain only 9% of your daily recommended sodium. They’re also non-GMO, certified humane, and the company sources its cheese from regenerative dairy farms.
Best: Patagonia Provisions Vegan Cheddar Cheese Crackers
Nutritional Information (per 10 crackers/30 grams):
calorie: 140
fat: 5g (Saturated fatty acids: 0.5g)
sodium: 250mg
carbohydrates: 19 g (dietary fiber: 2 g, carbohydrates: 2 g)
protein: 3g
If you’re looking for a large cracker that you can pile on with toppings, try Patagonia Provisions’ Cheddar Cheese Crackers. These crackers are vegan, organic, and have no added sugar. The cheese flavor comes from nutritional yeast and they’re naturally colored with turmeric. Each serving has just 0.5 grams of saturated fat and 11% of your daily recommended value of sodium. Plus, with ingredients like organic flour, sourdough, and nutritional yeast, each serving has 3 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber.
Best: High Key Cheddar Almond Flour Crackers
Nutrition facts (per 15 crackers/29 grams):
calorie: 140
fat: 10 g (Saturated fatty acids: 4.5 g)
sodium: 220mg
carbohydrates: 10 g (dietary fiber: 8 g, carbohydrates: 1 g)
protein: 7g
Although Highkey Almond Flour Cheddar Crackers contain more saturated fat than we would like, they make it onto our list of healthiest products thanks to their high protein and fiber content. Lupin flour, resistant cassava flour, almond flour, and whey protein add 8 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein to these crackers, making them a balanced and satisfying snack.
Best: From the Ground Up Cauliflower Cheddar Crackers
Nutrition facts (per 50 crackers/28 grams):
calorie: 120
fat: 2.5 g (Saturated fatty acids: 1 g)
sodium: 330mg
carbohydrates: 19 g (dietary fiber: 2 g, carbohydrates: 2 g)
protein: 2g
Made from cauliflower, rice, potato and cassava, these Cauliflower Cheddar Crackers are certified gluten-free and vegan with only 120 calories per 50 crackers. Each serving has 5% of your recommended daily intake of saturated fat and 14% of your recommended daily intake of sodium (a little higher than you’d like, but still fairly low considering the number of crackers per serving). These crackers contain a vegetable blend of spinach, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, beets and shiitake mushrooms. While the crackers do not replace vegetables, the vegetable ingredients add 2 grams of dietary fiber per serving.
Best: Made Good Cheddar Star Puff Crackers
Nutrition facts (per 55 crackers/30 grams):
calorie: 140
fat: 6g (Saturated fatty acids: 2g)
sodium: 270mg
carbohydrates: 21 g (dietary fiber: 1 g, carbohydrates: 0 g)
protein: 1g
Certified organic and gluten-free, Made Good’s Cheddar Star Puff Crackers are also free of the top 9 allergens, making them a great choice for children and adults with food allergies. Each serving contains 10% of the recommended daily intake of saturated fat and 12% of the recommended daily intake of sodium, while providing 25% of the recommended daily intake of micronutrients, including vitamins D, A, C, E, B1 and B6.
Best: Mary’s Gone Cheese Crackers
Nutritional Information (per 19 crackers/30 grams):
calorie: 140
fat: 6g (Saturated fatty acids: 2g)
sodium: 270mg
carbohydrates: 19 g (dietary fiber: 2 g, carbohydrates: 1 g)
protein: 4g
Made with chickpea flour, Mary’s Gone Cheezee Crackers contain 4 grams of protein per 19 crackers. These plant-based crackers are cheesy, certified organic, gluten-free and dairy-free for maximum flavor. These deliciously crispy crackers contain only 10% of your daily recommended value of saturated fat and 12% of your daily recommended value of sodium.
Best: Blue Diamond Pepper Jack Almond Nut Thins
Nutritional Information (per 16 crackers/30 grams):
calorie: 130
fat: 4g (Saturated fatty acids: 0g)
sodium: 210mg
carbohydrates: 22 g (dietary fiber: 1 g, carbohydrates: 1 g)
protein: 2g
Blue Diamond Pepper Jack Almond Nut Thins are gluten-free crackers made with rice flour and almonds that contain 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of protein. Their satisfying crunch is enhanced by a flavorful Pepper Jack Seasoning that adds no saturated fat to these crackers and contains only 9% of the recommended daily intake of sodium, making them a low-sodium cheese cracker option.
The 3 Unhealthiest Cheese Crackers
Worst: Lance Toastie Sandwich Crackers
Nutritional Information (per packet/40g):
calorie: 200
fat: 11 g (Saturated fatty acids: 3.5 g)
sodium: 400mg
carbohydrates: 24 g (dietary fiber: <1 g, carbohydrates: 4 g)
protein: 3g
ToastChee Cheddar Cheese Sandwich Crackers are high in saturated fat (17.5% of your daily recommended value) and sodium (18% of your daily recommended value), but they also contain high amounts of artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives.
Worst: Cheese-It Baked Snack Crackers
Nutrition facts (per 42g bag):
calorie: 210
fat: 11 g (Saturated Fat: 2.5 g)
sodium: 320mg
carbohydrates: 24 g (Dietary Fiber: <1 g, Carbohydrates: 0 g)
protein: 4g
Cheez-It Baked Snack Crackers, the original cheese crackers, may not be the worst cracker nutritionally. Still, with 13% DV saturated fat, 14% DV sodium, less than 1 gram of fiber, and very few trace nutrients, these crackers contain enriched wheat flour and vegetable oil as their main ingredients, and little else nutrition.
Worst: Whipps Parmesan Crisp
Nutritional Information (per 19 pieces/28 grams):
calorie: 150
fat: 10 g (Saturated fatty acids: 7 g)
sodium: 350mg
carbohydrates: 1g (dietary fiber: 0g, carbohydrates: 0g)
protein: 13 grams
We love Parmesan Crisps because they are packed with protein per serving, but they are too high in fat and sodium to keep on the snack table. The ingredients are minimal: Parmesan cheese, milk, salt, and enzymes. Each serving has 7 grams of saturated fat (35% of the recommended daily intake) and 15% of the recommended daily intake of sodium. They contain no fiber, but 13 grams of protein per serving.
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