Cheese Wafers with Pecans is a shortcut recipe for cheddar cheese crackers with chopped pecans stirred in the dough and crowned with a pecan half on top! These cheese pecan wafers taste like a cross between the traditional Southern cheese straw and a pecan-covered cheese ball.
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Thank you to my friends at Whaley Pecan Company for sponsoring this post.
I've been making the old-fashioned version of these cheese wafers for decades where you hand-shred a block of cheddar cheese, shape the dough into a log, then slice and bake them into wafer-thin, cheese "crackers".
Not any more!
Almost every recipe you come across for crispy cheese wafers will insist that pre-shredded cheese is a "no-no". And for good reason! Pre-shredded cheese is lightly coated with a powdery, anti-caking agent for the sole purpose of keeping the cheese from sticking together.
This is exactly why shredding your own cheddar cheese is always recommended... to help the cheese stick together in the dough...until, now!
Open up that bag of pre-shredded cheese!
What's the trick?
Why this shortcut recipe works
My daughter has been perfecting what she calls "her signature party recipe", kind of a Cheddar cheese "cookie" with a thumbprint dollop of pepper jelly in the center.
Wait for it... She uses pre-shredded cheese!
Her trick to getting the cheese incorporated into the dough and avoid a dry, crumbly mess?
The food processor. Not a mixer. So, I use the same technique!
The knife blade of the food processor pulverizes the pre-shredded cheese, so I added that technique in this recipe.
Also, I first "beat" the softened butter in the food processor, then add the cheese before adding the flour. This helps form a perfectly smooth dough.
Now, to gild the lily, I've added the nutty flavor and added crunch of pecans to this recipe for cheese wafers. Again, think "toasted pecans covering a cheddar cheese ball" to imagine the flavor combo.
You can dress them up with a whole pecan on the top. Stir in finely chopped pecans in the dough, or both!
I've also made a few from this batch without pecans.
Shortcuts
Just having 4 ingredients in this easy appetizer recipe is a shortcut in itself, but this one is loaded with shortcuts!
- Using the food processor allows you to use pre-shredded cheddar cheese.
- I show you my trick to softening butter in seconds so you don't have to wait for it to come to room temperature, like watching paint dry!
- Rolling this cheese straw dough into balls and flattening them is less effort than extruding the dough through a cheese straw press.
- No need to chill this dough before shaping or baking!
Serve these crunchy cheese wafers along with my Pimento Cheese on a charcuterie board or in a Jarcuterie arrangement for your next holiday party, finger food potluck or baby shower.
Ingredients
What you will need to make this cheese wafer recipe.
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Cheddar Cheese- Finely shredded cheddar cheese works best when using pre-shredded cheese in this recipe. You can also shred your own from a block of cheese.
- Butter- Eliminate one ingredient by using salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon salt.
- Flour- Use all-purpose flour for the best results. I haven't tried it with self-rising flour, but I imagine, you'll get a fluffy cheddar cheese cookies, rather than crunchy cheese wafers.
- Pecans- For the finely chopped pecans inside the dough, you can chop pecan halves from the same bag you're putting on top of the wafers. Or, use pre-chopped pecan pieces.
To make sure you are getting this year's crop of pecans, order your pecans from Whaley Pecan Company in Troy, Alabama.
I give you substitutions and flavor variations later in the post, too.
Don't wait for the holidays or a party to make this easy cheese appetizer. This cheese crackers recipe is also perfect for wedding and baby showers, and even game day food.
How to make cheese wafers with pecans
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
Note: If you don't have a food processor, shred an 8-ounce block of cheddar cheese and use a stand mixer to blend the dough together.
- My shortcut trick to softening butter is to microwave (1200 watt) the whole stick straight from the fridge for 9 seconds on HIGH. Flip the stick of butter to the opposite side and microwave another 9 seconds.
- Cut the butter in 4 pieces and place in a 14-cup food processor.
- Pulse the butter, scraping down the sides between pulses.
- Add the cheese and pulse until combined, scraping down sides between pulses.
- Add the flour and pulse until mixture forms a ball on the side of the bowl.
Pro Tip: Pick out any broken pecan halves in the bag, first, and chop those for inside the dough, leaving the whole halves to put on top.
- Using a cookie scoop or your fingers, divide dough into 1 tablespoon portions.
- Then, roll each portion into balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
You can make the cheese wafers "bite-size" using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop and two-bite-size using a 2 tablespoon scoop. Baking times are given in the printable recipe at the bottom of the post.
- Using your fingertips, gently flatten the cheese wafer balls.
- Place a pecan half on top of each one and press down slightly.
No need to roast the pecans before baking these cheddar pecan wafers. The pecan halves will roast while baking on top of the dough.
- Bake according to printable recipe below. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet 1 minute.
- Remove the cheese and pecan wafers to a wire rack to cool completely.
Stack these pecan wafers in a cellophane bags and tie a ribbon around it to give as food gifts for teacher appreciation day, welcome a new neighbor, or as a special thank you to a friend.
I also make these for my husband (mortgage lender) to give to his new home owners and real estate agents as closing gifts.
Substitutions & Variations
This is an easy cheese cracker recipe, plus you can add extra flavor. Here's how:
- Spicy Cheese Crackers: Add ½ teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne) when adding the flour.
- Cheddar Pennies: Make these it a 3 ingredient recipe without pecans and
- Parmesan Wafers: Mix in ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese. No need to take away any Cheddar cheese. Just add the Parm.
- Rice Krispie Cheese Wafers: It may sound a little odd, but stirring in ¾ cup of puffed rice cereal like Rice Krispies instead of chopped pecans (or in addition to), before shaping into balls adds a ton of crunch.
Helpful Information
Cheese wafers are bite-size, thin cheesy treats traditionally made with Cheddar cheese, butter, flour, and sometimes cayenne pepper. They can be eaten as a snack or served as an appetizer.
Yes! Cheese wafers are a make ahead recipe in several stages. The dough can be refrigerated until ready to roll into balls. The flattened balls can be frozen until ready to bake. And the baked cheddar cheese wafers can be frozen and reheated when ready to serve.
What to serve with cheese wafer crackers
- Cheese and charcuterie boards: Create an attractive arrangement of cheeses, cured meats, fruit, nuts, and condiments along with cheese wafers to add a crunchy element.
- Dips and spreads: Serve a variety of dips and spreads like my Bacon Tomato Dip, Lima Bean Dip and Pimento Cheese with Fire Roasted Peppers, alongside these homemade cheese crackers.
- Fresh Fruit: Add a refreshing touch to your party spread by including fresh fruits like grapes, apples and berries.
How to store
- To Store. Let pecan cheese wafers cool completely in airtight container or resealable storage bag in the refrigerator up to one week.
- To freeze: For longer-term storage, freeze wafers baked wafers in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper for up to 3 months.
- To reheat from frozen. Reheat frozen cheese wafers in an air fryer or oven at 350 degrees for 30 seconds up to 2 minutes or until slightly warm. Or, allow to thaw and come to room temperature before serving.
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Want more easy pecan recipes?
Cheese Wafers with Pecans
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Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter (1 stick), softened
- 8 (ounces) pre-shredded sharp cheddar cheese*
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
- 32 pecan halves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
- Cut the softened butter in 4 pieces and place in a 4 quart food processor.
- Pulse the butter, scraping down the sides between pulses.
- Add the cheese and pulse until combined, scraping down sides between pulses.
- Add the flour and pulse until mixture forms a ball on the side of the bowl.
- If you are adding chopped pecans to the dough, add them now, then pulse two or three times just until combined. You can finish mixing them in with a spatula so you don't overwork the dough.
- Using a cookie scoop or your fingers, divide dough into 32 (one tablespoon) portions. You can also divide them into 16 (two tablespoon) portions for larger cheese wafers.
- Then, roll each portion into balls and place on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Using your fingertips, gently flatten the cheese wafer balls.
- Place a pecan half on top of each one and press down slightly.
- Bake for 15 minutes for smaller cheese wafers and 16 minutes for the larger cheese wafers. Remove from oven when the bottoms of the cheese wafers are slightly browned and the tops are firm. The edges will be slightly golden brown.
- Let the cheese wafers cool on thebaking sheet 1 minute, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
Emily C
Same EXACT recipe my grandmother used but with 1 stick OLEO, was looking to see if anyone tried it with butter instead and here we are lol. Except she added red pepper flakes for a kick. My grandmother (born in 1927 btw) had a great hack for this recipe, she would mold the dough into a small roll, wrap in plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge, then she would thinly slice the portions rather than scooping them.. you can also freeze the log for later use as well. Anyways thanks for sharing!
Kathleen
Sounds like happy, tasty memories of your grandmother's treats! Rolling the dough in a log and slicing them thin sounds like a delicious idea!