Blue Cheese and Walnut Crackers

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I make these blue cheese walnut crackers whenever I want something that looks like more effort than it takes. The dough mixes in a food processor, chills briefly, and bakes into something with real bite, salty, nutty, and a little smoky from the paprika.

Why You'll Love These Blue Cheese Walnut Crackers

Real Cheese Board Upgrade. These taste like something from a specialty shop, not a box.
Food Processor Easy. Everything comes together in one bowl, no creaming butter by hand.
Crisp, Shortbread Like Texture. The crumb is tender and crumbly, closer to a cookie than a typical cracker.
Make Ahead Friendly. The rolled dough chills ahead of time, so these are easy to portion out for a party.
A Little Smoky Depth. The smoked paprika adds warmth that plays well against the sharpness of the blue cheese.

Ingredients for the Food Processor Blue Cheese Crackers

Unbleached all purpose flour gives the dough its structure and that classic shortbread crumb.
Smoked paprika adds a subtle, smoky warmth underneath the blue cheese, without making the cracker taste overtly spiced.
Sea salt seasons the dough and helps balance the richness of the butter and cheese.
Butter, at room temperature, blends smoothly in the food processor and gives the crackers their tender texture.
Blue cheese, crumbled and at room temperature, is the main flavor here. This recipe was made with buttermilk blue, a creamy, mild blue cheese, which gives these a softer, more approachable blue cheese flavor rather than a sharp, pungent one. If you want something bolder, a firmer aged blue works too, though the dough may be slightly easier to handle with buttermilk blue specifically since it blends in smoothly.
Walnuts, chopped, add crunch and a toasted, slight contrast to the strong cheese.

Making the Blue Cheese Walnut Shortbread

Place the flour, smoked paprika, sea salt, butter, blue cheese, and walnuts in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture just comes together.
Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out to a quarter inch thickness.
Transfer the rolled dough, still between the parchment, to a baking sheet and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Once chilled, cut the dough using a 2 inch round or square cutter and place the pieces on a lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 9 to 10 minutes.
Let the crackers sit for 10 minutes before moving them from the baking sheet to a cooling rack.

Tips on Making the Best Blue Cheese Crackers with Walnuts

Buttermilk blue works well here specifically because it's creamy and mild, which keeps the blue cheese flavor present without overwhelming the walnuts and paprika. If you swap in a sharper, more pungent blue like gorgonzola or stilton, expect a noticeably bolder cracker.
Keep the dough chilled right up until it goes in the oven. Warm dough spreads more and loses some of the crisp edge that makes these feel like a real cracker.
If your kitchen runs warm or the blue cheese was on the softer side, chill the cut pieces for an extra 10 minutes on the baking sheet before baking.
Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment using ¼ inch square dowels as a guide. The picture below shows this. Square dowels can be purchased at your local hardware or home improvement store.

dough being rolled out by using ¼ inch dowels as a guide.

Troubleshooting Your Blue Cheese and Walnut Savory Crackers

Dough is too soft to roll cleanly. This usually means the butter or cheese was too warm going into the food processor. Chill the dough for a few extra minutes before rolling if this happens.
Crackers spread out of shape while baking. The dough was likely not cold enough going in. Chill the cut pieces a little longer next time, especially in a warm kitchen.
Crackers taste too strong or too mild in blue cheese flavor. This comes down entirely to the cheese used, a sharper aged blue will taste noticeably stronger than a milder one, so adjust the type of blue cheese to your preference rather than the amount.

Try my rosemary parmesan crackers for another savory addition to your appetizer table.

I also have some other sweet shortbread like my pumpkin pie spice, chai, or orange cranberry shortbread.

FAQ's

What kind of blue cheese works best in this recipe

This version was made with buttermilk blue, a mild, creamy blue cheese that keeps the flavor approachable rather than sharp. For something bolder, a firmer aged blue like gorgonzola or stilton works too, though the flavor will be more pungent.

Can I make the dough ahead of time.

Yes, the rolled dough can be chilled for up to a couple of days before cutting and baking, and it also freezes well if wrapped tightly.
What kind of blue cheese works best in this recipe. A firmer, aged blue cheese like gorgonzola or stilton holds up better in the dough than a very soft, creamy variety, which can make the dough harder to work with.

Can I use a different nut instead of walnuts.

Pecans or pistachios both work well in place of walnuts, and each brings a slightly different flavor to the finished cracker.
Will my kitchen smell strongly of blue cheese while these bake. Yes, this is normal. Blue cheese has a strong aroma that becomes more noticeable as it bakes, though the flavor mellows out once the crackers have cooled.

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What should I serve these with.

These pair well with wine, fresh grapes or other fruit, or as part of a larger cheese board alongside other crackers and spreads.

These crackers earn their place on a cheese board because they taste like something that took real effort, even though the dough comes together in one food processor bowl. The smoked paprika is a small touch, but it is what keeps these from tasting like a one note blue cheese cracker, and the shortbread like crumb sets them apart from anything you would find in a box at the store.

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