Rosemary Parmesan Savory Shortbread (Easy 40-Min Recipe)

Rosemary parmesan crackers are the addition your charcuterie board has been missing. Unlike a thin, dry store-bought cracker, these are rich, buttery, and tender, just like a shortbread cookie, but savory. They come together in minutes in the food processor and are sturdy enough to hold any topping, yet soft enough to melt in your mouth.

Why You'll Love the Best Rosemary Parmesan Crackers

• Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture Rolled to a quarter inch thick, these bake up buttery and tender instead of thin and snappy like a store-bought cracker.
• Food Processor Easy Every ingredient goes into the food processor at once, so there is no creaming butter by hand and no kneading.
• Customizable Shape A round cutter, a square cutter, or a holiday shape all hold their form in the oven, so you can match the shape to the occasion.
• Make Ahead Friendly The dough freezes well for up to three months, so you can have a batch ready to roll and bake whenever you need appetizers.
• Budget Friendly Upgrade A block of parmesan, flour, and butter cost far less than a specialty cracker box, and you get a better cracker for it.

Ingredients for the Rosemary Parmesan Shortbread

• All purpose flour gives the crackers their structure and that classic shortbread crumb.
• Parmesan cheese grated fresh from a block, brings the savory, salty backbone of the recipe and helps the crackers turn golden as they bake.
• Dried rosemary infuses the dough with an earthy, slightly piney flavor that pairs naturally with the parmesan.
• Sea salt sharpens the overall flavor and balances the richness of the butter and cheese.
• Cracked pepper adds a light, warm heat that keeps the crackers from tasting one note.
• Butter at room temperature, binds the dough and is what gives these their tender, shortbread like texture instead of a dry, snappy crunch.

Making the Rosemary Parmesan Crackers

1. Place the flour, parmesan, rosemary, salt, pepper, and butter into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs and starts to hold together when pressed between your fingers.
2. Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Press it into a rough, flat disk about a half inch thick, since it will be rolled thinner after chilling. Wrap tightly and chill for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
4. Place the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Set a quarter inch square dowel on either side of the dough, then roll it out to an even quarter inch thickness using the dowels as a guide.
5. Cut the dough into rounds, squares, or whatever shape you like, and place the pieces one inch apart on the baking sheet. Chill the cut pieces for 15 to 20 minutes before baking, which helps them hold their shape in the oven.
6. Bake for 10 minutes if rolled to an eighth inch thick, or 13 to 15 minutes if rolled to a quarter inch thick, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Let the crackers cool completely on the pan before serving or adding toppings.

Tips on Making the Rosemary Parmesan Crackers

• Use a quarter inch square dowel on each side of the dough for the thicker cut, or a pair of thin paint stir sticks for the eighth inch cut. This keeps every cracker the same thickness so they bake evenly.
• Do not overwork the dough in the food processor. Pulse just until it holds together when pinched, since overprocessing develops the flour and makes the crackers tough instead of tender.
• Chill the cut pieces for 15 to 20 minutes before baking. This firms up the butter again and helps the shapes hold their edges in the oven instead of spreading.
• Grate the parmesan yourself from a block rather than using the pre-shredded bags. Pre shredded cheese is coated with anti caking starch that keeps it from melting smoothly into the dough.

Troubleshooting your Rosemary Parmesan Crackers

• Crackers turned out chewy instead of crunchy. This usually means the dough was rolled too thick, the crackers were underbaked, or the pan was overcrowded and trapped steam. Roll closer to an eighth inch thick, add a few extra minutes of bake time, and give the pieces room on the pan.
• Dough will not hold together in the food processor. Add the butter in slightly larger pieces or pulse a bit longer, since cold butter that has not softened enough will keep the dough crumbly.
• Crackers spread out of shape in the oven. Chill the cut pieces for the full 15 to 20 minutes before baking, and make sure the butter was at true room temperature rather than melted or too soft going into the food processor.
• Crackers softened after a day or two of storage. Make sure they were fully cooled before going into a container, and store them in a container with a loose lid or a paper towel to absorb extra moisture.

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

These crackers store well, which makes them a great option to have ready before guests arrive. Baked and fully cooled crackers keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. The raw dough disk freezes well too, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer bag, for up to three months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before rolling and baking as directed. To keep the baked crackers crispy, make sure they are completely cool before you seal them in a container, since trapped steam is what softens them. A container with a loose fitting lid, or one lined with a paper towel, also helps absorb any extra moisture.

A great idea is a piece of ham from my spiced baked ham recipe. The ham, rosemary, and parmesan will be delicious!

Top them with a dollop of my Spicy Olive Tapenade for a huge flavor explosion.

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