These cookies might just be the savory treat you are craving after being surrounded by sweets all season. Not to be confused with a cracker, these are soft and buttery cookies balanced by just the right amount of salty cheese and gentle kick from chile heat. They are super simple to make, which means they’re ideal for when you want to whip up something quick.
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What you’ll need
Box Grater
$12 At Amazon
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Food Processor
$63 At Amazon
Paring Knife
$10 At Amazon
Wire Cooling Rack
$18 At Amazon
Rimmed Baking Sheet
$26 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes (plus chilling time)
Yield
Makes about 24
Ingredients
5
1
½
1¾
8
½
2
2
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk 5 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. (69 g) granulated sugar, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, and 1¾ cups plus 2 Tbsp. (237 g) all-purpose flour in a medium bowl. Add 8 oz. sharp yellow cheddar, coarsely grated, and toss until all of the cheese is coated. Transfer mixture to a food processor and pulse in 3-second bursts, scraping down sides as needed, until dough comes together in large clumps. Add ½ cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½" pieces, and pulse until dough comes together into a single mass and no dry streaks remain. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; roll into a 10x1½" log.
Step 2
Mix together 2 Tbsp. Aleppo-style pepper or gochugaru and 2 Tbsp. raw sugar on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roll log in mixture, pressing gently to adhere, until evenly coated. Wrap log in plastic, using it to help form log better if needed; chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours.
Step 3
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 350°. Unwrap log and slice into ¼"-thick rounds. Place 8 cookies on each of 2 parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1" apart. Bake until golden brown around the edges, 18–20 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool. Repeat with remaining unbaked cookies, placing on a cool baking sheet lined with a fresh sheet of parchment and baking on upper rack.
Do Ahead: Dough can be made 1 week ahead; keep chilled. Cookies can be baked 5 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature.
Leave a Review
Reviews (8)
Back to TopThese are delicious. They’re going to be a good addition for my holiday charcuterie board. Thinking of making my next batch slightly smaller. They slightly caramelized on the bottom. Very nice bit of heat from the chili. Definitely worth making.
Mary
San Jose Ca
12/4/2023
Made the recipe as is and it was super easy! The cookies were savory, sweet, a little spicy, and very addictive over-all. I used gochugaru for the festive rim around the cookie and found it to be a touch bitter. I might try a different pepper/powder or switch up the ratio in the future
Julia Kennedy
Austin, TX
12/5/2023
Made these for a holiday party and they received rave reviews! I used aleppo pepper for the outside and they were a nice change from normally super-sweet Christmas cookies. Be aware that the recipe definitely makes more than 24 cookies when rolled into a 1.5" wide log. My log ended up just over12" long, and with cutting into 1/4" slices, I got 48 cookies. The recipe states to roll into a 10 x 1.5" log, so even if your log is sized as written, I would expect to get 38-40 slices if cut into 1/4" rather than the stated 24 slices.
Adrienne
Upstate NY
12/11/2023
I had to add about three tablespoons of water to get the dough to come together. I also brushed the dough log with an egg to get the peppers and sugar to stick. Other than that, they're very tasty and a little addictive.
Anonymous
Ontario
12/11/2023
These turned out great, more of a cocktail cookie then a dessert one. Like others, I got way more then the stated amount of cookies, and was also able to fit 16 on my cookie sheet. I made 8 inch long logs, easier to handle, and dumped the sugar/chili powder mixture in a 1/8 sheet pan before rolling the logs. I used Korean chili pepper, and it darkened a lot in the oven, so if I make these again I'll choose a different pepper.
Celina
St. Louis
12/12/2023
These are delicious for those of you, like me, who love savory foods. Like another reviewer I did have to add about 3 T. water to get the dough to come together. I was also able to speed up the chilling by starting in the freezer for about 15 min and then moving the dough to the fridge.
Amanda
DC
12/20/2023