Sometimes you just want to feel a little bougie. Sometimes you are feeling down and you know the only thing that can lift you back up is a salty, wheaty cracker. Sometimes your doctor simply tells you to incorporate more cheese into your diet. The solution to all of these equally likely and real issues? Putting together a cheeky little cracker and cheese plate, for yourself or for friends. The Sporked crew has tasted and ranked a lot of crackers and a lot of cheese, but not all cheese and cracker pairings are created equal. Here are five custom cheese and crackers combos we think are especially ~divine~.
The Gluten-Free & Vegan: Crunchmaster Multi-Seed Roasted Garlic & Follow Your Heart Smoked Gouda
Do you want to have the best cheese and crackers, but also want to be able to share with your gluten-free and/or vegan friends? Well, never fear because these two options are actually good. Crunchmaster crackers are so good, in fact, that Spoked contributor Danny Palumbo said he wishes his name was Crunchmaster, noting that these “multi-hyphenate crackers are absolutely delicious.” Not only that, but this vegan gouda had editor-in-chief Justine Sterling actually craving vegan cheese. She said that the “smoked flavor is powerful but not overwhelming, and it doesn’t taste overly fake. The texture is also smooth and creamy—not grainy at all like some vegan cheeses.” In other words, this garlicky, smoky duo is just as good for people with dietary restrictions as it is for people without any.
Related: Best Gluten-Free Crackers: 6 Best Gluten-Free Crackers You Can Buy & Best Vegan Cheese: 8 Best Tasting Vegan Cheeses
The Salt Bomb: & Old Croc Sharp Cheddar Cheese
This is such a good cheese and crackers combo. The creamy, nutty sharp cheddar with the salty, wheaty Triscuits? Ugh, I’m craving it as I write this. And, my god, the textural variation in this combo puts it in best-cheese-and-cracker-pairings-of-all-time territory. Triscuits are as delicious as they are unique. Danny praised their “coarse texture and unique bite,” and liked that they have the appropriate amount of salt (a lot). Old Croc Cheddar is no slouch either and is certainly among the best cheeses for crackers of all kinds (not just Triscuits) because it’s “rich, creamy, and salty with delicious little crystals.” This is special occasion cheddar. Top this combo off with a slice of Honeycrisp apple and it goes from basic delicious to bougie delicious in no time flat.
Related: Best Crackers: The 7 Saltiest, Tastiest, Best Crackers & It Doesn’t Get Better Than the 7 Best Cheddars
The Classic: & Trader Joe’s Triple Creme Brie
Everybody loves Ritz and everybody loves brie, and if they don’t, they are simply wrong. Serve them together? Boom. Buttery-splosion. Ritz crackers are in a league of their own. As the Sporked team put it, “Nothing can replicate a salty, buttery, toasty, crunchy Ritz.” And this isn’t news, but brie is truly one of the best cheeses with crackers. Why? Three words: texture, texture, texture. This stuff is buttery, spreadable, “creamy,” and “pleasantly mild,” according to Justine. Add some fig jam, fruit, hot honey, or roasted garlic to this pairing and experience the strawberry/cheese scene from Ratatouille in real life.
Related: Best Crackers: The 7 Saltiest, Tastiest, Best Crackers & Best Brie: Say Bonjour to the 7 Best and Bloomiest
The Cannoli: Honey Maid Graham Crackers & Galbani Ricotta
This one is a bit of a wildcard since it leans sweet instead of salty, but think of it as a spin on a good ol’ cannoli. Hear me out: mix some ricotta (mascarpone obviously works, too) with sugar, vanilla, and mini chocolate chips, then serve it with graham crackers and watch the magic happen. Which graham crackers, you ask? Honey Maid, of course. They aren’t just the most well-known brand name, they were actually the best we tried in our graham cracker taste test because, as managing editor Gwynedd Stuart pointed out, “In addition to that distinct and timeless ‘graham’ flavor, Honey Maid graham crackers have an excellent honey sweetness and really taste more like cookies as you chew.” Try this combo if you are craving sweet cheese and crackers (which, let’s face it, happens sometimes).
Related: Best Graham Crackers for S’mores: Our 6 Campfire Faves & What Is Ricotta Cheese, Really?
The GOAT: Firehook Sea Salt Organic Mediterranean Baked Crackers & Vermont Creamery Goat Cheese
Ya gots to have a goat cheese on a list of the best cheese and cracker pairings, and, hooo boi, is this goat cheese good with these crackers. The crackers themselves (our favorite crackers for a charcuterie board) are fancy and delicious. They are sturdy enough to stand up to any cheese, while also being, as Justine described, “so crunchy” with “big chunks of salt that make them even crunchier.” Pair that crunch with this luscious, soft, “absolute stunner of a goat cheese,” as Justine called it, and this combo truly sings. Justine described this cheese as “classically tangy, quite grassy, but still creamy. You take a bite and your mouth waters.” And my mouth is watering just reading that, so I can only imagine what’ll happen when you put this out at a party.
Related: Best Crackers for Charcuterie Board Greatness & Best Goat Cheese: Be Your Own Cheesemonger with the Best Supermarket Goat Cheese
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!