Name: Ham and Cheese Cracker Snacks - Printable Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 15
Cuisine: English
Ingredients: Fluted Circular Cookie Cutter (roughly the same size as your crackers); Various Christmas Cookie Cutters (roughly the same size as your crackers); 5 Slices (125g | 4.4 oz) Ham; 6 Slices (110g | 3.9 oz) Cheese; 15 Round Crackers of Your Choice

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These easy ham and cheese cracker snacks are delicious, fun and versatile. A perfect addition to any party table! Use any scraps in Gran’s ham and cheese quiche and you’re definitely onto a winner.

A hand reaching into a white wood board topped with 6 Christmas ham and cheese cracker snacks, a rosemary sprig and a Christmas tree cutter on a slice of cheese. Set on a cool grey wood effect backdrop, there's also more Christmas cutters, some ham and cheese cracker snacks and a light brown linen napkin in the background.

Who’d have thought something as simple as cutting ham and cheese into shapes would make a snack that’s SO much fun?!

The possibilities are endless too! You can use virtually any variety of ham and cheese, you could use different cutter shapes for different events, you can even posh them up for adults with tasty jams and spreads! (I highly recommend this flavour packed sweet chilli jam.)

6 ham and cheese cracker snacks set on a cool grey wood effect backdrop with a few other cheese shapes scattered around. There's also a light brown linen napkin scrunched up in the corner.

You could absolutely use all the (now readily available) free from ingredients to create vegetarian, dairy free, gluten free or vegan versions too.

Circles of ham, Christmas cheese shapes, a cracker with sweet chilli jam on it and a knife on a white wood chopping board set on a cool grey wood effect backdrop. There are also crackers, rosemary sprigs, cutters, a jar of sweet chilli jam and a light brown linen napkin in the background.

How to make ham and cheese cracker snacks – recipe summary

Cut your ham into circles the same size as your crackers.
Cut the cheese into playful shapes (such as gingerbread men, stars, hearts etc)
Lay the ham shapes onto the crackers and top each with a cheese shape.
Display on a serving plate.

Close up of 3 ham and cheese cracker snacks on a white plate with a sprig of rosemary on the side, set on a white wood chopping board. There are cheese shapes, a Christmas tree cutter and a light brown linen napkin on the edges of the board. Set over a cool grey wood effect backdrop, there are more ham and cheese cracker snacks and cutters scattered in the background.

Ingredients

Here’s everything you should know about the ingredients needed for this recipe!

Ham – It goes without saying that the better quality the ham you buy, the better it will taste. It will work with the cheap wafer ham too though, and look just as effective!
Cheese – You can use any cheese that can be sliced (or is pre-sliced) and thin enough to cut with cookie cutters! I used gouda but you could use cheddar, edam, red Leicester, mozzarella, smoked cheese, Mexicana or even dairy free! The possibilities are endless.
Crackers – Again, you can use whatever crackers you fancy in this recipe. Just check that your cutters are roughly the same size as the ones you choose before you buy.

A white wood board with 8 Christmas ham and cheese cracker snacks, a rosemary sprig and a snowflake cutter on top. Set on a cool grey wood effect backdrop, there's also more Christmas cutters, some ham and cheese scraps and a light brown linen napkin in the background.

Recipe tips

Despite the straightforwardness of this recipe – here’s some tips I think you’ll find helpful when making these ham and cheese cracker snacks.

There’s not really anywhere to hide in this recipe, so buy the best quality ingredients you can afford.
Check that your cookie cutter shapes are similar to the size of the crackers you choose.
Don’t waste the scraps! They would make a great ham and cheese toastie or pasta bake.
Use this idea for other events such as birthday parties, Valentines day or Halloween! Simply change the cutter shapes.
Make these ham and cheese cracker snacks more grown up with the use of spreads, pickles and jams.

3 ham and cheese cracker snacks set on a white plate with a spring of rosemary in the corner of the shot. Set over a cool grey wood effect backdrop, there's a light brown linen napkin scrunched up at the side of the plate and more ham and cheese cracker snacks, cutters and cheese shapes scattered around in the background.

Ham and Cheese Cracker Snacks – Step by Step Picture Recipe

(For a printer friendly version, see the recipe card at the end of this post)

Ingredients

Here is what you will need to make approximately 15 cracker snacks.

15 Round Crackers of Your Choice
5 Slices (125g | 4.4 oz) Ham
6 Slices (110g | 3.9 oz) Cheese

Essential equipment

Fluted Circular Cookie Cutter (roughly the same size as your crackers)
Various Christmas Cookie Cutters (roughly the same size as your crackers)

Instructions

Find a fluted circular cookie cutter that’s roughly the same size as your crackers.

A few crackers on a white chopping board with a fluted circular cutter. Set on a kitchen worktop.

Then use it to cut out as many circles of ham as you can from each slice. I found I got 3 from the slices I used.

A slice of ham with a fluted circle cut out of it with a fluted circle cookie cutter on a white chopping board. Set on a kitchen worktop.

Now it’s time to get creative! Use Christmas shaped cutters, that are a similar size to your crackers, to cut shapes out of the slices of cheese.

A slice of cheese with a gingerbread man shape cut out of it and a gingerbread man shape cutter on a white chopping board. Set on a kitchen worktop.

Now all that’s left to do is to place a ham circle on each of your crackers, then top them with a Christmas cheese shape!

Gingerbread man and fluted circle cookie cutters on a white chopping board with a ham and cheese cracker snack. Set on a kitchen worktop.

If you are making these for grown ups – you can posh them up a little by adding various spreads, jams and/or pickles. Then simply top with the ham and cheese shapes!

A cracker that's been spread with sweet chilli jam, a jar of sweet chilli jam with a knife in it and a fluted circular piece of ham topped with a cheese snowflake on a white chopping board. Set on a kitchen worktop.

Place on a serving platter or plate and serve to your guests!

How to store ham and cheese cracker snacks

I don’t recommend making these in advance as the ham and cheese tends to dry out. If you really must, make them no more than a few hours ahead and store covered in the fridge until just before serving.

A white wood board topped with 6 Christmas ham and cheese cracker snacks, a rosemary sprig and a Christmas tree cutter on a slice of cheese. Set on a cool grey wood effect backdrop, there's also more Christmas cutters, some ham and cheese cracker snacks and a light brown linen napkin in the background.

What do you do with the ham and cheese scraps?

Don’t waste them! These wonderful leftovers would make a delicious ham and cheese toastie or even a tasty pasta bake. You could also use them to make my Gran’s EPIC ham and cheese quiche! After all, she hates waste and never leaves a scrap of anything behind!

A hand reaching in for 1 of 6 ham and cheese cracker snacks set on a cool grey wood effect backdrop with a few other cheese shapes scattered around. There's also a light brown linen napkin scrunched up in the corner.

How do you make ham and cheese cracker snacks vegetarian, vegan or gluten free?

There are so many incredible substitutes available on the market nowadays that making these snacks ‘free from’ is easy peasy!!! There are gluten free crackers, dairy free cheeses and even vegan ‘meat’ slices that would be absolutely ideal.

Just make sure you check the labels to be sure, particularly when making for people with allergies.

A hand reaching over a white wood chopping board with ham and cheese cracker snacks, cheese shapes, a Christmas tree cutter and a cracker spread with sweet chilli jam on top. Set on a cool grey wood effect backdrop, there's also a light brown linen napkin, a jar of sweet chilli jam with a knife in it and more cutters scattered in the background.

Can you make ham and cheese cracker snacks for adults?

That would be a big fat YES! These ham and cheese cracker snacks may seem a little on the childish side, but add in some stilton cheese and some pickled beetroot? Now we’re talking!

Again, the possibilities are endless! Think jams, spreads, pickles, rich cheeses and spicy meats. It will be an adult snack platter of epic proportions!

3 ham and cheese cracker snacks on a white plate with a sprig of rosemary on the side, set on a white wood chopping board. There are cheese shapes, a Christmas tree cutter and a light brown linen napkin on the edges of the board. Set over a cool grey wood effect backdrop, there are more ham and cheese cracker snacks and cutters scattered in the background.

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Have you made this recipe?

Have you made these super cute ham and cheese cracker snacks? I’d love to know if you have! Send me your pics, comments and questions on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at emma@kitchenmason.com.