The ABSOLUTE BEST Cheese and Cracker Pairings (as decided by the cracker experts at Moonshot)

Pair Moonshot’s Sourdough Sea Salt with: 

• Monterey jack
• Roquefort
• Vermont cheddar
• Cheeseballs
• Gouda 

Pair Moonshot’s Rosemary Garlic with:

• Semi-soft swiss
• Feta
• Soft-ripened farm cheese
• Blue cheese

Pair Moonshot’s Tomato Basil with:

• Fresh mozzarella
• Brie
• Goat cheese
• Cream cheese

Even if you haven’t gotten into the beautiful charcuterie board trend, there is no snack more classic than crackers and cheese. It’s great for adults and children alike, and is easy to throw together in minutes when you have unexpected company. 

But, with a seemingly endless variety of cracker brands out there, how is anyone supposed to know what the best crackers are to complement their preferred cheese choice? It’s easy to just stand in the cracker aisle in the grocery store or the local health food co-op and feel completely overwhelmed. 

Moonshot wants to help guide you in the right direction… crackers are kind of our thing 😉

Eyeing Good Flavor Combinations

Now that your mouth is watering, let’s take a look at flavor pairings and a little more info on how to put great combinations together. 

If you’re a person who likes strongly flavored cheeses, like blue cheese or roquefort, you’ll want a cracker that amplifies this flavor without overwhelming the cheese’s natural character. Our sourdough sea salt crackers are perfect for these situations, as well as just dipping them in a bowl of hummus or a cheeseball. They add just the right amount of salt and tang, which brings the flavor of the cheese out even further. 

The right cracker can help bring out some of the more subtle flavors that you may be missing if you chose a more flavor-forward cracker. Don’t think of these types of crackers as plain -- think of them as a blank canvas on which you can build a really delicious snack. 

For more mild cheeses like cheddar or monterey jack, you can step the flavor of the cracker up a bit. Rosemary garlic and tomato basil are just two examples of our favorite flavor options. Think of it like adding just a little bit more pizzazz to your mouth. 

However, when you’re choosing a cracker, keep an eye out for those that have artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives in the ingredient list. Why would we want to eat the chemical equivalent of a tomato when we can eat the real thing? 

Biting Down on a Good Crunch

The next component of a good cheese and cracker combination is choosing a cracker that won’t fall apart when you or your guests bite into it. No one wants to be brushing crumbs off of their outfit, especially at a party. It should also be sturdy enough to dip into soft cheeses like camembert or fromage blanc! 

We got just the right texture with our crackers by using a stone-milled wheat with just the right amount of protein and bran. Our crackers have the perfect balance: the strength to hold up a hearty slice of cheese but also give you that crispy, crunchy texture. 

Actually Having Enough Cracker for Your Cheese 

As with the rest of the planet, balance is everything, and you can’t quite enjoy a good cheese and cracker pairing if you’re working a little too hard to get the ratio right so you can actually enjoy those harmonious flavors in balance. 

Moonshot crackers are proud to do it big, figuratively and literally. Our crackers are just a tad bigger than a lot of our competitors’ to make it the perfect base for your pairing masterpiece. You can even fit a whole slice of cheese from a cheese wheel -- cheese fanatics rejoice!

Going for a More Climate-Friendly Choice

The last checkbox for a good cracker may not quite be the first thing that comes to mind, but it’s definitely always a priority for us.Crackers and the environment might not seem like they go together as well as cheese and crackers do, but we promise that there really is a connection.

Most companies prioritize their bottom line, generating profits for their shareholders. Our company prioritizes the triple bottom line -- people, planet, and profit. We believe that by making climate-friendly snacks, we can use the power of food to help tackle climate change. When you eat our crackers, you can feel good about the positive impact that they’ve made on the world.

First and foremost, look for a brand that offers carbon neutral crackers. This means that they make it their responsibility to offset the environmental impacts of their products. 

Next, look for a brand that takes great care in sourcing their ingredients and tells you how they are grown. Healthy soil is an important piece of reversing climate change. Industrial farming depletes the soil while regenerative agriculture practices prioritize soil health. 

For example, farmers using a regenerative agriculture approach work hard to keep soil where it is -- whether that is through covering the soil with mulch or using cover crops to prevent soil erosion. Instead of depleting the soil, regenerative agriculture practices actually improve and renew the soil. This healthier soil leads to more nutrient-dense food, too! 

You might also consider making an effort to find a plant-based cracker company, and pairing your crackers with plant-based cheeses! You don’t have to practice a specific dietary lifestyle like veganism to benefit from eating more plant-based, even if that’s not your everyday diet. Eating less animal-based ingredients reduces carbon emissions. Did you know that the meat industry currently makes up around 15% of global emissions? 

When you eat a more plant-based lifestyle, one without as much (or any) meat or dairy, you’re contributing to helping to rebuild the health of the planet… and all this with a simple cracker!

The Bottom Line

Creating delicious crackers while also using regenerative agriculture techniques that help to take on the climate crisis head-on is not an easy undertaking. We keep the climate in mind in all of our decision making, from our ingredient sourcing, packaging, and baking operations. 

We believe it’s worth it, and we hope that you do, too. It’s not often that you can say that you have a direct, positive impact on the planet just through crackers, right?

When choosing the best crackers for the cheese that you’ve chosen, make sure that you take the added step of seeking out a brand that also helps to support the environment. 

Moonshot is proud to provide quality, delicious snacks while also helping take care of the planet. After all, we only get one. When we all come together, we really can make a major difference in the world that we live in, and we can start with pairing our cheese with a sprinkle of salt and climate-friendliness.

Sources:

What Climate Adaptation Looks Like: Improving Soil Health | NRDC