The 9 Best Cheese And Cracker Combos You Can Try

Honest question: Can you even call it a party if you don't have a cheese board? Whether it's a casual hang with friends or a black-tie dinner, everyone loves a platter of cheeses, along with the crackers and other accoutrements to go along with them.

Yet a great cheese board takes more than just a random assortment of dairy. Beyond the wonder of finding and serving a high-quality cheese, there's a secret art to pairing your cheeses with the ideal crackers. When you get the combo right, you'll find the flavor of the cheese and the cracker reach new realms of taste far more captivating and exciting than before. You might just be tempted to skip dinner altogether and feast on the cheese and crackers instead (and we wouldn't blame you for that). Use these pairings on your next cheese plate and be amazed at how a small change can unlock new levels in taste and class. 

Brie cheese is one of the most popular and beloved cheeses in the dairy world. Its edible rind is packed with delicious umami flavor, while the interior is creamy and luxurious. For many Americans, Brie is to go-to example of a fancy cheese. 

There are a lot of delicious uses for a Brie, but if you want the ultimate cheese and cracker combo for it, you'll want something crisp but not particularly impactful flavor-wise; the Brie needs to be the undisputed hero, without any disruptions or distractions. Otherwise, you risk missing out on some of this cheese's more subtle notes. 

Enter the humbler water cracker.  Water crackers tend to be crispy but not hard, providing just the right texture for the ultra-soft cheese. They also tend to be unobtrusive in flavor, so the Brie really gets a chance to shine. Bring these two together and marvel at just how good Brie can be.

Cheddar basically needs no introduction — it's one of the most popular cheeses in America. Cheddar cheese is rich, creamy, and, to varying degrees, sharp, delivering a punch of flavor with each mouthful. Try imagining a cheese plate without an iconic orange cheddar. It simply can't be done. 

So what cracker best goes with this undisputed king of the cheese drawer? The most tempting answer is to say "all of them" and that is only partially facetious; cheddar's best qualities create a fabulous contrast and partnership with almost any cracker. For example, you may find that a cracked black pepper cracker offers a distinct spice that combines with cheddar beautifully. However, the best combo is perhaps the most classic: the butter cracker. The richness of the flaky, salty cracker complements those same notes in the cheddar while drawing out more of that distinctive sharpness. 

For the uninitiated, goat cheese can be something of an acquired taste. Its typical grassy and funky flavor and smell often prove divisive, but those who love it swear by it, and you'll find few cheeses creamier and smoother. That's because goat milk actually has a higher fat content than cow's milk, resulting in a magically spreadable cheese with a distinct taste. 

Goat cheese often makes a good combo with plain water crackers, which would allow the flavors to speak for themselves. However, a better pairing involves leaning into the grassy flavor of the cheese with an herb cracker. The result is a floral parade of flavors, a marked departure from the typical flavors found on a cheese plate with the herb crackers boosting the goat cheese but not overpowering it. Herb crackers with rosemary, thyme, or basil are considered the top choices when it comes to a goat cheese partnership. 

If you aren't familiar with Havarti cheese, this is a fantastic opportunity to correct that. This Danish cheese is ultra-creamy and buttery, with a melt-in-your-mouth texture and hints of tanginess and sweetness. It does wonders for your cheese plate, especially when you find the perfect cracker to make the most of it. 

What cracker is that? You want something that makes the most of the delicate butter flavor while also creating a clear contrast with all that richness. Sourdough crackers' natural sourness will certainly do the trick, but for a cheese and cracker combo with some real dimension, you want to find a fruit-packed cracker. The tanginess and sharp sweetness of the fruit in the cracker brings those hidden aspects of Havarti to the forefront. Meanwhile, the crunch of a sturdier cracker will make the creaminess of the cheese all the more delectable. You'll want to use a strong fruit like cranberry for the best effect.

If have a fondness for funk, it really doesn't get funkier than Gorgonzola, Italy's signature blue cheese. It has an incredibly strong tangy flavor with a nuttiness that some find enticing. The idea of blue cheese containing edible mold may turn some folks away, but those who can't get enough of the stuff and praise its surprising versatility — you can even whip it like ricotta.

The best cracker combo for Gorgonzola has to be able to stand up to such a powerful flavor. Oatcakes or oat biscuits provide the crunchy support it needs while still complementing and heightening the nutty flavor. However, you could also go with a plain water cracker if you would prefer the Gorgonzola flavor stand all on its own, or for a contrast you could try out a honey-infused cracker or a chocolate oatcake. These crackers would introduce a sweetness to the combo that can help balance out the strong blue cheese flavor, which might be a nice introduction for first-time blue cheese tryers. 

For those unfamiliar, Camembert sits the intersection of brie cheese and other soft cheeses and a blue cheese; that gorgeous white rind it features is actually an edible mold which has a strong and compelling mushroom-like umami taste. The interior of the cheese gets softer and more buttery as it ages, making it ideal for spreading on crackers and taking center stage on a cheese board. 

The best cracker for a Camembert will benefit from and elevate both the smooth, buttery interior and the savory rind. This is a job for a seeded cracker. Seeded crackers have a wonderful, resounding crunch that will go well with the spreadable cheese, and the seeds have a nuttiness that  partners fantastically with the earthy flavor of the rind.  Of course, you could also go with a neutral cracker, like a water cracker, for a combo that just allows the Camembert to dazzle on its own, but we enjoy the extra texture that those seeded crackers bring.

In the cheese world, one thing is truly consistent: Everyone just loves Gouda. That may be because of its surprising sweetness, which only becomes stronger with age. Or maybe it's because of the cheese crystals that form in its interior, adding new textures to the usually semi-soft cheese. Perhaps it's  because Gouda's texture and intensity really evolve as it ages. Or it could be just because it's very fun to say "Gouda." 

Whether you're enjoying the softer, more mild younger Gouda or the crumbly, stronger aged Gouda, you'll need the right cracker for the best experience. And there's nothing better than a multigrain cracker for Gouda, regardless of age. Its heartiness can contrast the younger Gouda's soft texture or elevate the crunchy crystals of an aged variety. The nuttiness of the grains juxtapose with the cheese's sweetness, and the distribution of the grains in the cracker mirror the crystals in the cheese. It's a cracker with a wealth of experiences embedded in it, making it not just good, but great, for Gouda.

This may shock you, but Parmesan cheese isn't just for pizza and pasta. You're absolutely free to enjoy the salty, sharp, and nutty cheese anytime you want, and it can have a commanding presence on your cheese board. All it needs is a great cracker combo to show off its best self. 

That combo comes in the form of a whole wheat cracker. The wheat flavor accents the nuttiness of the Parmesan, and its slight sweetness offers a juxtaposition with the hard cheese's sharpness and umami notes — it's an ideal contrast. Although, if you wanted a cracker that really allowed the Parmesan to take center stage, there's nothing wrong with a buttery cracker that will help highlight the saltiness; you could also go with a water cracker for a blank canvas. And don't forget about adding a gluten-free cracker so everyone at the party can enjoy the Parmesan (and any other cheese) without worry. 

In 2025, pickled string cheese took the internet by storm. Taking the classic cold snack and soaking them in your preferred pickle brine for three days creates a delightfully tangy and salty treat. No surprise it blew people's minds. 

If you enjoy pickles, then this is definitely a snack hack worth trying for yourself; it's incredibly easy to do and quite rewarding. If you want to serve it up with a cracker combo, you'll want something that will enhance and accentuate the pickle flavor, which leans on the subtle side and can be drowned out by stronger flavors. That's why salt-and-vinegar chips are this cheese's best partner: The punch of the chips brings out the best of the pickled goodness. Although using chips on your cheese board might raise the question of whether they should count as "crackers," when there's this much flavor at stake, our answer is a resounding yes.