Cheez-It is making a protein version of its Original crackers, and the familiar red box is getting a very large new word on the front.
Cheez-It Protein Original has 7 grams of protein per serving, according to the brand’s launch announcement.
For anyone who would rather have a salty cracker than another sweet protein snack, that is the part worth noticing.
It is still supposed to taste like Original Cheez-It
Cheez-It says the new version is made with 100% real cheese and is meant to keep the cheesy, salty flavor and crunch people expect from Original crackers.
This is an added-protein version, not a new flavor such as jalapeño or white cheddar.
Whether it earns a permanent place next to the regular box will come down to how it tastes. The protein number can get someone to pick it up; it cannot do the snacking for them.
When Cheez-It Protein Original will be in stores
The brand says the crackers will begin rolling out on retail shelves nationwide in October 2026. It has not named one universal arrival day, so individual stores may get them at different times.
The suggested retail price is $4.49 for a 7.3-ounce box. That works out to about 62 cents an ounce at the suggested price, which gives shoppers a quick way to compare it with the Cheez-It box already on the shelf.
Cheez-It has not published a complete retailer-by-retailer launch calendar in the announcement, so the simplest move is to watch the cracker aisle as October rolls along.
