Easy to make and wonderfully versatile, homemade graham crackers are a simple, fun baking project. You’ll never go back to store-bought!
Homemade graham crackers are a simple yet satisfying treat that’s perfect for everything from snacking to building classic s’mores. With a touch of honey and cinnamon, these crackers have a wonderful flavor that beats store-bought versions any day. Whether you’re looking for a fun baking project or a versatile recipe to use in other desserts, these graham crackers are sure to become a new favorite!
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Graham Crackers Recipe
- Simple ingredients. Made with baking staples like flour, honey, and butter, there’s no need for anything fancy to create these delicious crackers.
- Homemade flavor. These graham crackers have a rich, hearty taste with just the right hint of cinnamon and honey sweetness that store-bought versions can’t match.
- Versatile. Perfect for snacking, using in desserts like s’mores or pie crusts, or even enjoying with a spread of peanut butter or chocolate.
- Fun to make. Rolling out the dough and cutting your own crackers is a rewarding baking project. A great recipe to make with kids, too!
Origins of Graham Crackers
Graham crackers were originally created in the early 19th century by Reverend Sylvester Graham, a preacher and dietary reformer. He promoted a vegetarian diet that included whole grain flour, which he believed to be healthier. Graham’s ideas about food led to the creation of graham flour, a coarse whole wheat flour that became the base for what we now know as graham crackers. While today’s versions are sweeter and more of a treat, they were originally intended as a simple, wholesome snack in line with Graham’s beliefs about healthy living.
What You’ll Need
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Whole wheat flour – For both flours, measure by weight or use the spoon and sweep method for accuracy. Learn more: How to Measure Flour
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar – I like light brown sugar here, but you can use dark brown sugar if you want a more pronounced molasses flavor.
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Cinnamon – Be sure to use a good quality cinnamon and give it a sniff to make sure it’s still fresh. Learn more: Types of Cinnamon for Baking
- Unsalted butter – Make sure your butter is cold for the best texture.
- Milk – I prefer to bake with whole milk.
- Honey
- Vanilla extract – Either store-bought or homemade vanilla extract
How to Make Graham Crackers
- Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Combine dry ingredients. Whisk together both flours, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add the butter. Mix in the butter until coarse crumbs form.
- Add wet ingredients. Combine the milk, honey, and vanilla, and mix into the flour mixture until a dough forms.
- Roll and shape. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface, roll to 1/8-inch thickness, and cut out the graham crackers.
- Bake. Place the dough cut-outs on the pans, and bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown and firm.
- Cool. Let the crackers cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, and then transfer them onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Tips for Success
- Keep the butter cold. Cold butter helps create that perfect crumbly texture, so be sure to work quickly when cutting it into the dry ingredients. I recommend returning the butter to the refrigerator after cubing it to let it remain cold until it’s needed in the recipe.
- Adjust if needed. If your dough is too crumbly, add a tablespoonful of milk at a time until it comes together. If it’s too sticky, add a tablespoonful of flour at a time until you can better handle the dough. Just take care not to over-mix.
- Roll evenly. For uniform crackers that bake evenly, try to roll the dough to the same thickness throughout. A rolling pin with adjustable rings can help with this.
- Don’t skip the fork pricks. Pricking the dough helps steam escape, preventing the crackers from puffing up in the oven and ensuring a crispy texture.
Variations
- Change shapes. You can use various cookie cutters to make squares, rectangles, or another shape. Or use a knife and ruler to cut the dough free-hand to make different shapes. A ravioli press works well, too! Just be sure the finished cut-outs all have the same thickness so they’ll bake evenly.
- Add more spice. Increase the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon and add a pinch of nutmeg or ginger for a warm, spiced flavor.
- Honey substitution. Try using maple syrup, agave nectar, or even molasses instead of honey for a different sweetness profile.
- Sweet toppings. Sprinkle the dough with coarse sugar or cinnamon sugar before baking for a sweet, crunchy topping.
- Change the flour mixture. The combination of flours in the recipe results in a good balance of texture and flavor, but you can substitute more whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour. You’ll get heartier graham crackers with a denser texture.
Serving Suggestions
- Keep it simple. Honestly, these homemade graham crackers are pretty darn delicious all on their own for a simple, sweet snack.
- Add your favorite spread. Peanut butter, Nutella, and cookie butter are all tasty complements.
- Make s’mores! Pair with chocolate and marshmallows for the ultimate campfire treat.
- Use for a pie crust. Crush the crackers and mix with melted butter to make a delicious graham cracker crust for cheesecakes or pies.
- Serve with a dessert dip. Enjoy them as a dipper for cheesecake dip, brownie batter dip, or snickerdoodle dip.
- Make ice cream sandwiches. Layer ice cream between two crackers for a fun, homemade twist on ice cream sandwiches.
- Give as gifts. Wrap up some of your homemade graham crackers for a sweet gift.
How to Store
After the cookies have cooled, place them in an airtight container. They should keep at room temperature up to a week.
Can Homemade Graham Crackers Be Frozen?
Yes! Once cooled, place the cookies in an airtight, freezer-safe container or bag. Properly stored, they should keep in the freezer up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
More Homemade Favorites
Homemade Graham Crackers
These homemade graham crackers are crispy, sweet, and made from scratch. Easy to make and so much better than store-bought!
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/2 cups (170g) whole wheat flour
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup (118ml) milk
- 1/4 cup (59ml) honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add the cold butter to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- In a small bowl, combine the milk, honey, and vanilla extract. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix until a dough forms.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut the dough into your desired shapes, gathering and re-rolling the dough as needed. Then use a fork to prick holes in each cracker to allow steam to escape and prevent them from puffing up during baking.
- Transfer the cut-out dough to the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the crackers one pan at a time for 12 minutes, or until they are golden brown and firm to the touch. (The baking time may vary depending on the thickness of your crackers, so keep an eye on them.)
- Allow the crackers to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. They will become more crisp as they cool.
Notes
Your yield will vary depending on the size you make your graham crackers. The ones pictured here are roughly 2.5-inches square.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to a week.
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