Homemade Graham Crackers
I’ve been on a tear lately when it comes to recreating some of my favorite packaged foods at home. I’ve managed to cross Pop-Tarts, fudge pops, Snickers bars, peanut butter cups, Lofthouse sugar cookies, English muffins and hot fudge sauce off my list. I’ve given graham crackers some thought before, but the dawning of summer and s’mores season finally pushed me over the edge. I always have a box of graham crackers in my pantry; they can easily become the basis for breakfast or a quick snack. My favorite way to eat them is slathered with peanut butter (shocking, I know) – either regular creamy or Cinnamon Raisin Swirl from Peanut Butter & Co. My Chief Culinary Consultant says that when he was a kid he would always dunk them in milk until they got nice and soggy and then devoured them. No matter your favorite way to eat them, one thing is certain – when it comes to summer, graham crackers become the key component to s’mores. When you’re spreading them with peanut butter, dunking them, or sandwiching them with chocolate and marshmallows, this homemade version is infinitely better than anything you’ll eat from a box!
Throwing these together are really quite easy. You’ll need graham flour for these crackers, which obviously gives them their characteristic flavor. I bought a small bag of Bob’s Red Mill graham flour, which I found in the health food section of my local grocery store and which is also available on Amazon. The dough gets mixed together in about 5 minutes, chilled for a couple of hours, and then you roll it out and cut out your crackers. I chose to poke holes on top so that the crackers looked like the ones from the box (it’s a good thing I had practice when I made the ice cream sandwiches!).
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These crackers have a wonderfully deep flavor, thanks to the graham flour, dark brown sugar and honey. They are slightly more buttery than the boxed version, which is a very, very good thing. You can snack on these crackers, eat them for breakfast, spread peanut butter, Nutella or Biscoff on them…
Or, you could make s’mores… because it’s summer… and during the summer nothing smells better than a burnt marshmallow. Am I right?
Grab a bag of marshmallows (or make your own), a few chocolate bars, and start a fire (or your gas stove-top if it’s raining). Smoosh it all between two of your graham crackers, and enjoy the ooey, gooey, crunchy, chocolatey heaven that comes with making a s’more. A throwback to being a kid and reveling in the simplicity that summer days and nights bring.
One year ago: Dried Apricot-Pistachio Ice Cream
Two years ago: 10 of My Favorite Recipes
Three years ago: Cookies and Cream Oreo Cake
Four years ago: Basic Pizza Dough
Homemade Graham Crackers
Ingredients
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
- 1⅓ cups (160 g) graham flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup (146.67 g) dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, the baking soda and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar and honey, and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until blended and the dough comes together, about 30 seconds.
- Transfer the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press into a 7-inch square, and wrap tightly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days.
- When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness and cut into 3-inch squares. Transfer to the baking sheet, spacing the crackers at least ¾-inch apart, gather any scraps, re-roll, and cut out more cookies.
- Bake the cookies for 10 minutes and then rotate the baking sheet. Bake for another 6 to 8 minutes, or until the cookies are dark golden brown and just firm to the touch. Let cool for a minute on the baking sheets, then transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool completely (they will crisp up as they cool). Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Made this today with my girls (6) who are headed back to school next week- we doubled the batch . I didn’t have dark brown sugar so I used light – and didn’t have quite enough of that so I added a few extra teaspoons of honey . Mine of course are lighter, but they’re absolutely amazing! I cut 1 inch rounds to make them lunch container friendly ( and so the kids think they’re getting more treat than they really are 😉) I got about 300 rounds from the double batch ❤️ Will use this recipe over and over ! Thanks!
Hi, Ilive in New Zealand ,and I havn’t heard of Graham flour, is it like wholemeal flour? Thank you.
Hi Judith, Here is a good description, I hope that helps! https://www.bobsredmill.com/graham-flour.html
I know this is an older post but I had to review which I usually don’t leave reviews or comments, but wanted to let others know these are perfect. I was looking for a good graham cracker recipe mainly to use the crumbs for a pie but I can’t keep my hands off these they are not only delicious but very easy. I have yet to use them for a pie crust but will probably do so this week. I highly recommend this recipe for anyone looking to replace store bought ones. I do not buy store bought cookies, crackers or even cereal anymore because most store bought processed stuff bothers my stomach so I stay away from it. These are spot on though definitely better than store bought version! Also would like to add I used 1/8 teaspoon of table salt, not a kosher salt fan in baking, also added a couple shakes of cinnamon to the recipe as well as a splash of vanilla and I used 1/3 dark brown sugar and 1/3 light brown sugar. This recipe is for sure a keeper!
I have made those twice and they are a hit!
I mill my own flour and used 100 g of hard white berries, 90 g of soft white berries and 155 g of hard red winter berries (for the graham flour).
I reduced the sugar to 1/3 cup and increased the honey to 5 tbsp (instead of 3). I also add 4 tsp of cinnamon.
They bake for 13 minutes at 330 F, 6 minutes uncovered and 7 minutes covered as I burned my first batch…
I don’t have a square cookie cutter, so I use my pizza cutter to cut the dough directly in the pan and I break them apart once cool. Then, I put them in my dehydrator for 8 to 12 hours (or overnight) and they stay crisp for a week and up to 10 days (though they never last that long!) . I dehydrate all my cookies as I loath mushy cookies.
A great recipe!!
One of my favorite pot luck foods in the summer are Smores sandwiches. Home made marshmallows between Graham crakers half dipped in chocolate. With a pot luck this weekend I needed a recipe to make my own Graham crackers since the store bought ones are a little big. I will be picking up the ingredients tonight and can’t wait.
I just made these and they’re delicious..thankfully they cool quickly! I used the end of a chopstick to make the dots. We have to pay a fortune to get these in Australia so I think I’ll be making these often. Thanks for the great recipe!
What do I do if my dough is too dry to roll? It just keeps turning to crumbs.
Hi Manni, Hmmm you could try incorporating a little water into the dough to see if it makes it more cohesive.
An eggwhite would work as well.
If I leave out the kosher salt, can I use salted butter?
Hi Carrie, Yes you could do that.
I found these when my audiologist told me to avoid processed foods and sodium. I can’t believe how much more flavorful these are compared to the store bought ones. I make these at least once or twice a week. I also add a couple tablespoons of flax seed to the crackers for extra fiber. I did try using coconut oil. That maybe more healthy, but I didn’t like the coconut taste, so I stay with the unsalted butter.
Taste is great. However, the dough was extremely dry and hard to roll out. It kept falling apart. Is that normal?
Hi Sarah, Mine wasn’t extremely dry; next time you can try to knead in a few drops of water to help it become more cohesive.
The first time, that happened to me too, I added a little milk to the dough.
Been surfing for graham cracker recipes, was curious why yours has no cinnamon in it, as so many do?
Hi Mary, Personal preference. I’ve always liked the honey flavored graham crackers, but you could certainly add cinnamon if you’d like.
Karen T– I tried Smitten Kitten’s recipe last week and her’s is perfect! The dough is totally workable, no crumbly mess or too sticky, it works perfect and also very delicious. But Browneyedbaker’s recipe is also very delicious, we just need a better explanation on how to get the dough to turn out right. Hope this helps :)
Hi! I have tried your graham cracker recipe a few times now, and although they taste absolutely delicious, I can never seem to get the dough quite right… It never really comes together during the mixing process, and it’s always too sticky to roll after refrigerating, so I end up just cutting squares or whatever shapes I can make out of it and baking it that way… It’s delicious, don’t get me wrong.. but quite disappointing on the looks because I would like for mine to look perfect just like yours! :) So please, tell me what I’m doing wrong, or what I’m missing and how I can fix it, thank you so much!
P.S… I do follow the recipe to the T EVERY time I make it. I am an experienced home cook, but just can’t seem to get this one right… So please I need help, thanks again :)
Hi Cleopatra, I would just make sure that after you mix the dough, you really press it all together when it press it into the square. I didn’t have any issues with crumbling, just make sure you squeeze it all together and then if it’s too cold to work with easily out of the fridge, let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes until it’s more workable.
I roll my dough between parchment paper, to fit the pan I bake them on. I then lift the top piece of paper and use that for the next batch, with a new piece.
The parchment paper helps a lot, no need for extra flour, no need to use sticky fingers. I then use a pizza cutter to cut the dough the size I want my cookies to be and split them open once cooked and cooled.
Yuck. These do not taste like graham crackers. Waaaaay too buttery.
I attempted this recipe and as other commenters (who actually MADE the recipe) noted, the dough turned out crumbly and dry. I rolled them with wayyyy too much effort and ended up throwing away ⅓ of dough due to a dry crumbly mess. Will try Smitten Kitten’s recipe next.
Made these over the weekend. Simply in love!! Me and my son just kept eating them. I don’t think I will refrigerate though for the 2 hours next time. The dough was hard and I had to let it sit out on the counter for about an hour to get it workable. Other than that simply wonderful.
Can you make these chocolate graham crackers by adding cocoa? I would use for the base of a peanut butter pie. Thanks so much! Our family loves the original!
Hi Carrie, I’ve never tried making a chocolate version, let me know if you give it a go!
I had a difficult time with these….very hard to roll the dough out…wanted to crumble. I believe the milk has been left out of this recipe.
I have made these 3 times now and each time with slightly different ingredients but 2 of those times I used 1 cup of coconut oil in place of the butter and I gotta say I like them way better that way! This last time I cut out mini gingerbread men and I was able to get 90!! The batter is more crumbly with coconut oil but I just keep flouring and rolling. Thanks so much for posting this recipe Brown Eyed Baker!!
Has anyone has any luck freezing these after they’re made?
the recipe does not call for any liquid….. is that right?
Hi Clif, Yes, that is correct.
Hi Michelle,
I need to make a graham cracker crust. Do you know if I should roll these out, bake and then crumble to make a crust or just bake the dough in the pie tin? Thanks for your help.
Hi Diane, I would bake the crackers as directed, them crumble them for the crust.
Thanks so much! :)
Hi there, I’m making a Chocolate cheesecake and am looking to make a graham cracker crust for it, only I think CHOCOLATE graham crackers would be PERFECT. And suggestions for altering this recipe to make those?
Thanks!!
That sounds fabulous! I haven’t done any playing around with a chocolate version of these graham crackers, so unfortunately I’m not much help :(
Thank you anyway! I’ll play = )
Did you figure out how to make them chocolate? I am trying do the
same for a recipe I am using. Thanks!
Try replacing 2–4 T of flour with the same amount of cocoa. You can also throw in a 1/2 t. of instant espresso to enhance the chocolate flavor but that’s optional.
Follow up: The dough was a little easier to work with after refrigerated, but I was afraid that using more flour to roll it out would make it fall apart, so I rolled it between to sheets of parchment paper. I think when I do it again (and I will, because they are delicious!), I will roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and cut into crackers before refrigerating, and then stack the crackers with parchment paper between each layer to refrigerate. These are so much better than store bought!
Re: difficulty working with the dough: I had the same problem. The first time I tried to make homemade graham crackers, I used a Martha Stewart recipe I found on line, and it was also very crumbly, but much easier to work with. In her recipe, you roll out the dough and cut it into crackers as soon as you finish mixing it, and then stack the unbaked crackers on sheets of parchment paper, and put them in the freezer for 20 minutes. Then you take them out and bake them. I found they came out perfectly that way, and the dough was pretty easy to handle. I am giving this recipe a try, though (waiting for the dough to sit in the fridge for a couple hours now), and hope that the time in the fridge will permit enough gluten to form that the dough will be easier to work with.
I have recently discovered your blog and I love it! I want to make the Graham crackers and I was wondering where you got your 3 in cutter. I don’t remember seeing one before.
Hi Beverly, I got it in this set: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001V5Y2YI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001V5Y2YI&linkCode=as2&tag=broeyebak-20
LOVE this recipe. After saving it for an entire year I finally made it with great results. So much so, that I’ve made 4 batches in the last 2 weeks! (Lots of camping and BBQs.) I love to take recipes and tweak them a bit so I couldn’t resist here. On s’mores added a tablespoon of ground cinnamon when blending the flours. Did the cinnamon sugar topping and used dark chocolate. Hope you don’t mind but I used this recipe for my own post but also added a list of spiced variations. Someone suggested nutmeg and orange zest. Mmmm…served with some honey drizzled goat cheese? That is one sophisticated graham cracker! They are now an official staple in our cupboard. Note on the dough: I found that the dough is crumbly and on the verge of being difficult. But it did roll out well. The cracks fuse right back up with a little pressure. Also let the dough sit for 5-10 min. after being in the fridge. Also, I broke the toothpick in half and flattened the end to use the holes. Here’s my contribution to Brown Eyed Baker’s awesomeness: http://www.spicesherpa.com/2013/08/30/homemade-graham-crackers/
My dough is super crumbly. So far the only way I can work with it is to knead together small chunks, flatten by hand and then roll out and cut. Any advice? They are also cracking while waiting to be baked…brush butter on them maybe?
I added just a splash of milk till it was at a good consistency. I am at high altitude and have wondered if that was part of the problem? Are you?
will do
will this be okay for the bass for a s’more cupcakes? i was planning on filling the bottom of a muffin tin with graham cracker and filling it with brownie batter, but i’m not sure if the brownie and graham cracker will bake at the same time.
I’ve never used it for that, but I think it should be okay. Let me know how it turns out!