Homemade Graham Crackers

Homemade Graham Crackers are crisp, crunchy and lightly honey-sweetened. They are fiber-rich with whole wheat flour and very easy to make.

Sylvester Graham was an influential 19th century minister who was an important figure in the “temperance movement”. The movement encouraged followers (called “Grahamites”) to refrain from drinking alcohol and eating meat. They were told to consume healthy foods, including whole grains.

A special whole grain flour was made for the Grahamites. “Graham” flour is an unsifted, whole grain flour that is the integral ingredient in Graham Crackers.

Though I am not a particularly temperate gal, I like graham crackers because they are healthy, whole grain and this close to being a cookie. You can munch on them and still feel virtuous.

Unless, of course, you fill them with chocolate and homemade marshmallows. Which I highly recommend.

Scroll through the process photos to see how to make Graham Crackers:

a food processor filled with whole wheat flour and cubed butter.
Pulse the dry ingredients in a food processor. Add the butter and process to break down the butter.
1. a cup of milk. 2. Milk pouring into food processor. 3. A food processor with a ball of dough.
1. Mix the milk & honey. 2. Add the milk to the dry ingredients. 2. Process until the dough comes together.
showing four steps to roll and cut graham crackers.
1. Roll one half of the dough to 1/4″ thick rectangle. 2. Transfer to a sheet of parchment and roll to 1/8″ thick. 3. Cut into 20 5″x2.5″ crackers. 4. Score the crackers.
Graham crackers before and after baking.
1. Sprinkle the unbaked crackers with sugar. 2. Bake until golden brown. 3. Remove browned crackers and return unbaked crackers to the oven. 4. Cool on a rack.

Tips for making Graham Crackers from scratch:

  • You can use “graham” flour or whole wheat pastry flour to make this dough.
  • If you don’t have access to whole wheat pastry flour you can use a mix of whole wheat flour and unbleached all purpose flour. See the recipe notes for the amounts.
  • Make sure you roll the dough to less than 1/8″ for crispiest crackers.
  • The recipe can be halved and baked on one sheet pan.
  • To work ahead, the dough can be frozen.
  • If you don’t have a food processor you can work the butter in by hand. Stir in the milk with a wooden spoon then finish kneading the dough by hand.
  • The crackers will keep for a week in an air tight container. They can be frozen for longer storage.
  • You can grind the baked crackers in a food processor and use them to make Graham Cracker Crust.

Toast a Vanilla Bean Marshmallow and pair it with these Homemade Graham Crackers for the best s’more of your life.

If you love this recipe as much as I do, I’d really appreciate a 5-star review.

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4.67 from 3 reviews

Graham Cracker Recipe

Graham Crackers are crispy, crunchy and lightly honey-sweetened. Fiber-rich with whole wheat flour and better than store bought.
Prep Time45 minutes
Bake Time15 minutes
Total Time1 hour
40 crackers
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Ingredients

  • 14 oz whole wheat PASTRY flour (2 3/4 cups (see note))
  • 4 oz granulated sugar (1/2 cup, plus more for sprinkling)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 oz unsalted butter (1/2 cup, cubed)
  • 4 oz whole milk (1/2 cup)
  • 2 1/2 oz Honey (1/4 cup)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Have two half sheet pans and two half sheets of parchment or silicone baking mats ready.
  • Combine the whole wheat pastry flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Toss in the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse corn meal.
    14 oz whole wheat PASTRY flour, 4 oz granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon table salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 4 oz unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the milk and honey. Add to the food processor and mix until the dough forms a ball. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead together.
    2 1/2 oz Honey, 4 oz whole milk
  • Divide dough into 2 portions. Roll each piece to a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick, using enough flour to keep it from sticking to the surface.
  • Transfer the dough to a 1/2 sheet parchment paper and continue rolling until the dough is less than 1/8" thick and is about 16"x11". Trim the edges to make a neat rectangle that is 15"x10”.
  • Use a pizza cutter to cut the 15" side of the rectangle into 3 equal 5" wide strips then cut the 10" side into 4 equal 2 1/2" strips. Poke each cracker 4x with a fork then use a serrated knife to lightly score each rectangle into 2 squares. Sprinkle the top of the crackers with more granulated sugar. Repeat with the other half of the dough. You can reroll the scraps to make a few more crackers.
  • Slide the paper with the crackers onto a baking sheet and bake about 12-15 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Check half way through and turn the trays if the crackers are not evenly browning. If the crackers around the edges are baking faster you can remove them from the tray and return the rest of the crackers to the oven to finish browning. As the crackers are baked, transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

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Notes

You can substitute 2 cups of whole wheat flour plus 3/4 all purpose flour for the whole wheat pastry flour.
If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.

Nutrition

Serving: 1crackers | Calories: 75kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 36mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 76IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @eileen.bakingsense or tag #bakingsense!

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