Homemade Graham Cracker Recipe

Graham crackers are one of life's little treats that you quite honestly may take for granted. Anytime you want a bite of these all-time favorite "crackers" — which are really more like cookies that are simply perfect when paired with peanut butter, Nutella, fresh fruit or, of course, melted chocolate and roasted marshmallows — you can simply head out to the store and grab a box. But, making them yourself from scratch? That may seem a little intimidating. However, there's really no need to fret.

Don't worry, because you can make homemade graham crackers, and you absolutely should. "[They're] not commonly made at home, but they taste better than store-bought," says recipe developer Maren Epstein of Eating Works. She adds, "These are pretty easy. The only hard part is rolling them very flat. If they aren't rolled thin enough they will bake up more like a cookie than a cracker. But, they'll still be tasty." 

So, even if things don't go perfectly, the end result is still a treat and one you can enjoy on its own or all dressed up with the aforementioned ingredients (or whatever else suits your fancy). One delicious idea — especially if your homemade graham crackers come out a bit thicker — is to enjoy these treats with your tea or coffee. It's a great combination of flavors.

One of the best things about making your own graham crackers from scratch is the fact that you probably already have everything the recipe calls for in your kitchen. For this recipe, you'll need whole wheat all-purpose flour, white unbleached flour, baking soda, cinnamon, fine grain sea salt, an egg (beaten), vanilla extract, butter (softened), honey, and almond milk.

On subsequent batches, feel free to experiment. "You can have fun with the flavoring here," says Epstein, adding, "Nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice would be an interesting additive." Or maybe even a hint of cayenne for some heat, eh?

In a medium bowl or using the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine the whole wheat and the white flour, the baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until all of the dry ingredients are well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the egg, vanilla extract, butter, honey, and almond milk and stir those all well.

Next, pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix them together with a spatula until a dough forms. It will be pretty dense and heavy feeling, and that's just fine.

Turn out the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap, then fold the plastic wrap over the dough and press on it until the dough is smooth and begins to flatten. Next, using a rolling pin, press the dough into a rough square, and then refrigerate it for at least 1 hour. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit when the chilling is almost done.

Next, place the dough on a piece of parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet. Use the rolling pin to roll the dough out further, making it as thin as possible. Then, use a cookie cutter to score the dough into squares and use a fork to make indentations in the middle of the squares.

Bake the graham crackers at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes. They are done when they get golden brown around the edges, and note that the thinner you manage to roll out the dough, the faster it will cook.

Let the baked graham crackers cool on the sheet for a bit, then break them apart into individual squares. Then, you can start enjoying them, and Epstein says, "These crackers keep very well for 10 days, just store them in an airtight container in a cool dry place so that they don't get stale." That, or use a vacuum sealer to save them for even longer.