Forget Store Bought, Homemade Graham Crackers Are Always Better

The night before we left for Nashville, just as I was throwing clothes into my suitcase and packing up a bag of snacks that already included carrot sticks, fresh berries, and granola (I know, right? I’m a party animal…), I got a hankering for graham crackers. And then, when I clicked over to Twitter just to check in for a second, there was a link to a new post at Roost for, what else, exactly what I was craving.

Vertical image of a stack of homemade graham crackers in the foreground with more arranged on a white ceramic cake stand to the rear, next to a glass bottle of milk on a gray and white marble surface.

I enjoy that kind of serendipity in life. It’s like when my friend Becky and I went to Margot on a Saturday night after being told on the phone there were no openings and then, wouldn’t you know it, someone canceled and we got seated in 10 minutes.

Vertical image of a stack of golden brown freshly baked graham crackers, next to a bottle of milk and a white square cake stand displaying more of the baked good, on a marble surface.

Or like a year ago, when my car kept putting out smoke and smelling like burnt metal, but finally the mechanic realized it was the catalytic converter all along, just weeks before my warranty expired, which paid for the entire replacement.

A small stack of five homemade honey graham crackers, next to a white cake stand topped with more of the same, and a glass bottle of milk, on a marble surface.

You have to embrace these things, these providences, so that’s what I did last Thursday. I pulled out all the ingredients, plugged in my food processor, and set to work.

Who knew the method for making these is so crazy simple: mix ingredients together, roll out the dough and cut out crackers, freeze for a quick 15 minutes, and then bake. That’s it.

A tall stack of homemade graham crackers is in the foreground, with a small glass bottle of milk, and more of the baked goods in soft focus in the background, on a gray and white marble surface.

I pulled these together while I was also baking bread (to add to my bag of snacks) and playing online and reminding myself of toiletries to pack, so there’s no way you can’t make these, too.

As far as taste is concerned, these graham crackers are definitely distinct from the store-bought kind, with hints of molasses and honey lending a richer flavor throughout, and a slightly crisper texture that crunches when you bite in and is almost chewy inside.

This version calls for more whole wheat than unbleached all-purpose flour, which I liked, but I’ve also seen those proportions swapped, if you’d like to go that route. We also share another molasses-kissed graham cracker recipe that wholly feature ancient grains of einkorn and spelt.

Homemade graham crackers arranged on a decorative white ceramic plate, with a bottle of milk and more golden brown crackers in the background.

The only real caution I’d add is to make sure you roll out the dough to at least a quarter-inch thickness. Anything thinner, say if you’re thinking you’ll get more crackers that way, you’ll end up with some that are burned and some that are simply too crispy to enjoy. Not good.

Closeup of a pile of homemade brown crackers, golden brown in color, on a decorative ceramic dish with a cutout edge.

Oh and also, if you want your graham crackers to be prettier, follow CoCo’s lead from Roost, and use a pastry cutter with fluted edges, adding a dusting of sugar to the top so everything sparkles. If, like me, you’re leaving town tomorrow morning and just want something fast and tasty to hold in your lap while you drive through fog and across state lines, this version is simply perfect.

A small stack of five homemade graham crackers with scored edges and rows of holes in the top of each, beside a glass bottle of milk and a white ceramic cake stand, on a gray and white marble background.

Ideally, you’re going to want to use a food processor to mix the dough up (it’s SO easy that way), but according to the original recipe, you could also use a mixing bowl, stand mixer, hand mixer, a big spoon… and I’d imagine a blender is another possibility.

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A small stack of five homemade graham crackers with scored edges and rows of holes in the top of each, beside a glass bottle of milk and a white ceramic cake stand, on a gray and white marble background.

Homemade Graham Crackers


  • Author: Shanna Mallon
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 24 crackers 1x

Description

Who knew homemade graham crackers could be this easy to make? Simply mix, roll out, and bake, and your favorite snack is ready to go, perfect for enjoying with your favorite spread, or making into s’mores.


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. In your food processor, pulse the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder together until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the dough is the consistency of coarse crumbs.
  2. Add the honey, molasses, and sugar, and process until combined. Add the milk and vanilla, and process until the mixture comes together to form a stiff dough. If it’s crumbly, add a splash of milk; if it’s too wet, add a little flour.
  3. Lightly grease or line two baking sheets with Silpat mats. On a floured work surface, cut the dough in half, and shape both halves into rectangles.
  4. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a bigger rectangle about 1/4-inch thick. If the dough sticks to the counter, sprinkle it with some more flour.
  5. Using a knife or a fluted pastry cutter, trim the edges of the dough rectangle to yield neat crackers, and cut into approximately 3-inch squares. Lightly prick the dough with the tines of a fork.
  6. Using a spatula, carefully transfer the crackers to the prepared baking sheets. Repeat the process with the remaining dough and any leftover scraps.
  7. Place baking sheets in the freezer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F.
  8. Bake the chilled dough for 18 to 20 minutes, until the crackers are just a little bit browned at the edges. Remove from the baking sheets and cool completely on wire racks.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Roost.

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Category: Snacks
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: Crackers, snack, graham crackers

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Cube Butter and Measure Ingredients

Cube the chilled butter and keep it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.

Measure the remaining ingredients and set them out in the order in which they are listed. This will make it easy to put together the recipe quickly.

Step 2 – Make Dough

Add both flours, salt, and baking powder to a food processor and pulse until well-combined.

Closeup of a clear food processor canister filled with flour.

Remove the butter from the refrigerator and add to the food processor. Pulse again until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

Add the honey, molasses, and sugar. Process until combined. Add the milk and vanilla, processing again until everything comes together to form a uniform dough. The dough should be stiff, and not too wet or dry.

Top-down shot of a food processor canister filled with flour, molasses, honey, and other ingredients for making a graham cracker dough, on a white marble background with gray veins.

If it’s too wet, add a little all-purpose flour. If it’s too dry, add a little more milk. It’s best to add either of these approximately 1 teaspoon at a time, so you won’t accidentally add too much. We’re going for incremental adjustments as needed.

Closeup of a thick brown dough in the canister of a food processor.

If you don’t have a food processor, you could mix the ingredients by hand, and cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two knives. But using this beloved kitchen appliance is definitely preferred, since you’ll be forming a stiff dough.

Step 3 – Roll Out Dough

Cut the dough in half, and shape each half into a rectangle. Set one piece aside.

Roll out the other piece of dough to 1/4-inch thick with a floured rolling pin on a well-floured surface. If the dough starts to stick to the flat surface or to the rolling pin, be sure to add more flour. The size of the dough when it’s rolled should be about 12 by 13 inches.

Don’t worry if there’s a little flour on the dough as you roll it out; it will bake off once it’s in the oven.

Step 4 – Cut Crackers

Using a sharp knife or a pastry cutter wheel, cut the rolled dough into 3-inch squares. I like to use the straight edge and then also the wavy edge of the pastry cutter to make different shapes.

A sheet of brown dough is rolled out, sliced into roughly 3-inch squares, and scored with vertical rows of pinpricks, two to each cracker, made with the tines of a fork, on a floured surface, with a pastry cutter wheel tool with a wooden handle in the background.

Prick the graham crackers with a fork to create the classic graham cracker look. This also helps to release any trapped air from the dough, so you’ll get a uniform baked cracker with a smooth surface rather than one with craters and pockmarks.

Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the other rectangle of dough, or save it in the freezer to make another batch later.

Step 5 – Bake

Lightly grease two baking sheets or line them with nonstick silicone Silpat mats. Arrange the cut dough on the baking sheets with some space in between each for them to expand a bit as they bake.

Closeup of six squared of dough rolled thin and cut out with scored edges and pinprick holes in two rows on top of each, on a silicone Silpat pan liner.

Place the baking sheets in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350°F while the dough chills.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The edges of the crackers will be slightly browned. Remove from the oven and transfer the crackers carefully to wire racks to cool completely.

Homemade Is Always Better

Have you ever noticed that homemade snacks made from scratch are always better than anything you can buy in the store?

It’s not just about the fact that you can use your own preferred ingredients, and avoid the processed things that commercial brands often sneak into their products. There’s something special about creating a baked item that you can easily buy at the store at home instead, because of the joy that the process brings you.

These homemade graham crackers are infinitely better than anything store bought. They are slightly sweet and rich in flavor thanks to the molasses, plus they are so easy to make. Even if you aren’t someone who feels particularly confident in your baking skill, you can make these graham crackers. And they’re fun to make with the kids as well!

A stack of five homemade graham crackers on a marble surface with a glass of milk in the background and the base of a white ceramic cake stand.

Need a few topping ideas? Try these:

Of course, you can always stay classic and make s’mores out of them, or use them as the base for more unique s’mores makeovers. Bonus points if you use homemade marshmallows.

For more homemade cracker recipes, we have even more options:

How would you eat these delightful graham crackers? Tell us in the comments below. And please rate the recipe if you try it!


Don’t forget to Pin It!

A collage of photos showing different views of a completed homemade graham cracker recipe.

Photos by Meghan Bassett, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on January 21st, 2010. Last updated: December 7, 2023 at 13:49 pm. With additional writing and editing by Meghan Bassett and Allison Sidhu.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

About Shanna Mallon

Shanna Mallon is a freelance writer who holds an MA in writing from DePaul University. Her work has been featured in a variety of media outlets, including The Kitchn, Better Homes & Gardens, Taste of Home, Houzz.com, Foodista, Entrepreneur, and Ragan PR. In 2014, she co-authored The Einkorn Cookbook with her husband, Tim. Today, you can find her digging into food topics and celebrating the everyday grace of eating on her blog, Go Eat Your Bread with Joy. Shanna lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with Tim and their two small kids.

20 thoughts on “Forget Store Bought, Homemade Graham Crackers Are Always Better”

  1. I am SO thrilled you made these! We’ve been snackin’ on these for a week and never get tired of them. I crumbled some in my honey yogurt….so good! I hope you had a wonderful trip down south 🙂

    Reply
  2. so i’m not the only one who makes crazy homemade snacks for trips! I remember in particular a camping trip a couple years ago – I made homemade granola that I mixed with nuts and dried fruit and sesame sticks for trail mix, and homemade bread for sandwiches, and trips to the farmers market for quality foods, and so on. Camping trips like that, I need to take off the day before just to prep!

    Reply
  3. I am all about making snacks for road trips, otherwise, I’d be in the Pilot store buying loads of salty or sweet junk food! No way! I’ve always been intrigued on how to make graham crackers even though I’m not a huge fan of them. I do like making s’mores though!

    Reply
  4. Graham crackers are so easy to make and so much better than store bought. My new oven was delivered the other day and I have yet to test it (I am almost overwhelmed by actually having one again). This could be what comes first.

    Reply
  5. haha love your road trip snacks. they’re so opposite of mine, which consists of potato chips, jerky, potato chips…i wish i could crave healthy snacks the way you do!

    Reply
  6. Thanks, Kim!

    Jenny, I have to say, I lived for a long time without one, and I survived, but OH MY GOSH I love having one so much. It might even be more valuable than my stand mixer. It does mixing like nothing else can.

    Lauren, Do it!

    Coco, Thanks again for the inspiration – and at just the right time! (and we loved Nashville!)

    Julia, You sound like a good person to travel with!

    Niki, Exactly! Healthy food on the road is hard, and I like having a piece of home with me anyway.

    Kate, I think it just helps the graham crackers retain their shape, you know, so they’ll be nice and square or whatever. Bonus: that bit of time is perfect for cleaning the kitchen. Oh and if you try it without the 15 minutes of freezing, let me know what you think!

    Jackie, Of course you could! You really should come over sometime soon and we’ll bake together.

    Anne, A new oven! Yay! I hope you get to try these soon.

    Hannah, Just the thought of a bonfire makes me miss summer so much.

    Jacqui, Get ready, friend. Our road trip is coming up! You bring your snacks; I’ll bring mine. 🙂

    Reply
  7. OOOh. I love homemade graham crackers. We made a recipe for homemade s’mores last year — with homemade graham crackers, milk chocolate sauce, and toasted marshmallow icecream. DIVINE! Bet these made a great snack for your road trip…

    Reply
  8. Hi Shannalee, I’ve been reading for a long time but haven’t ever commented. too shy 🙂

    It’s funny that you were thinking about graham crackers and then found a recipe. I saw your recipe, and cruised around other blogs and found *2 more* people making crackers. So I made yours. they’re wonderfully delightful!

    Reply
  9. Kameran, Well I’m so glad you decided to comment now! Nice to meet you! So glad you got to try the crackers, and soooo glad you enjoyed them!

    Reply
  10. I made these last night, and while they were good, they didn’t taste like graham crackers. That could be partly because I had to use black strap molasses, which has a pretty strong flavor. I will try it again without the black strap.

    Reply
    • Exactly, Teresa! Blackstrap molasses is a by-product of molasses that has been boiled and concentrated multiple times, so it will naturally have a strong, very bitter flavor that is not a good sweetener. If you need more info, we have the link to our article on molasses in the ingredients section of this recipe!

      Reply

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