Homemade Graham Crackers Recipe

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Homemade graham crackers are fresher and tastier than store-bought ones and you can make them any shape that you like! Keep some on hand for an easy from-scratch snack!

Homemade Graham Crackers

It’s nice to have a homemade graham cracker recipe on hand for pie crusts, s’mores (or s’mores cupcakes), and snacking. People inherently understand the value of a homemade chocolate chip cookie or brownies made from scratch. However, even seasoned bakers seem to turn to a box rather than a homemade graham cracker recipe. Although, not as simple as buying a box, this graham cracker recipe is fresher than the boxed variety, slightly less sweet, easy to make, and you can make the graham crackers in any shape you like!

Homemade Graham Cracker Recipe

I got the graham cracker recipe from Free Range Living. She got the recipe from The Fannie Farmer Baking Book [paid link].
I am reprinting the recipe below along with all of my baking notes.

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Graham Crackers Recipe

Even seasoned bakers seem to turn to a box rather than a homemade graham cracker recipe.  Although not as simple as buying a box, this graham cracker recipe is fresher than the boxed variety, slightly less sweet, easy to make, and you can make the graham crackers in any shape you like!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 36 2 1/2 inch squares
Calories 53kcal
Author Stefani

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey Some graham crackers use half honey and half molasses. You might consider trying that as a variation.
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cup graham flour If you can't get ahold of graham flour, there are plenty of graham cracker recipes that use regular whole wheat flour such as this graham cracker recipe from Baking Bites. You may also be able to directly substitute whole wheat flour in this recipe, but I haven't tested it and I make no promises.
  • 3/4 C all-purpose flour

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F.
  • Combine the butter, egg and sugar in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.
  • Stir in the honey and blend.
  • Dissolve the baking soda in the water and add to the butter mixture.
  • Add the salt, graham flour, and all-purpose flour to the mixture and blend thoroughly. The dough should hold together and be manageable. If it is too "tacky" add a little more graham flour.
  • Liberally dust a surface with graham flour and roll the dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. For convenience in handling, cut the rolled dough into three or four sections that will fit on your cookie sheet. (To make my life easier, line cookie sheets with parchment paper and roll the dough directly on the cookie sheets. That way you don't need to worry about the dough breaking when you lift it onto a cookie sheet.)
  • With a knife, score the dough, without cutting through, into 2 1/2 inch squares. (Boring! Since your graham crackers are not store-bought, they don't have to be square. Use your cookie cutters to make them any shape you want!)
  • Prick each square a few times with the tines of a fork. (I did this because those little pricks do make them look like graham crackers, whatever shape they are.)
  • Using a spatula, place the sections of scored cracker dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. (I didn't have to do this since I rolled right on the cookie sheet.)
  • Bake on the first side for 8 minutes, then turn the cracker over and bake for another 6 or 7 minutes. (Cheryl of Free Range Living said that she found that flipping wasn't necessary. I agree. I left out the flip step.)
  • Remove from the oven and cool on racks. (They weren't quite crispy when I removed them. However, they hardened up as soon as they cooled.)

Nutrition

Calories: 53kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 65mg | Potassium: 5mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 0.3mg
Have you tried this recipe?Click here to leave a comment and rating!

Graham Crackers Destroy Your Sex Drive?

Maybe graham crackers are typically served to kids because somewhere in our collective memory we know that graham crackers are wholesome and we worry that graham isn’t good for sex?

Graham flour and later graham crackers were created by the Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham.

He had some great ideas…

  • We should eat foods high in fiber and with whole grains.
  • Eating pure foods on a regular basis results in a long, healthy life.

and some less great ones…

  • If food sits in the stomach for too long, it overstimulates the organs and causes sexual arousal.
  • Rich, fatty foods only increase sexual urges.

Graham invented graham flour in the 1830s. It’s a form of whole wheat flour that has a slightly coarser grind. It’s higher in fiber than white flour and according to Graham, digests faster so as not to subject people to the desires of the flesh. This flour led to to the graham cracker: The Anti-Sex cracker. Now there’s a marketing campaign slogan if I ever heard one.

Graham crackers were originally made with 100% graham flour. Nowadays as you saw in the recipe in this post, they are typically a mix of graham or regular whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour.

I wonder what Graham would think of my Better than Sex Chocolate cupcakes?

Graham Crackers and Dieting

As far as dessert snacks go, graham crackers are not that bad for you.

When I was a kid, I used to put graham crackers in my cereal bowl every morning. I loved eating them all soggy with milk. (FYI – I strongly recommend dunking graham crackers in milk. Mmmmm.)

Anyway, one day I decided I needed to lose weight and I decided the way to diet was to stop putting graham crackers in my cereal. I don’t recall if that reduction in food intake caused any weight loss, but I do wonder if I am the only one to ever go on a diet that only involved refraining from graham crackers.

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37 comments:

  1. grooversays:

    I’m definitely trying this recipe. But I distinctly remember they have a cinnamon taste??? Anyone else remember that?

  2. Anonymoussays:

    how come sex has to come into play a lot throughout this recipe?

  3. Dianasays:

    Graham crackers and peanut butter are an addicting snack…try to eat just one! :) We also had graham crackers and frosting when there was leftover frosting from Christmas cookies. Brings back memories :) Thanks for the recipe–I would love to try these sometime!

  4. Anonymoussays:

    mcvities digestives are richer versions of graham crackers.

  5. Dawn P.says:

    I am soooo loving your blog!! Great ideas!!

  6. Jessicasays:

    Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I found it searching for graham cracker recipes and used it as the base for some crackers I made for my 17 month old daughter. I made them with a twist and added spinach, strawberries, and blueberries. And you can’t even taste the spinach! :) Here’s the link to my recipe, if you’re interested. http://candleinthenightblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/homemade-healthy-graham-crackers-with.html

    I’m so glad I found your blog. Too many fun things to try now!!

  7. Esthersays:

    I love graham crackers dipped in milk (Even the soggy parts that sink to the bottom)! A favorite childhood snack that I still enjoy today :)

    My mom also used to make home made frosting and make us graham cracker and frosting sandwiches.

  8. Anonymoussays:

    I did the honey/molasses combo and subbed whole wheat flour directly for the graham flour. They turned out fabulous big summer hit in my house as I also used a from scratch marshmallow recipe.

    Thanks for the idea- I just never imaged making my own grahams!

  9. Stefsays:

    Kathi – Yeah, s’mores cupcakes are pretty popular, I’ve just never made one. I’m just not that big of a marshmallow fan. But, maybe I’ll give it a go sometime.

  10. Anonymoussays:

    Hi – non-anonymous Kathi in Indy again :-)

    Reading some old posts, and looking for inspiration and ideas.

    Have you ever thought about making a s’mores themed cupcake? This Graham cracker experiment made me think of graham cupcakes, filled with a chocolate ganache, and a toasted marshmallow topping. Or maybe a chocolate cupcake with a marshmallow filling and a graham topping. Or a marshmallow cupcake….

  11. Stefsays:

    Peace – Thanks for the tip!!

  12. peaceloveandhappinesssays:

    If you like graham crackers dipped in milk (I do btw!) then try nilla wafers and honey teddy grahams. Only the honey work though, the chocolate never get soggy.

  13. Shaddysays:

    I live in Australia – add bran to the whole meal flour and the crackers will have the consistency that they do in the States. A baked cheesecake really does need a graham cracker crust! and nothing else really makes a good s’more!

  14. High Plains Drifterssays:

    Very cool… exactly what I was looking for… ran out of time this weekend to try it but will give it a whack on Saturday.

    Cheers!

  15. Stefsays:

    Pinky – I just came across a recipe for chocolate graham crackers in a King Arthur Flour book, bet that would be really good too.

    Tanya – So glad to hear that you liked them!

  16. Tanyasays:

    I just made these. They are so good, even though I did not get them rolled thin enough. Thanks for the recipe, you are bookmarked.

  17. Pinkysays:

    Just today I was thinking about making my own graham crackers for some smores. It must be in the air…

  18. Anonymoussays:

    It’s been 35 years since I made graham crackers…but I remembered the recipe I used called for cream of tartar and I never really understood what that was for. I love home made graham crackers!

    I’m going to try your recipe and use a little flax meal in there too.

  19. kcarson1says:

    I tried the honey/molasses combo (always looking for ways to use molasses that I bought for gingerbread, after which we found out my son is allergic to ginger) and I used a 1/4c of quinoa flour and 1/2c of all purpose flour (quinoa has a slightly nutty flavor and a very high protein content for a grain).

    I am very pleased with the results! I think I might add a smidgen more molasses next time.

    Hodgson Mill has whole wheat graham flour and it is at my local grocery store in the natural foods section. Bob’s Red Mill had quinoa – both grain and flour. Same store for me.

  20. Pink Dogwoodsays:

    I’m trying out different graham recipes and this one was nice. I’ve got this recipe bookmarked for some repeat performances!

  21. Anonymoussays:

    My daughter has a severe allergy to soy, which it seems is contained in every commercial graham cracker. I wish I had thought of making graham crackers before our camping trip.

  22. Louisesays:

    I’m delighted to have stumbled across your delicious looking blog. I am celebrating Sylvester Graham tomorrow and I hope you don’t mind that I borrowed your link as an extra bonus.

  23. Karensays:

    I’m definitely going to try the graham crackers and the cupcakes.

    Cass – My American friends and I use digestives or very lightly sweetened oat cookies here in Finland when we need graham crackers.

  24. Stefsays:

    Jenn – Your grandpa had good taste!

  25. Jennsays:

    This looks like an awesome recipe I can’t wait to try it.

    My Grandpa used to dip his gram’s in milk. I thought he was the only one :)

  26. Stefsays:

    AV – Thanks! Even you you can’t find graham flour, try them with whole wheat flour. They are a nice snack!

    TW – Maybe you should make your own chocolate that is in a circle shape?

    Erica – Good luck! Glad I could help you out!

    Nancy – Hmmm.. I hadn’t realized that. Thanks for the comment.

    Chou – I like knowing the history too. Glad you enjoyed!

  27. chousays:

    I love having the history along with the recipe. Sweet!

  28. Nancysays:

    The little pricks also keep them from rising. Graham would be so proud!

  29. Ellesays:

    Ooooh, how cool! Those look delicious. I love how you rolled them out on the sheet–genius! Me and rolling out dough do not mix, hehe, but that would help, I’m sure!

  30. Ericasays:

    I’ve been wanting a recipe for homemade graham crackers but have never taken the time to look it up (with 2 kids under 3 it’s no wonder!) Thanks for making this one “fall into my lap.” Now I only need to find graham flour…

  31. Tempered Womansays:

    excellent! I agree if you are going to use them in a cupcake why not try making them from scratch? You’re a real pro now ;-)
    Only thing~ if they aren’t square then my chocolate bar and marshmallow don’t fit perfectly on top, hehe

  32. african vanieljesays:

    Graham crackers are not something I’ve grown up with but I like the sound of the recipe. I will definitely try these if I can find graham flour in the UK. nice post.

  33. Stefsays:

    Karen T. – I haven’t quite strayed. I just figured that if I was going to use graham crackers in a cupcake, I should talk about them. OK – maybe a strayed a bit, but just a bit. Glad you liked the recipe.

    Karen – They certainly do!

    Cass – According to Cook’s Thesaurus, they are called wheatmeal biscuits in Australia.

    Amy – Aww. that would be a sweet Mother’s Day thing to do.

  34. AMY VIGsays:

    Wow, I’m so excited to try making homemade graham crackers. Growing up graham crackers in milk is the only breakfast I can remember my mom eating. Maybe these would make a good mother’s day gift :)

  35. Casssays:

    I’m in Australia, but I read all this talk about Graham crackers. Any idea what the Australian equivilent would be?

  36. Karensays:

    Very clever! I would have never thought to make graham crackers! I can see how these have endless possibilities!

  37. Karensays:

    I love graham crackers and will try your recipe for sure – how fun that you’ve briefly strayed off the cupcake path!

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