You'll love making graham crackers at home with this recipe. I can't easily find the store-bought boxes where I live, so I've been making these from scratch for a long time. They're crisp, honey-flavored with brown sugar and a touch of cinnamon. The dough can be made ahead and kept refrigerated or frozen. You can roll and cut cookies, make s'mores, or use it as regular dough for bars and pies.
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Necessity is the mother of invention, or in this case, the force behind finding how to make graham crackers from scratch. Not only because I wanted to have a good recipe, but also because they're unavailable here, and there are so many packets I can bring back when I travel.
They have sort of a flattened honeycomb appearance and a wonderful crunch. Classic s'mores with this recipe are so good!
The flavor is achieved through whole wheat flour (graham flour), brown sugar, cinnamon and honey. Don't overdo the last two, or you'll get an intense spiced flavor resembling a Biscoff cookie. Not that it's a bad thing, but we want to make graham crackers.
The other best part is that you can make cookies, s'mores bars, use it as pie dough to make pies with graham crust or substitute the shortbread crust in some recipes, like caramel millionaire bars, something I do occasionally.
It's one of the best aromas your kitchen can hope to envelop you in: that cinnamon, holiday, cookie smell that makes you stand still and breathe deeply.
Testing notes
Paula's baking tips that make a difference.
Don't overdo the cinnamon or honey, or they will be too spiced, with a flavor resembling more of a Biscoff cookie than a graham cracker.
Make sure the dough is rolled somewhat thin. Thicker pieces will not dry and crisp well, and might brown too much as they will take longer to bake.
Do a test bake! I always recommend this the first time making a recipe. It's easy with cookie dough, as you can bake a few and see how it goes, adjusting if necessary for future bakes. Don't overbake them. They will continue to bake and crisp up as they cool down.
If you want to make perfectly shaped cookies, use a ruler to measure the dough and score cookies of the same size. Do the same when making the dimples. I tend to skip this as I use the dough for pies and bars, grind the cookies for crumb crusts or serve them at family or casual gatherings.
Graham cracker ingredients
Quantities are listed in the recipe card toward the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands I use.
Whole wheat flour: this is non-negotiable. It's the graham part of the crackers. It's the old-fashioned type of flour used decades ago, hence the name. Look for a finely milled one, so you get the best texture.
Brown sugar and honey: together they give the characteristic flavor.
Ground cinnamon: another must-have ingredient. Use your favorite one. The flavor of this spice will affect the overall flavor of the cookie.
How to make graham cracker dough
The dough is crumbly at first, but when you start to roll it, it becomes rather sticky and too malleable to work with.
So, I recommend having the counter space and utensils ready and working as fast as possible while the dough is as cold as possible.
Roll cold dough
Do it in two parts or three.
Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. It's the easiest way, as the dough is sticky.
Roll and cut
Cut the uneven edges with a kitchen knife or a pizza wheel. Then gather, chill and roll the scraps.
Score and dimple
The easiest way is to score the dough, marking the rectangles but not separating them. Make the dimples with the end of a brochette stick. Mine are irregular, as is the bottom of the dough, and I don't care at all.
Place the paper with the dough directly on the cookie sheet to bake it.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
If you want to make perfect cookies, use a ruler to measure the dough and score cookies of the same size. Do the same when making the dimples.
Homemade S'mores
They hold up beautifully if you want to make traditional s'mores.
Another idea is to use the dough as a crust, line a tart pan, bake it and then spread a layer of chocolate ganache and marshmallows on top. Place it in the broiler for a few minutes or use a hand torch to toast the marshmallows.
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Old-Fashioned Graham Crackers (honey-sweet)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole wheat flour, superfine
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Beat the soft 1 cup unsalted butter with ¾ cup light brown sugar for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Use a large bowl and an electric mixer or the stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add 2 tablespoons honey and beat until completely incorporated.
- In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 2 parts and mix on the lowest speed or with a spatula. Barely incorporate the first part and add the second. We don't want to overmix the dough after adding the flour, but it's easier to integrate if we add it in two parts.
- Wrap the dough and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until cold and firm enough to roll.
- Divide the dough into two pieces and work with one at a time, keeping the other one wrapped in the refrigerator.
- Place the dough between two large sheets of parchment paper that fit in the baking sheet you'll be using. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough to ⅛ - ¼ inch thickness. Try to make it as much of a rectangle or square as possible. With a large kitchen knife or pizza wheel, cut the uneven edges and remove the scraps.
- Cut rectangles but don't separate them. Pick with the flat end of a brochette stick to create three dotted lines with four dots each. Transfer to the baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) while the dough is in the fridge.
- Bake directly from the fridge for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly colored and dry on top. Let cool for 5 minutes and use the knife or pizza wheel to cut over the lines again. The cookies will separate. Cool them completely on a wire rack.
- Store in airtight tins or cookie jars, as they soften pretty quickly at room temperature. If this happens, refrigerate them.
Anonymous says
Hello talk about late to party - it's already 2015 !!
So followed a graham cracker recipe found in peter reinhart's book Whole Grain - omg the worst already - altho there was no fats i tried anyways
Don't Bother ever with that recipe ever
The ones you posted have given me hope and will try them immediately!!!
Thanks ever for trying these out and posting up the results
anna @ annamayeveryday says
So pleased to find this recipe, via the pear almond tart you posted a couple of days ago. We don't have graham crackers but I often see recipes making use of them. Now I can make my own!
Alanna says
Great post! This makes me want to bake some graham crackers, stat. There are so many recipes out there, so I appreciate that you compared two highly acclaimed recipes. The photos are great, and so helpful, too. My thus far favorite grahams were from Emily Lucchetti's Passion for desserts - classic flavor and texture. But I'm hoping to try the ones in Good to the Grain that call for teff flour sometime, too.
Cocoa and Lavender says
My first homemade graham crackers were from Thomas Keller's recipe for homemade s'mores. We had a friend visiting us in Maine in the winter. We mentioned fireside dinners and asked what he would like for dessert. S'more, he said. Homemade. So, I made the graham crackers and the marshmallows and used Belgian chocolate. Now it is time to get out TK's recipe and compare to Martha's and Nancy's. His were pretty darned good... ~ David
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
What a fun idea for a post - this or that! I bookmarked this for the next time I need graham crackers. + I agree with Andrea, you're amazing, baking both batches for a taste test. Thank you!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness says
Paula, what an interesting post - I love the fact that you actually took the time to bake the two recipes and explain all the differences with so much loving details. I have never baked Graham Crackers but have been planning to do so for the longest time - if and when I find the time, I will most certainly remember this wonderful post of yours!