Graham crackers made from scratch are so much better than a box! Sweet, crisp, and buttery, these golden-baked homemade graham crackers are great for snacking, s’mores, and lunchboxes. Or, grind them into crumbs to make a graham cracker crust for your favorite baking recipes.
Did you know that you can make homemade graham crackers? And that it’s actually very easy? I discovered this after a summer’s worth of making s’mores in our backyard fire pit, where we went through A LOT of graham crackers. I’d never really thought of making them from scratch, but now I make graham crackers all the time with this super simple recipe. They’re great for snacking, of course, and the kids love them dipped in cheesecake dip. But I’ve also used these graham crackers to make the crust for my baked cheesecake and s’mores brownie pie, and they work just as well as the kind you get from a box.
Crush these graham crackers to make s’mores bars, layer them into a no-bake éclair cake, or sandwich buttercream frosting between two graham crackers for a fun dessert. And for another treat inspired by the snack aisle, try my homemade Cheez-Its!
Why Make Graham Crackers from Scratch?
It’s always easy to grab a box of grahams from the store, but here’s why I love having the option to make this classic cookie at home.
- You control the ingredients. This isn’t a top priority for everyone, but if it is for you, you’ll love this graham cracker recipe. Making them at home means no funny preservatives or ingredients you can’t pronounce.
- Better than a box. It’s easy to say that homemade tastes better, but these graham crackers really prove it. They’re sweet, crisp, and buttery in the best way possible.
- Fresh, homemade texture. These home-baked graham crackers have a slight tenderness that I love, unlike the boxed kind, which can sometimes taste a bit stale.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The list is short for these homemade graham crackers. With maybe the exception of whole wheat flour, every ingredient is a pantry staple. Here’s what you’ll need. Scroll to the recipe card for the exact recipe measurements.
- Butter – I always bake with salted butter as a personal preference, but unsalted butter works, too.
- Brown Sugar – Gives these homemade crackers that deep, caramelized flavor of the real deal. I use light brown sugar, but regular brown sugar is also fine to use.
- Vanilla Extract – Make sure it’s pure vanilla extract or an equal amount of vanilla paste. Avoid imitation, which doesn’t have the same flavor quality.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda – Using both creates a delicate, crispy cookie.
- Whole Wheat Flour – I use it in combination with all-purpose flour, but I highly recommend including whole wheat flour in this graham cracker recipe.
- Milk – Any kind.
- Granulated Sugar – Optional, to sprinkle on top of the graham crackers for a sparkly, crunchy finish.
Whole Wheat Flour in Graham Cracker Recipes
Traditional graham crackers are made with graham flour, a type of coarse-ground whole wheat flour invented in the 1830s. It’s what gives the crackers their signature rustic texture and slightly sweet, nutty flavor. While you can still buy graham flour, it’s harder to find. Regular whole wheat flour is readily available in most grocery stores and works well as a substitute.
How to Make Homemade Graham Crackers
I was blown away by how easy it is to make graham crackers in my own kitchen. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised, too! Here’s what to do, step-by-step.
- Mix the graham cracker dough. Start by creaming brown sugar and butter together for two minutes, until smooth. Then, mix in the vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add both flours to the mix, alternating with milk, until you have a thick dough.
- Chill the dough. Next, shape the dough into a ball and press it into a disc. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and place it into the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours (I sometimes do this overnight).
- Roll and cut the graham crackers. When it’s time to bake, roll the chilled dough out to about ⅛-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 3 ½ x 2 ½ inch rectangles. You could also cut them into 3 ½-inch squares.
- Dock the tops. Lastly, sprinkle the graham crackers with granulated sugar and use a fork to prick the crackers, recreating their signature perforated tops.
- Bake. Now, arrange the dough rectangles on a lined baking sheet, about ½ inch apart. Bake at 350ºF for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden. Afterward, transfer the graham crackers to a wire rack to cool completely before storing or serving.
What Do the Holes Do?
The “docking holes” in the tops of graham crackers do double duty: Not only do they make these homemade graham crackers look store-bought, but the holes also let the steam escape so the crackers stay flat instead of puffed up after baking.
Ways to Use Homemade Graham Crackers
Once cooled, homemade graham crackers make a perfect substitute for store-bought graham crackers in just about any setting or dessert. These are just a few ideas that come to mind:
- Serve them with dessert dips, like cannoli dip or apple pie dip.
- Make campfire s’mores with toasted marshmallows and Hershey’s chocolate.
- Use them in s’mores cookies or s’mores pie.
- Grind them into crumbs to make a graham cracker crust for baked and no-bake desserts.
- As a sweet alternative to saltine crackers in saltine toffee recipes, or as a base for praline crack.
How to Store
When I make graham crackers, here’s how I store them so they stay fresh:
- Store them in an airtight container or bag at room temperature. No need to refrigerate them, as that will actually make them go stale more quickly. They will keep their slightly tender but crisp texture for about 5 days.
More Cookie Aisle Favorites
Homemade Graham Crackers
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Total Time: 41 minutes
- Yield: 36 crackers 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Homemade graham crackers are way better than anything you’ll get from a box! Sweet, crisp, and buttery, these make a delicious snack, or you can use them in more baking recipes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4-cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter and brown sugar together for 2 minutes, until combined.
- Add in the vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix for 30 seconds until evenly incorporated.
- Turn the mixer to low and add in the flours and milk in alternating portions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until combined. Dough will be thick.
- Form the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk.
- Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8-inch thickness.
- Using a knife, or pizza cutter, cut into 3.5×2.5- inch rectangles.
- Sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly onto the pieces, pressing lightly into the dough. Prick the dough with a fork to create the store-bought look. Place onto the prepared baking sheet 1/2- inch apart.
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Store airtight at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cracker
- Calories: 86
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 38.5 mg
- Fat: 2.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.6 g
- Protein: 1.4 g
- Cholesterol: 6.8 mg
I have it in the fridge now. Question for the cutting. Do you just freehand it? Did you roll the dough into a rectangle?
I did it freehand, yes 🙂
I am so excited to try this recipe. It looks delicious! I do have one question though; would it work ok with margarine instead of butter? I have everything else already so maybe I can try it tomorrow. Thank you!
I have never made these with margarine, but generally you can sub it in place of butter with no issue.
Thanks for the WW version of this recipe. The background stories in blog posts can be interesting but I find that the remainder of the content (unless there are any major revelations) is repetitive of the recipe. Thank you for the jump to recipe link!
Just dropping in to say that this recipe was a definite winner for me, compared to some of the other recipes I’ve encountered online!
Other recipes that call for 2 cups of flour to 1 cup of brown sugar, with 7 tablespoons of butter were wayyy too wet — almost like gingerbread and not crisp like a regular graham cracker.
This recipe was pretty much spot on, graham crackers were dry and crispy. One suggestion is to add 10g of honey to help get it closer to the graham cracker we’re used to.
I converted to rough grams for a half recipe (whole numbers, so it’s easier to remember), since I hate having to wash so many measuring cups (teaspoons I am ok with), and will enable me to get more consistent results. Also helps to calculate macros.
For half recipe of the above:
50g butter
60g brown sugar
0.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp vanilla
10g honey
0.25 tsp salt
0.25 tsp baking soda
60g milk
180g whole wheat flour
Love that I can get an authentic graham cracker without the additives/preservatives in store bought!
Thank you so much for your detailed review! So glad you liked them!
Hi Mabel, thank you for the grams quantity. I don’t see the all purpose flour in your list. Did you only use whole wheat flour? Thank you so much, I can’t wait to try it!
Hi again Mabel, I was wondering if you had a chance to check your recipe to let me know if you only used whole wheat flour. Thank you so much for your help! Take care and have a great day!
could i roll this dough out into a pie shell to make a crust?
Yes you can, but it will be totally different than a typical graham cracker crust 🙂
Hi! I’m really interested in trying this recipe – can I ask what kind of milk did you use? Have you tried almond milk?
I used 2%, but I believe almond milk will work fine!
Bake them longer to get a through and through crisp texture?
You want to make sure you bake them long enough to get that classic crisp texture, and my baking times have been tested in my oven multiple times, however, with that said I know oven vary along with other factors…like baking sheets used etc. So use my time as a guide, and check and see if you need to add a little time to make them crisp!
can you use all purpose flour instead of whole wheat?
Ou can, but you won’t get the same flavor or color 😉
Thank you Shelly. I did use all purpose flour and they were delicious, as is all of your recipes. Keep them coming
Good to know! If you make them again or have any leftover I would love it if you uploaded a picture so others can see, since this question has come up a few times!!
Shelly on you graham cookie recipe if I chose to use graham flour do I just use the same amount that you have for whole wheat flour?
Yes, it’s an equal sub!
I am so excited to try these!! What brand of whole wheat flour do you usually use? And would white whole wheat work you think? Or standard whole wheat is best? These with homemade marshmallow fluff would be AMAZING!
I love either Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour. And if you use white whole wheat your crackers will not be the pretty golden brown color 🙂