The Only Graham Cracker Recipe You’ll Ever Need

When I smell graham crackers, instant nostalgia hits and I want to be back in preschool sitting with my grape juice and covered in graham cracker crumbs. Naturally, I couldn’t wait to introduce graham crackers to my kids, only to be surprised that the second ingredient is sugar. So, I decided to make my own using a simple sweet mix of honey, molasses, and vanilla. Let’s get baking!

Homemade Graham Crackers
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 12-15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ¾ cups whole wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
3. Cream Butter & Sweeteners: In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter with the honey and molasses until smooth and creamy. After, stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring with a spatula or even using (clean) hands.
5. Add the milk one tablespoon at a time, mixing until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms.
6. If the dough feels too dry, add a little extra milk (½ tablespoon at a time).
7. Roll Out Dough: Form a ball, and place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick.
8. Cut and Score: Remove the top sheet of parchment. Cut the dough into squares or rectangles using a knife, pizza cutter, or even better a rectangle shaped cookie cutter. Lightly draw a line down the center of each cracker if you want the classic graham cracker look, I use a pizza cutter for this step, just don’t go too deep. Use a fork to poke a few holes in each piece for an authentic appearance.
9. Bake: Transfer the parchment with the cut dough onto your baking sheet. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Watch closely — thinner crackers bake faster!
10. Cool: Let the crackers cool completely on the baking sheet. They will crisp up as they cool.

NOTES

• Substitutes: If you’d like to make these dairy free, simply substitute the butter with coconut oil and substitute the milk with almond milk.
• If you try to transfer each individual cracker they will likely break along that journey from parchment to pan, so don’t make the same mistake I did and just transfer the whole parchment paper to the pan after scoring and cutting!
• Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week at room temperature.
• For Extra Crispness: After cooling, you can place the crackers back in a 250°F oven for 10–15 minutes to dry them out further if needed.
• Flavor Boost: Add a tiny pinch of ground nutmeg or ginger if you want a spiced graham cracker twist.
• Make dough in advance: I started this dough on a Monday and didn’t get around to popping it in the oven until Friday. I simply rolled into a ball, wrapped in plastic wrap, and placed in the fridge. When I was finally ready to bake, I left out on the counter for a couple hours to bring back to room temperature.