You can call this part two of a three part series of posts. Yesterday, I shared with you a Roasted Marshmallow Ice Cream and today, these homemade Graham Crackers. Can you guess where I'm going with this yet? 😉 If not, you'll find out tomorrow!
This recipe is unbelievable and I only wish I found it earlier. Making your own homemade graham crackers is extremely easy and they taste much better than the store-bought boxed kind. You can also control the thickness and sweetness of the cracker. Here, they are pictured more like cookies because of how I used them (again, you'll find out tomorrow.) And, honestly, I think I'll always make them a little bit thicker, like cookies, because they are just so good and satisfying this way.
Graham Crackers
Yield: 48 2-inch squares
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and frozen
1/3 cup honey
5 tablespoons milk, full-fat preferred
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is the consistency of coarse meal.
Whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour into the flour mixture and pulse again a few times until the dough barely comes together. It will be soft and somewhat sticky. Lightly dust a large piece of plastic wrap with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the topping by mixing together the 3 tablespoons sugar and ground cinnamon in a small bowl or shaker; set aside.
Once the dough is firm, remove from plastic wrap and roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Flour the rolling pin as necessary. Cut into 2-inch squares and place on lined baking sheets. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar topping then chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes in the fridge or 15 to 20 minutes in the freezer.
Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350˚F.
Using a toothpick, or the blunt end of a wooden skewer, prick the dough to form three dotted rows. Bake the crackers/cookies for 15 to 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Bake for a shorter time if desiring more of a cookie texture. Sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar after baking, if desired.
Source: Slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen, original recipe from Nancy Silverton's Pastries from the La Brea Bakery
Monica says
Mija, thought about you, homemade graham crackers.
Love mom
Laura says
instead of rolling out the chilled rectangular brick of dough to cut it into rectangles, can't I just slice the dough? or have you tried this with this recipe before. I haven't started yet but I do this with another cookie recipe and they turn out rectangular. Just curious. Thanks.
Nikki says
Hi Laura,
I haven't tried it myself, but if your dough is firm enough that might work. 🙂
karen says
Small world--I came upon your site through a friend who got me hooked on Annie's Eats. When browsing your blog, I clicked to hear some of your husband's sermons and found out you're at AVB church. I know your pastor and wife--in fact, I know all their families, too. Small world. Tell them hello from me--they'll know who I am.
Nikki says
Super neat, Karen! They are on vacation right now, but when they return I'll let them know you said "hello!" I love the small world we live in! 🙂
KK says
These look amazing but where's the graham flour?
Nikki says
No graham flour needed, which makes this recipe perfectly suitable to use pantry staples. 🙂
Tammy W. says
What is graham flour? I've always wondered where the "graham" comes from! 😉
Btw, I very rarely buy cookies anymore because I make dough and freeze it so it's easy to make my own, but graham crackers are a "staple" in our house that I typically buy. May have to change that!
All this whole foods stuff is great (healthy and money-saving), but it takes so much extra time. I find it hard to find a balance, though, with working from home, caring for my home and family-including starting to educate) 3 small kids, plus ministry stuff (my hubby is a pastor, too). Food is obviously your passion (and your part-time job), but do you find it hard to find a balance?
On a side note, I'm hosting a freezer cooking session with some women in my community, and I'd like to use one of my faves, your mac-n-cheese recipe. May I have permission to print it for each of my ladies? Thank you.
Nikki says
Hi Tammy,
Evidently is named after a minister! ha! Here is a wiki on graham flour that I found: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graham_flour
You are right, it is hard to find a balance. Food is actually my full time job, but I try to work part time hours. haha! People think because I work with food and write this blog, that I have homemade meals every night and everything we eat is made from scratch. That can't be further from the truth! lol! My passion, even more than food itself, is just getting our family, friends, whoever together. Whether that means made from scratch meals, a frozen store-bought lasagna, or carry-out... as long as we are enjoying each other and helping each other through life, that's what counts. 🙂 Glad you asked!
And, OF COURSE, you can print the recipe for everyone. I'd be honored. 😉 (No need to ask permission, in fact.) Have fun!
Kelly says
Mmmm.......these look yummy!! I think I have figured out what your recipe for tomorrow is, but I won't spoil the suspense for your other readers.
Jen @ BeantownBaker.com says
I've made homemade graham crackers and I agree, they're delicious. I love chocolate frosting on mine too. Ganache is such a grown up substitution!
Claire @ Claire K Creations says
I love the little holes in them. They look so much better than store bought. Yum!
Sasha @ The Procrastobaker says
Living in the UK, ive never had the privilege of trying a graham cracker (sad days!) but the ingredients make it sound like a cookie I would really love, plus I can now make graham cracker crusts for other things using this recipe! hurrah! thank you very much for sharing this one 🙂
Lauren at Keep It Sweet says
I love where you are going with this!