Can I use homemade graham crackers to make a graham cracker crumb crust?

Yes, with one minor adjustment—reduce the melted butter in the crust. We tested them in our go-to graham cracker crust , and discovered that because these homemade graham crackers are made with butter (and store-bought ones are not), the crust was overly greasy and didn't hold shape well (the edges slipped down the sides of the pie dish as it baked). You still need *some* butter to bind the crumbs together. By reducing the melted butter in the graham cracker crust from 6 Tbsp (85g) to 4 Tbsp (56g), we achieved a perfect graham cracker crust made with homemade graham crackers.

Can I use cookie cutters?

Yes, but the bake time may slightly change. They will likely need less time, as they will bake separated on the baking sheet, as opposed to all together in a slab.

Can I freeze homemade graham crackers?

Yes. After freezing and thawing, the graham crackers will lose some crispness. You can re-crisp them in a 300°F oven for 5–10 minutes and cool completely. You can also freeze the dough. After dividing the dough in half, flattening into squares, and wrapping, place the wrapped dough in a freezer-safe container or bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

How many graham crackers does this make?

It depends on the size you cut them, and how much dough you trim from the edges after rolling, but you should get 24–32 graham crackers. One rolled-out portion of dough usually cuts nicely into either 12, 15, or 16 rectangles, and this recipe makes two portions of dough. If it's helpful, the dough (all together) weighs about 600g.

You'll Never Want Store-Bought Graham Crackers Again

Description

These homemade graham crackers are crisp, buttery, and lightly sweet with classic honey and cinnamon flavor. Made with simple pantry ingredients, they’re perfect for snacking, s’mores, pie crusts, cheesecake crusts, and icebox cakes. See recipe Note for extra tips, and how to use them to make a graham cracker crust.

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups (195g) whole wheat flour (spooned & leveled)
2/3 cup (83g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
8 Tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (113g) honey
1 teaspoon (7g) molasses (optional)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (23g/ml) milk, at room temperature (any kind, dairy or nondairy)

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Instructions

Make the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon together. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the honey, molasses, and vanilla and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
Add the milk and the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. The dough should be soft.
Divide the dough in half and shape each portion into a flattened square. Wrap each square tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Shape the dough: If the dough has chilled for longer than 1 hour, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before rolling so it can soften slightly. Working with 1 portion of dough at a time, place a silicone baking mat on your work surface (to keep the parchment from sliding around), then place a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper on top. Place the dough on the parchment, lightly flour the top of the dough, and cover with a second sheet of parchment. Roll into a rectangle that’s evenly 1/8-inch thick.
Remove the top sheet of parchment. Trim the edges if desired, then use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough into evenly sized rectangles or squares. Cut all the way through the dough, but don’t separate the pieces—leave them together as one slab. Use a fork to dock each cracker several times. Transfer the parchment with the cut dough onto a baking sheet. Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the second square of dough.
Refrigerate both baking sheets (or stack the slabs of dough on top of each other, separated by parchment) for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven. Chilling helps prevent spreading; the crackers should spread very little in the oven.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
Bake for about 16 minutes, rotating the pan(s) halfway through. The crackers are done when they are lightly browned around the edges and appear dry on top.
Allow the crackers to cool on the baking sheet for 5–10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. They will continue to crisp considerably as they cool.
Once completely cool, use a sharp knife to cut along the seams to separate the graham crackers. Store cooled graham crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing: You can make the dough ahead of time, through step 4, and refrigerate the wrapped squares for up to 2 days. Homemade graham crackers freeze well for up to 3 months. Layer between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-safe container or bag. To thaw, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. You can also freeze the dough (before rolling it out) for up to 3 months. Prepare the dough through step 4, and place both wrapped squares in a freezer-safe container, and freeze. Thaw the wrapped dough in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature for about 1 hour. Continue with step 5. If the crackers lose some crispness after freezing (or after several days at room temperature), bake them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for about 5 minutes and cool completely.
Special Tools (affiliate links): Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Silicone Spatula | Silicone Baking Mat | Parchment Paper | Wooden Rolling Pin or Adjustable Rolling Pin | Pizza Cutter | Baking Sheets | Cooling Rack
Using These for Graham Cracker Crust: Because these crackers contain butter (unlike most store-bought graham crackers), reduce the melted butter in my graham cracker crust recipe from 6 Tablespoons (85g) to 4 Tablespoons (56g). This prevents the crust from becoming greasy while still holding together beautifully. All other instructions remain the same.
Rolling Tip: Don’t worry if the dough seems thinner than cookie dough when you roll it out. That’s exactly what you want. Roll the dough to an even 1/8-inch thickness for classic crisp graham crackers with a satisfying snap. For softer, thicker crackers, roll the dough out a little thicker.
Cookie Cutters: Instead of cutting the dough into squares or rectangles and baking in a slab, you can cut the dough with cookie cutters as if you were making sugar cookies. Because the crackers will bake individually rather than together as one slab, they may need less time in the oven.
Yield: This recipe makes about 24–32 graham crackers, depending on how large you cut them.
Molasses: Optional, but highly recommended for the richest graham cracker flavor.
For Cinnamon-Sugar Graham Crackers: Before baking, lightly brush the tops with water, then sprinkle with a mixture of 3 Tablespoons (37g) granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. You likely won’t use all of it, depending on how generously you sprinkle.

Recipe adapted from learning homemade graham cracker basics from King Arthur Baking & The Kitchn