How to Make Graham Crackers

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: October 11, 2022 References

Graham crackers are a tasty treat that are eaten on their own, dunked in drinks, made into s’mores, and crushed to make tasty pie crusts. Graham crackers are made with graham flour, which is a type of wheat flour where the components are ground separately and then recombined. Graham crackers are fun and simple to make at home, and you can use them to make a number of other delicious goodies.

Ingredients

¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
1¾ cups (210 g) graham flour
¼ cup (56 g) sugar
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) salt
1 teaspoon (5 g) baking powder
¾ teaspoon (3.75 g) cinnamon
8 tablespoons (113 g) butter, cubed and chilled
2 tablespoons (30 ml) honey
1 tablespoon (15 ml) molasses
3 tablespoons (45 ml) water
Sugar, for sprinkling

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Making the Crackers

1
Mix the dry ingredients. Place the flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon into a food processor. Pulse the mixture a few times to combine all the ingredients. ^{[1]
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- You can make this recipe in a bowl if you don’t have a food processor. Whisk together the dry ingredients.
2
Add the butter. Turn the food processor on low. Drop in one cube of chilled butter and wait for it to get incorporated into the dry ingredients. When that happens, add the next cube of butter.
- Repeat until you’ve added all the butter. Continue whizzing everything in the food processor until the ingredients come together as a crumbly mixture with the texture of cornmeal. ^{[2]
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- If you don’t have a food processor, use a pastry cutter to gradually cut the butter into the dry ingredients.
3
Add the wet ingredients to make a dough. Whisk together the honey, molasses, and water in a separate small bowl. Turn the food processor back on low and pour in the liquid mixture.
- Continue processing the ingredients for one to two minutes. Everything will come together as a soft dough. ^{[3]
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- Without a food processor, use a wooden spoon to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients.
4
Chill the dough. Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball. Wrap it in plastic wrap and transfer it to the fridge. Allow the dough to chill for at least an hour, but you can chill it overnight.
- Chilling the dough will get the butter cold again and make the dough easier to work with. It will also let the ingredients relax and come together, enhancing the flavors and ensuring the right texture. ^{[4]
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5
Preheat the oven and roll out the dough. When the dough has had time to chill, remove it from the fridge and turn it out onto a flat, floured surface. Preheat your oven to 350 F (177 C).
- Knead the dough for a minute or so, until it comes together into a cohesive ball. Add more flour, and use a floured rolling pin to roll out the dough.
- Roll the dough out to a thickness of one-eighth of an inch (0.3 cm). Make the thickness of the dough as even as possible to prevent burning and undercooking. ^{[5]
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- Add more flour to the surface and the rolling pin as needed if the dough starts to stick.
6
Cut out the dough. There are a couple ways you can cut the dough, depending on whether you want traditional graham crackers or more unique ones. When the cookies are ready, place them onto greased or parchment-lined baking sheets.
- You can use a pizza cutter to cut the cookies into squares or rectangles with straight edges. If you want squares, make them roughly two inches by two inches (5 cm by 5 cm). To make rectangles, cut the dough into cookies that are 2.5 inches by five inches (6.3 cm by 13 cm). ^{[6]
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- Alternatively, you can also use a fluted pastry wheel to cut the graham crackers with rippled edges. ^{[7]
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  Research source} For the most traditional graham crackers, use the pizza cutter or pastry wheel to cut the cookies into rectangles.
- Another option is to use cookie cutters to cut the dough into shapes of your choice.
7
Prick with a fork and sprinkle with sugar. Once the cookies are transferred to the baking sheet, prick each one a few times with the tines of a fork. Then sprinkle a thin layer of sugar over the top of each cookie.
- The reason you poke holes in certain baked goods is to allow air flow through and to prevent them from puffing up as they bake.
8
Bake and cool before serving. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes. They're ready when they become golden brown around the edges. Leave the cookies on the baking sheet to cool for five minutes. ^{[8]
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Research source} Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool to room temperature before serving or using for other treats.
- To store, line an air-tight container with parchment paper to help prevent breakage, and store the cookies for about a week. ^{[9]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Making S’mores

1
Gather your ingredients. S’mores are traditional campfire fare in many places. You make them by layering chocolate between two graham crackers, and then sticking a hot marshmallow in between to melt the chocolate. Per s’more, you'll need: ^{[10]
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- Two graham crackers
- Two squares of chocolate
- One marshmallow
2
Heat the marshmallow. There are a couple ways you can do this, depending on whether you're sitting around the fire or at home wishing you were! To heat the marshmallow on the fire, pierce it through the middle with a roasting stick. Hold it over the flames until it becomes golden brown on the outside.
- To make s’mores at home, preheat your oven to 400 F (204 C). Place each marshmallow on top of a graham cracker, and roast them in the oven for up to five minutes. ^{[11]
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3
Assemble the s’more. Place one graham cracker on a plate, followed by the two pieces of chocolate. Place the marshmallow on top, and then use the second graham cracker on top to sandwich in the marshmallow. Apply gentle pressure to the top and bottom of the s’more as you pull out the roasting stick.
- At home, place the graham cracker and marshmallow on a plate. Arrange the chocolate on top, and then top the whole thing off with a second graham cracker.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Turning the Crackers Into a Graham Cracker Crust

1
Gather your ingredients and equipment. Graham crackers can be crushed to make a delicious crust that can be used for pies, ice cream pies, and other yummy desserts. To make this crust, you will need: ^{[12]
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- 1½ cups (128 g) graham cracker crumbs
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ⅓ cup (75 g) sugar
- Food processor
- Medium bowl
- Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- 9-inch pie plate
2
Crush the crackers. Break the crackers and put them into a food processor. Pulse a few times to break the crackers up into small crumbs. You'll need about 15 to 18 crackers to get 1½ cups of crumbs. ^{[13]
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- If you don’t have a food processor, transfer the crackers to a freezer bag and roll over them with a rolling pin to crush them to crumbs.
3
Combine all the ingredients. Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl and add in the melted butter and sugar. Stir to fully combine all the ingredients. The final mixture should have the texture of course sand. ^{[14]
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- To add some extra spice to your pie crust, add in ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) of cinnamon. ^{[15]
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- You don’t want to make the crust in the food processor, because the blades will make the crumbs too fine.
4
Make the pie shell. Transfer the crust mixture to the pie plate. Use the spatula to spread it around. Evenly press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.
- To make the pie crust flat and even, gently stamp it down with a glass or measuring cup.
5
Use, bake, or freeze the crust. To use the crust for a pie that requires baking, make your pie filling, fill the crust, and bake as directed. You can also place the crust in a freezer bag (in the plate) and transfer the crust to the freezer and store it for up to three months. ^{[16]
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- To use the crust for a no-bake pie, blind bake the crust first. Preheat the oven to 300 F (149 C). When the oven is ready, bake the crust for seven to eight minutes. Remove from the oven, cool, and chill in the fridge for at least two hours before using.
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