If you have not tried making homemade graham crackers, I hope this recipe will convince you to try. This Vegan Graham Cracker Recipe is one you need to save and add to your baking list, soon! I think you will be really surprised at just how simple these can be, and also how delicious they are.
What Is There To Love About This Recipe?
First, the flavor. I have always been a sucker for original graham crackers, and let me tell you this vegan version is even better! It is made with whole grains that add the perfect complement to the molasses and brown sugar. It is a graham cracker flavor I love. The perfect lightly sweet treat.
Another thing to love about this recipe is that you know exactly what is going into it. If you have ever checked the ingredients in regular graham crackers, you are probably as surprised as I am about all the preservatives needed to keep them fresh for months at a time. While these crackers won't stay fresh for months on end, you will have the satisfaction of knowing exactly what went into them!
This is an easy recipe. I promise. I used a food processor and this dough came together in about 3 minutes. In fact, the key to these crackers is NOT to overmix. So, minimal time is needed.
It is made with simple ingredients. There is a really good chance you will already have most of them in your pantry, to begin with.
List of Ingredients
- Whole Wheat Flour- I used white whole wheat, but you can use any whole grain wheat flour you like. This could be spelt, rye, red winter, or kamut. You can also use whole wheat pastry flour if you like as well. If you have purchased a bag of regular whole wheat flour from the store, it is probably red winter wheat and that is great to use as well. This is where the nutty flavor comes from. Originally these crackers were made with graham flour, which is a coarse ground wheat flour.
- All-purpose flour- You can use all whole wheat flour, but I like to add in a little all-purpose as well. I think it holds better if you do.
- Brown sugar- I like to use a dark brown, as it has more molasses in it and I like that for these crackers. If you prefer, you can also use coconut sugar, or pure cane sugar too. I do not recommend using a liquid sweetener, other than the amount of molasses recommended as I don't know how it will affect the recipe. If you try it, let me know. I have not.
- Baking Powder- It only takes a little leavener, you don't want this to rise too much.
- Baking Soda- Same thing here. It only takes ½ teaspoon.
- Salt- just a touch, but it matters.
- Coconut Oil- This keeps the crackers vegan. You can also use canola oil, or other vegetable oil if you prefer.
- Molasses- This is where that rich, deep flavor and color comes from.
- Vanilla- I used pure vanilla, but you can also use vanilla extract if you prefer.
- Granulated Sugar- I sprinkled a little cinnamon sugar on top, this isn't essential, but good!
- Cinnamon- this is used in the cinnamon sugar
How To Make
Start by adding your dry ingredients to a food processor. Pulse a few times to blend. Next, add in your wet ingredients. At this point just pulse until the ingredients come together. This happens pretty quickly, so don't overdo it. We do not want the gluten to form.
Next, either move the dough to an airtight container, a plastic bag or wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and move it to the fridge. Chill for at least an hour for the best results. You can chill it for up to 24 hours too. This will do 2 things- it will let the dough rest, and it will also hydrate your flour, which is really important.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Divide your dough into 3 portions. It will be sticky and is supposed to be. That is why I used the parchment paper described below.
Place one portion on a piece of parchment paper, then another parchment on top. Roll the dough with a rolling pin until it is very thin, and forms a large rectangle, about ⅛-inch. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper.
You don't have to use the 2 sheets of parchment paper, but it makes rolling this dough so much easier to roll out as it is a little finicky.
Cut it into the shape you like. You can cut 2-3-inch squares or 1x3 inch rectangles. It is up to you to the size and shape you want. You can do this with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
Then gently move the parchment paper with the graham crackers to a baking sheet. I grab both sides on the long end and carefully move them to the baking sheet.
Next, take a fork and poke holes in the crackers. This will keep the crackers from puffing up too much.
If you are using the cinnamon sugar, as I did, sprinkle it gently on top. I love the added sweet cinnamon flavor.
Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes. This will give it a nice crisp texture. Place them on a cooling rack and allow them to cool slightly. While they are still warm, gently break apart the pieces. They will have baked together a little bit, so simply break them apart.
That is it! They are done and you have made your own vegan graham crackers!
Notes
- Make sure to let the dough rest, as noted above. This is an important step and should not be skipped. The dough will be so much easier to work with if give it this time.
- These crackers will hold well at room temp for several days. Just know that if you live in a humid climate, they will get soggy over time. You can always pop them back in the oven for just a couple of minutes to crisp them back up again.
- While these are delicious to use for smores, who can resist? Throw on vegan marshmallows and some chocolate...heaven. Or you can use them for dipping (I have the perfect pumpkin dip to go with this), you can also grind these up and use them for a graham cracker crust. Simply throw them in the food processor or blender and pulse.
- From there, you can add a little melted vegan butter and form a vegan graham cracker crust. If you have never made a homemade crust before, it is simple. Take about 2 cups of ground graham crackers and mix in ⅓ cup of melted butter. Mix this well and press into your pie pan. Bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
More Vegan Recipes
- Thick Raspberry Sauce
- Chocolate Orange Energy Balls
- Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bites
- Watermelon and Jicama Salad
- No mayo potato salad
Vegan Graham Crackers
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Rolling Pin
- parchment paper
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ teapsoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- dash salt this is ⅛ teaspoon
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cinnamon Sugar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Make sure and read the instructions all the way through before starting.
- Add your dry ingredients to a food processor and blend.
- Next, add the coconut oil, water, molasses, and vanilla. Pulse only to combine. You do not want to mix it too much.
- Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix your granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Remove the dough from the fridge and divide it into thirds. The dough is a little sticky and tricky to work with. This is the reason I hihgly recommend the parchment paper.
- Place one of the thirds onto a sheet of parchment paper. Return the other 2 to the fridge.
- Place another sheet of parchment on top of the dough so it is sandwiched between the 2.
- Roll the dough into a rough rectangle until it is about ⅛-inch thick.
- Carefully peel back the top sheet of parchment paper.
- Cut your graham crackers into the shape you want. You can do 2-3 inch squares or rectangles. You decide. You will need either a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife to do this.
- Remove the outer rectangles that aren't the right size and excess. Save that dough, as you can use it again. Chill for another hour and it is ready.
- Now, gently lift the parchment paper, holding both ends, and place it on your baking sheet.
- Prick each piece several times with a fork, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes.
- The graham crackers will have baked together a bit, don't stress about this. 5 minutes after removing them from the oven, let them cool just a bit, break them apart.
- They will come apart easily as long as it is still slightly warm. If it is too hot, it will fall apart. If it is chilled it will snap easily, but maybe too much. You want to catch it in between.
- That is it! The crackers are done and ready for you to enjoy!!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!