Why make gluten-free graham crackers from scratch?
Whether sandwiching chocolate and a toasted marshmallow fireside or pressed into a pan to create a delicious, buttery crust for a cheesecake, graham crackers are an iconic part of American cuisine.
As a child, they were my after-school snack with a cold glass of milk more often than any other treat. Ever since, graham crackers have held a special place in my heart.
Since having to change my diet to gluten free, I have yet to find a graham cracker in the store that really reminds me of the familiar traditional ones. There are a few decent gluten-free brands out there, but they are still just not quite the same in texture and flavor.
Traditionally graham crackers are made with graham flour, which is a coarse-ground wheat flour that gives them their texture and flavor. The trick to getting this same texture and flavor in gluten-free graham crackers is golden flax meal/ground flax.
It is summertime here in New England, and almost time for our annual family camping trip to Cape Cod. I thought I should take on the challenge of creating a really great gluten-free graham cracker.
This recipe is not only delicious, but it is also simple to make and easy to convert to vegan. To make this recipe vegan, just use a stick form of plant-based butter and replace the honey with maple syrup, golden syrup or agave.
This recipe will work with any of the commonly found commercial 1:1 gluten-free flour blends, or you can make your own with one of my copycat recipes.
Here’s how to make these childhood favorites.
Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
Ingredients
- 260 grams 1:1gluten-free flour blend
- 112 grams light brown sugar
- 7 grams ground flax or golden flax meal (1 tbsp + 1 tsp)
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 56 grams unsalted butter, thinly sliced
- 98 grams cold water
- 15 grams honey (1 tbsp)
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, sugar, flax, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Add the butter and, using a pastry cutter or your finger tips, work the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse meal. Pieces should be the size of peas or smaller.
- Mix the water and honey together.
- Add the honey/water mix to the batter, and stir with a fork until well combined.
- Press and knead until there are no dry bits, and you have a cohesive dough. The dough should be smooth enough to roll out and be slightly tacky but not sticky. Place dough on plastic wrap. Form into a square, wrap tightly and freeze for 15 minutes (or refrigerate for 30 minutes to 24 hours).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough from freezer. Lightly dust your work surface and your dough with flour, and roll out to a square that is roughly 16x16-inches square and ⅛-¼-inch thickness.* Dust your work surface as needed to keep the dough from sticking as you roll.
- Trim the edges so that they are straight and you have a 15x15-inch square. Cut the dough into three-inch square pieces. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and pierce dough with a fork in lines.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. When done, the crackers will be light golden brown. They will still have a little bit of give when touched, but they will harden up as soon as they cool. Remove to a parchment-lined cooling rack and cool for five minutes.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Delicious and easy.