Gluten Free Graham Crackers
These Gluten Free Graham Crackers have all the classic graham cracker flavor and crisp texture you remember from childhood. They’re perfect for s’mores, snacking, dunking in milk, or turning into homemade graham cracker crumbs and crusts. While they take a little more effort than opening a box from the store, the buttery flavor and satisfying crunch make them well worth it.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American
- Primary Cooking Method: Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free
- Skill Level: Moderate
Do you love s’mores? There’s something so comforting and nostalgic about sandwiching perfectly-toasted gooey marshmallows between softened milk chocolate squares and crisp graham crackers. But if you’re gluten-free, finding allergy-friendly graham crackers for s’mores can be hard.
Lucky for you, this recipe takes care of that problem and produces perfectly sweet, buttery, and tender crackers that even non-gluten-free people will love way more than store-bought crackers. Use this gluten-free cookie recipe to bring your s’mores game to the next level!
You’ll Love Making Homemade GF Graham Crackers
Here are just a few of the reasons why…
- Gets the kids in the kitchen. Making your own graham crackers is a fun project. This is a great way to get kids involved. especially if they love s’mores.
- Easier than you think. Despite being impressive, this recipe is simple to make, as long as you follow the steps. And the ingredients are basic and easy to find.
- Versatile. They are great for packing in a lunchbox, dunking in milk as an after-school snack, or dipping in something sweet like Cheesecake Dip. You can also turn them into crumbs to make a crust or garnish other treats. See the “Serving Suggestions” below for more ideas.
- Store well. You can keep your crackers fresh for up to a week or freeze them even longer, so these are great to prep ahead or make a double batch.
Are Traditional Graham Crackers Gluten Free?
Traditional graham crackers, both the ones you buy in a box and most homemade recipes, are not gluten free. They are typically made with wheat flour, so they are not safe for those who have to avoid gluten due to celiac and other conditions. The same goes for graham cracker crusts.
That’s why these homemade Gluten Free Graham Crackers are such a great option. They have the classic flavor and crisp texture you expect, but are made with gluten-free ingredients so everyone can enjoy them.
Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients for gluten-free graham crackers are all pantry staples. You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but here’s an overview of what you need for the recipe:
- Gluten–free 1:1 flour. I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Blend.
- Light brown sugar. For that signature graham cacker color and caramel flavor.
- Granulated sugar.
- Cinnamon. For the traditional warm flavor in graham crackers.
- Baking powder. Make sure you’re using gluten-free baking powder.
- Baking soda. This helps lighten the crackers as they bake.
- Egg.
- Unsalted Butter. Use softened butter for easier mixing.
- Vanilla. Make sure you’re using pure vanilla, not imitation, for the best flavor.
- Honey. You can also use maple syrup or agave if you like.
- Molasses. This helps add the golden-brown color to the crackers.
- Milk. Any type is fine. You only need a little to help soften and tenderize the cookie dough.
🍴 In the Cupcakes & Kale Chips Kitchen…
- Hand mixer – This is a stiff dough, so it’s better to use a mixer than to try to mix it by hand. Here is the one I use ion my kitchen.
- Sheet pans – These from Nordicware are my favorite for any kind of baking or roasting.
- Parchment sheets – Baking them on a parchment-lined baking sheet is key to keeping them from sticking, and these pre-cut sheets are so convenient.
How to Make Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
It might sound complicated, but it’s actually quite easy to make your own graham crackers. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent sticking., then simply follow these steps:
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, both sugars, salt, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda.
- Add the wet ingredients: Add the softened butter, vanilla, honey, molasses, and milk to the dry ingredients. Use an electric mixer to blend until you have a uniform dough.
- Chill: Divide the dough into thirds. Wrap each third in plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for an hour.
- Roll and cut: Remove the chilled dough from the freezer and roll each piece on a lightly floured work surface into a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to divide the dough into 2×5-inch rectangles.
- Bake: Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, score, and prick with a fork. Bake the graham crackers for 13 to 14 minutes or until the edges turn light golden brown.
- Cool: Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies cool for 15 minutes. They’ll harden up as they cool.
Tips for Success
- Use a mixer. An electric mixer is the easiest way to blend the dough. But if you don’t have one, use a good wooden spoon and some elbow grease.
- Chill the dough. The dough should be very cold before baking. Otherwise, the crackers may spread in the oven as the butter will melt quickly. If the dough is too hard when you first remove it from the freezer, let it thaw at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Line the pans. Lining the baking sheet with parchment paper helps prevent the graham crackers from sticking.
- Let them cool. Make sure you let the cookies cool for at least 15 minutes before trying to make s’mores. Otherwise, they’ll be too soft.
Proper Storage
- Countertop – Keep your leftover graham crackers fresh in an airtight container for up to one week at room temperature.
- Freezer – You can freeze graham crackers for up to 6 months. Just make sure they’re fully cooled and tightly wrapped in plastic and an airtight container or bag.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your crisp golden crackers all on their own, or maybe with a tall glass of chilled milk for dunking. Or go all-American and stack them with melted marshmallows and a square of milk chocolate for truly homemade s’mores. But there are so many other ways to enjoy them!
- Make a crust. Turn these graham crackers into a sweet gluten free graham cracker crust for Gluten Free Cheesecake or S’Mores Pudding Pie.
- Sandwich them. Smear some Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or scoop Brownie Batter Ice Cream between a couple for a fun treat.
- Crumble them up. Then use them as a base for Mini Blueberry Cheesecake Parfaits or to garnish a Cheesecake Cherry Smoothie.
- Churn some ice cream. They are essential when you make Graham Central Station Ice Cream, but you can also fold pieces into No-Churn Cheesecake Ice Cream!
- Dunk and dip. Set them out on a platter with Sweet Peanut Butter Hummus or Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheeseball. Or dunk some into Strawberry Cheesecake Dip.
- Go savory. You can even use them as the binder in a ham loaf!
More Nostalgic Copycat Gluten-Free Snacks
Gluten Free Graham Crackers
Equipment
- Baking Sheet Pan
- Parchment paper
- Rolling Pin
- Plastic wrap
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups gluten-free 1:1 flour (recommended: Bob’s Red Mill 1-for-1 blend), plus more for dusting
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder (gluten free)
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter , softened to room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups gluten-free 1:1 flour¼ cup light brown sugar, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix with a whisk until all ingredients are blended evenly together.
- Add 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 3 Tablespoons honey, 2 Tablespoons milk, 1 Tablespoon molasses, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Mix with an electric mixer (or stand mixer) until ingredients are all incorporated and a dough forms.
- Divide the dough into three parts and wrap each with a layer of plastic wrap. Place in the freezer and chill for 1 hour (the colder the better!).
- After the dough is well chilled, remove and work with one section of dough at a time. Lay out a piece of parchment paper and dust lightly with flour. Place the dough in the middle, lightly dust the top, and cover with another piece of parchment paper. Roll out the dough until it is roughly ¼-inch in thickness. Remove the top layer of parchment paper.
- With a pizza cutter or knife, measure and cut into 2×5-inch rectangles. Gently transfer the dough cutouts to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the remaining two sections of chilled dough.
- Lightly score criss-cross lines on top of each rectangle to divide it into quarters and prick with a fork.
- Bake the crackers in a preheated oven for 13-14 minutes, or until lightly golden on the edges. Remove the crackers from the oven and let them cool for 15 minutes to harden.
Notes
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Could I use dairy free butter and milk?
I have not tested it, but I suspect it will work fine.