A simple tasty treat for your family without extra unnecessary ingredients such as artificial flavoring and leavening agents? YES PLEASE. This from scratch sourdough graham crackers recipe is one your family, and especially the kids, will enjoy! Get them to help you in the kitchen with this one. They’ll love using the rolling pin.
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I realize making things you can go to the store and grab in less time spent is easier and convenient and this recipe may seem just #teamtoomuch for many people but here’s the thing:
You can pay for your health now or you can pay for it later.
Jump to RecipeBye Bye big box store Graham Crackers in a box
No, I do not know what tomorrow holds or know exactly what my health looks like on the inside but I do know I have a choice to moderate what I take from the outside and put in. Making healthy choices is a thing we are instilling in our kids. Do we restrict box-made cookies, crackers, and snacks? No. We ask our children what healthy choice they have made each day before they are allowed to indulge in a treat like this that was given to them. We typically do not buy them anymore but they are given these treats often by family and church friends. We also are diligent about teaching our children, ages 10 and 7, how to read nutrition labels and the ingredients.
Over the years, I’ve been mindful of the grocery list simply due to the budget. I am having to think not only about the budget but also my son’s peanut allergy and now all the added and unnecessary ingredients in pre-packaged and processed foods that are quite literally toxic to our bodies. Grocery shopping has never been my favorite thing but nowadays, I just about loathe it. The less I have to buy and read a label, the better for me and my sanity.
This recipe is a healthy choice for our family. Goodbye, convenience. Goodbye, $6 box of graham crackers (the popular brand name in my local grocery store has lost their dang mind if they think I’m paying that much for a box of cookie-crackers).
Are sourdough graham crackers any good?
100% yes! My entire family loves them. Do they taste just like the box kind? No. Possibly better just simply knowing every single ingredient in the recipe list might play a role in that opinion.
Can I make graham crackers without sourdough discard?
Sure you can! Moreover, a quick internet search on Pinterest ought to yield you some decent results.
I’m using a sourdough recipe because I often have discard at starter feeding time and I like to change up how I use it.
How to use sourdough discard graham crackers
- s’mores! Our family’s favorite.
- cheesecake crust… my favorite!
- replace in any recipe calling for graham crackers
- a lightly sweet treat dunked in a glass of milk
- crumble over some pumpkin cheesecake ice cream
Scratch the perfect rectangles out
Type A people won’t love this one. As a fellow Type A, I can say that.
The first time I made this recipe I was devastated that my grahams didn’t come out as perfect rectangles. The second time, I threw those cares out the window and just enjoyed how good they tasted.
If your recipe calls for graham crackers to be crushed and used as a crust, no need to worry with perfect cuts of crackers. If you’re using them to line a baking pan or for s’mores, you may want to cut them a little straighter when the recipe below calls for that.
Homemade Sourdough Graham Crackers
Ingredients
Don’t panic. These are all found in most kitchens as staple ingredients!
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour)
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup sourdough starter, active or discard
- 4-6 tbsp local raw honey
- 1 tsp vanilla (homemade is best )
- 1 stick of melted butter (sub- 1/2 cup coconut oil)
Instructions
To start, heat your oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a small sauce pan and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Then, in a separate bowl, add your wet ingredients: honey (4-6 tbsp depends on your preference for sweetness), sourdough discard, vanilla, and melted butter.
Next, add the wet to dry ingredients and stir together well until you’ve made a ball of dough. Dough should not be too crumbly (if so, it is too dry and you’ll need to add more butter or oil). Taste the dough for your preferred sweetness. If you need more sweet and less sourdough taste, add more honey or sugar. Your dough will become sweeter as it bakes.
Cut 3 piece of parchment paper the size of a cookie sheet or a little larger. Lay one piece of parchment on a clean table or countertop. Split your ball of dough into 2 equal parts and put on part on the parchment paper. Lay another sheet of parchment on top of the dough. Next, use your hands to gently smush down the dough between the sheets. Then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick.
If you want rectangle grahams:
Next, remove the top layer of parchment paper. Pick up the parchment paper with dough on it and move to the baking sheet. Repeat the steps above with the second ball of dough.
Now bake for about 7 mins then remove from the oven. Use a vegetable cutter, pizza cutter, or a large knife to cut the dough into rectangles about 3 inches long by 2 inches wide.
Finally, bake for 8-10 more minutes or until as golden brown as you desire. The thicker the graham, the longer they’ll need to bake. Check often!
When you do not need rectangles:
If you just need graham crackers to crumble or crush up for another recipe, skip the cutting rectangles part.
Simply let your grahams cool completely then crumble and store in an airtight container for or in the freezer for up to 4 weeks.
Bonus PRO TIPS:
- Rotate pan after 10 minutes to bake more evenly
- When you need rectangles & even off the edges, roll those strips into a pin wheel and cut in half of thirds. Bake until done along with the crackers and enjoy a cute little cookie treat.
If you enjoy this recipe, leave me a comment below! Post a picture and tag me on Instagram @johnsonhomenc of your from scratch sourdough graham crackers.
If you liked sourdough graham cracker recipe,
You may also like:
- salted sourdough crackers
- overnight bagels
- simple brownies, used to be my most popular dessert until these graham crackers!
- sourdough sandwich bread loaf
- sourdough discard pancakes, the fluffiest!
- sourdough basics– the guide to get you going with quick bread wins!
Save it for later!
Thank you so much for allowing me to share one of my family’s favorite recipes with you. Pin this image to your Pinterest for later. Based on the rave reviews I always get when I bring these to events, especially fall season gatherings involving a fire pit, you’ll want it for later!
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Sourdough Discard Graham Crackers
Equipment
- 2 cookie sheets
- 3 sheets of parchment paper to fit your cookie sheets
- 1 knife
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup sourdough starter active or discard
- 4-6 tbsp local raw honey
- 1 tsp vanilla homemade is best ; )
- 1 stick of melted butter sub- 1/2 cup coconut oil
Instructions
- To start, heat your oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a small sauce pan and set aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
- Then add your wet ingredients: honey (4-6 tbsp depends on your preference for sweetness), sourdough, vanilla, and melted butter. Stir together well until you've made a ball of dough. Dough should not be too crumbly (if so, it is too dry and you'll need to add more butter or oil). Taste the dough for your preferred sweetness. If you need more sweet and less sourdough taste, add more honey or sugar. Your dough will become sweeter as it bakes.
- Cut 3 piece of parchment paper the size of a cookie sheet or a little larger. Lay one piece of parchment on a clean table or countertop. Split your ball of dough into 2 equal parts and put on part on the parchment paper. Lay another sheet of parchment on top of the dough.
- Next, use your hands to gently smush down the dough between the sheets. Then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick.
- If you want rectangle grahams, keep reading. If you need graham crumbles for a crust, see Notes.
- Remove the top layer of parchment paper. Pick up the parchment paper with dough on it and move to the baking sheet. Repeat the steps above with the second ball of dough.
- Now bake for about 7 mins then remove from the oven. Use a vegetable cutter, pizza cutter, or a large knife to cut the dough into rectangles about 3 inches long by 2 inches wide.
- Finally, bake for 8-10 more minutes or until as golden brown as you desire. Watch closely as the thickness of your crackers will determine how long they need to bake. Some edges can be thinner and thus burn a little.
This looks so good! What a fun snack to make for kids!
Hi Suzanne, thank you! My own kids absolutely love them.
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi, Vanessa. The graham crackers are best eaten within a couple of days but you can freeze them for about 1-2 months if you needed to grab some later. I think you’ll find this recipe to be easy enough that with 30 mins prior, you can make a batch before needing them.
🙂
This looks so good! It would be great to have these crackers on hand!
Thanks for sharing! Do they freeze well?