These crisp and snappy gluten-free graham crackers are honey-sweetened and made with wholesome ingredients. Easy to make and better than any store-bought option! Use for homemade graham cracker crust or summertime s'mores.
While there are certainly many delicious store-bought options for gluten-free graham crackers, more often than not, I find myself at a store that doesn't carry them at just the moment I want graham cracker crust or s'mores. Many of the store-bought brands have lots of additives and ingredients.
Adapted from my gluten-free chocolate graham cracker recipe, these gluten-free graham crackers are made with whole-grain flour and have the ultimate thin and crisp texture of a classic graham cracker. With subtle honey and cinnamon flavors, these bring back all of the nostalgia with none of the gluten.
A batch of this gluten-free graham cracker recipe makes 30 oat flour graham crackers, which is enough to make multiple cheesecake crusts or 15 s'mores. They keep for up to two weeks in an airtight bag, or you can store them in the freezer to pull out for stovetop s'mores on demand.
Why You'll Love These Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
- Warm and cozy classic graham cracker taste thanks to oat flour and brown rice flour
- Crisp and sturdy enough to hold up to s'mores
- So much tastier than store-bought graham crackers
- Honey-sweetened oat grahams make a delicious snack with wholesome ingredients
- Super quick and easy to make, especially with kids to help
Ingredients for Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
These gluten-free honey graham crackers are based on my gluten-free chocolate graham crackers, with modifications to mimic the classic nostalgic flavor.
Here are all of the ingredients you need for these gluten-free graham crackers:
- Gluten-free oat flour
- Brown rice flour
- Sweet rice flour
- Cornstarch
- Light brown sugar
- Baking soda
- Kosher salt
- Cinnamon
- Unsalted butter, cold
- Honey
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
- Granulated sugar for sprinkling
Flours for Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
- Gluten-free oat flour: Oat flour offers wholesome flavor notes reminiscent of classic graham flour. If you don't have gluten-free oat flour, you can quickly make your own by grinding gluten-free oats in a food processor or blender and sifting out any big pieces.
- Brown rice flour: Brown rice flour is a great neutral whole grain flour for gluten-free baking because it bakes up neither gummy nor gritty. You can also substitute white rice flour by weight.
- Sweet rice flour: Also called mochiko or glutinous rice flour, sweet rice flour is distinctively different than white rice or brown rice flour. The same flour used to make mochi, sweet rice flour acts as the "binder" that holds the cookie together so it doesn't crumble before you can eat it. I recommend Koda Farms or Bob's Red Mill brands.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch ensures the graham crackers stay crisp and tender to the bite.
How to Make Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
These gluten-free graham crackers couldn't be any easier to make. Just dump ingredients into a food processor and pulse. If you don't have a food processor, you can make them in a stand mixer or by hand. Here's how you make them:
Mix dry ingredients. Add all the dry ingredients along with the light brown sugar to a food processor, stand mixer bowl, or large mixing bowl. Mix well.
Cut in cold butter. Add the cubed cold butter. Mix until butter is incorporated and the texture of sand.
Mix in wet ingredients. Add all the wet ingredients and mix well until it forms a moist dough.
Roll out dough. Roll dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle, between 1/16 and ⅛-inch thick.
Chill dough. Chill the dough in the freezer for 10 minutes or in the fridge for an hour, until firm.
Cut into 2.5x2.5-inch squares. Sprinkle with sugar and dock the dough by pricking it with a fork or skewer.
Place 1.5 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill while you preheat the oven.
Bake for 9-12 minutes, until the edges just begin to turn golden brown.
Dairy Free Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
For dairy-free graham crackers, replace the butter with chilled refined coconut oil or frozen stick plant butter. Use any non-dairy milk.
Baking Tips
While these gluten-free graham crackers are super easy to make, these three tips make all the difference in texture.
- Roll the dough thin: The dough should be rolled between 1/16 and ⅛ inch thick. If you roll them too thick, you'll have to bake them longer to get the centers crispy, which will make the bottoms and edges too dark. Err on the side of rolling too thin to get the perfect crisp golden brown bake.
- Bake long enough: The graham crackers crisp up as they cool, but be sure that you bake them so the edges and tops are beginning to turn light golden brown. If underbaked, the centers won't snap like a classic graham cracker.
- Sprinkle sugar before pricking holes: If you dock the graham crackers first, then sprinkle with sugar, the sugar will cover up and bake into those beautiful holes. Be sure to prick the holes first, then sprinkle with sugar.
Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust
You can use these homemade graham crackers to make the best gluten-free graham cracker crust. After the crackers cool, just as directed by the recipe make graham cracker crust!
How to Store Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
Store graham crackers in an airtight container or bag for up to two weeks. If left uncovered for more than a few hours, they'll begin to soften, so be sure to keep them in an airtight container for maximum crispness!
For longer storage, store graham crackers in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 4 months in the freezer. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before eating.
Recipes to Use Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
Recipe
Crisp & Snappy Gluten-Free Graham Crackers
Ingredients
- 135 g (1¼ cups) gluten-free oat flour
- 60 g (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons) Bob's Red Mill brown rice flour
- 80 g (½ cup) sweet rice flour, also called "mochiko" - distinctly different than white rice or brown rice flours
- 34 g (¼ cup) cornstarch
- 75 g light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
- ⅓ cup (113 g) honey
- 1 tablespoon (16 g) whole milk
- 1½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar, for sprinkling
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix dry ingredients. Add all the dry ingredients, along with the light brown sugar, to a food processor, stand mixer bowl, or large mixing bowl. Mix well - pulse, mix with the flat beater, or whisk by hand.
- Cut in cold butter. Add the cubed cold butter. If using a food processor or stand mixer, pulse or beat with the flat beater until the butter is incorporated and the texture of sand. If mixing by hand, cut the butter in with a pastry cutter or with your fingers until the butter is incorporated with the flour, and the largest pieces are no larger than a pea.
- Mix in wet ingredients. Add all the wet ingredients and pulse, beat, or mix and knead well until it forms a moist dough.
- Roll out dough. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll each piece between two sheets of parchment paper into a rectangle, between 1/16 and ⅛-inch thick. Repeat.
- Chill dough. Chill each rolled-out rectangle flat on a baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes or in the fridge for an hour, until firm.
- Cut squares. Working in batches, peel the parchment paper off and use a ruler to cut your dough into 2.5x2.5-inch squares. Reroll any excess dough. I recommend, peeling one sheet of parchment paper off, then placing it back on top, flipping the dough, and peeling off the other sheet, before cutting squares.
- Sprinkle with sugar and dock the dough. Sprinkle the dough with a thin layer of granulated sugar and dock each cracker with a fork, as pictured.
- Chill the dough while you preheat the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Bake. Place the squares 1.5 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet and bake 9-12 minutes, until the edges and top just begin to turn light golden brown. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheet, before using a thin metal spatula to transfer the dough to a wire rack to cool completely. The graham crackers will crisp up as they cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Janette -
I am curious if you think the cookies would be hard enough to potentially make a gingerbread house out of?
Sarah Menanix -
That's such a good idea! If you err on the side of baking longer for a crunchier graham cracker, then they should work for a gingerbread house! Note: if you make bigger pieces, make sure you bake them long enough or they won't be sturdy enough to hold their shape.
We make a gingerbread house every year, and I've been slowly creating and adapting a recipe, but it's not perfect enough to post yet (sometimes they spread too much, or are too puffy - but that's the charm haha). This year I'm going to try using my gingerbread cookies recipe but baking them an extra few minutes to ensure they're crisp and snappy!
Sarena -
These are so much better than store-bought!