Mollie Katzen’s homemade graham crackers offer a nutritious, flavor-forward alternative to store-bought versions by utilizing a mixture of whole wheat flour, honey, molasses, and vanilla. The recipe, featuring a combination of butter and shortening for texture, requires chilling the dough before rolling, cutting, and baking at 350°F until lightly browned. Find more of her recipes in the Mollie Katzen Recipe Archives How to Make Your Own Homemade " Graham Crackers "
Mollie Katzen , the legendary author behind The Moosewood Cookbook , is known for bringing a whimsical, hand-lettered touch to vegetarian staples. While she often uses graham cracker crumbs for crusts in recipes like her Caribbean Dream Pie , she also has a dedicated recipe for making the crackers from scratch. This recipe for Homemade Graham Crackers captures her signature wholesome style, using whole wheat flour and natural sweeteners to create a snack that is far superior to store-bought versions. Mollie Katzen’s Homemade Graham Crackers This dough is known for being slightly crumbly but yields a beautifully crisp, wheaty cracker. Eating From the Ground Up About 2–3 dozen crackers Ingredients 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar 1 tablespoon honey Finishing: 3–5 tablespoons milk (as needed) Eating From the Ground Up Instructions Prep the Oven and Pans : Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly oil two large baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Mix Dry Ingredients : In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon until well combined. Melt and Combine : In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter with the dark brown sugar and honey. Stir gently until the sugar is dissolved, then pour this warm mixture into the dry ingredients. Form the Dough : Stir quickly to incorporate. Use your hands to finish mixing, adding milk one tablespoon at a time. Stop as soon as the dough holds together when squeezed— do not overmix or knead , as this will make the crackers tough. Roll and Cut : On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into squares or rectangles using a knife or cookie cutter. : Transfer the crackers to the prepared sheets. Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until they are golden brown and firm to the touch. : Let them rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack. They will continue to crisp up as they cool completely. Eating From the Ground Up Tips for Success Dough Texture : If the dough feels too crumbly to roll, add an extra tablespoon of milk. It should feel like damp sand that clumps together when pressed. Variations : For a sweeter treat, sprinkle the tops with a mix of cinnamon and sugar before baking. : These crackers stay crisp for up to two weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Eating From the Ground Up cheesecake recipes collection to pair with these crackers? graham crackers - Eating From the Ground Up 5 Feb 2010 —
Mollie Katzen , author of the legendary Moosewood Cookbook , is celebrated for her hand-lettered recipes and "earth-crunchy" vegetarian fare. While many of her fans use these for crusts in recipes like " Caribbean Dream Pie ", making them from scratch delivers a much deeper, rustic flavor than store-bought versions. Homemade Graham Crackers Inspired by the wholesome style of Mollie Katzen. Yield: Approximately 24 crackers Prep time: 15 minutes (plus 15 minutes chilling) Bake time: 18 minutes Ingredients Dry Base: 1 cup all-purpose flour and 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (for that signature tender crumb) Leavening & Spice: 2 tsp baking powder, ¾ tsp fine sea salt, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and a pinch each of cardamom and nutmeg Fats & Sweets: 5 ⅓ tbsp cold unsalted butter (cubed), ¼ cup dark brown sugar, ¼ cup honey, and ¼ cup robust molasses Liquid: ¼ cup whole milk and ½ tsp pure vanilla extract Instructions Pulse the Base: Use a food processor to pulse the flours, baking powder, and salt. Add the cold butter and pulse until it looks like "pebbles". Mix Wet Ingredients: Add the molasses, honey, and brown sugar. Pulse to combine. Finally, add the milk and vanilla, pulsing until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl. It will be slightly sticky. Roll and Cut: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to ¼-inch thickness . Use a 3-inch square cutter to create individual crackers. Chill and Dock: Place the squares on parchment-lined baking sheets. Prick each with a fork ("docking") several times. Transfer to the freezer for 15 minutes to help them keep their shape. Bake: Preheat your oven to 350° F . Bake for 18 minutes or until very lightly golden at the edges. Cool: Let them rest on the sheet for 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack. They will get crunchy as they cool. Pro Tip: Store these in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. For a truly "Moosewood" touch, serve them alongside fresh fruit or as a base for homemade s'mores. Graham Cracker Recipe This graham cracker recipe means homemade graham grackers for your s'mores this weekend! Talk about upgrading the firepit. allroadsleadtothe.kitchen 6 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Graham Crackers
Mollie Katzen’s approach to baking, often characterized by wholesome ingredients found in her iconic cookbooks, can be applied to creating homemade, honey-sweetened graham crackers. This recipe emphasizes the use of coarse Graham flour and essential chilling steps to produce a, hearty, and crispy, traditional cracker. You can read about the inspiration behind this cooking style on the Epicurious website. Epicurious Easy Gluten Free Graham Cracker Recipe | Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods While she often uses graham cracker crumbs for
While Mollie Katzen has a few variations of cracker recipes across her many books (such as The Moosewood Cookbook and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest ), her definitive "Graham Cracker" recipe is celebrated for being wholesome, using honey as the primary sweetener, and achieving that signature crisp-but-not-too-hard texture. Here is a guide to making Mollie Katzen’s Homemade Graham Crackers , adapted from her classic style.
Mollie Katzen’s Homemade Graham Crackers Adapted from the classic Moosewood style. These crackers are rustic, hearty, and much more flavorful than store-bought versions. They rely on the nutty flavor of graham flour (or whole wheat flour) and the deep sweetness of honey. The Ingredients The Dry Mix:
Graham Flour: 2 cups (If you cannot find graham flour, whole wheat pastry flour or standard whole wheat flour works well as a substitute). All-Purpose Flour: 1 cup (helps lighten the texture). Salt: ½ teaspoon. Baking Soda: ½ teaspoon. Ground Cinnamon: ½ teaspoon (optional, but recommended for classic flavor). Eating From the Ground Up About 2–3 dozen
The Wet Mix:
Butter: 6 tablespoons (cold, cut into small pieces). Katzen often emphasizes using good quality butter. Honey: ⅓ to ½ cup (adjust based on sweetness preference). Molasses: 1 tablespoon (this gives the dark color and distinct "graham" flavor). Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon. Water or Milk: 3 to 4 tablespoons (as needed to bind the dough).
Step-by-Step Instructions 1. Prepare the Oven and Pans Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) . Lightly oil two baking sheets or line them with parchment paper. Mollie Katzen’s recipes often assume you are hand-mixing, but a food processor works perfectly here. 2. Mix the Dry Ingredients In a large bowl (or the bowl of a food processor), combine the flours, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk or pulse to combine. 3. Cut in the Butter Add the cold pieces of butter to the flour mixture. whisk together the honey
By Hand: Use a pastry blender or two knives to cut the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Food Processor: Pulse in short bursts until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
4. Add the Wet Ingredients In a separate small bowl (or a measuring cup), whisk together the honey, molasses, and vanilla extract.