Graham Crackers

These taste way better than graham crackers from the store. Cat update included!

I wasn’t too concerned about having a uniform shape, because my plan was to smash the crackers up for a crumb crust. But I realized these taste great as a snack—better than anything from a box!

My road to making gluten-free graham crackers started with wanting a piece of homemade, New York–style cheesecake, because my go-to recipe calls for a graham cracker crumb crust. But after making them expressly for the crust, I’m convinced I'll make these crackers again just to snack on—they really are good, and I think they taste better than the ones from a box.

When I’d made cheesecake in the past, I substituted a nut-based crust for the cracker crumb crust. That version had turned out fine … but this time, I wanted graham crackers and cheesy goodness in the same delicious bite. (I’ll share my cheesecake recipe next week.)

You can buy boxes of GF graham crackers online, and I’ve heard some brands are pretty good (though I can’t confirm that), but I like to make my ingredients from scratch, because it’s fun and I like to know how things get made and what goes in them. (I assume you’re in this DIY category too, since you’re reading recipes).

When I tested this recipe, I wanted to avoid using shortening, which is often included in graham cracker recipes. Vegetable shortening, such as Crisco, is made from hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils, which are horrible for your health. Consuming hydrogenated oils paves the way to heart disease and cancer.

So, as an alternative, I turned to refined coconut oil. I like to cook with either refined or unrefined coconut oil because of its flavor and health benefits (here’s a link for more info on coconut oil and health). Unrefined coconut oil has a strong coconut flavor that suits certain dishes—I use it in recipes that include coconut milk, such as in Thai curry. But refined coconut oil has a neutral scent and flavor, making it a more versatile cooking oil. It also happens to have the same consistency as vegetable shortening: solid at room temperature and liquid when heated. (Coconut oil can also be hydrogenated, so avoid that; check the label to make sure you use only pure non-hydrogenated coconut oil). You can melt the oil in the microwave or on the stovetop, and let it cool slightly before incorporating it into the dough.

When rolling and cutting the dough, I was aiming for squares, though I didn’t care too much about the shape (as you can see in the photos), because my goal was to crush them into crumbs. Still, we ended up snacking on them too. Lia tried one and said, “Can I eat the funny-shaped ones?” Of course you can.

A couple of tips: (1) I made batches with and without cinnamon, and I think I prefer the ones with cinnamon. However, the molasses has a lot of flavor, so you won’t necessarily miss the cinnamon if you make them without. (2) Don’t overbake these, as they’ll get bitter if they get too brown. They shouldn’t need more than 15 minutes at 325 degrees (300 convection/fan). When you see them taking on a golden brown color, give them a poke to see how firm they are. They can have a little give in the center of the square when you take them out, because they will continue to crisp out of the oven. If they seem too soft and you decide to let them bake a bit longer, watch them carefully, because they can turn from golden brown to dark brown pretty quickly.

You’ll need a mixing bowl, two rimmed baking sheets, parchment paper, and a rolling pin. I also used a flour sifter to thoroughly blend the dry ingredients. So preheat your oven to 325, and let’s get started!

Scroll to the bottom for a cat update!

Ingredients:

Dry:

• 2 cups of all-purpose gluten-free flour containing xanthan gum (I used King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour; if you use a blend that doesn’t include xanthan gum, add about 1 teaspoon xanthan gum [thought I haven’t tried this, so can’t vouch for its success rate])

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

• ¼ cup granulated sugar

• ½ cup packed light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional, but I liked it a little better with)

Wet:

• 6 tablespoons refined coconut oil, melted

• 1 egg weighing approximately 50 g out of the shell, at room temperature, beaten

• 2 tablespoons whole milk

• 2 tablespoons unsulfured molasses

• 2 tablespoons honey

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Dry ingredients: baking soda, baking powder, GF flour (should contain xanthan gum), fine sea salt, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon (not shown)

Wet ingredients: unsulfured molasses, whole milk, egg, refined coconut oil, honey, vanilla

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 325 F (300 convection/fan) and line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper

• Place all of the dry ingredients, except the brown sugar in a bowl and whisk together (I used a sifter), then add the brown sugar and whisk again, making sure there are no lumps (again, I used a sifter for this step)

• Make a depression in the center of the dry ingredients and, one at a time, add the shortening, egg, milk, honey, molasses, and vanilla, mixing after each addition

• Knead the dough into a ball (if the dough seems too dry, add more milk, a teaspoon at a time, until you get your desired consistency)

• Dust your countertop with gluten-free flour and place the dough on it, then roll the dough to about ¼ inch thickness, using additional flour as needed to avoid sticking (repeat using the scraps until all the dough is used)

• Use a knife or cookie cutter to cut the dough into squares (I did 2-inch squares) and place them on the parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart

• Optional step: mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon and sprinkle over the raw crackers (I didn’t do this, but they’ll probably look nicer this way if your serving them to friends)

• Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until golden brown

Roll the dough to 1/4 inch thick and use a knife or cookie cutter to cut the dough into squares, and transfer the squares to a parchment paper–lined baking sheet.

Bake at 325 F (300 convection) for 15 minutes.

Cat Update: Outside!

Seraphina looking relaxed on her new porch.

Seraphina is an indoor cat. Apart from the time when she was a stray, before she made her way to the Siamese Cat Rescue, she hasn’t been outside. Living on the second floor of a multiunit building in downtown Washington, DC, she doesn’t have an outdoor option, but we wouldn’t want her wandering anyway.

But now, at the new house in Aiken, SC, she has limited access to the great outdoors. We let her onto the back porch, where she can breathe in fresh, pine-scented air; soak up direct sunshine; and watch the birds. Although there is only a railing around the porch, the floor is a good 10 feet above ground level—too high for her to attempt a jump. She discovers many fascinating things on the porch—fragrant drippings from the gas grill, jittery praying mantises, hopping frogs, and leaping lizards—plenty to keep her amused until it’s time to curl up on the sun-warmed floor for a rest.

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