Graham Crackers

A graham cracker is a whole-grain cracker with a light snap and a warm hint of cinnamon. This one comes from our own kitchen. It holds up on its own, in s'mores, or as a pie crust.

Traditional graham crackers call for graham flour, a coarse whole wheat grind. We swap in regular whole wheat flour because it sits on every grocery shelf. The crackers bake up the same.

This recipe pairs plain sugar with a natural sweetener. For that second part, brown sugar, molasses, and honey all work. Pick whichever one is already in the pantry.

The dough behaves. It rolls out clean, bakes even, and browns to a caramel edge. The baked crackers keep their snap for a long stretch in an airtight container.

Prep the work area first. Clean every surface and measure out all the ingredients. Gather the tools too: the mixing bowl, a hand mixer, a spatula to scrape down the sides, a rolling pin, and parchment paper.

Add the butter, sugar, and the natural sweetener to a medium bowl. Cream them with a hand mixer until the batter turns smooth.

Mix in the vanilla extract. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Beat until every bit works in. Cover the dough and chill it for about an hour. Then heat the oven to 350°F.

Set the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to about ⅛ inch thick.

Move the rolled dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for about twenty minutes, until the edges reach a caramel golden brown.