Having food allergies, knowing what I am eating and what to feed our family is very important. This recipe for Homemade Graham Cracker only has eight ingredients, in combination with store-bought varieties that have over thirteen.

Published March 6, 2023
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Cost

I say this a lot, but making food from scratch is by far the best way to not only lower the cost, but to also avoid food allergies.

1 1/2 cups flour $0.15
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour $0.15
1/2 tsp salt $0.01
8-oz butter $1.92
1 tsp cinnamon $0.06
5-oz brown sugar $0.15
1 tsp baking soda $0.03
2 tablespoons honey $0.50

The cost for this homemade Graham Cracker recipe is $2.97.
Not only did it make enough for a crust for a New York Style Cheesecake, but there was also a gallon-size bag leftover to much on, making the cost for the crust alone to was $1.48.

Amazon has their own brand of certain grocery foods, including Graham Crackers. One package is $3.68 for 14-ounces.

ALDI sells Benton’s Graham Crackers for $2.15 a box, that is 14.4-ounces.

Lately, I feel like every food that you buy boxed on the shelf now contains Soy. With increased allergies, especially to Soy, one has to be more careful with what you eat.

Personally, being allergic to almond, this requires me to avoid any foods that “May Contain Tree Nuts”. Buying Graham Crackers doesn’t affect my allergies in that way, but it does cause issues with “Artificial Flavor”. According to the FDA, there are a dozen “Artificial Flavors” and two of them are almond.

So, having to avoid “Tree Nuts” isn’t just that, now the concern for “Artificial Flavor” is a 1-in-6 chance of being almond.
If you want more information, check out this recipe from Healthline on if you should eat Artificial Flavors or not. Natural Flavors: Should You Eat Them? (healthline.com)
Below is a brief description of Benzaldehyde and how it is extracted from almonds. While it does not require being listed as an ingredient other that “Artificial Flavors”, you should be aware of this fact.

Benzaldehyde. This chemical is extracted from almonds, cinnamon oil, and other ingredients. It is frequently used to give foods an almond flavor and aroma.

Graham Cracker Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
8-oz butter
1 tsp cinnamon
5-oz brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 tablespoons honey

Directions

1. Firstly, place a medium bowl on the countertop for the dry ingredients.

2. Secondly, measure and then add the flour to the medium bowl.

3. Thirdly, measure and then add the whole wheat flour to the bowl.

4. Add the baking soda, cinnamon and salt to the bowl with the flours, and then whisk well to combine.

5. In the bowl of a KitchenAid mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar and honey with the whisk attachment until they are light and fluffy, this can take up to 3 minutes.

Mix ingredients together

6. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet on low until they just come together.

7. On a clean countertop, place a piece of parchment paper and then turn out the Graham Cracker dough onto the sheet.

8. Measure and cut a piece of parchment paper, then place it on top of the Graham Cracker dough.

9. Then, using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick.

10. Transfer the dough, with the parchment paper, onto a baking sheet and then chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

11. Remove the baking sheet with the Graham Cracker dough from the fridge and then also remove the top parchment paper and bake the Graham Cracker dough until firm.
If desired, use a fork to stick the Graham Cracker all over to give it the look that typical store-bought varieties have.

12. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and then allow it to cool completely before breaking apart to serve or use.
As this was the first-time making Graham Crackers, this was a large learning process.
The recipe I followed said to bake them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until they are firm and slightly browned.
To alter this, I would have set the oven temperature to 325 and baked them until they were less browned on the bottom.
Additionally, I would have rolled the dough out and cut the thin edges off to keep a uniform thickness throughout.

13. Finally, break apart the cooled Graham Crackers into pieces and place them into an airtight container until ready to use.
~Monica

Homemade Graham Cracker Crust Recipe

Ingredients for a Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2-2 cups Graham Crackers (8 whole Graham Crackers)
7 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar

Directions for a Graham Cracker Crust

1. Firstly, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, then place a 9-inch springform pan on the countertop.
2. Secondly, melt the 7 tablespoons butter in a microwave safe bowl, then set aside to cool slightly.
For this crust recipe, you will only need 6 tablespoons with the crust, and the last 1 tablespoon to brush on the sides of the springform pan for a cheesecake.
If you are making this Graham cracker crust for a different pie, only use 6 tablespoons.

A 9-inch spring form pan works best while making a New York Style Cheesecake.

3. Thirdly, in the bowl of a Cuisinart Food Processor, break apart the Graham Crackers and process them until they are fine, even crumbs, around 30 seconds.
You may also need to scrape the sides down so all of the large pieces get processed.

4. Fourthly, add 3 tablespoons sugar and mix it well in the Food Processor until blended well.

5. Add the melted, and slightly cooled, butter to the crushed Graham Crackers, then process until fully combined.

6. Place a 9-inch springform pan on the countertop, then measure and cut out a piece of parchment paper that fits the base of the springform plate. Then turn out the mixture into the pie plate.

7. Use your fingertips to then press the mixture into the bottom of the springform pan into an even layer.

8. Bake the pie crust for 8-10 minutes, or until just fragrant, to set the crust.

9. Remove the pie crust from the oven and then let it cool completely before use.

Homemade Graham Cracker Recipe

Homemade Graham Cracker Crust Recipe

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