Healthy Homemade Chocolate Teddy Grahams

 
For my freshman year of college, I lived in a three-bedroom suite on the second floor of one of my university’s dormitories with four other girls, sandwiched between two similar suites each housing five boys. During our first quarter, one of my roommates developed a crush on one of those guys, and when we found out his birthday fell shortly after our winter break, she wanted to bake him a cake.  

The rest of us girls pitched in to make it feel less awkward for her. We piled into our dorm’s itty bitty communal kitchen, stirred together a store-bought cake mix to pop into the oven (it’s the best we could do while living in the dorms without a pantry!), and topped it with canned vanilla frosting once it cooled.

That evening, we knocked on the door of the suite to our left, and when the boy pulled it open to answer, we held out the pan and exclaimed, “Happy birthday!” He looked absolutely shocked, staring down at the sprinkle-topped cake with nineteen candles peeking out of the frosting with his eyes as wide as saucers and his mouth slightly open, but he quickly recovered, smiled, and invited us inside while the rest of the boys wandered out from the bedrooms.

Because we baked a standard 9×13” cake and left it in the pan to deliver (we didn’t own a platter big enough to hold the entire cake!), we only decorated the top and skipped the sides, so we ended up with extra frosting. We placed the can in our mini fridge, knowing it’d last for a while, and figured we’d use it when we baked something else.
 

 
A few days later, we cracked open a fresh box of Teddy Grahams to snack on while studying for midterms. After a few bites, we remembered the vanilla frosting in our fridge and decided to dip the little bears in it for a sweet treat. We quickly fell into a routine, asking each other a few chemistry quiz questions and nibbling on a frosting-topped Teddy Graham as a reward for a correct answer…

And pretty soon, we ran out of frosting!

With our dorm located right around the corner from a pharmacy with a fairly extensive food section, we picked up another can of vanilla frosting and box of Teddy Grahams the next day on our way back from campus, and we fell into the same routine while continuing to study that evening. I absolutely loved that ritual of vanilla-frosted Teddy Grahams — they were the best midterm motivation!
 

 
Because school recently started in my hometown, those memories resurfaced multiple times throughout the past few weeks. Although I haven’t consumed much vanilla frosting since my freshman college days and don’t miss it too much, I still started craving those sweet little bears…

So I baked these healthy homemade chocolate Teddy Grahams! They taste like the ones sold in grocery stores, and I enjoyed them just as much as those boxes from college. Maybe even more…

Because I didn’t have to take any midterms this time!
 

QUICK OVERVIEW – HEALTHY HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE TEDDY GRAHAMS

Difficulty: Mainly easy, including for many beginner bakers.

Taste: Lightly sweetened with a rich chocolate flavor.

Texture: Crisp and crunchy, just like the original crackers.
 

WHAT ARE TEDDY GRAHAMS?

Since not everyone lives in the US and grew up munching on them as after-school snacks like I did, let’s talk about them briefly!

Teddy Grahams are an American product shaped like itty bitty teddy bears about half the size of your thumb, and they come in multiple flavors: honey, cinnamon, chocolate chip, and chocolate. (They previously offered other flavors like birthday cake, banana, strawberry banana, mixed berry, apple, and vanilla… But those have been discontinued.) They’re crunchy with a sweetness level somewhere between animal crackers or graham crackers and cookies, and they’re usually considered a snack food. (At least by the mainstream US population… Seeing as grocery stores stock them on their snack aisles!)

Teddy Grahams (and graham crackers too!) earned their names because they include graham flour as an ingredient. Graham flour is named after Sylvester Graham, who developed a special method of grinding wheat to turn it into flour. Because graham flour still includes the wheat kernel’s outer bran layer and germ in addition to the endosperm (whereas white all-purpose flour only contains the endosperm), it has lots of health benefits, like extra fiber and nutrients!
 

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE TEDDY GRAHAMS

Let’s quickly talk about what you’ll need to make these healthy homemade Teddy Grahams! You only need six ingredients… And two of them are salt and water!

Flour. Since most grocery stores don’t stock graham flour, we’re going to use white whole wheat flour in this copycat recipe. It also contains the outer bran, germ, and endosperm, so it has a very similar flavor.

In case you haven’t heard of it either… White whole wheat flour is made from a special type of white wheat, whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. This type of wheat gives white whole wheat flour a lighter taste and texture, similar to that of all-purpose flour, and that allows the sweet, chocolaty flavor of your homemade Teddy Grahams to shine. Yet it still has the same health benefits as regular whole wheat flour, like extra fiber and micronutrients!

Tip: Whole wheat pastry flour would be a great substitute! My taste testers found that homemade Teddy Grahams made with regular whole wheat flour had a more pronounced “wheat-y” flavor that masked some of their sweetness.
 

 
Unsweetened cocoa powder. Next, you’ll need unsweetened cocoa powder. That’s right, just regular ol’ cocoa powder! We’re adding enough to the dough to give these cute little bears a rich chocolaty flavor, so no need to use Dutched or special dark cocoa powder. (Those other two have a different acidity level, which can change the taste and texture!) This is the type that I use, and I always keep at least two of the jumbo-sized containers in my pantry… If not an entire five-pound bag. I’m a huge chocoholic (that’s why I published my Healthier Chocolate Treats cookbook!) and go through it really quickly!

Sweetener. Instead of refined sugar, you’ll sweeten your homemade Teddy Grahams with pure maple syrup. Be sure to buy the real kind! The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup.” It’s generally sold in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs (like this!).

Tip: Skip the pancake syrup and sugar-free syrup! Those contain other added ingredients, which can change the way they behave in baking recipes.

Oil. This helps make your homemade Teddy Grahams crunchy, just like the original ones. You only need a teensy tiny bit though! That helps keep these healthy chocolate crackers low calorie and low fat. I opted for coconut oil, but any neutral-tasting oil will work!
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE TEDDY GRAHAMS

Gathered your ingredients? Good! Let’s briefly cover how to make these healthy homemade chocolate Teddy Grahams. This recipe is easy and straightforward — I promise!

Make the dough. I used the “one-bowl approach” to make things really simple — and minimize dishes too! You’ll whisk together the dry ingredients, make a well in the center, and pour in the wet. I recommend stirring them together with a fork. Yes, that’s right! A fork. Not a spatula or wooden spoon. I might sound crazy, but there’s a reason behind this…

The open space between the tines of the fork allows the ingredients to pass through and mix more efficiently. That means the process goes faster — and it’s less work for you too!

Roll + cut. Once you’ve mixed up the dough, it’s time to roll it out and cut it into those adorable bear shapes! I highly recommend using a silicone baking mat and a silicone rolling pin. ← Those are the inexpensive ones that I own (just in a black color for the rolling pin instead!), and they’re worth every penny. The silicon material prevents the dough from sticking to both your work surface and your rolling pin, and it makes the whole process go so much faster!

I bought my itty bitty teddy bear cookie cutters online here, and they were so inexpensive. I absolutely love them! I used the middle-sized bear, which was almost exactly the same size as the original Teddy Grahams. (It yielded a lot more bears from the dough than I expected too!)

Transfer + bake. Then transfer those little cut-outs to a fresh baking sheet. Make sure you leave some space in between each one, like you can see in my photo above! If you crowd the pan, they’ll steam instead, so they’ll turn out soggy rather than crunchy. It make require a second baking sheet, but that’s okay! Then pop them in the oven, set a timer, and…
 

 
Enjoy! And when you make your own, would you mind leaving a comment and rating the recipe? (You can also snap a picture and share it with me on Facebook!) I’d love to hear what you think of these healthy homemade chocolate Teddy Grahams!

Healthy Homemade Chocolate Teddy Grahams

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 5 servings

These cute bear-shaped snack crackers are absolutely irresistible! They’re crunchy and lightly sweetened with the perfect amount of chocolate flavor. They’ll keep for at least one week (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container. This recipe is easily doubled to serve more too!

5 from 5 votes

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Ingredients 

• ¾ cup (90g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• ¼ cup (20g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup (room temperature)
• 2 ½ tbsp (37mL) water (room temperature)
• 1 tsp coconut oil, melted

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Make a well in the center. Pour in the maple syrup, water, and coconut oil (in that order). Stir until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. (It will take some extra effort at the end!)
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured silicone baking mat, and roll it to be 1/16” thick with a silicone rolling pin. (See Notes!) Carefully cut out teddy bear shapes with a miniature bear cookie cutter. Transfer the cut-outs to the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake the Teddy Grahams at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until crunchy. Cool completely to room temperature on the baking sheet before transferring to an airtight container.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s extremely important to measure both the flour and the cocoa powder correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale (← that’s the one I own!). Too much of either will dry out the dough. Too much cocoa powder will also make the Teddy Grahams taste bitter.

 

If the dough won’t come together after a few minutes of stirring and working in the ingredients, add additional water, ½ teaspoon at a time, until all of the dry ingredients are incorporated.

 

IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These aren't overly sweet — and that's intentional! They're meant to be snack crackers, not dessert cookies. If you'd prefer a sweeter flavor, then substitute additional pure maple syrup (or honey or agave) for an equal amount of water. (For example, use an additional 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, for 4 tablespoons total, and decrease the water to 1 ½ tablespoons.)

 

IMPORTANT STEP 3 NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I highly recommend using a silicone baking mat and a silicone rolling pin. ← Those are the inexpensive ones that I own (just the rolling pin in black), and they’re worth every penny. The silicone material prevents the dough from sticking to both your work surface and your rolling pin, and it makes the whole process go so much faster!

 

If you don’t have a silicone baking mat and silicone rolling pin, then lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin before rolling out the dough in Step 3. (You'll likely need to use noticeably more flour to ensure the dough doesn't stick to either one.)

 

The leftover dough may be recombined and rolled out to cut out more bears. If it’s too dry to stick together, moisten your hands with a little water before kneading it back together.

 

BEAR-SHAPED COOKIE CUTTER NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: I bought my itty bitty teddy bear cookie cutters online here, and I absolutely love them! I used the middle-sized bear, which was almost exactly the same size as the original Teddy Grahams.

 

If you prefer, you may slice the dough into squares instead after rolling it out. The squares generally take longer to bake. This is because the bear cut-outs sit on the countertop for a longer period of time while you punch out the rest, so the dough begins to dry out a bit. (That’s perfectly fine! It just means they don’t require as long to finish baking and turn crunchy in the oven.)

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. In a pinch, regular whole wheat flour may also be substituted, but the Teddy Grahams will have a more distinct “wheat-y” flavor.

 

SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.

 

COCONUT OIL ALTERNATIVES: Any neutral-tasting oil or melted unsalted butter may be substituted for the coconut oil.

 

EGG-FREE, DAIRY-FREE + VEGAN OPTION: No modifications needed!

 

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, 2 tablespoons (15g) tapioca starch, 2 tablespoons (15g) brown rice flour, and ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) should also work, if measured like this.

 

HOW TO STORE: Store leftover Teddy Grahams in an airtight container. They should last for at least 1 week (if not longer!) if stored at room temperature.

 

{gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Healthy Homemade Mini Cinnamon Graham Crackers
♡  Healthy Homemade Mini Chocolate Graham Crackers
♡  Healthy Homemade Wheat Thin Crackers
♡  Healthy Quinoa Crackers
♡  Healthy Chocolate Snack Cake
♡  Healthy Chocolate Granola Bars
♡  Healthy Chocolate Blueberry Energy Bites
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy snack recipes!