During my childhood, my family belonged to a small local pool club tucked into a different neighborhood partway across town. With just one L-shaped pool and no diving boards, water slides, or other fun equipment, a limited number of families joined, which meant my brother and I always had plenty of space to play and splash around.
We always brought a set of diving rings, plastic toys that sank to the pool’s bottom when dropped, and we spent hours tossing them around the pool for each other to retrieve. We also taught ourselves how to perform the perfect underwater handstand, underwater front and back flips, and silly jumps into the water from the pool’s edge.
At least once every hour, the lifeguards blew their whistles to signal the start of Adult Swim. All of the kids under 15 years old knew to hoist themselves out of the pool and let the adults swim laps for the next 15 minutes, uninterrupted in their lanes and without dodging another kid every few yards.
Mom never missed an Adult Swim, but before she hopped into the pool, she set out snacks for us on our oversized beach towels in the grass. We usually found sleeves of Ritz crackers, jars of peanut butter, or sliced apples… But every so often, we discovered a box of chocolate graham crackers as a special treat—my favorite!
After five straight days of chilly rain this past week, and with a broken heater for two of them, I started longing for summer and warm sunshine… So I baked these Healthy Mini Chocolate Graham Crackers to bring a taste of childhood summers to my kitchen. They’re really easy to make—just 6 ingredients!—and they taste even better than the ones from those swimming days!
Graham crackers are an American product shaped like long rectangles, and they come in multiple flavors like honey, cinnamon, and chocolate. They’re crunchy with a sweetness level somewhere between animal 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!)
Graham crackers earned their name 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!
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.
White whole wheat flour is made from a special type of softer 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 it allows the sweet, chocolaty flavor of our homemade graham crackers to shine!
Note: Whole wheat pastry flour would be a great substitute! My taste testers found that homemade chocolate graham crackers made with regular whole wheat flour had a more pronounced “wheat-y” flavor that masked some of their sweetness.
Next, you mix in cocoa powder and a hint of salt. Just use regular ol’ unsweetened cocoa powder! You’ll add a full ¼ cup, which means the graham crackers will already taste very chocolaty without Dutched or special dark. Make sure you measure it correctly, using a kitchen scale (that’s the one I own and absolutely love!) or this method. Too much cocoa powder will make your graham crackers dry and bitter, rather than rich and chocolaty!
For the last three ingredients, you’ll stir in coconut oil, water, and pure maple syrup. Make sure you use the real kind! Skip the pancake syrups or sugar-free syrups because those contain corn syrup or artificial ingredients, which we’re avoiding in this healthier recipe. The only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup,” and it generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs. (I’ve also bought it online here for a discounted price!)
Time to roll out the dough! I highly recommend a silicone rolling pin and silicone baking mat to do this. The dough almost never sticks to either of those, which makes it super easy to roll it out into an extra thin rectangle! Then slice the dough into squares, prick each with a fork, and separate them on the silicone baking mat so they can bake evenly and turn crunchy.
Snack time! 🍫 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 😊) I’d love to see your chocolate graham crackers!
| Healthy Mini Chocolate Graham Crackers | | Print |
- 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
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- 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. Slice the dough into ½” squares using a pizza cutter or sharp knife. Carefully separate the squares and arrange them so they aren’t touching each other (to ensure even baking).
- Slide the silicone baking mat onto a baking sheet. Bake the crackers at 350°F for 18-23 minutes or until crunchy. Cool completely to room temperature on the baking sheet before transferring to an airtight container.
It’s very important to measure both the flour and the cocoa powder correctly, using a kitchen scale (← that's the one I own!) or this method. Too much of either will dry out the dough. 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.
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.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. For a sweeter flavor, substitute additional pure maple syrup (or honey or agave) for some of the water.
Melted butter or any oil may be substituted for the coconut oil.
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!
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
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♡ Mocha Brownie Protein Bars
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♡ Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Energy Bites
♡ Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Bars
Wow these look so good!
I love how simple the ingredients are 🙂
Thanks Izzy!
I must admit, I’ve never set my eyes on a more perfect looking homemade graham cracker before!! Can it get any more gorgeous?? Fantastic Amy!!!!!!
Thank you so much Maria! 🙂
Ugh, I have been craving summer, too!! All this rain and grey weather is driving me bonkers- I’m ready for sundresses and snacks by the pool! 🙂 These graham crackers look perfect! I would be evil and dip them in peanut butter… *insert halo emoji* 😉
Yessssss exactly!!! Summer come soon — or at least spring and shorts weather! 😉 I’d totally dip them in PB too — no wonder we’re friends Andrea!
Hate to say it, but these were probably the worst thing I ever baked! Was really looking forward to these, but they went right into the trash after they cooled. I’m not a newbie baker and had no problem following this recipe (I used Agave instead of the Maple syrup), but found them to be awful in terms of taste and texture. Not at all light and crisp like a cracker, but kind of like over-baked shoe leather (I’m guessing). I did try them at several points during the baking process as well, so they weren’t all under-baked or over-baked. At no point were they like a cracker. They actually did look just like the pictures that are posted. Sadly, not a delicious experience from this recipe.
Oh no! That’s not how they’re supposed to turn out at all. Let’s work together to figure out what happened Elle. 🙂 If the texture was that tough, it would most likely be due to one of three things. What brand of flour did you use, and how did you measure it and the cocoa powder? With measuring cups or a kitchen scale? If the former, can you describe in detail how you measured? Also, did you use an electric mixer or stand mixer to make the cracker dough? We’ll sort this out — I promise!
I made crackers 4 times already. And once I made them a bit thicker and they were like rubber. So I just put them back to oven until they completely dry. After that, they were perfectly crunchy! Thanks a lot for this recipe!
Wow!! I’m truly honored that you’ve made these crackers so many times already Olesia. That means the world to me, and I’m so excited that you love them! 🙂
I was so excited to make these, but they didn’t come out well at all. They looked horrible and didn’t taste good either. I knew from the minute I mixed the dough that it wouldn’t work, they were just crumbs, nothing held it together. I couldn’t even roll it out so i dumped it on the baking sheet and tried to clump it together. They turned out hard as rocks with no flavor. This recipe might just be too good to be true! Too bad was so looking forward to them.
That sounds really disappointing Hillary! That’s not how the crackers or the dough are supposed to be. How did you measure the flour and cocoa powder? Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If the latter, can you describe in detail how you measured? I have a strong hunch about what went wrong, so that information will help us address the issue and ensure your future crackers turn out perfectly! 🙂
To make these sugar free could you use stevie or part stevie, love your recipes!
I meant stevia, not stevie
Thanks for your kind words about my recipes Roberta! What’s the exact brand and product you’d like to use as a substitute? That information will help me give you the best answer!
I had a hard time getting the dough to come together. I did measure in measuring cup. I add extra water to getit to stick together in dough like form as your video showed
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Sue! Extra water was the exact right thing to do if your dough was too dry. When using measuring cups, how did you measure? Did you scoop the flour and cocoa powder directly from the container, by chance?
yes I did then placed a knife across the top of the measuring cup
Thanks for the info Sue! That’s the problem — that’s not actually how dry ingredients should be measured! When measured like that, you can end up with 1.5 times as much flour and cocoa powder as when you lightly spoon and level, and the extra flour and cocoa powder are definitely causing the issues that you’ve experienced! If you don’t own a kitchen scale, here’s what I recommend doing for measuring flour (and cocoa powder, oats, etc!): use a fork to “scoop” up flour from the container, and lightly shake the fork back and forth over the top of your measuring cup to transfer the flour into it. Once there’s a small mound of flour extending past the rim of the measuring cup, then place the flat back of a knife against the top of the measuring cup, and gently scrape it across the top to get rid of the excess flour. Never “pat” the flour down with the knife or fork. This fork method acts like a sifter (without dirtying another dish!) and guarantees you’ll add less flour and cocoa powder to the dough, so you’ll end up with the correct texture of your graham cracker dough. Does that make sense? 🙂
I also highly recommend reviewing my measuring guide (click on the pink “like this” text next to the ingredient in the ingredients list to view my measuring guide). That will tell you exactly how to measure every ingredient, so your treats will turn out perfectly when you make my recipes! 🙂
Thank you
My pleasure, Sue! 🙂