Healthy Homemade Mini Cinnamon Graham Crackers
I’m obsessed with these homemade snack crackers! They’re deliciously crunchy and lightly sweetened with lots of rich, cozy spice flavor… And they can be dangerously addictive! Leftovers should keep for 1-2 weeks if stored in an airtight container at room temperature (if they last that long!).
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (see Notes!)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp (45mL) pure maple syrup, room temperature
- 1 tbsp + 2 ½ tsp (28mL) water, room temperature
- 1 tsp coconut oil, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, 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 silicone baking mat (see Notes!), and roll it to be 1/16” thick with a silicone rolling pin. Slice the dough into 1” squares using a pizza cutter or sharp knife. Prick the center of each square with a fork. Carefully separate the squares and arrange them so they aren’t touching each other (to ensure even baking).
- Bake the crackers at 350°F for 13-15 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 very important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale (← that’s the one I own!). Too much 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.
IMPORTANT STEP 3 NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: I highly recommend using a silicone baking mat and a silicone rolling pin. (← Those are the 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. Use parchment paper in place of the silicone baking mat. (If you slice through the parchment paper during Step 3, then use a fresh sheet to bake them on in Step 4!)
IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: These graham crackers aren't overly sweet. They have a sweetness level that's between plain crackers and cookies. For a sweeter flavor, substitute additional pure maple syrup (or honey or agave) for an equal amount of water.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES + NOTE: 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 graham crackers may have a more distinct “wheat-y” flavor. (See my blog post above for more information on why I don’t call for graham flour for these homemade graham crackers!)
I’ve found that certain flour brands tend to be more absorbent than others, so I’ll occasionally need to add a bit more water. If that happens to you, don’t worry! Just add extra water, ½ teaspoon at a time, until you’ve fully incorporated all of the flour.
CINNAMON NOTES: The type of cinnamon you use makes a BIG difference in the flavor! I prefer Saigon cinnamon, which I buy online here (it's really affordable!), and it’s basically the only kind I now use in my baking. I’m obsessed! It has a stronger, richer, sweeter flavor than the “regular” cinnamon that you find at most grocery stores. This gives your healthy homemade cinnamon graham crackers an even better flavor!
If you’re not using Saigon cinnamon like I do, then I'd recommend increasing the cinnamon by an additional ¼ teaspoon.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVES: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup. I don't recommend using sugar-free maple syrup. It often changes the consistency of the dough, and the crackers turn out more chewy and not as crunchy.
COCONUT OIL ALTERNATIVES: Melted butter or any neutral-tasting oil may be substituted for the coconut oil.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, I recommend the following: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca starch, ¼ cup (30g) 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 graham crackers in an airtight container. They should last for 1-2 weeks if stored at room temperature.
{gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, clean eating, low fat}
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.