Homemade Soft Chewy Graham Crackers Recipe

This easy recipe for soft graham crackers delivers the lightly sweet, wheaty flavor you expect from traditional graham crackers but with the tender, soft texture of a sugar cookie. They’re excellent for assembling quick s’mores, sandwiching with marshmallow creme, or enjoying on their own.

What are graham crackers?

Graham crackers originate from a coarse whole-wheat flour once known as Graham flour, named for Sylvester Graham. Historically they were meant to be a plain, wholesome product; today’s popular brands add sweetness and flavor, so modern graham crackers taste more like lightly spiced cookies than a simple cracker.

If you need gluten free versions, you can buy packaged gluten free graham crackers from several brands. Some are quite crunchy and mimic the store-bought texture closely, while others are softer but sometimes less flavorful. This recipe focuses on a soft, tender graham cracker—think cutout sugar cookie texture with all the wheaty, molasses-honey notes you expect from a graham cracker.

These soft graham crackers are especially handy when you want to build s’mores without roasting: layer with marshmallow creme and a piece of milk chocolate and press together. For a graham cracker crust that needs to hold its shape and be firm, a crunchy-style graham cracker is still the better choice.

Why we use four different sugars

Conventional graham crackers aren’t very sweet, but they do have a layered, nuanced taste. To recreate that in a soft cookie, this recipe uses four sweeteners: granulated sugar, light brown sugar, honey, and unsulphured molasses. Each plays a role.

Granulated and brown sugars contribute to the soft, tender crumb. Brown sugar brings moisture and a subtle molasses note, while adding a small amount of real molasses deepens the flavor and deepens the color without making the cookies overly sweet. Honey adds a floral sweetness and helps keep the crackers pliable and soft. If you don’t have unsulphured molasses, you can substitute a little extra honey—your crackers will still work, though the color and authentic graham flavor will be less pronounced.

Soft graham crackers: Ingredients and substitutions

Dairy-free options

To make these crackers dairy-free, swap the butter for a solid vegan butter (brands such as Miyoko’s or Melt work well). If you only have a vegetable shortening like Spectrum nonhydrogenated shortening, note that shortening contains very little moisture; add a teaspoon or more of non-dairy milk to the dough to restore the right texture.

Egg-free options

The recipe calls for an egg and an extra yolk to add structure and tenderness. You can try replacing the whole egg with a chia “egg” (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds + 1 tablespoon warm water, mixed and allowed to gel). Replacing the yolk’s tenderizing effect is trickier; results will vary and may require experimentation with additional fat or a commercial egg replacer.

How to make soft graham crackers

Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cups (375 g) all-purpose gluten free flour blend, plus more for sprinkling
• 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend already contains it)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup (145 g) packed light brown sugar
• 8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature (or vegan butter)
• 3 tablespoons (63 g) honey
• 2 tablespoons (42 g) unsulphured molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 egg (about 50 g), beaten, at room temperature
• 1 egg yolk (about 25 g), beaten, at room temperature

For serving (optional)

• Marshmallow creme or marshmallow fluff
• Milk chocolate pieces or candy bars

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum (if using), baking soda, baking powder, salt, and granulated sugar. Add the brown sugar and whisk again to break up any lumps.
3. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the room-temperature butter, honey, molasses, vanilla, beaten egg, and beaten egg yolk.
4. Mix until the dough comes together, then use clean hands to knead briefly until it is cohesive. The dough should be thick but still soft.
5. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
6. Cut rounds using a 2-inch cookie cutter and place them about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather scraps, reroll, and repeat.
7. Bake in the center of the preheated oven until the edges are very lightly golden and the centers are set, about 10 minutes. Watch closely—thin cookies can brown quickly.
8. Remove from the oven and let the crackers cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. To serve, spread a generous spoonful of marshmallow creme on one cracker and top with pieces of chocolate for no-toast s’mores, or enjoy them plain.