Sourdough Graham Crackers

These Sourdough Graham Crackers are so easy and fun to make, with crisp edges, warm honey flavor, and just enough cinnamon to have that classic graham taste. They’re sturdy enough for s’mores, perfect with coffee, and honestly addictive on their own. Once you make them homemade, the boxed ones don’t stand a chance! The flavor is deeper, richer, and impossible to go back from.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

True graham snap: crisp edges with clean finish that breaks perfectly.
Uses discard: puts that extra sourdough starter to work instead of wasting it. Better yet? Refrigerate the dough overnight for the benefits of fermentation.
Perfect for s’mores: sturdy enough to hold your chocolate and marshmallows without crumbling apart.
Balanced sweetness: honey and molasses give richness to these crackers without making them overly sweet.
Make-ahead friendly: stores well, freezes beautifully, and stays crisp for all your snacking needs.

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Tools You’ll Need:

Stand mixer or hand beaters- to combine ingredients for grahams.
Silicone baking mat or Parchment paper- to prevent crackers from sticking and easy cleanup. I love these silicone mats linked here.
Baking Sheets- For baking your crackers evenly.
A digital food scale (optional)- if weighing out ingredients.
Measuring cups and spoons- for smaller ingredients or if you’re not using a scale.
Fork- to score your crackers.
Rolling pin- to roll out the dough.
Pizza cutter or sharp knife- for scoring your crackers. I prefer to use a pizza cutter!

Gather Your Ingredients:

Sourdough discard – forms the structure of the crackers; unfed and straight from the fridge works perfectly, but you can use freshly fed or past peak at room temperature if you’d like. Fed starter makes a puffier cracker.
Unsalted butter – adds richness and helps the crackers crisp instead of drying out.
Brown Sugar- sweetens the crackers with adding moisture and give that classic graham depth.
Honey- essential for that traditional graham cracker flavor.
Molasses (optional)- you can make these crackers without molasses, but a small amount really adds to the flavor. I recommend unsulphered molasses like Grandma’s molasses linked here instead of blackstrap.
Fine sea salt – balances the sweetness of the crackers.
Milk– helps bring the dough together.
Vanilla extract- rounds out the sweetness of the crackers.
Whole wheat flour- The backbone of a graham cracker. It gives structure and that hearty flavor.
All-purpose flour- I love to use a blend of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, it creates a more snappy cracker than a dense one.
Baking soda- provides a touch of lift and helps with browning for that golden finish.
Ground cinnamon- Adds warmth for that cozy homemade graham flavor.

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Mix the Dough

In a mixing bowl or your stand mixer bowl, add the softened butter and the brown sugar. Cream on high for 2-3 minutes until well combined and fluffy.

Add the sourdough discard, honey, molasses, milk, and vanilla to the butter and sugar. Mix on medium speed until fully combined and smooth.

Add the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to the wet ingredients.

Mix on low until just combined and the dough is smooth and soft. Don’t overmix at this stage or the dough will get tough!

Divide the dough into two, and portion out on to plastic wrap. Flatten the dough into small rectangles and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Overnight Fermentation: For optimal fermentation, allow this dough to rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours for the sourdough starter to work it’s fermentation magic.

Add the dry ingredients and mix — Combine the wet ingredients

Step 2: Shape and Bake the Crackers

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Remove the dough for the refrigerator. If you refrigerated overnight, allow it to soften 30 minutes or so.

Flour your parchment or baking mat, and transfer the dough to the prepared parchment. Flour the surface as well lightly. Roll the dough very thin into a 12 × 9 inch rectangle (top and bottom are 9 inches) directly on parchment. The dough should be about 1/8 inch thickness.

Cut the rectangle into 12 rectangles, about 4 1/2 inches long and 2 inches wide. This will form 12 graham crackers.

Lightly mark each cracker with 4 shallow lines using a pizza wheel (do not cut through) to create the classic graham look. Dock with a fork to prevent puffing. Separate crackers on the baking sheet slightly before baking to ensure even crisping.

Cut into 12 rectangles — Roll out the crackers

Transfer to the preheated oven, and bake at 350°F for 16 minutes. To get a really crispy cracker, drop the heat at this time to 250°F. Bake an additional 5 minutes. Turn the oven off, crack the door open, and leave crackers inside 20–30 minutes to dry.

Make sure you check your crackers for the last five minutes to make sure they don’t burn, we want a low dry heat to help them crisp up!

Crackers baked golden — Crackers before baking

Cool the crackers on the baking sheet completely flat before storing. Crackers will crisp further as they cool.

Yields 24 graham crackers

How to Store:

Room temperature- Store completely cooled crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

FAQ’S

Why aren’t my crackers crisp?

They likely need more drying time. Return to a 250°F oven for 5–10 minutes.

Can I skip whole wheat flour?

You can substitute with all-purpose flour, but you’ll lose the classic graham flavor.

Do they taste sour?

No! The discard adds depth, not tang.

Do I have to chill the dough?

Yes, for at least 1 hour for it to roll out properly.

Do I have to use molasses?

No, but it adds lovely flavor and is really high in nutrients to sneak in for your kids!

If you loved this recipe, drop a comment and leave a star review and don’t forget to checkout more of my sourdough cracker recipes like these Sourdough Rainbow Goldfish Crackers or my Sourdough Discard Everything Crackers!