This recipe for homemade rustic-style crackers is one that I have tweaked after many trials, and have adapted countless ways to fit my craving or the occasion! When I made these for the first time, I was blown away by how easily and quickly I was able to whip these up in my home kitchen!
Crunchy, flavorful, and strong enough to hold the weight of the thickest dips, you won’t buy crackers from the store again. The ingredients are basic pantry-staples, so whipping up a snack when I have nothing else around is a simple task!
My favorite thing about this ridiculously easy cracker recipe is how well it can be adapted and customized. You can use a variety of flours as well as herbs- and can use a combination of multiple to make delicious, customized crackers.
Whether rosemary whole wheat or cheesy and full of garlic, you won’t go wrong with this simple and easy recipe. I recommend doubling or tripling the quantity when you get prepping, because these flavorful crunchy crackers will disappear faster than you think. Enjoy!
Before you get started
- Gather your equipment and ingredients so that you have them ready to go when it’s time to start cooking!
- For this recipe, you will need 2 baking sheet pans, parchment paper, wax paper, a whisk, rolling pin, one large mixing bowl, and non-stick cooking spray. If you’re looking for the fastest prep possible, you can use a large food processor to quickly make the cracker dough.
Suggested Equipment & Appliances
- 2 baking sheet pans
- Wax paper
- Parchment paper
- Whisk
- Rolling pin
- Large mixing bowl
- Non-stick cooking spray
Recipe Yield and Cook Time
- Recipe Yield: 30- 40 Crackers
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Cool Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated (white) sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt plus extra for topping
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ⅔ cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons chopped herbs (see my suggestions after the recipe)
- 1 tablespoon optional toppings (see my suggestions after the recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 baking sheet pans with parchment paper and grease lightly with non-stick cooking spray. Place the sheet pans in the oven to warm while the oven preheats.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine and whisk together the dry ingredients. This includes the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and chopped herbs.
- Slowly pour the water and olive oil into the dry ingredients while stirring. Continue to mix the ingredients until everything is thoroughly combined and a dough begins to form.
- Knead the dough with your hands just until the texture is smooth and consistent. Don’t overwork the dough or else the crackers will become too dense and tough!
- Lay a large sheet of wax paper or parchment paper onto your countertop and sprinkle with flour to prevent the dough from sticking. Divide the dough into 2 even portions.
- One at a time, roll out each portion of dough on the floured surface until the sheet is very thin- ⅛ inch thickness or thinner. Using a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife, cut your desired cracker shapes out of the rolled dough sheets.
- Take the warmed sheet pans out of the oven and place them on a heat-safe surface. Gently move the cut dough pieces onto the sheet pans and arrange the crackers with a bit of space in between to prevent touching.
- To prevent the crackers from puffing up while baking, gently poke them each using a fork. Spray the arranged dough pieces with a thin coating of non-stick cooking spray or brush lightly with melted butter or olive oil. Sprinkle the coated cracker dough with sea salt and or your chosen toppings if desired.
- Place the sheet pans in the pre-heated oven and bake for 10-14 minutes. Flip the crackers over halfway through baking, once they begin to brown.
- Let the baking sheets and crackers cool completely before touching them, at least 20 minutes.
Tips and Tricks
- My favorite herbs to use in this cracker dough include thyme, rosemary, tarragon, chives, dill weed, basil, garlic powder, fresh ground black pepper, paprika, and fennel seeds!
- If you’d prefer cheesy crackers over herb-infused crackers, swap the salt and herbs for grated parmesan or romano cheese. Vegans can use nutritional yeast instead of cheese for savory, umami-filled homemade crackers!
- The toppings that I love to sprinkle atop my crackers before baking include poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic powder, fresh ground black pepper, and za’atar seasoning.
- The dough for these crackers can be made in a large food processor for speedy prep!
- These awesome homemade crackers will keep best for up to 1 week if stored in an airtight container- that is, if they make it that long!
- They will also keep well frozen for up to 4 months if stored in an airtight container.
Substitutions
Any of the following ingredients can be swapped for some alternatives at the same quantity:
- Whole wheat flour can be replaced with white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, graham flour, bread flour, or spelt flour.
- All-purpose flour can be replaced with white whole wheat flour, bread flour, spelt flour, or whole-wheat pastry flour.
- Olive oil can be replaced with unsalted butter, margarine, coconut oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil, ghee, peanut oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
- Granulated (white) sugar can be replaced with light or dark brown sugar, coconut palm sugar, raw cane sugar, honey, or agave nectar.
Kosher or Sea salt can be replaced with grated parmesan cheese or garlic salt!
