So, the problem, if there could be one, with having a slight obsession with making homemade version of snack-aisle favorites — goldfish crackers, oreos, graham crackers, pop-tarts, ice-cream sandwiches and the like — is that people quite often think you’re crazy. And if you’re me, someone who already delights in things that most people find awful — dicing vegetables, fitting every dish in the dishwasher (triumphantly humming the Tetris music) and, apparently, dotting the eyes of cheddar goldfish with the pointy end of a meat thermometer — you probably don’t need any help convincing people that you’re nuts. Sadly, when people don’t think you’re crazy, they might be suspicious you have some sort of Sanctimommy/Down With Cheetos-type agenda, but I no more fuss in the kitchen to make others feel bad if they lack the time or inclination to than the woman walking down my street right now with flawless, flowing locks and $300 skinny jeans is there to make me feel bad that I am currently in possession of neither, sigh.
Nevertheless, because of these two things, I tend to be overly cautious before sharing recipes like the one I am today for Wheat Thin-like crackers at home. Let’s put one thing out here before I tell you about them: Do we eat exclusively homemade foods and snacks 24/7? Bwah! Even 12/7? Maybe. On good days. But, the thing is, I really love projects like this because, the fact is, we all need a snack from time to time and while the packaged options are hardly universally evil, there’s a lot of things in there you’d never put in your food at home. It’s liberating to be able to make the foods you love in your own kitchen, and it’s a great idea to tuck away for a rainy day afternoon project when your kid is spinning off their axis again or, you know, when you get a little carried away in advance of your toddler’s birthday party.
And these were especially delicious to make at home. As it turns out, wheat thin crackers that you buy in a box are little but thin wheat crackers (see what I did there? oof.) that you can make at home. The dough is a simple combination of butter, whole wheat flour and salt. The trickiest part is rolling them very, very thin. If you’re me, you’ll know this going in and will roll them gorgeously thin, then pat yourself on the back for getting it right the first time. I bet you know where this is going! On your second batch, you will understand that even thinner is the way to go. I briefly considered running the dough through a pasta machine, and definitely want to hear about it if you try this out at home. But fear not, a regular old rolling pin will do the trick.
The result is what I’d call a 97 percent match to the original. Of course, I had to compare them to store-bought versions in my “test kitchen” and found them much less salty and much less… yellow. The ingredient list on the box informs me the the hue is from a coloring derived from tumeric, and hey, no harm if you want to throw a pinch in for a warmer color. You can also salt them more generously. I liked these when they came out of the oven but I have to say, the handful that survived the party that I’ve been nibbling on these week are even better. With age, the cracker tastes almost like a brown butter wheat thin. They taste rich, luxurious even, which are hardly words I’d otherwise associate with crackers but never want to disassociate them again.
One year ago: Roasted Tomato Soup with Broiled Cheddar and Apple and Honey Challah
Two years ago: Skirt Steak Salad with Blue Cheese and Monkey Cake
Three years ago: Cheesecake-Marbled Brownies (This is the recipe from my article in October’s Martha Stewart Living, if you were interested.) Grilled Lamb Kebabs + Tzatziki
Four years ago: Braised Romano Beans, Eggs in Tomato Sauce, Spinach Quiche and Bread Without A Timetable
Five years ago: Tortilla de Patatas and Grandmothers of Sils’ Apple and Yogurt Cake and Chocolate Babka
Six years ago: Summer Squash Soup, Giardinera and Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake
Homemade Wheat Thin Crackers
Adapted, just barely, from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking
I recommend traditional whole wheat flour for an accurate color but white whole wheat flour for a more delicate texture. I used the regular stuff. The original recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract to be added along with the water, but I don’t associate the vanilla flavor with wheat thins at all (nor did I spot it on the ingredient list). Nevertheless, feel free to add this and/or any other seasonings that you’d like (onion or garlic powder, thyme or rosemary, black pepper, etc.)
Yield: About 3 dozen. I highly suggest doubling this recipe.
1 1/4 cups (155 grams) whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tablespoons (20 grams) sugar
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) table salt, plus additional for topping
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons (55 grams) unsalted butter, cold is fine, cut into small bits
In a food processor: Combine the flour, sugar, salt, paprika and butter in a food processor, pulsing the mixture until the butter is evenly disbursed in the crumbs. Drizzle in 1/4 cup (60 ml) cold water with the machine running; run it until the mixture begins to form a ball.
By hand: Combine the flour, sugar, salt, paprika and butter in a medium bowl. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work the butter into the mixture until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) cold water, stir with spoon until combined. Knead once or twice on counter.
Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Either lightly grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
Roll your dough out, half at a time, to a large, very, very thin rectangle-ish shape on a well-floured counter. Did I mention you should roll them thin? Thinner than you even think necessary is best. Frequently check to make sure your dough isn’t sticking; if it is, gently scrape a spatula underneath to lift it, then flour the counter again. Using a knife or pastry wheel, cut dough into about 1 1/2-inch squares. Dock crackers all over with a toothpick or pointy end of a thermometer. (Technically speaking, I noted a 9-dot docking pattern, like the 9 sides of a pair of dice, on my store-bought Wheat Thins. I highly recommend you do not drive yourself bonkers trying to emulate this.)
Transfer crackers to baking sheets, spacing them only a little as they really don’t spread. Sprinkle with additional table salt if you’d like to approximate the salty exteriors of the store-bought crackers. Bake crackers until crisp and bronzed, about 5 to 7 minutes but please keep a close watch on the first batch as thinner crackers (high-five!) will bake faster and thicker ones will take longer.
Cool in baking pans on racks. Crackers will keep in an airtight container officially for a week but ours are in fact two weeks old and still perfect. You can also freeze them in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper for a couple months.
These look wonderful, Deb. Looking forward to making them this weekend and serving them with an array of farmer’s market cheeses! Many thanks!
I was hoping you’d post the recipe for these :) Rich, luxurious crackers? Yes, please!
I’ve made wheat thins before, but yours came out so much better! I might need to retry.
I’m relatively new to Smitten Kitchen, but I am hooked! In the last two weeks I have made the ricotta and latkes, both of which were awesome! I’ll be trying these for sure! Thanks, Deb!
Is there ANY way to make these dairy free?
Hi Alexis — Try them with shortening. You could use virgin coconut oil too, but it will alter the flavor slightly.
I love wheat thins, yes please!!
I love this Deb!! I must try this, I love the fact that you can freeze them as well! I love wheat thins and chili!!
I can’t wait to make these. People are always really impressed with homemade crackers because it never occurred to them that crackers can be made at home.
Haha, you are crazy in the best kind of way, I think.
I currently live in Germany and miss Wheat Thins like crazy! So I’m super happy other people also like to make homemade snacks. :) That’s less recipe testing for me!
I can’t trust myself around homemade crackers.
I haven’t tried, but I can almost guarantee it won’t end well.
Oh Deb. So glad to be in like-minded company. (Because 2,500 miles and lack of actually being acquainted is nothing when a shared love of butter and vegetables can bring people so close together.) Only us crazies realize that “this tastes exactly like the store version, but yours took way more time and effort” is a compliment.
Can’t wait for the book. Hoping it includes homemade Triscuits. :)
Patterned-docking kitchen hack: block of styrofoam (or cheese, or potato; anything that can hold toothpicks really securely) cut square to the size of a cracker. Add toothpicks (or trimmed toothpicks if the tippy-points of toothpicks aren’t enough for your docking purposes) and poke them into your “stamp”, parallel to each other (so, straight, not skewing off in random directions, in the pattern desired. Now “stamp” each cracker. :-) Depending on the stiffness of the dough vs. stiffness of stamp, you may have to back the stamp with something like cardboard to stop the toothpicks from going all the way through, if your batch is large.
As I was typing this, I realized that you could probably also hack a rolling docker using a cylinder of potato or apple core or something, ending up with something kind of like those round hairbrushes. But that would be a lot harder to line up with the squares.
Also, I would love to see alpha-wheat-thins, with a letter-docked pattern on each, but that would take 26 stamps. Ouch. (but Scrabble Cheezits were so much fun!)
When I had a commercial bakery I used to use my sheeter to roll cracker dough (on the rare occasions when I had time to make crackers) out first, just to thin it & get it even, and then would finish right on the tray with a heavy rolling pin. I’d been wondering about using a pasta roller, too, though I wasn’t sure how it would handle cracker dough, which is considerably less supple than pasta dough. But I think it’s time to give it a go. (I’ve even heard of one do-it-yourselfer who’s considering rehabbing an old wringer washer & pressing that into service as a home sheeter, but I don’t know….)
Anne — I found this dough strangely unsticky and kind of dense; it reminded me of pasta dough a little (maybe it’s the water?) so I feel like it might work. It’s definitely not as mushy as a cheese cracker dough.
Totally not requested piece of advice about flour — Guys, the other reason I had toss my first batch of crackers is that my flour, it had gone bad. A sniff of the canister would have told me — it smelled dusty and dank. It’s not even that I neglect my whole wheat flour that much (though in a pantry with everything from rye to buckwheat to white whole wheat flour, it’s hardly a star) but it was in the part of my cabinet that aligns with the heat pipe that runs behind it (yes, my already-awful kitchen is in fact worse than I’ve made it out to be) and I think that hastened its demise over the last year. So, check your flour! Toss it if it smells dusty. Trust me, you’ll know.
CL — Thanks.
Is it possible to just roll out on parchment paper, cut leaving crackers on parchment and the separate ? Might same some time, just a thought.
I’ve rolled them out on the back side of a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. I cut them with a pizza cutter and left the cracker sheet whole. The cooking process shrinks the crackers a bit and they separate themselves. I use a fork to make a couple diagonal sets of holes. So good, easy and fast.
I just have to tell you that I admire you SO MUCH!!! You are an inspiration!! You have probably got one of the most legendary cooking blogs on the internet. I cannot wait to buy your cook book! You are amazing!
Pretty impressive. Never thought to make my own wheat thins.
Quick type-o in the first paragraph: DO, not DOES. :-) Thanks for the recipe.
These look awesome! I’ve made crackers with olive oil but I bet butter makes them even more delicious.
Since the recipe calls for using a food processor, I’m taking the opportunity to ask all you smart commenters for advice: Since I’m going to be moving into an apartment with limited space, should I get a food processor or a blender? I like to bake, so a food processor might be useful, but I also want to be able to make smoothies and such. Any thoughts?
In case anyone is wondering, as written with 3 dozen crackers, each cracker is 28.5 calories.
Yay! I eat wheat thins by the box when I have them in the house. I typically don’t buy them for that reason. If I can make them, though, they may last a little longer as I’ll make sure to appreciate them even more. Thank you for posting the recipe. I look forward to trying them out and maybe putting a few in my son’s lunchbox.
Aw yeah! I am totally going to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Tomorrow. I’m making these tomorrow. Homemade crackers. It’s been ages since I ate one…but I must remedy the problem ASAP
I LOVE this idea. Because we’re too cheap to buy lunches while at work, my husband and I pack a lunch and find ourselves going through “snack stuff” like crazy. And it ain’t cheap! Even when we shop for our “snack stuff” (pretzels, crackers, etc) at Wal*Mart or Aldi or solely on sale, it still seems way too much to spend on something that’s probably not that great for us. Thanks! I can’t wait to try this out soon!
I hope you don’t find this too forward of me, but I just made some homemade crackers last week and the first thing I thought was, “Why on earth am I buying crackers from a store?” It was like a revelation. Homemade crackers, it turns out, are worlds better than store-bought crackers. (Perhaps you were already aware of this but I, sadly, was not.) How have I not known this until now? The crackers I made are here: http://savorysaltysweet.com/2012/09/20/homemade-multigrain-crackers/
Also, I think “sanctimony” is my new favorite word.
My daughter is currently deployed to Afghanistan and has asked for some healthy snacks. Do you think these would keep a couple of weeks for them to be mailed there? I’d love to send her something healthy and homemade. BTW, she is your biggest fan!
Kathi — Aw. And yes, absolutely. These keep really well.
I love Ranch Wheat Thins and they’ve been hard to find lately. If I used this recipe, do you think I would add the ranch powder to the dough or sprinkle it on top? Any idea how much? Thanks!!
Haha, the fact that you constantly refer to yourself as “crazy” (making ridiculous things from scratch at home, putting potato chips in cookies, etc) is hilarious because everyone loves you all the more for it. And then we wish we were so crazy as to do such things, too. You spread the good type of crazy, though… the cooking type of crazy. I hope I get it like you have one day! And these crackers look nothing less than awesome. Planning to try them, with a little tumeric added in.
Oh, I’m going to try this tomorrow!
Cyndie – I faced the same decision, went with a food processor, and am completely satisfied. It does a more-than-sufficient job of smoothie making (though pouring it into a glass without making a huge mess does take some practice), and I know a blender wouldn’t do nearly the job at shredding, chopping, and making doughs. I have a Cuisinart, for reference.
I couldn’t agree more with your thinking. I recently made “oreos” and loved them, plus, a cookie famous in Baltimore was delicious when I made them here in FL.
It’s an adventure making traditional store bought food. And you’re so right about people thinking your a little off the wall. I’ve gotten that look from people when I tell them I’m making sandwich cookies.
Oh, and speaking of color of whole wheat flour, my daughter was recently babysitting, and they made play dough with WW flour. She thought it was a bit strange having brown play dough, but they used it to make a sand castle, which of course, brown works beautifully for. :)
IdaBaker — Ugh, I wish I’d thought to make play dough! I literally dumped most of a 5-pound bag (of King Arthur, no less!) in the trash.
Anne — Maybe. Probably. Sometimes, brown butter doesn’t translate in texture the way it is supposed to, and I don’t know why. But with as small of a batch as these make, it’s definitely worth finding out. Good luck!
I like how you just toss in the idea of brown butter wheat thins. Think I could brown the butter, chill it, and then use it in the recipe?
Thank you for this! I recently developed a soy intolerance, and nearly every packaged cracker has soy in it. Sadly, it didn’t even occur to me to make my own. I thought I would just be crackerless.
Now I’m craving wheat thins with tasty tasty cheese!
I follow a gluten free diet and make homemade crackers fairly often. Looking forward to attempting an adaptation of these! I tried rolling out cracker dough with my pasta roller once and never looked back! It always works smoothly for me, even with a cheese cracker dough. The pasta roller gets the dough very thin, resulting in nice crispy crackers, and I love the fact that they really are all the exact same thickness, because they bake so evenly.
One of my favorite things is to recreate store-bought foods at home. I’m hoping I can figure out a simple way to make these gluten free, but I’m expecting to end up with wheat thin crumbs!
I have a hunch people who like to make stuff from scratch are sensual beings, and certainly not crazy. Sure, a box of store-bought crackers are convenient, but you don’t get to squeeze the dough and smell them baking either.
I have whole wheat pastry flour, would that work?
I feel some za’tar seasoning calling to me for some reason….
Maybe your next book should have an entire chapter dedicated to homemade crackers! I’d kill for a recipe for Vegetable Thins – I crave them like crazy when I’m pregnant and can’t get them here in the UK. Recipes like this one are so great for those of us who can’t get our hands on the store bought versions. Meleyna, oh my goodness, homemade Triscuts? I’m positively salivating!
I don’t think you are crazy, I think you are a lifesaver. My son loves the ones from the box, but due to some really nasty food allergies, he can’t have them. He’s allergic to corn, which rules out almost anything from a box. Thanks to your beautiful blog, I have lots of options for him and I try to make something en masse once a week, and then switch out for a new treat the next.
Printing this recipe and he’s going to be delighted. Oh goodness, so happy I could BURST right now.
Yes, it’s true: you can use the pasta roller to make crackers. I think I even used the KA recipe when I did it. I don’t recall any issues with the dough sticking and it did save me from loads of irritation over my missing rolling pin skills.
So glad you posted this, though I knew when you said you would in your last post if someone asked that there’s no way anyone would let you get away with not posting it.
And lastly – just wanted to say something about the link color you use and how it’s so subtle. I actually love that because it feels almost like opening a secret door in a magical castle every time I follow one of your links….thanks for that. :D
That is all.
xoxo
Cheri
Cyndie–I’m a fellow small apartment person, and instead of a real/full size blender to supplement our food processor we have an immersion blender. Cheap (can get a good one for under $40), doesn’t take up space, and is great for smoothies, soups, etc.
too amazing. i want. to eat.
I LOVE homemade crackers. I always use my pasta machine to roll them out and it works great with stiff dough (not so great for graham crackers, though). I just roll out small balls, stick the resulting wonky oblong shape on a parchment lined pan, and cut out the individual crakers right on the pan with a pizza cutter. This eliminates the need to struggle thinly rolled dough off your board without tearing/smushing them. It does, however, result in off-kilter cracker shapes.
Excellent. I hope you are working on a “woven wheat” alternative as well!!
These look fantastic, must try them. Now, if you could just find out how to make the salty caramel pecan squares from Starbucks, I would love you forever!
Di
X
I love Wheat Thins! I’ve made my own CheezeIts but never Wheat Thins and I think it’s time to change it. They look PERFECT!
These look great! Does anyone have recommendations on how to make these vegan, as the original Wheat Thins are?
Deb, if you recreate Triscuits, I’ll never leave the house again. That’s my favorite storebought cracker by far. Also, I just realized that the namemust be a take off on biscuits – bi, tri. I doubt Triscuits are baked thrice, though.
p.s. making one’s own snack foods is a delicious kind of nutty. I love it. Readers looking for more recipes should check into Bernard Clayton’s books.
Triscuits — I love them. I can’t even imagine where you’d find the… hay?
These look awesome, Deb! My boyfriend is reaaaally gonna love me when he comes home to a fresh batch of wheat thins tonight.
And Sarah, I’d just substitute vegan butter.
I use the pasta roller to make your rosemary flatbread into thin crackers all the time. Works perfectly. I’m excited to have another version now :)
My youngest brother left for college this year… I am definitely making these crackers, plus your homemade oreos for a first semester care package! Thanks!
Anne, I used the rollers of a wringer washer to roll out croissants and used my pasta roller on largest setting to roll out crackers…let dough rest 10 or 15 minutes before rolling and dust well with flour. Love this recipe with fresh thyme.
Tortilla presses work like a dream for cracker dough!
As soon as I have time in the kitchen without canning projects I need to complete I am going to try these. I wish my kids liked wheat thins more, they prefer triscuits, and I am not going to attempt that one!
I love the idea of making things that seem can only be store bought at home!
Deb, these look so yummy! And you’re not crazy, you’re just ambitious. :)
Alexis, I’d use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks. It behaves very very similarly to butter, and it tastes very similar. In fact, nobody in my household is vegan, but I use Earth Balance in a lot of my baked goods, especially pie crust, because it makes them easier to handle, for some reason.
Gorgeous! Yes, I’m with you with homemade snacking and this recipe really inspires me to dig for more. Oh boy, can’t wait to start baking now.
People always look at me like I have two heads when they find out I make my own crackers. Looking forward to adding these to my repertoire!
p.s. Thanks for writing about Jane’s Carousel. I went yesterday (and took in Smorgasburg) and it was delightful!
I just made a batch with some substitutions. I used 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1/4 cup of rye instead of all whole wheat, agave nectar instead of sugar, and an ancho salt blend from my local spice market (http://www.northmarket.com/meet-the-market/merchants/north-market-spices) for the salt. Turned out delicious. I’m not sure the agave made any difference, but the rye and ancho are noticeable without being overwhelming.
I love that you make crackers and other packaged stuff. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve made your rosemary flatbread into cracker shards. Everyone just loves them..they think I’m nuts and say as much as they munch them down. Kinda makes me proud!
I love making store-shelf snacks at home too! I’ve done cracker, pop-tarts, oreos, peppermint patties, peanut butter cups, ketchup, goat cheese, lots of things. It’s not about being a snob for me (as evidenced by the pop-tart boxes, Lofthouse sugar cookies, and wheat thins package in my pantry…), it’s about having fun and finding out, “I can do this!!”
I love making stuff homemade. I mean, how can you not? Yes, people think I’m crazy, but I can’t stop myself! Although, I do make crackers from time-to-time and they sure don’t last that long.
Ohhhh boy. I’ve never homemade crackers before, but Wheat Thins are my favorite (times a million!), and this recipe looks so easy.
I think I’m in trouble. :-) Thanks for posting!
I just made these and they’re so yummy! You seriously have to roll them REAL THIN! The thicker ones in my batch just aren’t as good. I used a pastry wheel and then found a dough scraper worked really well to get them off the counter once they were ready to bake. Thank you!
This does not bode well for my entire-box-of-Wheat-Thins-in-a-sitting tendencies…
I, like you, marvel in the wonder of fitting in that one last dish…or dicing veggies at the end of a long day full of stress (even better? Making a massaged kale salad…say goodbye to all that frustration). So fear not…you aren’t alone. There may have even been a victory dance or two after a triumphant dishwasher fill up. ;)
Kitchen masochists of the world, unite! I have been known to put real effort into convincing myself that our homemade olive/garlic tapenade (which, incidentally, is heavenly) really does taste better when the ingredients are chopped by hand, rather than in the food processor. This may in fact be true, but it’s probably just that I take particular pride in my relatively cheap but carefully protected and lovingly sharpened chef’s knives, and relish any opportunity to put them to use.
Oh god, these will be mine. I will use my pasta machine to get a nice even roll if I remember. Maybe that is what I’ll do Thursday after work when I have access to my kitchen stuff again!
I am usually hesitant to cook stuff like that just because it seems that it would take so much effort and such a long time to make them. But, on the other hand, it’s always hard for me to find store-bought crackers that I like. How long did it take you to make these, from the very start to finish?
Your first paragraph … pure genius! A perfect example of exactly why I LOVE reading your blog. And now I am going to have to start humming tetris songs when I load the dishwasher instead of solely yelling out “I win!” and thrusting my fist into the air.
Kathi (comment 27) – I was thinking the same question! We want to send goodies but are so worried about things spoiling on the way. These look like a winner though.
These look fantastic. I love ‘snacky’ food and this would be a real winner in my house.
Yes! I’ve been trying to make more of my own snacks at home. I just finished a box of store-bought Wheat Thins, maybe I’ll try my own next time! They look so purty!
Wheat thins have been a favorite TV snack since high school and yours look absolutely perfect! I’ve never baked crackers homemade and it looks like lots of fun! I bet some fresh rosemary would be great in there too! Looking forward to trying your wheat thin recipe!
You don’t understand how much these recipes are a blessing. I live in Brazil, but am an expat – and would you believe when you have a craving for those little cheddar fishies swimming around in hot tomato soup – I have to pay about 15 bucks a bag for the suckers. Seriously – brought back with me Twinkies once – just to share because they were a food of “myth and legend”. My husband is addicted to all that “awful” American off the shelf junk food – that is the stuff of our childhoods and comfort. Poptarts, Spaghetti-O’s with Meatballs, Mac and Cheese. Corndogs and Reeses Peanutbutter Cups. Your Graham Cracker recipe saved our Smores – I could only find imported Graham Cracker Crumbs (18 bucks a box) – although now I make “smoreos”. Not only these everyday treasures but most recipes these days aren’t truly from scratch. They start with refrigerated XXX dough, or cool whip, or some other common staple that I just can’t find here (like Grape Jelly – seriously I cannot walk without falling over guavas, mangos, papayas and fruit I don’t even know the names of in English but try finding applesauce not in a baby food jar – I DARE you and if you do please send me the address). With bakeries on every corner and an over abundance of fresh produce, and cooks and mothers and fewer “have to cook on my own fast couples” there just aren’t the same needs, and so I find myself calling my GRANDMOTHER to ask her for advice and what to do with wrinkled apples and how to handle humidity in the kitchen. Your “just like store bought” recipes are a lifeline and I would gladly buy a book you published full of the crazy things. Thank you a million times over.
I, for one, adore your obsession with recreating snack aisle treats at home! I can’t wait to give this a try :)
These look great!! Can’t wait to try :-)
These look so delicious! Can’t wait to make these with some warm artichoke dip!
My hubby is obsessed with wheat thins! These are a MUST make. Thank you for sharing the recipe!!!
I bet some ranch seasoning would be amazing in these….I am definitely going to give it a try! It looks too easy NOT to try!! Thanks for the recipe!
Sanctimommy? Hilarious! Thank you so very, very much for expanding my vocabulary. I’ve needed to know that word for years, but didn’t learn it til now.
As for the ‘why bake things you can buy in a box for less’??
My favorite excuse is that I need to use up the baking supplies I always seem to have in excess.
I just like reading your commentary and knowing that I could come back and made these any time I feel like. So thanks for that, Deb.
*make
at my job we bake our own crackers (saltines, whole wheat crackers, GF crackers, etc) and we use a sheeter to roll them out–it works a lot like a pasta machine. It’s great. especially if you have something like this: http://www.webstaurantstore.com/6-wheel-stainless-steel-pastry-cutter/124MWPC.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=124MWPC&utm_campaign=PLA&gclid=CO3NvJ3mz7ICFQdN4AodNTIAvQ
Definitely making these!! They look better than wheat thins!! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
What a beautiful idea. I have always enjoyed the “whole” wheat flavor of the pre-packaged version, but was also dismayed reading their ingredient list. I have a bit of whole wheat flour leftover from Joy the Baker’s corn and hatch chile pizza and this is where a portion of said flour will go! This week! Your recipes are always winners, so I have no worry that these will be as well.
I have to try them. It’s funny that we both posted crackers recipe on same day. I was going to make mine again for wed. for when I break the fast but I will make yours. I wonder if I can make them with olive oil or any other non dairy oil? for allergies reasons. thank you! will let you know how your recipe came out.
these look just like the real thing! but i bet they are 100x better.
OMG, these look incredibly delicious and a lot healthier than packaged ones! We all know that homemade food is always way better! I love crackers and I think these could make for a great appetizer too! Can’t wait to try out this recipe, thanks Deb :)
Xo, Elisa
These look rediculously good, I have a bag of wheat flour that is calling my name!
But, hands down, the best line of this whole post: “fitting every dish in the dishwasher (triumphantly humming the Tetris music)”… it makes me feel SO MUCH less crazy that there are other people in this world that do this too :)
Awesome! I live in Sweden right now and was just the other day lamenting the lack of wheat thin crackers here (though Sweden does make a dang fine cracker, let me tell you). I’ll try this recipe out and woo all of my ex-pat friends with home made wheat thins. Thanks for another amazing recipe, Deb.
Hi,
Have you considered making a sweet and salty version of these?
http://www.parleproducts.com/brands/krackjack/
Krackjack / 50-50 are very popular biscuits (cookies to you) in India. WHile they are not as thin as wheat thins, they are definitely as addictive.
I will let you if I try it, but if you do want to try, tell me what sugar you would use, icing or granulated.
BTW, your blog is my touchstone for all baking related stuff. Thank you so much!
WOW, looks amazing :) Love your blog
Just wanted to say, I am personally quite grateful for your obsessions with figuring out how to make grocery store standards at home. Mainly because wheat thins, goldfish crackers, ice cream sandwiches and the like do _not_ exist in France. So your site (and a few others) have been gold mines for my homesick days.
Yes! I have made (with varying degrees of success) homemade oreos, thin mints, ice cream sandwiches, cheezits, even spearmint gum! I am absolutely delighted that you’ve come up with a homemade wheat thin recipe! Can’t wait to try!
What’s next? Triscuits? how about kettle chips?
Thank you, so much for the recipe. I’m getting ready to make them right now. Why, love wheat thins, but in my part of the world, they aren’t aviable in the market. Its either do without them or NOW make my own. Thanks again.
You’re not crazy, not even a little bit. I almost never eat packaged foods because of all the junk that is thrown into them. Too many are ridden with preservatives, colouring, hydrogenated oils, as well as too many other ingredients I can’t pronounce, will probably never remember, yet also probably belong inside some kind of auto fluid or plastic container (I’m being a bit silly, but still, propylene glycol, in my food?? really!!??)
Thanks for the recipe!
I am so very excited about this! I’m making a list of fun winter projects when I don’t like to leave the house as much, and this just topped it. Does anyone know if it would be possible to cut the sugar a bit? Though I love wheat thins in general, I do find the store-bought version to be just a little on the sweet side. (I must add, too, that I’d much rather be the kind of person who makes homemade wheat thins then the kind of person who buys $300 jeans. Now the flawless flowing locks…that would be a toss-up!)
Whoa, only F I V E ingredients! Love it. I’m seriously making these. I love how you try and recreate store-bought favorites at home.
IdaBaker – Berger cookies?
You say these don’t spread much… I think they’ll be the candidate for my woodgrain food pattern mat that I bought on a whim. I thought it’d be fun to make cookies but so many of the recipes I’ve tried just spread too much to make it look good. Woodgrain wheat thins, on the other hand, sound like they just might work.
I’m with you Deb – the investment of a bit of time in the kitchen to duplicate grocery store packaged items is a small price to pay for knowing what you are eating. I have made the homemade oreos, goldfish crackers and graham crackers (all amazing) – must make these next!!! Thanks again Deb.
Thank you! I can’t wait to try these. I love making things you can get at the supermarket not only because they’re less processed but also for the fun of it. I get those kinds of looks all the time – the “are you crazy?” looks – but I love trying new things. I love your blog so so much.
These look absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to make my own crackers sometimes, which is just somehow more satisfying than eating them out of a box!
Meg, I wanna know what kind of job you have that enables you to bake crackers while at work. COOL!
Wheat Thins…the cracker I miss most now that I live in Europe!!…”CRACK” – ers…..Need one say any more???!!!…Thank you for this exquisite homemade version, your continued photography mastery…and your witty prose…Your postings make my day!
As a few other “foreigners” have said before me, thanks for posting the make at home recipes of store bought items. My family has lived in China for the last ten years and wheat thins are my favorite cracker. I will be making these during my next school break. I also think being able to make anything you want gives you great super powers in the kitchen!!
Your wheat thins are so darn cute…and I can only imagine how yummy they are! I must give these try….I adore your sense of humor and your writing style as much as your amazing photography and recipes.
annie
I’m going to try to make these for a Halloween party. And I’m going to try the pasta machine to roll the dough out. I’m also going to add my favorite dried herb mix , shallots, chives, green peppercorns, dill weed, basil, tarragon, chervil and bay leaf, (it’s from Penzey’s spices and is seriously good, especially in scambled eggs, just an FYI, folks). And I might put little bat imprints on them! Or maybe I’ve just had too much caffeine. We’ll see.
So I just got lost googling “how to make Triscuits” for the last 15 minutes of my life, because I spent the last 15 minutes before that reading all of the comments on this post (which reminded me, again, why this is probably one of my favorite sites ever. yes, ever).
Anyway, homemade Triscuits. I’d never seen a recipe and apparently Google hasn’t either. I’m paraphrasing from multiple entries, but it seems as though they have a lot in common with shredded wheat cereal. The crackers are comprised of wheat that’s “cooked in water until its moisture content reaches about 50%” and then shredded. Many “webs” of shredded wheat are stacked together, and the crackers are crimped and baked until the moisture content is <5%. They also add oil and salt at some point (maybe a pre-bake spritz?), and apparently they were modified in the mid-'80s to give more crunch and suit "modern tastes" (translation: there isn't any more info on how the recipe changed, but I'll bet they're getting more than a "spray" of oil).
I can't for the life of me imagine how to make them at home, but if anyone's going to, it'd be someone in this site's audience!
I am pleased that so many appreciate this type of cracker I was worried it was going to be discontinued when my food bank had boxes and boxes! Yum and as a diabetic any small plentiful snack is welcome. I do find them a bit salty the grand master that is. Now to the little story. When you were sharing about how thin you needed to roll them it took me back to my Norwegian Grandma. We would make flat bread which we would roll paper thin, literally, using her Norwegian grooved roller. Kind of an art to make and a bit daunting but Grandma showed me how. The roller was not an easy find but some specialty stores carry them for big bucks. I happened across one 3 or more decades ago and paid $20.00 then. I have seen them since for 60.00 plus and from Norway but there were others from elsewhere, I am partial to Grandma’s. Fear not there are no grooves left in the dough but they make rolling easier than should be allowed. I would be interested to know about the checkered pin I saw if someone has experience. Just for curiosities sake. I have used mine for WW pasta and WW chapati as well as Grandmas rye flat bread. Thanx for this simple easy recipe that will afford me the luxury of my snack when the food bank runs out and money may not be allotted for my prized go to snack. I appreciate you.
Don’t stop with these “crazy” recipes — they are my favourites!
I always wanted to make crackers after my dad ate half of the biscuits I made for my dog (LOL). Maybe if I make these he wont feel so bad for taking the dogs food (and the dog wont be so grumpy at watching him eat his snacks). :P
we loved your goldfish crackers! can’t wait to try the wheat thins
@Cyndie – I would get a food processor – it is so versatile. You can even make pizza dough in it. Consider an immersion blender for smoothies and to smooth soups and sauces right in the pan, too. Takes up less space than a regular blender.
It’s the little things. I’m sure you also thoroughly enjoyed poking the little holes in these crackers. I don’t know if I have the skill to roll these extra thin. I’ll try though!
I could not be more excited about this recipe. Wheat Thins are my favorite cracker. I could literally devour half a box in one sitting. But as I’ve moved to eating less processed foods, I don’t buy them any more. I can’t wait to try these!
Kitchen-comfortable cooks do seem to enjoy the things like dotting eyes on goldfish and using a fork to make a perfectly imperfect crust pattern on pie. It’s not nuts, it’s cooking! Thanks for the recipe – can’t wait to try them out!!
Yep, I do make crackers using a pasta rolling machine and take them to -1 from the top level. My husband just loves them. The fun part is you can put anything you want into them, herbs, flax, black sesame, millet, fennel, etc.
They look lovely! I work at a restaurant that makes homemade saltines, mustard crackers, gouda crackers, and goat cheese crackers. We always use a pasta machine to roll them nice and thin! I haven’t tried it with this particular dough, but I bet it would work just fine. (And I second the motion for homemade triscuits… though that might make you a miracle worker.)
Never occurred to me to make wheat thins, however cheese sticks out of parmesan and phyllo dough are a staple!
This is a *fabulous* idea! I’m not a sanctimony (love that!), but I do like to put interesting things in the kid’s lunches and I haven’t been able to master crackers. So wonderful!
One thing I’m going to try though, is using the holder from my mandoline to poke the crackers. It’s got a ton of little spikes on the bottom, and should be perfect! I hope. :)
In an insane effort to rid my children and grandchildren of high fructose corn syrup, I have made peppermint patties, candy corn, worcestershire sauce, and the like. This recipe is definitely going to be added to my repertoire. Thanks so much. BTW, the Penzys store in the Pearl District in Portland has your picture up in the back room, so everyone will recognize you if you come to visit.
Sandy
Sandy — NO WAY. I love that place so much; still heartbroken their kiosk had to close in Grand Central Station.
Pat C — I talk about my spice jars and where you can buy them over here.
krystina — I did the same thing! Did you see this discussion?
YES!
Ever since your first cracker adaptation, I have been hoping for Wheat Thins.
I made the dough this morning, and it’s chilling in my refrigerator until I get home from work. Oh, yeah!
Can’t wait to try these! As far as WW flour going bad…Keep any whole grain flours in the freezer. The oils aren’t removed from whole grain flours like they are in white flour so they can go rancid pretty quick. BTW, you can cook with the flour right out of the freezer or it will come up to room temp in just a few min.
I, too, like to be independent (on occasion!) of the treat aisle. I can’t wait to try your recipe.
I have tried making thin, sourdough wheat crackers with a pasta machine before – my coworker has a pasta machine dedicated to just that purpose. They didn’t come out as uniform and pretty as your crackers pictured here, though! (I am a little impatient and the finished product is not often as pretty as it could be). I topped mine with homemade garlic salt and sesame seeds – yum!
Deb, I love this! It’s my birthday today and it seems like you posted wheat thins just for me! I will be making these, because I am also a “crazy” person. Absolutely love your site, can’t wait for my cookbook to arrive!!!!
Would it be terrible to admit I plan on staying up between the midnight and 3 a.m. feedings to make these? At least this way, I’ll have something to snack on in the wee hours of the night :)
I am making these for my daughter’s birthday party next month. I might double the recipe but keep half of the spoils to myself ;-)
You know, I bet you could use a flower-arranging frog to poke the crackers more efficiently (and uniformly)
I love this recipe! I’m so glad you’ve shared it. I ADORE your Parmesan Cream Cracker recipe. I’ll use it with whatever strong cheese I have on hand. I’m partaking in October Unprocessed again this year and this is the PERFECT recipe to have on hand for the challenge. There are usually a bunch of guest posts on homemade recipes for things like this, cheese, satan, things you wouldn’t necessarily consider making in your own home but end up SO MUCH TASTIER when you do. I think you would be the perfect contributor to the challenge next month… :)
I love making homemade versions of packaged food. And I love it even more when someone else figures out the recipe for me. Thank you! Can you please add a category to your recipe index? Maybe “homemade store bought food” or something like that.
Making crackers seems like the outer end of my capabilities, but nevertheless, I wanted to say: I think you’re the bees knees, I love your writing style and your gorgeous photography.
You know, I never thought Wheat Thins were so bad — they have a fair amount of whole grain and no High Fructose Corn Syrup… They’re the only thing in my office’s breakroom I don’t feel bad about snacking on. But you really can’t argue with only FIVE ingredients! These look delicious!
Such a simple recipe!! I love making homemade versions of our everyday favourites.
Deb – I’m so excited to try these – my family is always asking what new recipes I’ll be making from your website. Bonus – your latest Chicago stop on the book tour is mere blocks from my apartment at my favorite bookstore. Can’t wait to get the new cookbook.
Could you, um, teach my husband and brother to “play tetris?” That being said, these look great, and would be super fun to try sometime when I get a break from being a full-time student. =)
Hahaha! I’m so glad I finished reading the comments before I Googled how to make Triscuits! I’ll be waiting for that post. If anyone can do it, you can!
Recipes like this is the reason I keep following your blog. You make healthier versions of favorite foods and snacks, the food is beautifully photographed and everything I’ve made from your recipes has come out fabulous (made the corn pancakes this past Sunday – OMG – fluffy like a cloud).
I just got an email blast from B&N and guess what? There was your book under the “Bestsellers – Coming Soon” category. How exciting!
Wheat thins are one of my favorite healthy snacks. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much! I have been wanting a good recipe of this type for years now. I’m so excited to go and make these!
I’ve shared this with my friend who is more the big pot of soup and bread maker than I am. I’m the one who does the desserts most of the time. I gravitate towards the cakes, pies, cookies and all the sweet stuff. I’m not a fan of the Wheat Thins you buy in the grocery store, in fact, I can’t stand them. BUT, if you find a homemade version of Triscuits, I’m all on board. Besides Ritz (remember the jingle, everything taste better when it sits on a Ritz!) and plain saltines, I love the Triscuits. Be sure to try that one and send it out.
As for docking the dough–has anyone tried using a cake breaker? They are used to “slice” airy cakes, such as angel food, without squishing them. Their single line of pointy teeth makes me think this would work well. I have one from a vintage/antique store, so I know they are out there if you are willing to hunt around. They look sort of like a large metal-toothed comb–if you were Hagrid–and typically have points on each tine (?) with either bakelite or wooden handles. Just a suggestion.
Can hardly believe there’s another dishwasher-Tetris lover out there. . .thanks for making me feel ever so slightly less of a freak!!
YUM! Wheat things were my college staple. Can’t wait to give this version a try!
Deb,
This is embarrassing, but do you mind briefly explaining the difference between whole wheat, white whole wheat, “enriched”, bleached and unbleached, cake/bread/all-purpose flour? What do you use/recommend? Do different recipes call for different types? I am thoroughly confused. Thank you for your time!
I also lack confidence in my knowledge of the varieties of flour… it’s overwhelming at times…
I constantly run into the-people-who-think-I’m-crazy-for-making-everything-at-home. Especially at work where everyone eats out every single day. It is so refreshing to find people who share the same mentality! *sigh* That is one reason why I am absolutely obsessed with food blogs!
This recipe looks fabulous, how creative! I love it, and will definitely be trying the poptarts soon too! And congratulations on your cookbook! I can’t wait to meet you in Washington, DC!
what food processor do you own/recommend?
Made these tonight and they were amazing. Thank you oodles. A cracker I can feel good about eating because I know (and can pronounce!) all the ingredients. Can’t wait to make more with different seasoning combinations…
Deb, I know you don’t have the room in your fridge, but I keep all my different flours (in large sealed containers) and large bottle of EVOO in a second fridge in our basement. It’s a pain to have to go down there to cart it out, but it’s worth it so the stuff doesn’t get funky or rancid.
…triumphantly humming the Tetris music) and, apparently, dotting the eyes of cheddar goldfish with the pointy end of a meat thermometer …
*snort* Yes, you have a problem — and we are all so very grateful :D
I love your homemade version of supermarket’s aisle snacks. It’s just plain great!
Can’t wait to try these crackers.
molly- i work at a “farm to table” restaurant. we make 99% of what we serve we make in-house. Mustard and ketchup are the two things we have yet to master. We even make our own oyster crackers for soup!
This will shock some but, mommies in this day and age should feel bad if they don’t make healthy food a priority! No one is forcing anyone to have children. Why do they do it if they aren’t going to give it all the time it takes?
My mother was a raging sanctomommy (at least with us kids) and wages a harsh Down-With-Cheetos campaign to this day, she is a die-hard 70’s era health nut but it is thanks to her that I am not only acne, cancer and flu-free, but I also weigh far less than 300 pounds. Thank God for Sanctomommy’s, I say. Would we even know what whole wheat was if it weren’t for them? I’m pretty sure the inventor of Wheat Thins had a Sanctomommy!
The inventor of Wheat Thins was probably not an inventor at all, but someone who figured out that a few ingredients bashed together and put out on a hot rock in the sun would keep her- or himself from starving — someone who cooked to live. This is what cracks me up about many packaged foods: sometimes, we forget that they were ALL homemade at first, and then someone decided they could make a profit if they concentrated on making a lot of it (or a slightly different version of it) and selling the excess to others.
Of course we can make snack foods at home! Crackers, chips, cookies, “fruit snacks”, even gum as someone mentioned above — they and more were ALL the provenance of home cooks first. It’s our right and responsibility to make our favorite at home, if only to see what work it can be to create something we might absent-mindedly nibble otherwise. And, on the other hand, if we don’t want to, it’s also our right and responsibility. Everyone can and should use their time and resources in the way they feel best (and I love that this blog is never about guilt-mongering, but enjoyment-discovering). But boy, it sure is interesting at the very least to look at a favorite snack and say to oneself, “How did home cooks make the progenitor of this thing, and how can I do it now?” It’s a learning experience, and learning can be fun.
Oh my! My husband is addicted to Wheat Thins! I’m going to surprise him with those!
I attempted a curry ginger cracker last week. Fail. The flavor was awesome but I did not roll them thin enough and the crunch factor was not there. Your post is inspiring me to give it another whirl.
I must say that I thought I was the only one who sees the dishwasher as a puzzle to be solved! It is a challenge to use every bit of space, but still make sure everything will get washed.
And, I love Wheat Thins! So, these have my name written all over them. I just happen to have recently bought whole wheat flour for the first time ever and need excuses to use it.
I don’t think anyone should use the tines of a flower-arranging frog to dock the crackers. That metal is probably not food safe, especially on most of the frogs I’ve seen(my mom’s a florist).
Deb,
Unrelated but I just bought my ticket for your demo in Wellesley and I CANNOT wait. I’ve been impatiently refreshing my browser all day looking for the tickets to go on sale.
See ya in November!
Ana
Thanks for posting this. I love making crackers, but am not always successful. I used to make home made graham crackers for my ex-husband, but they were thick and sort of earth mama food, but delicious. I will for sure make these over the holidays.
I am far from being a baker [although the banana bread I made on Sunday is almost gone :P]- do you think cracker type baked goods easier than cakes and pies, etc.? I’d love to make homemade Oreo’s or a family fave, Goldfish!!!
This looks insanely easy! I LOVE wheat thins, but hate buying store bought, chemical-filled snacks. I think I’ll be making these this Sunday morning! Thanks!!
I made these yesterday, and they are great! It made a very nice dough that was easy to roll out. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Made these today and they were fabulous! I wish I had rolled them out more- I know, I know- you warned me! But the “chunky” ones were still great and were very delicious! Thanks!!!
Can’t wait to try these! I’m always looking for decent snacks for my son and he’s obsessed with crackers. Making these this week for sure!
OK, so now you’ve ruined my chances of ever eating commercial Wheat Thins again. These are SO much better! I added some garlic powder, black pepper and rosemary (plus a dribble of molasses) and they are the best crackers ever. Used white whole wheat but got a nice authentic color from the molasses. Thanks for a superb recipe!
I have tried making crackers several times and well I’m just no good at it!
Maybe I’ll try these and see if I can turn my luck around.
You are OUT OF CONTROL. That is all. PS – Your book is almost out! YAYYYYYYYYY
Just made these and they are a hit. My toddler and I can’t keep our hands off of them. So easy! I’ll never buy wheat thins again.
Can I just say that I *love* your fascination of doing the homemade versions of the snack aisle? It makes my heart since with delight and childlike glee, in the same way that really tiny ponies and comedically large Great Danes do—it’s not even the health, its just the delightful…novelty? Clear awesomeness? Inquiring minds may differ.
Also, this: “I no more fuss in the kitchen to make others feel bad if they lack the time or inclination to than the woman walking down my street right now with flawless, flowing locks and $300 skinny jeans is there to make me feel bad that I am currently in possession of neither, sigh.” …is a totally wonderful way to look at life. I’m keeping it in my back pocket for later, thanks!
I hope to try these soon! I like the idea of making my snack foods rather than buying them. I’ve eliminated a lot of things from my diet because of all the questionable ingredients. Crackers have been the lone exception because I love them, especially Wheat Thins, though I don’t eat them often. So I’m eater to try this. I’m a little anxious because my skills with a rolling pin are “iffy” and I don’t have a pasta machine. But I’ll give it a try.
My boyfriend is going to flip, he loves these.
These sound delicious, and I really like the idea of baking some crackers at home from time to time. (Although, if I’m being honest, this will never fully replace the ease of buying storebought crackers.)
Also, a special thank you for including instructions for making the dough without a food processor. =)
“The trickiest part is rolling them very, very thin.”
All I could think was “PASTA MACHINE!” and when I saw you had written two sentences later….
Well, I will have to check it out!
I love your kind of crazy! probably because it’s mine too! i’m a DIYer to a fault, just because it’s fun! and I’m lazy and don’t want to spend hours looking for those special ingredients that thanks to google and great blogs like yours I can make at home. So hooray for crazy! thanks for sharing
I need this in my life — absolutely yummy snack with dips for football season :)
I’m with you–knowing exactly what goes into our foods is priceless. But I’m also with you on feeling free to grab a conventional product off the shelf from time to time. Cooking and eating should be fun after all, right?
Hi Deb!
Can I make them with olive oil? Can’t get virgin coconut oil here and my father is on a non-dairy diet Olive oil is the easiest to get my hands on. I would love to make them for my father. He is diabetic and there isn’t much option available where I live. Love your blog!!
I made them with honey rather than sugar for my toddler (1 tablespoon) and he LOVES them (they also seem to keep jumping into my mouth as well!). Thanks Deb for your wonderful recipes.
My efforts: http://bit.ly/S1VPCk
The wheat thins look so yummy, hopefully I will have time to make them with the kids over the weekend. Probably a double batch, so we’ll have some leftovers for school snacks! I’m so bummed, I just saw that your book signing in Wellesley is going to be a ticketed event, $40 (at least that does include a copy of your book, but I can’t wait until November 27th for it! And also the amazon price leaves me a few bucks for ingredients to immediately start trying recipes!)
Hi Brooke — They ended up having to ticket the event in Wellesley because it will help them cover the cost of having snacks for everyone. Unfortunately, many smaller bookstores cannot afford to lose money on purchases like the big online retailers do (when they charge way less than the list price) but it’s hard for them to afford to host events when people aren’t buying the books there. Nevertheless, the event the following evening in Brookline is free, so paying for a ticket is not the only option. Hope to see you at one or the other!
Alphacygni — I haven’t tried it with olive oil, but it certainly could work. Good luck!
june2 — Actually, I disagree. Although I think it is a wonderful thing if someone has the time or inclination to make things from scratch for their kids — or themselves! — I dislike the implication that it should be a mom’s job, or that if a mom doesn’t have time to make everything from scratch, she just should not have children. I think it’s a family’s job (dads too!) to introduce a child to a healthy, well-rounded diet and hardly think moms need more pressure to be perfect or to try to find 48 hours in a day to manage every detail of home life.
bhw — Sadly, I live in an apartment building so I lack a basement too. I hope it doesn’t come off as whining; I find it almost comical that a kitchen so tiny it is barely usable also manages to have a heating pipe running behind one of the two cabinets, wrecking havoc on most things inside. I love my kitchen anyway.
Speaking of my kitchen — We attempted to shoot a cookbook trailer in there today, so people can see exactly how petite it is. How small is it? The camera kept bumping my hand as I was chopping! :)
lea — I love my Cuisinart food processor but am always reticent to recommend things that I don’t thoroughly test out — I mean, I have never used another brand so have nothing to compare it to. But I suppose it’s a testament to its awesomeness that I’ve never felt the need to look elsewhere.
Kelly — Thanks! That’s awesome.
Laura — I fear I’m so inept at horticulture that I thought you meant that as a joke, as if there were frogs out there that could arrange flowers. Fortunately, I Googled and that thing is awesome! I’m totally going to track one down.
I am so excited for your cookbook! And for you to come to DC! Do you know when tickets will go on sale for the Tuesday night signing at the NPC?
I just made these with the “help” of my year-and-a-half old (he was great at poking the holes, and eating the dough). Truly, this is the easiest cracker recipe I’ve ever tried. Do you think cutting the sugar in half would change the chemistry or consistency too much? These are sweet like Wheat Thins, but I prefer a little less sugar.
I’m not wading through all 193 comments, but I just wanted to let you know I’ve made the “lavash” recipe from “Crumb & Crust” by Peter Reinhart using my pasta maker to roll it out thin.
It worked magnificently, except it got to the point where the fennel seeds started to not pass through the rollers and tear the dough. That wouldn’t be an issue for this recipe.
I wouldn’t do it any other way now.
Pretty little crackers!
Deb, thanks for the recipe. I had a couple bites of a store-bought cookie the other day and cringed–just not NEARLY as good as I can make, and with a funny not-food flavor.
So cheers for another homemade version of mainstream snacks. I love homemade crackers, and totally appreciate the inspiration and compatriotism.
Wheat thins are one of my favorite snacks!
I am so sad to miss your book signing in Wellesley! You must go to Blue Ginger while you are there, and take a walk around the Wellesley college campus. :)
If you take these wheat thins and enrobe them in melted mint chocolate you get thin mints.
Have you seen the copycat recipe for raincoast crisps? It’s not much harder than this, and those crackers are so expensive!
http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2009/01/27/rosemary-raisin-pecan-crisps/
I literally *just* took my first batch of your homemade goldfish crackers out of the oven, and came over to my computer to find this post! So exciting. I can’t wait to join you in the crazy homemade snacking goodness!
I know this seems like a silly question, but… what kind of thing do you eat with your Wheat Thins? Cheese? Dip? Jam? Nothing? We don’t have them in Australia and I’m not sure what you would serve them with.
Hey Deb
This looks delicious.
I just noticed something on book shops online, that your cook book is being offered with a different cover. It states that there are the same number of pages as the first one that appeared online for order, just a different cover.
Is anything else different with the new one?
Hi Candice — Can you show me the link? I know that the UK version will have a different cover (with a recipe for Gooey Cinnamon Squares, set up like a grid), and I think it is now available for preorder, but the release date on that is February 7, 2013. The US and Canadian editions should have the same cover (Tomato Shortcakes with Whipped Goat Cheese) and will both be out on October 30, 2012. Thanks.
Bea — I often snack on them plain, or for the toddler, maybe I’ll put a few out with some cheddar cheese (which he occasionally deigns to eat) and grapes.
I too was incredulous the first time I tried making Wheat Thins with vanilla extract. It seems like the weirdest ingredient to put in a savory cracker. But I went with it and–wow. They tasted just like store-bought wheat thins. I guess the vanilla gives it a slight boost of sweetness?
Anyway, I’m excited to try this recipe and compare it with the vanilla-added wheat thins I made before. Thanks!
I just love wheat thins and am so excited that you have posted this recipe! Maybe this will find its way to my next book club meeting. Won’t they be impressed?
This really is an awesome idea and so aligned with my desire to go totally unprocessed. I have to admit that sometimes actual whole meals are few and far between. So, a homemade snack like this would be just perfect to have on hand.
I wrote yesterday to say that I’d made these, and today an out-of-town guest visited and went gaga for them! So while she napped, I whipped up a new batch with cinnamon and sugar, to mimic the cinnamon Wheat Thins she’d missed when they were discontinued.
Deb, you’re a peach.
Aimee – I have had limited success with home-made gluten-free crackers. As a newly-diagnosed coeliac I would love some tips on which products you use and how you adapted this recipe – I miss my crackers!
Hi Deb,
I am a long-time fan, but I never comment. I had to today cause you really made me laugh. My friends think also think I am nuts when I talk about the homemade vinegar, ricotta, fruit roll-ups, and crackers– oh yes, the pasta machine works great!
If you’re ever in doubt about why you do things from scratch, just ask your son where pizza comes from. I suspect his answer would be a lot more colorful than cardboard box! He is learning a lot about food and pleasure and additives without you saying a word. Just my opinion….
I am also writing for with a long overdue THANK YOU. Thanks for the scalloped tomatoes, stout cake, barley salad, the broccoli salad, the oatmeal cookies, the peanut butter cookies,graham crackers– oh, I could go on and on. My family thanks you, and I thank you. I look forward to sharing the pleasure you bring me with my loved ones when a certain new cookbook comes out!!!!
So Im new to your website Deb, a few weeks ago anyway, and I have found myself sneeking into my ipad at night to check out recipes to try for the next day, sick I know. I just have to say that I, no longer secretly, used to want to be Martha Stewart, but I have a new role model. This web-place is heaven for many of us, Thank you!
Oh yum yum. I used to make crackers all the time then, for some reason, I stopped making them. Seeing this made me want to start up again. Then my daughter sent me a note after she read the post reminding me that one of the last times I made crackers, I had a frightful accident.
I used to roll the dough right in a sheet pan as my rolling pin fit exactly and I could get the dough all the way into the corner, the dough was always flat and even and square. Then I used a rolling cutter to cut the crackers to size and I would pierce them in the pan. they shrink during baking and didn’t stick together. Perfect! It worked like a charm until – that fateful day so long ago. I didn’t notice that the near end of the sheet pan was just off the end of the counter and when my rolling pin came down to that end, well, up came the other end and hit me smack – right in the forehead. OUCH! I do admit I laughed uproariously at myself at the time but it might have been the last time I made crackers like this.
I am MUCH older and somewhat wiser now so maybe it’s time to try it again. Thanks for all you share, Deb.
I do not think you are crazy. I’ve seen what we use to flavor processed foods. I will now be making these. I can’t wait.
I just made these little crackers! Sprinkled extra salt and sesame seeds on top. Just wonderful, had them with roasted red pepper hummus. But maybe I rolled them too thin I think,and of course burned the first batch… Anyway, I will make them so many more times it doesn´t matter.
How crisp do these come out? Is there any way other than making them thinner to make them crispier?
Hi Anne — They are crisp, especially when thin.
Tried these and they are perfect. They are great straight from the oven but I would almost say better the next day.
You are correct, Deb. This is the UK edition you mentioned.
http://www.bookdepository.com/Smitten-Kitchen-Cookbook-Deborah-Perelman/9780224095785
Both covers are so pretty!
Candice — Wonderful! And another new book cover is coming for the UK. It was just changed today. :)
Okay – so – I just made these. A few comments, if I may…
Ingredients: I had to sub in some W/W pastry flour for some of (a greater proportion of) the flour, and did half butter and half olive oil. It didn’t take all the water called for. Cut back a little on the sugar; used table salt in the dough, but dusted with popcorn salt for the tops. Added some rosemary to one sheet to compliment the olive oil.
Technique: I did use my pasta roller. No doubt about it – the easiest way to get these really thin. I didn’t even have to dock them and didn’t need any extra flour for rolling. I laid out the long strips on the parchment, then just cut them with a pizza cutter – nice, rustic cuts and left the ‘rough’ edges on.
Anyway, the first impression for me, tastewise, was ‘pie crust’. It reminded me of pie crust. Hmm… not quite what I expected. I don’t particularly care for a ‘sweeter’ cracker, so next time, I’ll either cut the sugar in half or maybe even more.
These are cute as a button on a plate with cheese bites; and all in all, a great idea and a good recipe. Thank you for sharing.
I was tickled that your book was one of the incentive prizes for donating to our local public radio station. Three cheers for two of my favorite things!
you read my mind!! I’ve been CRAVING , and thinking about making, wheat thins for the past week. Mmmm!
Oh, what a delight to read that first Deb, and then not one, but many of her followers are fellow dishwasher loading fanatics like myself! I must say, the tetris music is a nice touch!
What a divine recipe! I love making my own crackers for the little ones (and myself!) and I was looking for a wheat thins recipe or something similar (we’ll omit the sugar:). Thanks to thefauxmartha for bringing me here!
Ever since I was little, I’ve been beyond addicted to Wheat Thins…I can literally eat an entire family sized, double bag box in one sitting (gosh I’m a glutton!).
I can’t wait to try this recipe out!
how cool are you!!! makin’ wheat thins like it’s nothin’.
I’m just making these now and they roll out BEAUTIFULLY with a pasta roller. They’ve come out thin and crisp. So yummy.
Thank you for sharing!
I’m so going to have to try these. But I will have to figure out how to make them gluten free. Wheat Thins were one of my most favorite things prior to diagnosis of Celiac Disease.
No dishwasher here but I love refrigeratorTetris!
They turned out great (I used the pasta maker too), but 60 ml water were a lot too much. I used about 20 ml and seasalt with herbs to sprinkle on top.
http://heartcooksbrainblog.blogspot.de/2012/10/dinkel-butter-cracker.html
Thank you!
These are cooling and are as easy as you say. Floral frogs often contain lead, to make them heavy enough to support flowers, so should not be used for cooking.
These came out great with wholegrain spelt flour. I moved fast and made 3 batches, not concerned with how neat they were. taste great.
Ohmygod these look just like what I’ve been thinking we need for a cracker binge. Now I just have to make them.
http://www.thehappypotato.com/#/blog/4555120205/whole-wheat-crackers/3629023
or here even (sometimes, I am a worry to myself!Apologies)
To.Die.For.
I made these and blogged about them!
http://myninjanaan.wordpress.com/2012/10/04/homemade-wheat-thins/
Oh Deb, as if your flatbreads weren’t enough of an addiction! Also, I’ve been really sick for the past week and absolutely longing for crackers–saltines, wheat thins, Jacob’s Cream Crackers–as anything that’s not a buttery cracker is impossible to find in France. You have made the impossible possible! Merci énormément, :)
These taste almost exactly like Wheat Thins. Those used to be my favorite cracker but they are of course not available in the UK. You have made me so happy being able to make them myself!
Thank you! I love homemade everything but these crackers are one of our favorite packaged foods. I can’t wait to try them!
Why did you give me a homemade recipe for these? I can eat a whole box in a sitting. And Henna’s “to die for” comment means these must be just as good. Can’t wait to try them.
Thank you for inspiring my blog! Love your photos!
Glad I doubled the batch! I used the comment to roll out right on the cookie sheet, worked great. A surprising really good use for these, created by my 7 yo granddaughter, is for mini ice cream sandwiches! Try it.
Deb, these cracker are not the first thing I baked from your site and all recipes are just perfect. Plus, you have the funniest blog ever.
Regards from Switzerlan
Sarah
I tried out the pasta machine suggestion, and it was brilliant. You have to keep the dough floured, like pasta, or the texture goes off, but it holds together really well even when very thin. I even made it too thin… they’re not as crunchy when too thin. I also got the rolled-out dough to have a better shape at the edges than when I did it by hand; if you start on the widest setting to make a sheet, then fold and rotate 90 degrees and repeat that a few times, it comes out pretty square. Without enough flour it tended to feather more at the edges, by the way.
I rolled them all out in the time it took the first batch to cook, so if you already have the machine, it’s way faster… and they cooked more evenly, too.
Hi Deb! When you said that you took pride and pleasure in fitting every dish into the dishwasher while humming tetris I knew I had to stop by and say SO DO I! (except, I don’t know the tetris theme song. But I’d hum it if I did).
:D
I liked this recipe. Just what I needed to go with my homemade flavored cream cheese.
These crackers are delicious! I made them to go with a cheese ball on Thanksgiving Day. Thanks so much.
Cyndi – I also have a Cuisinart food processor, which my parents got for me over 30 years ago! At first, I didn’t use it much, but now I reach for it several times each week. It’s totally reliable – I’ve never had any problems with it – and it really gets the job done fast. You’ll just have to fiddle with it at first to learn its ways – I made a good deal of unwanted “flour” and Puree until I got the hang of pulsing! I also replaced a full-sized multi-speed blender with a stick blender, and have never regretted it. For milkshakes and the like, you just need a deep, narrow container, but most of the time I’m pureeing soup or roasted veg mixtures. It’s the best of both worlds, and the stick blender stores in a drawer or stands in a corner.
Deb – I keep my whole wheat and white whole wheat flours in large Lock-and-Lock containers in the freezer, since I also had them go rather rancid on me (they contain more oil than white flours). So far (after about five years), they have kept fine, and can be used right out of the freezer.
And finally, I’m all about crackers with nothing but the good stuff you can taste in them, so I’m all over this recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Great recipe, but two questions: I don’t know if it was mentioned above, but mine got bubble-like hills on them while cooking, and don’t look that professional. Can this be avoided? The other thing is, that mine were much more red, but probably because I used original Hungarian paprika. (There isn’t any other kind around, since I live in Hungary). And also a lot of it.
Just made these. They were so easy and delicious! I can’t believe I didn’t make these sooner!
Hey Deb!
I saw somewhere that whole-wheat/grain stuff should be stored in the fridge, because it has some kind of fat [the kernely-grainy-thingamabob?] that can go rancid- like in nuts! So I keep my whole-grain flours, bran and germ in the fridge- though you need to have room in the fridge :/
Hi! Really like this recipe. I experimented a little and added some pepper, garlic powder and rosemary. Yum! The flavor was great but I used a pasta machine and unfortunately made them just a little too thin. I also found that if I cooked them a couple of minutes longer, until they begin to get a little color, they taste even better. I’m definitely going to try this again and make them a little thicker. Ps… They are awesome dipped in tzatziki! Thanks for the recipe!
I don’t know if anyone addressed this already (sorry if I missed it in the comments!) but is there any way to do this sans food processor?
Just tried them and i love them, sooo easy to make, just with my hands, ready in 15 min and then you can start baking! I even prefer them a little bit “thicker” :)
@danielle, I don’t even have a food processor, I melted the butter and it was no problem!
Made these tonight using my pasta roller. I found my machine handled the dough well up until setting 5. Eating my delicious wheat thins now. Thank you for the recipe!
I wanted to try these with whole wheat pastry flour (bob’s redmill) , as well as coconut oil and honey (all in place of regular whole wheat flour, butter and sugar) – do you suspect it will come out “somewhat” the same? I understand the coconut oil may alter the taste slightly but that’s ok. I have been using whole wheat pastry flour for ALL recipes now and it seems to be a lot better then regular whole wheat flour. The density is very different. It’s the way they grind it (stone ground) and the milling processes – pretty cool. Also I saw your comment about your flour going bad. I keep all my flours in the freezer, as well as nuts, seeds, almond meal, etc – my mom taught me that trick. They last MUCH longer then in a pantry and no insects!
I’ve made several variations of this recipe:
1) as directed with whole wheat flour & butter,
2) with spelt flour,
3) spelt flour mixed with flax seed meal,
4) Bob’s RedMill gluten-free flour and flax seed meal and substituting virgin coconut oil for the butter.
All of them came out perfectly. I actually liked the gluten-free, non-dairy version the best.
Great recipe!
These look lovely. I don’t currently have any paprika, do you think they will still be good without it?
Made these today and now will never be able to eat the boxed ones again.
I made these and they turned out great! I tried out the pasta roller and they were actually TOO thin on the thinnest setting. So I tried the next sheet out rolling them to the second to thinnest setting and still kinda thin. More like wafers. So I think next time I will do the third thinnest setting. All in all, very good! I would add a hint extra salt, though. Thank you so much for this!!! Will be making these all the time!
1. I replaced the water with juice from salt-free canned tomatoes and added dried Italian Herb mixture. AMAZING!! (I did have to add a tad bit more water, but it’s easy to tell when it’s right when using a food processor).
2. Using the larger grained kosher salt helps increase the salty flavor without having to add extra salt.
3. Roll out directly on a silicone baking mat. You don’t need any extra flour this way and you just transfer the mat onto a baking sheet! No mess!
Thanks!
These are so good! I added garilc and onion powders and parmesan cheese.
Just tried these and they were great! I tried to use the pasta maker for the dough, but it didn’t hold up. Wasn’t hard to roll out though.
These turned out SO awesome! I’ve been eating clean/homemade food for about 4 months now and have NEVER felt better in my life. I have tried several homemade crackers, but these are the only ones my kids love. Thanks!!!
I made these last night & they turned out pretty good! Transferring the little cut up squares was a pain so on the 2nd batch I moved the whole rectangle over & cut them with a pizza cutter on the cookie sheet! It was waaaaay easier for me that way. I didn’t even tear them apart but they separated just enough while cooking. Oh and THIN, yes, roll them thinnnnnn. :) thanks! Going to try the Oreos tonight!
I just made these…with brown butter. Browned the butter, cooled it to hard, then re-weighed the butter before proceeding. I was about 20 g short (water loss during browning, probably), so I added another 20 grams of regular butter to the food processor, to make sure I had enough moisture. Fantastic result, marvelous taste. Brown the butter!
Hi there!
I just stumbled upon this recipe and am very excited to give it a try. I tried to copy and paste it into a word doc so that I could print it out to make them but for some reason when I copy and paste it the formatting gets all messed up. Do you have a printable version of the recipe? Thanks so very much and I can’t wait to make them!
Hi Brenda — Yes. At the bottom of each recipe, before the comments begin, there’s a “Print” link that will take you to a one- or two-page template.
Hi Deb – apologies if this was already asked. How crispy do the crackers get? Do they break off easily when bitten or are they rock hard crispy?
TIA (thanks in advance)
Ruby — I’d say they’re the same as the boxed, maybe a degree less crispy (because they’re not fried).
absolutely delicious
I know you have tons of posts and may or may not get to mine, but hey thought I might put my support. I too am crazy for the homemade treat isle, if I see it on a shelf I know there is a way to make it at home. I havn’t tried these yet, but sound perfect for the gift basket I am making for a friend that can’t eat sweets. If you have any more ideas for me please let me know. Thank you these look gorgous.
Thank you. In the first paragraph, I link to a bunch of homemade versions of storebought treats I’ve previously made on this site, from goldfish crackers to ice cream sandwiches. Hope that gives you more inspiration!
I don’t have a food processor as of yet. Do I really need one for this or can I use an electric mixer?
The second paragraph of the directions explains how to make them “by hand,” or without a food processor.
I just made these and OMG they are delicious!! I added fresh basil and parmesan to the top. I remember when Wheat Thins made that particular kind and they were my favorite but they do not make them anymore, but I will!! I used about 1 1/2 tbs fresh basil and 3/4 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese (not the grated in a container kind, fresh brick). I mixed them together with my immersion blender to get the two blended properly and then sprinkled it on top of the crackers before baking. I added the extra salt to this as well.
I am soooo making these for Thanksgiving and they will be part of my Christmas goodie baskets this year!
Just made these they are fantastic and real fast and easy compered to what I thought it would take to make crackers I looked at several sites before staring my cracker project. rejected most becese the results did not look like crackers I would want to eat or had ingredients not in my possession. tied one and failed miserably – mostly my fault. the found this recipe and it is as I said terrific. Not like the package yammerer!!
Hi! Found your blog via Google, and wanted to drop a note to say how fun you are, and such a great writer! Now I’m going to go make your wheat thins.
I made an oat, honey, and almond version of this cracker, and while the flavor is really good, I think there was too much water for my oat flour. Nor do I think I rolled them thin enough, sadly. Guess that means I get to try again. Oh, what a shame. Lol
I just made these and they were amazing! I made then vegan, with earth balance and it worked perfectly! Thanks for sharing:)
Lots of feedback proves this recipe must be awesome. I shall definitely give it a try.
I love homemade stuff, you know what food you are eating. Thanks for sharing and will come back with my experience.
Thank you. They were so easy and delicious!
These turned out so well, thanks for the recipe! Also I totally hum the tetris music too whenever I’m trying to fit things into the cabinets, fridge, etc., haha.
Deb,
Your powers in the kitchen never cease to amaze me. I’ve been looking for a good recipe for brownie brittle that I run across when I’m at Costco: http://browniebrittle.com/
I’ve yet to find one that’s right. Have you ever had the stuff? Sinfully good. But I’d feel better about a treat that’s been made at home without the corn syrup and preservatives.
You’re so good at recreating processed foods at home, I thought I’d see if you could put your powers to work on my favorite sweet treat!
Josie — Is it candy-ish like brittle or is it more of a flat, crisp brownie?
Hi! I am about to try this recipe. I can’t wait to see how they turn out. A little tip, in case no one has mentioned it: I roll homemade cracker dough directly onto a silicone mat, cut lines on it with a plastic knife, and transfer the mat onto the baking sheet. Saves a ton of time, and they always turn out fantastic.
Hi Deb!
I made these a few weeks ago, and LOVED them. I followed your recipe exactly, except for adding a bit of onion powder as you suggested. I also tried using a pasta machine for rolling the dough out thin enough. It worked well for thinness, but I almost liked using an old-fashioned rolling pin better. Sometimes I just don’t like those newfangled kitchen gadgets :)
I made a simple smoked fish dip to eat these lovely crackers with, and linked to this recipe on my page.
Thanks for all you do! smitten kitchen is amazing!
Bless you for including ingredients in grams.
This was awesome!! I made these yesterday and everyone loved it.. And going to try these adding different flavours!! Thank you
Great recipe! After all the exhortations I rolled the first lot almost TOO thin, but the next tray were perfect. Really delicious! Only problem is stopping at eating 1 or 2….
Maybe a touch sweet for eating with savoury, anyone tried making with less sugar? Will they brown and crisp up with less, do you think?
Totally delicious! I will roll them a bit thinner next time, the thinner ones in my batch were a bit better.
look yummy…gonna make some tonite!
BS”D
Thank you so much for posting this recipe and for the detailed directions!
I used a ravioli stamp to cut them out and they turned out incredibly well! They were easy and fun to make, delicious and they were tender but strong enough to scoop up hummus…although they were so tasty I just wanted to eat them plain!
Thanks again, and happy baking!!
P.S. I used Earth Balance margarine instead of butter since I didn’t want to make them dairy…and they turned out really well, thank goodness!!
I replaced the butter with same amount of coconut oil and they turned to perfect and tasty!!
My wife was craving a cheese plate the night we got back from our honeymoon, but we had no crackers or bread! I found your recipe and made some slight mods (half coconut oil for butter, white flour, and our own spice mix for starters) and shared the recipe on our site (url linked in my name). Thank for this recipe, it was a great start for what we were looking for, and helped out in a pinch!
So glad I found this! Darling son walked off with daughter’s wheat thins :(, but I have just enough wheat flour from the bread I just made to make this recipe :) Thanks!
i just made these in about 40minutes total with clean up and help from my 5 year old. Made a double batch with 2 parts white to 1 part whole wheat. Easy and fabulous!
These are delicious! Thanks so much! All your recipes are fantastic! You’re the best. :o)
Deb, I’m obsessed with your homemade version of snack-aisle favorites!! Made the goldfish this week which were an amazing hit with my ten month old and hubby and trying wheat thins tonight. Can you please share more homemade snack-aisle favorites?! :)
Dock with a fork, makes for pretty patters and its easy!
It saves a LOT of time if you roll them onto a piece of Parchment paper. Just put on cookie sheet and easy to take off! Just wanted to share. Thanks for the recipe!!
$300 for a pair of jeans!? Surely you jest.
Made these today and they were great! A couple of tips — I used the pasta roller but since whole wheat flour doesn’t develop gluten like white flour does, the dough was much different than noodle dough. So I had to cut it into small pieces, roll it semi- thin with the rolling pin and then finish making it nice and thin with the pasta roller. I then laid the long, rectangular strips on the baking trays, pricked with a fork, cut into squares with a ravioli cutter (fluted pastry cutter), salted and baked. My oven runs cool so it took SIGNIFICANTLY longer than 7 minutes. These crisp as they cool but make sure they are totally done before taking out. In my oven I took almost 13 minutes.
And I had trouble making the salt stick to the crackers. Has anyone tried brushing the crackers with water, then blotting before salting? I’ve had some success in other cracker recipes with that method.
My children were requiring IRS W-3 yesterday and learned about a web service that hosts 6,000,000 forms . If others require IRS W-3 too , here’s Fillable 2012 W-3
A tiny bit of H2O, or better yet, scant butter to the tops before adding salt makes a difference!
A Kitchen-Aid moixer pasts attachment is great for rolling thin and even.
Substitute 3/4 cup regular flour and 1/2 cup rye for a different taste.
GREAT RECIPIE!!!
If you aren’t getting the crackers thin enough for your tastes, try rolling out the dough a quarter at a time.
Deb do you think I could use white whole wheat flour for these? Bought a huge bag for a cake and I’m not sure how to employ it!
So nice to see this and i will be making them later today for fun! My mom, made home made crackers that tasted amazing but mostly for my dad who was a diabetic. She substituted bananas or apples for the sugar and experimented with the amount until she had a beautiful flat munchie cracker. Haven’t thought of this for years… thank you
I love this recipe! I use my manual pasta machine to roll the crackers out and it works really well. I love making crackers and unless I’m making gluten-free ones (sticky and no gluten to hold it together, so it falls apart in the machine), I use my pasta machine to get an even, thin cracker. The only thing to watch out for is your kitchen temperature- if it’s hot in your kitchen or a very hot day, you should chill the dough before rolling it out with a pasta machine. I’ve learned the hard way that warm dough equals a gummed-up machine.
I know this is an old recipe but wanted to let you know that I tried these over the weekend. I was trying for the new oat version of wheat thins they have out, by replacing some of the flour with oat flour and adding flax seed. I also added a little honey to the water mixture because I couldn’t find dried honey on short notice. I also added a splash of vanilla too. I loved them. they still tasted just like wheat thins. next time I think I will sub the white sugar for brown and see if that leads me to the flavor of the oat wheat thins. or maybe toasting the oats? Thanks again for the base recipe. I know this isn’t your exact recipe but wanted to thank you for the measurements, cooking time, tips and salting the heck out of them. :-)
These were delicious. I patted the dough into a log, wrapped it with plastic wrap and put in the fridge until it became cold so firm. Then I sliced it thin and baked. This is much easier than rolling the dough out. I used brown sugar instead of white because that is what I had on hand.
So I did this in the food processor – it required just a tiny bit more water – and then rolled it out directly onto a preheated baking stone to avoid transferring the delicate rolled dough from one surface to another. I saw that trick on another website’s recipe, and while I was skeptical that it would make rolling difficult, it actually wasn’t bad! I might have to try the pasta roller technique next time, just for comparison. Delicious crackers!
Made your recipe today,so easy and taste next time I will add half the sugar
I think I love you! OMG, did not know such wonders existed. After I make the wheat thins, I will make refrigerator wafers (to dip in milk!) and maybe to make refrigerator cake, oreos ( I won’t even bother with the filling, I always scrape it off!), and maybe even the gold fish. You are my hero! Seriously, who wants to eat the crap they put in store versions? It’s pretty gross if you think about it. So I have been doing without (except for triscuits) for years. Thank you, thank you, thank you. My friends already know I’m nuts. Now I can be nuts and fat!
Just finished making these, wondering if I will share, they are very yummy! crisper than the commercial version! thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing the recipe!
I really appreciate recipes like these, of homemade American snacks. Being an American living in Australia, I someone’s miss my old favorite snacks. I had forgotten all about these tasty little crackers. I used to buy them all the time. Now, if you could please make a recipe for rosemary Triscuits, if be even happier.
I made these today, and they are really good! I did add a little bit of chopped rosemary because I was trying to find a way to use it, I have tons…reduced the sugar. Doubled the recipe. The question, however, is how can these keep for a week? We have gone through half already!
I made these today for the second time. This time, I rolled TJ’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning into the dough for a fun variation. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
The vanilla gives the proper wheat thins flavor and does not taste like vanilla. Roll the dough between parchment. Peel off top paper. Cut dough with pizza cutter on the parchment. Used fork to dock. Place parchment on baking sheet and bake. No need to remove from parchment or separate crackers.
This is a genius suggestion – I trimmed the sides of some batches to get even crackers, left the raggedy sides for others, but just rolling & cutting on the parchment and putting the whole thing in the oven made it SO EASY to knock out a bunch of crackers in a short time!
I have absolutely made crackers by rolling them through a pasta machine – so worth it! Especially because when you make crackers it’s a good idea to make a LOT of them.
I was quite happy to come across this older recipe. I am allergic to Wheat Thins due to their use of annatto for color, and in crackers it tends to make my lips swell. I’m definitely curious to try making these sometime.
Have you tried making these with olive oil instead of butter? Or a combo? If so, what would the quantities be?
It should work just fine with a 1:1 swap.
I made these today, with a combo of plain (all-purpose) flour, strong wholewheat and buckwheat (ca. 40/40/20%). I added a drizzle of olive oil to the dough, chopped rosemary and black pepper. Instead of cutting into squares I used a small fluted cutter and sprinkled with Maldon before they went in the oven. They were delicious! Controversially, I actually preferred the slightly thicker ones…I think because they stayed in shape a touch better than the very thin ones.
Amazing! Really easy in the food processor and they have a browned butter taste!
Honestly, these were so close to the Nabisco store-bought ones, to which I am ADDICTED since I lived in the US. I am now back in Europe where you can’t get them easily. Until recently an American store in France sold them (for a hefty price, of course), but now even this has been banned due to some plastic softener in the packaging. Wheat thin catastrophe! But then I discovered your recipe and let me tell you: all is good now. They are definitely worth the effort!. You made me very happy. These with a hunk of great French blue cheese and a glass of wine or whiskey…. what more can one ask for. But it is definitely true: you DO need to prick them!
Having just read Dr Chris van Tulleken’s ‘Ultra-Processed People’, I suspect that your confidence in shop-bought crackers being as good for us as the home-made sort may be misplaced.
It’s not the colouring that makes the difference (turmeric being a common and readily available curry spice) but the unnecessary sugars, flour ‘enrichers’, emulsifiers etc: all those additives that aren’t in even a keen cook’s store cupboard. See https://oureverydaylife.com/294567-ingredients-in-wheat-thins.html – and do read the book, too; it’s eye-opening.
I did not know until this moment that you had a recipe for crackers so i have not yet made them, BUT I HAVE made the cooks illustrated crackers and i always use my pasta roller. I roll as thin as i can, usually about a 5 or 6 on the kitchen aid pasta attachment, and bake in long pieces and then break up after baking into fancy rustic shapes that normally cost $10 for a box of five crackers!