Easy DIY crackers

C is a carb fiend. Always has been. I’m pretty sure the third word he learned was “crack-a,” preceded only by “no” and “uh-oh” (clearly, he got the important words out of the way early). Amazingly, I think these are still the words that he uses the most – read into that what  you will.

Since we always seemed to have a box of crackers lying around for him, I thought it would be fun to make some at home. Not only healthier, but much cheaper. The version I made tasted Wheat Thins, only better. I’d imagine you can probably add other stuff like herbs to the dough to make them fancier if you want.

Homemade Crackers

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• dash of paprika
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the butter, and cut into the flour using a fork or pastry blender, until the mixture resembles large crumbs. Combine the water and vanilla, then incorporate into the flour mixture just until a good dough forms – over-mixing could result in tougher crackers.

On a floured surface or parchment paper, roll the dough out as thin as possible. It’s probably easier to roll it out onto whatever you’ll be baking it on, so you don’t have to move the flat dough. With a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into rough squares, or triangles, or whatever shape you prefer. Sprinkle with a little additional salt.

Bake at 400 F for 7-12 minutes – you’ll have to figure out what works best for you through trial and error. The first batch I made was in the oven for about 7 minutes because I know something this thin will burn fast if you’re not careful, and they were a little soft in the middle. The second batch was in for 10 minutes, but the middle pieces were still a little soft, probably because I didn’t get them as thin as the first batch. They’ll also crisp up just a little more as they cool.

These should keep for several days, though they haven’t made it more than one in our house yet.

Looking for some more options?

• Try these gluten free goldfish crackers from Thank Your Body, or if not crackers, how about these healthy traveling snacks?