This post was updated to include new step-by-step photos on 2-25-2020.
Homemade Crackers may sound complicated, but trust me, they're really not. Making these crackers at home is easy and well worth the effort. The perfectly flaky texture and the rich buttery flavor make these homemade crackers way better than store bought!
Crackers don't need to be an after-thought. These particular crackers are definitely worthy of their own place on your menu. In fact, I made them, and then decided afterward that I needed to make some soup to accompany them. Not the other way around. Sadly, eating plain crackers didn't seem like a completely respectable decision. While making homemade crackers may sound daunting, or as if they would require much more work than they're worth, rest assured, they're really quite easy. No weird ingredients or fancy kitchen gadgets needed (although a food processor is very helpful).
Basically, you make a dough similar to pie crust dough with added baking powder, and then roll it out and cut out the crackers like you would sugar cookies. Feel free to play around and make the whatever shape you want. If you've only got heart-shaped cookie cutters, go for it! Just make sure to poke some holes. I happen to have some fluted biscuit cutters laying around, which made for some cute Ritz-like shapes. The only "trick" is rolling the dough thin, and I mean thin. As thin as you possibly can. While they'll still be buttery and delectable if you roll it too thick, you'll end up with what I can only describe as a perfectly dainty little biscuit for an American Girl doll tea party. (I didn't actually use my thick ones for a doll tea party, but let's be honest- it did cross my mind.)
These homemade crackers are buttery crisp and the perfect snack, or accompaniment to a delicious bowl of soup, like Loaded Baked Potato Soup. Mine look a lot like a homemade Ritz cracker because of their shape (I feel like round crackers are cuter than rectangular ones), but they actually taste exactly like Club crackers which are my personal favorite store-bought crackers. If you're looking for dry, cardboard-like crackers, these are not for you. These homemade crackers are light, crisp, flaky, and buttery.
Homemade Crackers
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 75-100 crackers 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ⅔ cup cold water
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- coarsely ground sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place flour, baking powder, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.
3. Add butter and pulse to combine.
4. Add vegetable oil and pulse to combine.
5. With food processor on low speed, slowly drizzle in the water until the dough begins to form a ball.
6. Remove dough from food processor and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest for 10 minutes.
7. Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one half of the dough as thin as possible. (Thinner than pie crust if possible, thin like crepes works best.)
8. Cut the dough into your desired shapes with a cookie cutter, or cut rectangles or squares with a knife or pizza cutter and arrange on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat baking mat or parchment paper.
9. Repeat with remaining dough. Gather scraps of dough and re-roll until all dough is used. (If you struggle to get the dough to roll thin enough, let it rest for another 10 minutes, then come back to it. The gluten may need to relax a bit.)
10. Using a toothpick, prick several holes in each cracker. (Don't skip this step- you will not have nice, flat crackers if you don't.)
11. Bake 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown.
12. Remove from oven, brush the tops with melted butter, and immediately sprinkle with coarsely ground sea salt. (If you don't sprinkle the salt on the melted butter right away, it won't stick.)
13. Remove from baking sheets and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
huntfortheverybest
they look better than store bought!
Abbie
These crackers look so perfectly delicious! I definitely have to try them sometime.
Pinning!
Elin
Thanks for sharing. I will definitely try making these crackers , they look perfect :)
Rebecca Ferguson
I made these yesterday and they're amazing! How long can they be kept for?
mandyjoy
I saved a few from being devoured and tried them several days later and they were still really good, just not quite as crispy (but definitely not soggy). I would try and eat them up within 5 days.
I am so glad you like them! Thanks so much for visiting my site.
tannachtonfarm
Definitely going to try making these. My family likes the Keebler brand which has ingredients we are trying to avoid. BUT, they like them, so weaning them off is going to be a challenge! Thank you for posting this recipe.
Lilly Chase
Could I use a mixer if I don't have a food processor? Or my hannds?
Mandy
You could definitely use your hands. It is certainly a bit quicker to use a food processor, but the end result is just as great!
Valerie
Easy to prepare by hand, too, however, we felt they had more of an oyster cracker/Saltine flavor. Delicious, but not quite buttery enough to us to be a club cracker. Still, we liked them -- thank you for sharing!
Mandy
Thanks so much, Valerie! I wonder why mine tasted so much like a Club cracker but yours didn't? Thanks for visiting!
angela
My dough ended up a little like bread dough rather than pie dough and when I cut out the shapes, the dough would contract and alter the shape. Am i doing something wrong?
Mandy
Have you tried leaving the dough alone for about 15 minutes? That lets the gluten relax and should be easier to roll out.
FAUZIA
Thanks for sharing this AMAZING recipe! Just made them they are delicious and the combinations can be endless. I just baked mine with Parmesan cheese and brushed it with rosemary infused butter! Just WOW!
Mandy
Thanks so much! I am definitely going to try the Parmesan and rosemary next time. Sounds wonderful! Thanks so much for visiting my site!
Ann
The recipe is great. My kids and I loved it. Thanks so much!
Mandy
Thanks so much! I'm so glad you liked it.
Maureen
Looks amazing! The whole idea for making my own butter crackers is to get away from the very destructive plant oils. Would it work to replace the 2 T. veg oil. with more butter? I don't see why not as I know our great grandmothers only used animal fats, since plant oils historically never existed until 1900. I'm making for Easter, and you've givme the great idea to cut into bunny and chick shapes. Delicious AND fun! ???
Laura Nielsen
Maureen, I just made these with all butter (no vegetable oil) and they turned out great!!! Just thought you'd like to know that it can definitely be done. :)
Lisa Harrison
Hello,
I made this recipe today, very good. I noticed that if you do not brush the butter on top they do have a taste more like a saltine, but add butter on top and just get them lightly toasted they have a great buttery cracker taste. Also, I tried this recipe with a angle biscuit thickness, which is a small biscuit. Oh my goodness, this recipe makes a very tasty biscuit! :)
Jackie
Going to try this as soon as the heat backs off - Wondering how many crackers this recipe makes?
Mandy
The quantity could vary widely depending on how thin you roll the dough and how large your cutter is. Mine were about the size of a silver dollar and I roll them very thin so I end up with at least 50 crackers every time.
Caty
Do you think you could put this dough through a cookie press? Guess I'm a bit lazy! :)
Mandy
I wouldn't recommend it. The dough needs to be rolled very thin. A cookie press would likely make more of a biscuit than a cracker.
Emily
Can I use butter substitute instead of the real thing?
Mandy
Hi Emily,
I can't say for sure if it would work to use a butter substitute because I have not tried it. It might work, but I suspect there would be a big difference in the overall texture and quality of the crackers. If you try it, let me know how it goes!
Sue
Made a half batch of this recipe quickly this morning for a family function. I got 5 dozen small round biscuits. They were lovely and light and crisp - perfect for dips and just to snack on. It is essential to roll the dough thinly otherwise they won’t be crisp. Also don’t skip putting the butter snd salt on after cooking either. Definitely recommend this recipe.
★★★★★
Joni
I never leave comments, but I had to for this. My kids, due to dietary restrictions, must have everything homemade and as organic as possible. I’m always on the lookout to normalize their lives a little by making whatever possible that they cannot have store bought. I didn’t have the highest expectations with this recipe because it looked so simple, and because how can anyone actually replicate ritz crackers?! Somehow, against all odds in the universe you’ve made this happen! I used less flour than it called for so it was quite sticky, then dusted it with ample flour as I rolled it. I also gave them a plentiful bath of butter at the end and used extra fine Himalayan salt to coat. Some pieces were rolled time and time again for the cutouts, and yet still they all came out better than store bought! I am in awe. Thank you!
★★★★★
Wendy
Hi I’ve made them back to back weekends for my family so yummy. I added cheese to make s some chez it inspired and them also a batch with parsley and onion and garlic. So good!! Done with box snacks. It feels good to put in the extra work to take care of my family.
Valerie Russell
These are great! The dough was really soft, but I just rolled it out with extra flour. So yummy and buttery. I added half the sugar as I did not want a sweet cracker. I pricked with a fork- no need to waste a toothpick. I rolled them onto the silpat, sliced with the pizza cutter (gently), and popped them in the oven. Much faster than using a cookie cutter, though not nearly as cute.
★★★★★
Chloe
Could I use salted butter instead of unsalted?
Mandy
Absolutely, just keep in mind that you might want to go a bit light on the finishing salt to compensate, however I love a salty cracker and wouldn't complain if it was a bit heavy on the saltiness either. I hope you enjoy!
Katelyn
I plan on trying this recipe I'm just wondering if it can be adapted to incorporate cheese to make a homemade goldfish cracker. None of the goldfish recipes I've tried come out airy enough they are so dense. This definitely looks like a better recipe but I feel the cheese might throw off the ratios. Maybe replacing most of the butter?
Mandy
I have not tested this recipe that way, so I can't say for sure. Let me know if you try it though!
Sarah
Dear Mandy,
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
I used White Whole Wheat flour and the crackers came out lovely!
The dough is easy to work with. I mixed it with my hands (the butter) and everything else with a spatula.
I forgot to dust them with butter and add the salt, next time I won't forget God willing ;) .
I was worried about the flavor, because of that mistake, but again, they taste delicious.
I want to add that it is very important to to remember we all depend on the quality and freshness of all the ingredients that we use.
I read one reply of a girl saying something about the flavor, and made me think about this. For example, every butter tastes different.
Again, thanks Mandy!
Blessings!
★★★★★