Homemade Crackers Recipe (Only 4 Ingredients)
I make a batch of these homemade crackers every time I have guests coming over. They’re incredibly crispy. They can be eaten on their own but are great paired with cheese or with a dip. Are these better than store-bought crackers? You better believe it!
Have you ever started out making one thing and it turned out to be something else entirely?
I recently did this, and my unintentional result was crispy, rustic, totally delicious homemade crackers.
Awhile back, I bought the cookbook Grilled Pizzas and Piadinas by Craig Priebe (check it out if you love creative pizza ideas!) There, I discovered the world of piadinas, a thin Italian flatbread, almost like a tortilla.
When I made piadinas for the first time, I had some leftover dough, and decided to roll it out real thin and bake it on a baking sheet to see what would happen.
The result? A super-thin, crisp, and flavorful cracker that is – in my opinion – much more interesting and certainly less expensive than most packaged crackers.
They’re made with 4 basic ingredients you probably already have on hand in your kitchen – and no special equipment is required to make them. Just a rolling pin, baking sheet, parchment paper – and a little TLC.
Customizing Your Crackers
One of the best things about this homemade crackers recipe is the toppings! You can make a batch of plain crackers that are incredibly delicious in their simplicity: Seasoned with salt and brushed generously with olive oil.
But if you want a cracker with more flavor, consider some of these spices, herbs, and add-ins:
- Sesame seeds
- Poppy seeds
- Dried rosemary springs
- Italian seasoning
- Garlic powder
- Parmesan cheese
- Flaky sea salt
- Coarse ground black pepper
- Coarse sugar
I added sea salt and poppy seeds to my crackers. However, you can play around with different add-ins and toppings beyond what I’ve listed here.
You can mix your seasonings right into the cracker dough, or press them into the dough strips before baking. Both options will help ensure that the seeds or toppings don’t fall off of the cracker.
The Process
If this is your first time making homemade crackers, you’ve chosen a great recipe. The ingredient list is short (4 ingredients + optional toppings/add-ins) and if you know how to use a rolling pin you should be good!
- Step 1: Mix – Place all purpose flour in a large bowl. Add salt, lemon juice, water, olive oil, and optional add-ins. Mix together with a spoon until dough comes together.
- Step 2: Knead – Place cracker dough on a clean, lightly floured surface. This is the fun, stress-relieving part: Knead the dough for about 8 minutes. The cracker dough will become smooth and shiny. Place the dough in a bowl coated with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Step 3: Roll out dough – Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Place dough ball in between two sheets of parchment paper. Proceed to roll out the dough until very thin. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut crackers into desired shapes. You could even use a cookie cutter. But I find long crackers are easiest to cut – about 2 inches x 6 inches long.
- Step 4: Bake – Remove top layer of parchment paper and place the cracker dough on a large baking sheet (like a cookie sheet or sheet pan). Press additional toppings into dough, if desired. Brush the cracker dough generously with olive oil. Place baking sheet in 375F oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch carefully toward end of baking time to prevent burning. The crackers should be golden brown.
Eat crackers right away or store crackers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. These are very crunchy crackers that stay crunchy for several days.
Scroll down for full recipe.
The Cost: Less Than 50 Cents Per Batch
The best part about these crackers? They are ridiculously cheap.
A huge batch costs less than 50 cents. For a whole batch of crackers enough to feed several people. Compare that to an average box of crackers in the grocery store, which almost always costs more than $5.00.
I can’t think of another recipe that gives you more bang for your buck.
Please give these a try next time you are looking for an ultra cheap appetizer recipe. But no one will know they’re cheap – they have all the flavor and visual appeal of an artisan, gourmet cracker.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with homemade ricotta, a cream cheese-based dip, homemade cheese, hummus or other dip.
You can also serve these crackers plain on a charcuterie plate with fresh fruit, sliced salami, olives, cheese, and other snacks.
I served a batch of these tasty crackers at a simple backyard get-together with some friends:
Impress your friends! These crackers go great on the $10 appetizer platter.
These Crackers Go Great On Any Of These Appetizer Platters:
- How to assemble a veggie platter on a budget
- How to assemble a killer charcuterie platter on a budget
- How to create a fall-inspired harvest appetizer platter
- How to set up a DIY hummus bar
Homemade Crackers
Make sure you roll the dough thin enough, otherwise you'll end up with more of a flatbread than a cracker. These crackers do not rise when baking, so your cracker will be as thin as you roll it out to be. Before baking, generously brush dough with olive oil.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for brushing over the dough)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Add-ins: Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, rosemary, spices, etc.
Instructions
- Place flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in salt, olive oil, water, lemon juice, and desired add-ins. Mix well. Dough should come together and make a ball. Add a little more flour if dough is still sticky.
- On a clean floured surface, knead dough for approximately eight minutes, until smooth. Cover the ball of dough with a little olive oil and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
- After dough has rested, break off a small section (about 1/4 of dough) and proceed to roll out into the thickness of a cracker between two sheets of parchment paper. Remove top sheet of parchment paper. Cut into desired shape (mine were about two inches wide by 10 inches long). Place on cookie sheet and brush each cracker generously with olive oil. Sprinkle with fine grain salt and additional toppings, if desired. You will need to press the toppings into the dough a bit to prevent them from falling off the cracker.
- Bake at 375F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
WOW, these look great! I can’t wait to try when I have guests over 🙂
How did you get them so thin? I tried and tried but the dough wouldn’t roll that thin.
Just wondering if you have to let the dough rest for 30 minutes after kneading.
I haven’t tried it without the resting period – but i imagine they would still turn out!
I made these and was very happy! I had a can of sardines and had run out of store bought crackers to go with them and figured this was finally the time to try making homemade. The ones I bought from Costco were “artisan” (read expensive, stale-tasting and tough). I doubled the recipe, using 1/4 teaspoon citric acid (because I had just bought some recently and wanted to play with it, plus I thought it might be more neutral than the lemon flavor, though I love lemon so maybe next time – and I loved the complexity it added) and went with rosemary, fresh black pepper in the dough and coarse sea salt on top. I tried baking for different times, ten minutes working best for a full sheet of crackers and about eight minutes for just the last few stragglers. I didn’t let the dough rest, just the Zen approach to rolling (extra patience, thinking of other things for distraction) and they turned out nice and thin. Much fresher than store bought and they had a nice texture. My hubby came home for lunch mid-baking project and couldn’t stop eating them. Thank you!
Awesome, Dawna. So glad they turned out for you! When I make them for parties, they’re always a hit.
I am very intrigued by your addition of citric acid. I’m definitely going to try that next time! Thanks for your commment 🙂
I have now made this recipe about four times. Just about to make a huge batch now! I use unfiltered olive oil for an extra bit of flavor, and season with garlic salt and cayenne pepper. They’re spicy and go great with my homemade hummus. Thanks for the awesome recipe! This is my new staple cracker.
So glad to hear this! Thanks for your comment and send me a photo of your crackers if you remember 🙂
Can these be frozen for later use?
Yes! These will freeze just fine. I would recommend storing them in a heavy-duty plastic container as they break easily.
Thank you for posting your recipe! I gave it my own twist (I added a bit of brewere’s yeast, 2tsp mustard), and retarded the dough in the fridge for about 8h. They turned out super crispy and delicious. I used a pasta maker machine to roll the dough into very thin layers, mostly because I am rubish at using the rolling pin.
Thank you!
What a wonderful idea! I don’t have a pasta maker but that would indeed make a really good, consistently thin cracker.