Make Homemade Crackers

Reader Contribution by Gina Souders
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Our art director, Marci O’Brien, tries to avoid processed food as much as possible, but her and her family can not resist snacking on cheese and crackers. Usually she buys Kashi TLC crackers, but says that this brand can be costly. It wasn’t until her husband thought out loud “I bet we could make these ourselves.” Marci found a recipe from the Food Network website for Peppered Rosemary Oat Crackers.

Although the cost was minimal, the recipe required a lot of time. It took Marci and her daughter 45 minutes to make a batch versus the five minutes it usually takes to buy a box off the shelf of their local grocery store.

The batch made the equivalent of two Kashi TLC cracker boxes and turned out to be a fun project for Marci and her daughter.

“The flowers are because it’s spring and the hearts are because
I love you and you love me,” says Kayla, Marci’s daughter.
Photo courtesy Marci O’Brien

Marci’s Homemade Crackers

Makes 60 pieces

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup white flour
• 1/2 cup whole-grain*
• Water (optional)
• 1 teaspoons salt 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary leaves, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 stick (or 1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons raw whole milk

*Marci mixed her own whole-grain with a combination of red wheat, spelt, amaranth, quinoa and millet.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Put the oats into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. If dough is crumbly, sprinkle water to help dough hold together.

3. Add flour, whole-grain, salt, pepper, rosemary, baking powder and butter. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and pulse until a dough forms (about 15 seconds).

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick and cut out about 60 square oatcakes. You can also use mini cookie cutters to form crackers into your favorite shapes. Arrange shapes on baking sheets 1-inch apart. Re-roll scraps and cut more shapes. Repeat until dough is unworkable.

5. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly brown on the bottom. Transfer to a rack and cool completely.

  • Published on Apr 6, 2010
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