Give snack time an upgrade with homemade artisan crackers. Crispy, salty, savory, and endlessly customizable, the simple dough comes together quickly and easily in one bowl from basic pantry ingredients. These flavorful flatbread-style crackers are perfect for picnics, dunking into your favorite dips, and pairing with cheese or charcuterie.
Have you ever made homemade crackers before? I must admit, I haven’t played around with making crackers much over the years that I’ve been baking. I love this recipe for homemade cheese crackers, but that’s actually the only other cracker recipe on my website!
My team & I wanted to develop a great foundational cracker recipe, one that could be used as a jumping-off point for lots of different flavors. We tested many, many (I do mean many) batches until we got it right. And the resulting recipe you’ll see below makes crispy, salty, savory cracker deliciousness!
Why You’ll Love These Homemade Artisan Crackers:
- Made from simple, basic ingredients
- Customizable for so many flavors
- A no-yeast savory baking recipe
- Kid-approved
- Adds an instant upgrade to a charcuterie board
- Dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, and vegan recipe
- Fantastic with hummus, crab dip, various cheeses, or serve with a cranberry pecan cheese ball
- No mixer or food processor required; the dough comes together super quickly in 1 bowl with a wooden spoon. Back to basics!
One reader, Elyanna, commented: “This recipe was super easy to follow and honestly foolproof. I haven’t made crackers or flatbread before and these turned out great. My picky 3-year-old even ate some! ★★★★★“
One reader, Cheryl, commented: “These artisan crackers were a joy to make and even better to eat!! I made the black pepper and thyme version and they were the perfect accompaniment to my homemade tomato jam! I don’t think I’ll ever go back to store-bought. ★★★★★“
One reader, Kelly, commented: “‘These are the best crackers I’ve ever eaten,” was my family’s review of this recipe, and we’ve eaten our fair share of crackers! Not only are they delicious but relatively quick and easy to make. This recipe will be made repeatedly in our home from now on! ★★★★★“
8 Basic Ingredients for Homemade Crackers
Here’s what you need to make them:
- Flour: You need all-purpose flour for these crackers. We tested this with different varieties of gluten-free flours and the crackers were chip-your-teeth hard, so we don’t recommend substituting gluten-free flour here. Whole wheat flour created incredibly tough crackers, too. (You can try using 1/2 all-purpose and half whole wheat, though.)
- Sugar: Just a bit—these crackers aren’t sweet! Sugar helps create a crisp texture by inhibiting gluten development and contributes to the browning of the crackers.
- Salt: Essential for flavor.
- Onion & Garlic Powder: More essential flavor! We tested versions without these, and the crackers tasted a lot like plain wontons.
- Rosemary or other add-in: Finely chopped fresh rosemary gives the plain cracker base amazing savory flavor, but you can swap this out for something else. More on our favorite varieties below.
- Water: Brings all the dry ingredients together.
- Olive Oil: You need some for the dough, and more for brushing on top before baking.
- Flaky Sea Salt: For topping before baking. We like Maldon sea salt. (Not working with the brand, just genuinely use and love it!)
4 Favorite Ways to Flavor
- Freshly cracked black pepper + thyme
- Sesame seeds
- Everything bagel seasoning + dried chives
- Rosemary
Rosemary was the crowd’s favorite; I loved the sesame seed version the best, though!
Let Me Show You How to Make Them
Start by whisking together all the dry ingredients, including any herb/seed add-ins.
Pour in the water and olive oil and stir together with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula:
Turn the slightly wet dough out onto a floured countertop and knead it by hand, sprinkling on a little more flour as you go, until it’s no longer sticking to your hands and you can form it into a ball. This only takes a minute or two. Return the dough to the bowl and cover it.
Let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes before rolling it out.
After it’s had its rest, cut the dough in half:
Start with just one half of the dough, keeping the other half covered while you work with the first.
Tools for shaping homemade crackers:
Roll out the first half of the dough until it’s very, very thin. The thinner you can get the crackers, the crispier they will be after baking.
If the dough keeps shrinking back as you try to roll it out, cover it lightly and let it rest for 5 minutes, then try again. As the gluten relaxes, it will become easier to roll out. (It will most definitely shrink at first, so don’t get worried if it does!)
Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into rectangles, about 3 x 1.5 inches in size. A ruler is helpful here, but don’t worry about trying to cut perfect rectangles. The crackers will all shrink a bit and end up wonky shapes with uneven edges—all part of their rustic charm! These are handmade crackers, they’re not going to look like they were cut by machines in a factory.
The number of crackers you’ll get depends on how thin you roll the dough, how large you cut the crackers, and how much scrap you discard. My team and I typically got around 75–80 crackers per batch (but to be honest, we usually lost count…).
Transfer the cut crackers to a parchment-lined baking sheet. It’s best to use a light-colored (silver) baking sheet, rather than a dark-colored one, so the crackers don’t over-brown. I use and recommend these half sheet pans.
Dock (i.e., poke holes in) the crackers several times with a fork. This helps steam escape and prevents large bubbles forming. (You’ll still get some bubbling, that’s normal.)
Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. If you like, you can also sprinkle a little more of your chosen add-in on top, such as sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning.
And bake! At 425°F (218°C), these crackers take about 9–12 minutes, give or take, depending on the size and thickness you make them. You’re aiming for golden brown, crispy crackers. They should continue to crisp up a bit more while they cool on the baking sheet.
And then repeat the shaping/baking steps with the remaining half of the cracker dough.
Success Tips for Making Homemade Crackers
- Let the dough rest. Trying to roll it out too soon is an exercise in frustration, trust me on this!
- Roll the dough out suuuuuper thin. The crackers need to be very thin to bake up crispy. Too thick and they taste a little chewy.
- If the dough keeps shrinking back as you roll it out, cover it lightly and let it rest for 5 minutes to allow the gluten to relax, then try again.
- Use a light-colored (silver) baking sheet, not a dark baking sheet, and make sure your parchment paper is safe for high-temperature baking.
- Rotate the pan(s) halfway through baking, for even browning. Ovens can have hot spots, and this recipe will show you where they are!
- We don’t recommend using gluten-free flour in this recipe. The test batches we tried with different brands of GF flour came out chip-your-teeth hard. You’re better off looking for a cracker recipe that has been developed specifically to be gluten free.
- Homemade crackers get stale a lot faster than store-bought crackers, because they don’t have added preservatives. Store them in an airtight container in a dry spot, and, if needed, re-crisp them in the oven at 350°F (177°C) for up to 10 minutes.
Get creative and have fun with it—let us know what flavors you try in the comments!
Homemade Artisan Crackers
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes (includes cooling)
- Yield: 75–80 crackers
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Give snack time an upgrade with flavorful homemade artisan crackers. Crispy, salty, savory, and endlessly customizable, the simple dough comes together quickly and easily in one bowl from basic pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
Crackers
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading and rolling
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or other add-in (see Notes)*
- 2/3 cup (160g/ml) water
- 3 Tablespoons (41g/45ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing on top
- flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and rosemary (or other add-ins). Pour in the water and olive oil and stir with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula until the dough comes together in a clump.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly flour your hands and the dough and knead it, sprinkling on a little more flour as you go, until it’s no longer sticking to your hands and you can shape it into a rough ball, about 1 to 2 minutes. Return the dough to the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for at least 10 minutes, and up to 1 hour at room temperature.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (218°C) and line large silver baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cut the dough in half. Keep one half of the dough covered while you work with the other half.
- On a lightly floured work surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll one half of the dough out into a rectangle. Roll the dough very thin—about 1/16th of an inch (1.5mm). If the dough keeps shrinking back as you try to roll it out, lightly cover it and let it rest for 5 minutes, then try again. (Don’t worry if it shrinks, that’s completely normal and expected.)
- Using a ruler and a pizza cutter, cut the dough into small rectangles about 3 x 1.5 inches in size. Carefully transfer the crackers to the prepared baking sheet(s).
- Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the second half of dough.
- Dock (poke holes in) the crackers several times with a fork. Brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with flaky sea salt (and everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds, if making those varieties. Note that extra seasonings on top can sometimes fall off of the crackers when eating them).
- Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 9–12 minutes. To ensure even browning, rotate the baking sheet(s) halfway through baking.
- Let crackers cool completely on the baking sheet(s) set on a cooling rack. Crackers need several minutes of cooling before they taste crispy. They taste fantastic with hummus, crab dip or other dips, various cheeses, or serve with a cranberry pecan cheese ball.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature in a dry place for up to 2 days. To re-crisp crackers, spread them on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Instructions: These crackers taste best for up to 2 days after you make them. See step 11 for how to re-crisp them, if desired. You can freeze cooled crackers. Cover tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature. Re-crisp if needed (see step 11).
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk | Wooden Spoon or Silicone Spatula | Rolling Pin | Fluted Pastry Wheel or Pizza Cutter | Baking Sheets | Parchment Paper | Pastry Brush | Flaky Sea Salt | Cooling Rack
- Other Flavors/Add-Ins: Do not leave the crackers plain. You need a flavor in the dough. Instead of rosemary, try another favorite herb, or any of these team favorites:
- Black Pepper & Thyme: 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper (do not use pre-ground fine pepper) + 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme
- Everything & Chives: 1 Tbsp everything bagel seasoning (plus more for sprinkling on top) + 1 Tbsp dried chives
- Sesame Seed: 1 and 1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds (plus more for sprinkling on top)
- Gluten-Free Flour? We don’t recommend using gluten-free flour in this recipe. The test batches we tried with different brands of GF flour came out break-your-teeth hard. You’re better off looking for a cracker recipe that has been developed specifically to be gluten free.
- Whole Wheat Flour? Crackers made with whole wheat flour were also quite hard. If you want to use whole wheat flour, try using half all-purpose and half whole wheat. Expect a slightly dense, less crisp cracker.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I made the ice cream sandwich’s. The cookies were very very good. So good my husband ate a couple before I could get the ice cream in them. They may not look as good as Sally’s but they tasted great!
Delicious and easy. I wasn’t able to get mine as thin and crispy as I wanted but the flavor is so great I did not mind at all. Will definitely be making again!
These artisan crackers are so yummy, so easy to make and option to try different seasonings.
A fun challenge for beginner bakers! I would roll them out thinner next time, but the flavor was PERFECT!
I almost wasn’t able to snag a picture because the family liked them so much. I made the original recipe as written with rosemary and Maldon sea salt flakes. These had a slight crunch on the edges but were satisfyingly chewy in the center. I probably could have rolled them thinner, but I’m happy with the way they turned out. I’d make these again!
These crackers are quick and easy to make and don’t require any special tools. They came out really well; crunchy and full of flavour.
Super easy and delicious. I served them on a kid-friendly charcuterie board for dinner, everyone loved them.
Great recipe.
Absolutely delicious! These disappeared quickly in my household.
Yummy and easy to make!
Loved it. I used everything bagel seasoning and dried herbs. Also, found poking holes on already cut pieces a bit time consuming and messy. So second portion, I rolled, made holes, cut and placed on baking sheet and then brushed oil… it was easier.
These crackers were super simple! I was surprised by how fast the dough came together and now easy the dough was to roll thin. I subbed 2/3 cup sourdough discard for 1/3 cup of the water and 1/3 cup of the flour and they turned out very nice. I also used seasoning salt on the top.
Yummy and very easy to make!
These crackers are amazing. I’ve been looking for a healthy cracker recipe to make my kids. This is great!
Chocolate Chip ice cream sandwiches easy to make and homemade sooo much better than store bought.
I made these with everything bagel seasoning. They are so good and easy after making them once. Thanks for another great recipe!
These were delicious! I made the rosemary version with rosemary from our garden and my family devoured over half of them on Day 1! The recipe was easy to follow, and, as always, the photos were very helpful. I needed more flour than I thought I’d need in order to get them off my marble slab after rolling them, so I was able to do that with the second batch. The great thing about them is that they are very forgiving shape wise! I didn’t have any issues with them losing their crispness. I made them on Monday and ate the last one today ( Friday), and it was still crisp and delicious. I think what helped maintain the crispness was that I put some rice in my tea strainer ball and put that in the container with the crackers. I do this when I make meringues, as well, and it keeps them nice and dry. If you have silica gel packets from other products, you can use those, but how many of us keep those lying around?!
Super easy to make and fun variations.
Do you think you could roll this in a pasta roller, for uniformity? Or would it be too sticky?
That should work, Sue!
These artisan crackers were easy to make and I love how versatile they are by adding in any seasonings you like. They came out crispy and delicious! I made several batches since I know they’ll go quickly! I’ll be baking loads of these up for the holidays to put in pretty container as gifts!
I was so intimidated when I first saw the recipe to make crackers because I had the misconception It would be too hard to get them crispy and flavorful. This recipe makes it so easy and the crackers are so delicious. My family is making them disappear faster than I can bake them 🙂
Great recipe! I have rosemary growing year round in southern Texas, so rosemary crackers were a no brainer! Great base recipe and love that it doesn’t need to be refrigerated. I personally prefer butter crackers over oil, but the oil works well with these.
I opted to make the alternate recipe, ice cream sandwiches, & they turned out fantastic! I used Sally’s snickerdoodle cookie recipe to make a churro inspired treat, layered with vanilla ice cream & dulce de leche; turned out better that I expected!
4 stars! The rosemary was SUCH a nice flavor! I baked for about 9 minutes, but I definitely should have let it bake for a few more minutes as it was not crispy enough.
Absolutely love these snackable crackers and they’re husband approved!
I love trying new types of baking. These crackers were a very straight forward recipe that was fun. I look forward to trying different flavors.
Tasted good but one batch i made was undergone and one was a little overdone. I will definitely re-try making these to get them to perfection. Overall really good and would recommend.
These had a nice flavor but definitely take a lot of skill to get them uniform in thickness and shape! Too thick and they are soft, too thin they burn but if you can get them just right they are a nice easy cracker.
These are so good and so simple to make. I have a son who only prefers a cracker or chips as his dessert ever and these were a hit!
Easy to make and delicious results. Everyone loved them!