Crunchy Homemade Graham Crackers Sandwich Cookies are bursting with honey and toasty whole wheat flavor. A layer of chocolate between two grahams, and a cut-out on top, turns these cookies into festive treats.
Why you'll love this recipe
Graham Cracker Cookies are crunchy cookies with nutty, whole wheat and honey flavor. These tasty treats are sandwiched together with creamy, melted chocolate, and adorned with a sprinkled pumpkin cutout.
Though the sparkly pumpkin makes them perfect as Halloween snacks, graham cracker cookies can be made with cutouts in simple geometric shapes like a circle or square, in other holiday shapes, or with no cutout at all.
Once you try these easy to make grahams, you may never buy the packaged kind again! Homemade graham crackers can be made crunchy or with a slightly softer bite. You will love how the toasty whole grain flavor shines in this simple graham cracker cookie recipe.
Ingredients
- Whole wheat flour is what gives graham crackers their unique nutty flavor and crisp texture. Use regular whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour in this recipe for the best results.
- Butter flavored vegetable shortening (Crisco) is recommended. It is the best fat to produce the crisp graham cracker texture.
Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together shortening/butter, brown sugar, and honey. Stir in flour mixture.
- Wrap the cookie dough in plastic wrap and chill to firm for about 2 hours in the refrigerator or 30 minutes in the freezer.
- When the dough is firm , roll out to ⅛" thickness between sheets of flour sprinkled parchment or waxed paper.
- Cut out circles with a 2 ½” cookie cutter and place on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1” apart. If the dough is too soft to transfer easily, place the parchment with the rolled out dough onto a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 375°F for 7-9 minutes, or until edges are firm.
- Cool on the baking sheet until just cool enough to touch, about 2-3 minutes, then use a mini cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the center of half of the cookies. Use these as the top cookies for the sandwiches.
- When the graham cookies are completely cool, melt the chocolate discs in a small bowl in the microwave. Place the cookies in pairs (one solid cookie with one cutout cookie) on a wax paper lined baking pan with sides. Place the solid cookies with the bottom facing up.
- Working with one cookie at a time, spread about ½ teaspoon of the melted chocolate onto a solid cookie, not quiet to the edge. Gently press a cut-out cookie on top. Immediate add nonpareil sprinkles.
- Refrigerate the completed sandwich cookies for 5-10 minutes to set the chocolate.
Storage
Graham cracker cookies are easy to make and even easier to eat. Wrapped and mailed in an airtight container or zip lock bag, they will stay fresh for up to 10 days.
Tips and variations
- Graham flour (difficult to find), whole wheat flour, or white whole wheat flour can be used interchangeably in this recipe. All of these flours are coarsely ground and made from hard wheat.
- Do not use whole wheat pastry flour, which is finely ground, and changes the texture of the cookie. King Arthur Flour labels their whole wheat pastry flour as graham flour, but this is NOT graham flour as it is usually defined and won’t produce good results with this recipe.
- Whole wheat flour is made from the whole grain and contains natural oils. Store whole wheat flour in the fridge or freezer to keep the oils from spoiling.
- It is not a mistake. These cookies are all baked without a cut-out. Dough with cut-outs is hard to move onto a baking sheet without mushing the inside shape. Cut the shapes from half of the cookies shortly after coming out of the oven, while the centers are still warm and soft.
- Do not send cookies filled with chocolate during hot weather, as the chocolate will melt. Instead, send graham cookies with a can of frosting or a jar of Nutella for a DIY cookie sandwich.
- For pumpkin spice flavor, mix in ½ teaspoon of pumpkin spice to the white or dark chocolate before spreading on the cookies.
- Flavored baking chips, such as butterscotch or peanut butter, can also be used as filling for these sandwich cookies.
- When using a microwave to melt chocolate, always melt at 50% power. Chocolate, especially white chocolate, burns easily. Heating at a lower power helps prevent scorching.
- Graham sandwich cookies can be made year round or for specific holidays. These sweet cookies are also great for holiday parties and cookie exchanges.
Frequently asked questions
Graham flour is a coarsely ground whole wheat flour made from all three parts of the wheat berry (endosperm, germ, and bran) which are ground separately then combined.
Whole wheat and white whole wheat flour are both made from all three layers of the wheat berry, and have the same nutritional value.
Whole-wheat flour is made from hard red wheat. It has a nutty taste.
White Whole-Wheat flour is made from hard white wheat. It has a milder, sweeter taste and a lighter color.
The two flours can be used interchangeably in recipes.
The best substitute for graham flour is whole wheat flour.
More easy Halloween treats
Pumpkin Brownies are fudgy bars that are naturally gluten free with no flour added.
Halloween Marshmallow Pops are chocolate dipped marshmallows on a stick that turn into owls by adding just a few sprinkles.
The Halloween Graham Cracker treats will make you smile. Adorable chocolate covered graham crackers easily made into ghosts, mummies, black cats, and monsters!
These Chocolate Covered Pretzels are as cut as they are delicious! Make them for parties or trick-or-treat snacks.
My experience with this recipe
This homemade graham crackers recipe was first published in 2014 as part of a Halloween care package post. That package was sent to my second adopted military service member.
Fast forward to 2020, as I update this recipe for another Halloween care package. This box is going to my 17th adopted service member! That's a lot of themed care packages!
As a volunteer on the Deployed Adoptions Team of Soldier’s Angels, I support deployed service members with weekly letters and a monthly care package for the length of their deployment. That small gesture on my part makes an amazingly large impact.
Our military personnel and their families sacrifice so much in order to serve our country. I consider it an honor to improve morale and show my appreciation with cookies!
The theme for this care package is “Pumpkins”, with a combination of pumpkin shaped and pumpkin flavored goodies. Honey grahams fall under the pumpkin shaped category.
Ready to bake? Join the free membership group to get new recipes and a newsletter delivered to your inbox! You can also stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’d love to stay in touch!
Homemade Graham Cracker Sandwich Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening
- ½ cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 ½ cups melting chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together shortening/butter, brown sugar, and honey.
- Stir in flour mixture.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill to firm for about 2 hours in the refrigerator or 30 minutes in the freezer.
- Roll out dough to ⅛" thickness, between sheets of parchment or waxed paper sprinkled with flour.
- Cut out circles with a 2 ½” cookie cutter and place on the prepared baking sheet about 1” apart. If the dough is too soft to transfer easily, place the parchment with the rolled out dough and cutouts onto a baking sheet and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes or until edges are firm.
- Allow to cool on the baking sheet until just cool enough to touch, about 2-3 minutes, then use a mini cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the center of half of the cookies. These will be used as the top cookies for the sandwiches.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes more before transferring with a spatula to a wire rack.
- When the cookies are completely cool, melt the chocolate discs in the microwave. Place the cookies in pairs (one solid cookie with one cutout cookie) on a wax paper lined baking pan with sides. Place the solid cookies with the bottom facing up.
- Working with one cookie at a time, spread about ½ teaspoon of the melted chocolate onto a solid cookie, not quiet to the edge. Gently press a cut-out cookie on top. Immediate add nonpareil sprinkles.
- Refrigerate the completed sandwich cookies for 5-10 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7-10 days.
Notes
- Graham flour (difficult to find), whole wheat flour, or white whole wheat flour can be used interchangeably in this recipe. All of these flours are coarsely ground and made from hard wheat.
- Do not use whole wheat pastry flour, which is finely ground, and changes the texture of the cookie. King Arthur Flour labels their whole wheat pastry flour as graham flour, but this is NOT graham flour as it is usually defined and won’t produce good results with this recipe.
- Whole wheat flour is made from the whole grain and contains natural oils. Store whole wheat flour in the fridge or freezer to keep the oils from spoiling.
- It is not a mistake. These cookies are all baked without a cut-out. Dough with cut-outs is hard to move onto a baking sheet without mushing the inside shape. Cut the shapes from half of the cookies shortly after coming out of the oven, while the centers are still warm and soft.
- Do not send cookies filled with chocolate during hot weather, as the chocolate will melt. Instead, send graham cookies with a can of frosting or a jar of Nutella for a DIY cookie sandwich.
- For pumpkin spice flavor, mix in ½ teaspoon of pumpkin spice to the white or dark chocolate before spreading on the cookies.
- Flavored baking chips, such as butterscotch or peanut butter, can also be used as filling for these sandwich cookies.
- When using a microwave to melt chocolate, always melt at 50% power. Chocolate, especially white chocolate, burns easily. Heating at a lower power helps prevent scorching.
Packing tips
Double wrap pairs of cookies (with bottoms together) in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container or zip lock bag. Due to the filling, these sandwich cookies should be shipped only during cool weather. The individual graham cookies without filling can be mailed year round.Nutrition
First published October 5, 2020. Last updated October 13, 2021. Updated for additional information and better reader experience.
April J Harris
I love that you send care packages to the military like this - what a wonderful thing to do. I will have to see if there's a similar program in the UK. Your cookies all look wonderful - I love how you have decorated them - especially the cute mummies! Pinned. Thank you for sharing with us at Hearth and Soul. Hope to 'see' you again this week!
The Monday Box
Thank you, April! Sending military care packages is an honor. It is my tiny way to say thank you, one smile at a time. 🙂 For one military program in the UK, you might want to check out https://www.supportoursoldiers.org.uk/
swathi
Delicious thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop, pinning, tweeting and feauting on this week's hop
The Monday Box
Thank you, Swathi! i appreciate your sharing and your hosting!!
Barrie Bismark
Those all look so good! but...I LOVE the mummy ones! How adorable. And delicious.
The Monday Box
Thanks, Barrie! The mummies are super easy to create too! The design can be used on cookies or cupcakes. 🙂
Meena@ AnchoredinSweets
These are adorable.
The Monday Box
Thank you, Meena! Have you checked out the military care package ideas and recipes on The Monday Box? I know that packages to ships can take a LONG time to arrive and I have a number of recipes (search shortbread and biscotti) that are perfect for Navy care packages! Thank you to your family for your service to our country!
frugal hausfrau
I love them, Wendy! I would have thought they'd be more complicated just because they're so gorgeous! Thanks for sharing with us at Throwback Thursday!
Mollie
The Monday Box
Thanks, Mollie! You are right, these cookies are pretty AND easy. 🙂
Kate
These cookies look too cute to eat especially those little mummies!
Thanks for linking up to the Merry Monday link party!
We hope to see you again next week!
Kate | TheOrganizedDream.com
The Monday Box
Thanks, Kate! Thanks also for hosting Merry Monday!
Karly
Delicious! Thanks for linkin' up with What's Cookin' Wednesday!
The Monday Box
Thanks, Karly!
Miz Helen
Hi Wendy,
My Granddaughter's husband is currently deployed and I sent her over to your site to get some idea's for cookies and packing. She is not a blogger and didn't leave a comment, but wanted me to thank you for all the great ideas! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great weekend and come back soon!
Miz Helen
The Monday Box
The purpose that motivates me to keep plugging away at this blog, is to help make care packages (especially military care packages) as delicious as possible. Thank you SO much, Miz Helen, for sharing The Monday Box with your granddaughter and for letting me know that she enjoyed what she found here!! Please let her know that I offer her and her husband my heart felt thanks for their sacrifices and service to our country! Also, thank you for the warm and welcoming potluck that you call Full Plate Thursday!
Winnie
These are awesome and sooooo unique!
I love the fact that you used whole wheat and you also used honey
I'm sure going to try this recipe
The pumpkin cookies are CUTE !!
themondaybox
Thanks, Winnie! These cookies were out of my usual comfort zone, so I was especially pleased with the delicious results! I don't often bake with either whole wheat or honey but these cookies taste great with both. 🙂
Ashley
I'm so glad that he found you a new recipient for your packages! I absolutely love that you do this 🙂 All these cookies look fantastic - love those mummies!
themondaybox
Thanks, Ashley! I am excited that Derik found another soldier to receive Monday Box care packages! I hope to still get occasional field testing emails for Monday Box accuracy while the cookies do their job of spreading thanks and smiles! 🙂
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain
I love these cookies, Wendy! So festive and fun, I bet they brightened up your new soldier's day for sure. 😀
themondaybox
Thanks, Jess! (Love the new gravatar photo! Now you aren't hidden under a hat! I need to get my act together and get a photo up on the blog!) I hope the cookies traveled well and that the soldier will let me know!
Chelsey
Those cookies are so cute and they sound delicious! Thanks for sharing! I'm definitely pinning this. 🙂
themondaybox
Thank you, Chelsey! If you like the flavor of honey grahams, you will love these! Thanks for pinning!
Sheila @ Life, Love, and Good Food
Wendy, you are so inspiring! These military care packages are wonderful -- thank you for supporting our troops and for sharing such delicious cookies!
themondaybox
Thank you, Sheila! Our military put their lives on the line for us. Baking cookies is a little thing, but I hope it communicates my thanks! 🙂
chrisscheuer
Who wouldn't love to receive a package like this Wendy? Your cookies are beautiful, can't decide which I like best although those sandwich cookies are definitely calling my name!
themondaybox
Thank you, Chris! I always hope that when the soldier opens up the box, the contents make him smile. The little cookies have a big message and purpose. They need to communicate appreciation and thanks and best wishes. That's a lot of ingredients for a little cookie! 🙂
Emma @ P is for Preschooler
What a wonderful idea! They must love getting homemade stuff - especially yummy cookies like these!
themondaybox
Thank you, Emma! I send lots of care packages and love baking for gifts. The love is baked right in. 🙂