Homemade Graham Crackers

I love graham crackers.  Who doesn't? 

What I don't love is the high fructose corn syrup and other weird preservatives that store-bought graham crackers have in them. 

So I decided to give this recipe for homemade graham crackers a try.  I have to say, I love them. 

In fact, I just couldn't stop munching on them.  They're not hard at all to make....and it was my first time using sucanat (which I bought at a local health food store awhile back and just hadn't gotten up the nerve to use yet).  I was so pleasantly surprised. 

The next batch I made, I included 1/3 c. cocoa to make chocolate graham crackers.  While they don't taste just like storebought ones, they worked beautifully to make the crust for a cheesecake recipe....which will be coming shortly. They're just a simple, crunchy chocolate cookie, that's all.  The kids weren't overly impressed, expecting them to be sweeter, I think....but once they got over that expectation, they gobbled them up also.  

Recipe: (from Heavenly Homemakers)

1 stick of butter, melted
2-1/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. sucanat (deydrated cane sugar juice) or brown sugar
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/3 c. cocoa (only include IF making chocolate graham crackers)
4 T. honey
1/4 c. water
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°.
Melt stick of butter in the microwave or in a pan on the stove; set aside.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sucanat or sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Add the liquids; honey, water, vanilla, and melted butter.
Stir well until a nice ball has formed. 
Cut two pieces of Parchment paper the size of your cookie sheet.  Lay one piece of parchment paper on the cookie sheet.  Place the ball of dough on the parchment paper.  Lay the other piece of parchment paper on top of the ball of dough.  Squish dough down a little with your fist.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough between the pieces of parchment paper.   Roll until the dough covers the whole cookie sheet.
Remove the top piece of parchment paper. 
(you can either cut the dough into squares or shapes now, or wait until baking is done)
Bake in oven for 15-18 minutes.
If you haven't cut it into squares yet, now is the time to do so!
Turn oven off, but leave crackers in the oven to get crisp.
Remove from oven after 20-30 minutes.  Break graham crackers apart.
Store in an airtight container.