Making your own crackers seems a lot more complicated than it actually is. But this works in your favor, because when you make these delicious Basil and Sun-Dried Tomato Crackers, people are going to be really impressed. You don't have to tell them that it was easy; just let them be in awe of your culinary skills!
I had wanted to make crackers for a while, but in my head, it was some epic process like canning or making caramels (which I've done, and it was most definitely an epic process). Crackers, however, are not an epic process at all. They're a little bit fussy, but they're fairly easy to make and quick too.
That said, it took me more than one try to get these right. So now you can benefit from my mistakes! Here's what I learned:
- Roll these out thin. Thin. Because if you don't, they won't be crispy and crackery. They'll be sad and soggy. No one wants to eat soggy crackers! Except my husband, who ate my first batch of soggy, too-thick crackers. "They're a good starting point," he said. Which is supportive husband speak for, "These are barely edible."
- Take the time to chop the sun-dried tomatoes into very small pieces. If they stick out from the dough, they'll burn.
- Don't overwork the dough. Don't do it! I always overwork dough. But if you overwork the dough for these crackers, they'll be tough.
- Make sure the dough is rolled out to a uniform thickness. You don't want burnt edges and a soft middle.
![Basil & Sun-Dried Tomato Crackers [stacked]](https://ohmyveggies.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/basil_and_sun_dried_tomato_crackers_close.jpg "Basil & Sun-Dried Tomato Crackers [stacked]")
Once I corrected my mistakes, the crackers turned out perfect. And then I basked in the glory of making my own crackers—like Martha Stewart! Except Martha Stewart would probably get hers right the first time. So maybe not like Martha Stewart. But anyway! I made crackers. You can make crackers. Let's make some crackers!
Recipe
![Basil & Sun-Dried Tomato Crackers [top]](https://ohmyveggies.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/basil_and_sun_dried_tomato_crackers_stacked.jpg)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole-wheat flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ½ cup water
- 3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes minced (I used the dry ones, but oil-packed would probably work just fine)
- 3 tbsp fresh basil chopped
- sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Whisk together flours and salt in a medium bowl. Add olive oil, water, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. Stir until just combined, being careful not to overwork the dough.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer cracker dough to baking sheet and roll out dough to about the thickness of a saltine. Use a knife or pizza cutter to mark dough into rectangles. Don't cut the dough all the way through; just draw the lines on it. Prick each individual cracker with a fork a few times and sprinkle with sea salt.
- Bake for 15-25 minutes or until crisp and just beginning to brown. Baking time depends on thickness of crackers, so be sure to keep an eye on them! Allow to cool completely and then break sheet into individual crackers. Store in an airtight container.
- If crackers get stale, bake at 225°F for 10 minutes or until crisp.
The Mrs @ Success Along the Weigh says
I've always looked in awe at people who make crackers but have never had the butt kick to do it myself. Maybe I'll give these a go when my kitchen blahs subside!
Kiersten says
You can do it! It's so easy! Once I made them, I wondered why it took me so long to finally give it a try.
Shelly says
I have always wanted to try making my own crackers... do you think adding parmesan to the top would be a good addition (sort of like a gourmet cheez-it)? If so, should I put it on the crackers before I bake them (in the dough), towards the end of the baking process, or after they have baked?
I can't wait to try these!
Kiersten says
I just either way would be fine--I'm actually going to try baking these with a little bit of cheese this weekend, so we'll see how it turns out. 🙂
SusanF says
I have always loved making crackers. This is the first recipe that I have seen that includes sun-dried tomatoes. Thanks so much for sharing. I will have to make these this weekend.
Kiersten says
I hope you like them if you make them! 🙂
Mom Foodie says
I am long overdue to make some crackers! These look great and I just bought a big package of sun-dried tomatoes. As far as cheese... I usually add it right in the dough (blue cheese is divine in crackers), but sometimes top with it as well.
Kiersten says
I'm going to try doing a batch with cheese this weekend. Now I'm on a homemade cracker kick!
cassie says
Making my own crackers is so much better than store-bought. Love the flavors here too!
Kiersten says
SO much better than store-bought. And fun to make too!
Natalie says
I keep meaning to make my own crackers but then always convince myself it's too much work, even though I know it's not that hard! Yours look great, I love the idea of adding sundried tomatoes!
Kiersten says
Yeah, this was on my to-do list for months. Which is kind of sad, right? But then I made them and saw how easy it was and now I can't stop making them. 🙂
Stephanie @ henry happened says
I didn't even know you could make your own crackers! I love recipes that make me look all Martha Stewart without having to be all Martha Stewart.
Kiersten says
Those are my favorite kinds of recipes too. 🙂
Brenda Williams says
Impressive! Never heard of making your own crackers. We love flavored crackers so this will be something interesting to try. Thanks for the recipe.
Kiersten says
You know what would be good in these? Jalapeno peppers! And maybe some cheddar cheese? It's so fun to come up with different things to add in. 🙂
Shirley says
I am totally impressed with these! I've had a cracker recipe on my to-do list forever, but I've never gotten to it. Basil and sundried tomato sounds perfect.
Kiersten says
You need to make them! If you click through to the recipe I adapted these from, it's a basic cracker dough that you can add just about anything to. They were so fun to make and much easier than expected. I want to make them all the time now. 🙂
BusyWorkingMama says
Wow, what a fabulous idea! I've spent so much time in stores reading ingredients on the sides of cracker boxes and cringing. It would be fun to make our own!
Kiersten says
They are really fun to make. 🙂 And if I'm saying this, you know it's true because I HATE working with dough.
Lena says
I tried making homemade crackers a few weeks ago, and they ended up so crumbly that you had to eat them with a spoon. Delicious, but not really a cracker. I want to try again, yours look so good.
Kiersten says
I wonder if maybe there wasn't enough liquid in the recipe? The recipe I adapted this from didn't have enough water in it the first time I tried it and I ended up having to add a few tablespoons more...
Lena says
I don't know, but it's possible. I thought adding an egg might help if I gave this recipe another try, but I think I'll try your recipe next.
I love making things like these myself, I recently made tortillas from scratch and it was so easy. And none of these additives I can't pronounce.
Kiersten says
Oh, I've been wanting to make tortillas myself for so long! I really need to do that...
Genevieve says
I think homemade crackers are pretty fun and easy to make too...although the times I've made them, I've ended up with some pieces that are too thin and crispy and some that are too thick and soft. I also find that they get stale quickly, so I like your tip for crisping them up in the oven again!
Kiersten says
They're supposed to last 2 weeks if you put them in a sealed container, but yeah, they do need a little crisping up in the oven after a day or two! I think no matter how much you bake them, there's always a little bit of moisture remaining...
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says
I love this idea! Keep out all of those yucky preservatives!
Jenn @therebelchick says
I honestly had no idea that you could make your own crackers! And now I want caramel. LOL
Kiersten says
Homemade caramels are the biggest PITA to make, but zomg, they are worth it. Just make sure you give most of them away or you'll gain 5 pounds.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Totally love these crackers. I am going to make these for sure!
Kiersten says
Woo hoo! I hope you like them.
Anne says
These sound great, crackers are something I have never tried to make.
Rikki says
Mmmm these with some cheese & wine...I'm in! I think it's awesome that you made your own crackers. I psych myself out before I make certain recipes too, but in the end it's always a nice surprise to find out it was easier than you expected!
Kiersten says
There are still a lot of things I've never attempted because I psych myself out--like bread! I really need to make bread one of these days...
Liz says
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/kitchen-hack-one-minute-ciabatta-bread.html
Easiest bread of all time! My first time making it, and it came out great. Add a little cheese too, yum!
Kiersten says
I think I have that pinned, actually! I still haven't gotten around to making it, though...
Shell Fruscione says
Haha, all of your little comments had me laughing. &I'm SO glad you prefaced this by saying they're easier than they seem, because I almost wrote them off as being too hard without looking at the recipe but they totally look doable now that you have already shared your trial & error tips!
Kiersten says
Sometimes I see people complaining on Pinterest about recipes being too difficult to actually make when they're really not, so I figured I had to get that in the first paragraph or people would click away thinking, "Yeah, no, never gonna do this."
Maureen @ Wisconsin Mommy says
I've only made crackers in the dehydrator - I can't wait to try these.
Kiersten says
I didn't know you could make crackers in a dehydrator!
sarah@thesweetlife says
I used to make crackers all the time at work, but for whatever reason found them too daunting to replicate at home. However these look so good and pretty simple so I should get over my fears and try this recipe out!
Kiersten says
I don't know about your work recipe, but this one is definitely not daunting! 🙂
Courtney Rae Jones says
Yum! I love homemade crackers! I make them at Christmas each year for a variety of family functions. Always makes me feel like Martha. *hehe* People don't realize how easy it is? I don't mind that they are impressed. *hehe* These look great! Excited to try your recipe!
Kiersten says
Ooh, that's a good idea to make crackers for holidays! It really does make you feel like Martha, doesn't it? 🙂
Janel says
I've always wanted to make crackers but didn't think it could possibly be *that* easy. I think I'm going to have to tackle them after all...once it cools down enough for me to turn on my oven. thanks!
Kiersten says
Try it! Because I can't even make a pie crust, but I could make these. 🙂
Kaitlin says
Wow. These are just spectacular! I am glad to find a DELICIOUS vegan recipe - sometimes I get scared when it comes to baking vegan. I'm in flux transitioning into vegetarianism from a carnivorous diet, but am trying to up the number of vegan recipes I make, because even if I don't go all out, it would be good to reduce the amount of cows and egg-laying hens I'm supporting. 🙁
What I'm trying to say is, I'm new at this and you just made me so happy that I'm on this path!
Kiersten says
Yay, I love hearing that--thank you! Like you, I'm vegetarian, but I also try to limit eggs and dairy. Some vegan recipes are really fussy or call for strange ingredients, but there are a lot out there that are completely doable too. I think the best thing you can do is to focus on eating delicious food--it sounds so silly, but I think a lot of new vegetarians (and vegans) try to find substitutes for everything they used to eat and then they get disappointed that the substitutes don't taste as good as the real thing & they go back to eating meat.
Anyway, good luck with your new diet! 🙂
Liz says
Can you tell me what the point of the whole wheat flour is? Like as opposed to using solely all purpose flour?
Thanks!! Love the recipe; can't wait to make it!
Kiersten says
I think using only all-purpose flour would be fine. I adapted this recipe from another one, so I'm not sure why the original used WWF, but I'm guessing it was just to make the crackers a little healthier...
Mandy says
Hi. I just baked some but they were so tough to eat. I wonder which part of the process went wrong. Please help
Kiersten says
If they were tough to eat, it sounds like either the dough was overworked or they could have been baked too long (sometimes oven temperatures vary, causing differences in bake time). I'm sorry they didn't work out for you.