Not to brag or anything, but I am pretty sure I was the first person to ever create a recipe for Keto Graham Crackers. I originally shared this recipe back in January 2011. Oh boy, now that feels like a lifetime ago!
I had only been doing on my low carb journey for about eight months at the time. But I’d always loved graham crackers and I really wanted to enjoy them again. So I set about turning almond flour into something that mimicked my beloved snack.
It took a few tries to get right, of course. The best recipes always do! But the crispy, cinnamon scented results were absolutely worth the effort. And I’ve been making them almost exactly the same way ever since.
It’s one of my oldest keto snack recipes and it remains one of the most popular to this day. You might notice that other recipes bear a striking similarity to mine. I daresay that’s because you can’t improve on the original sugar free graham crackers!
Why you will love this recipe
For people new to the keto diet, it’s an absolute revelation that they can make their own healthier version of a popular snack. I remember that sense of astonishment vividly.
I also remember how utterly delighted I was with myself. The fact that I could take something like almond flour and coax it into a reasonable facsimile of graham crackers was a turning point for me. It made me realize I could commit to a low carb diet for life.
These keto graham crackers are everything you love and nothing you don’t. Crisp and lightly sweet, they have no added sugar, no grains, and are completely gluten free. And they’re easy enough to make so you can whip up a batch any time.
How to use keto graham crackers
I’ve made this recipe countless times over the years because my kids love them. It’s nice to be able to offer a healthy snack option that really holds its own against the store-bought version. And there are so many great ways to use them.
- Add a smear of peanut butter or Sugar Free Nutella.
- Use them for Keto S’mores with my Sugar-Free Marshmallows. The new ChocZero marshmallows are wonderful in them too!
- Crush them up and use them as the crust for Keto Key Lime Pie.
- Crumble them into No Bake Keto Smores Bites.
- Use them as the layers in Keto Eclair Cake.
Reader reviews
“This is a game changer! You see, we can’t get graham crackers in Australia so I’m very excited that not only can I make them myself but they are Keto too!! Thank you so much for yet another winning recipe xx” — Jo
“I am so fortunate I stumbled on to your website. You have done all the hard work I don’t have time for. You are making it easier for me to get back to the low carb lifestyle. I have been diagnosed with pre diabetes. I will take care of this issue with diet, not meds. Thanks for all you do!!” — Linda
“Looking for some special things for a camping trip I found your recipes and spent today wihipping a few things up. These are SOOOO delicious! They have not even the slightest low anything taste! They taste like gourmet graham crackers. I made the coconut macaroons too and they were also supremely special! I can’t wait to get busy on more of your recipes!” — Bonnie C.
Ingredients you need
- Almond flour: I always use almond flour for my keto graham crackers, because it crisps up nicely when rolled out and baked. I don’t recommend coconut flour, as it makes them tough and they don’t have the right snap. See nut-free options in the Expert Tips section
- Sweetener: I like to use an erythritol-based brown sugar replacement for a deeper color and flavor. You must use an erythritol sweetener for these crackers to crisp up properly. Any amount of allulose or BochaSweet will make them soft. So make sure to read the ingredients on your sweetener. See more about sweeteners in the Expert Tips section.
- Egg: The egg helps bind the dough and hold it together properly. A standard large egg is about 3 1/2 tablespoons of liquid egg.
- Pantry staples: Butter, baking powder, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. Mix it up. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir in the egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until the dough comes together.
2. Roll it. Turn the dough out onto a silicone liner and pat into a rough rectangle. Top with a piece piece of parchment and roll out evenly to about 1/4 inch thick. You can go thinner, to 1/8 inch, but they will cook through faster.
3. Score it. Remove the parchment and use a sharp knife or a pizza wheel to score into squares of about 2×2 inches. Prick with a fork to make patterns as desired.
4. Bake it. Transfer the silicone mat to a large baking sheet. Bake at 300ºF for 20 to 30 minutes, until just beginning to brown and firm up.
5. Break it. Remove the crackers and turn the oven off. Let the crackers cool for 30 minutes, then break up along score marks and spread out over the pan in a single layer.
6. Bake again. Return to the warm oven (with the oven off. If it has cooled down too much, turn it on and set the temperature at no higher than 200ºF). Let sit inside another 30 minutes or so, then remove and let cool completely.
Expert tips
It is very important to roll the dough out as evenly as possible. It doesn’t matter if you do it thinner than 1/4 inch, but an even thickness means they will bake more evenly. Keep your eye on them regardless as every oven bakes differently.
This recipe makes 30 to 40 crackers, depending on how thinly you roll the dough.
Nut-Free Option: If you are allergic to almonds, you can use sunflower seed flour. It can be used to replace almond flour in a 1:1 ratio. Be forewarned, however, that it reacts with leavening agents like baking powder and can produce a green color as it cools. You can offset this by using a tablespoon of acid like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar.
Sweetener Options
As mentioned above, erythritol is the only sweetener that will create a crisp texture in these sugar free graham crackers. Any amount of allulose or BochaSweet will keep them from crisping up properly.
That means that the new versions of Swerve Granular and Swerve Brown won’t work here (the old formulas are just fine). But you can use other erythritol based sweeteners such as Lakanto and PureCane.
If you only have a granular sweetener and want a little of that brown sugar flavor, try adding a teaspoon of molasses along with the egg and butter. It will add less than half a gram of carbs to each serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store-bought graham crackers have 24g of carbs per serving, so they are not recommended for low carb diets. However, it’s easy to make your own healthier version. They’re crispy and delicious, and they satisfy that craving!
These easy sugar free graham crackers are made with almond flour, brown sugar substitute, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, egg, butter and vanilla.
This sugar free graham crackers recipe has 5.4g of carbs and 2.7g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.7g net carbs per serving of 3 crackers.
Storage Information
These sugar free graham crackers will keep for up to a week in a covered container on the counter. If you live in a humid area, they may soften up. But you can always crisp them up again by placing them back in a warm oven for 20 minutes or so.
You can also freeze the crackers. Once they have cooled, place them in an airtight container. They will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Keto Graham Crackers Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (215 g) almond flour
- 1/3 cup (60.67 g) brown sugar replacement
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt
- 1 large (1) egg
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sweetener, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Stir in the egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract until the dough comes together.
- Turn the dough out onto a silicone liner and pat into a rough rectangle. Top with a piece piece of parchment and roll out evenly to about ¼ inch thick. You can go thinner, to ⅛ inch, but they will bake through faster.
- Remove the parchment and use a sharp knife or a pizza wheel to score into squares of about 2×2 inches. Prick with a fork to make patterns as desired. Transfer the silicone mat to a large baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until just beginning to brown and firm up.
- Remove the crackers and turn the oven off. Let the crackers cool for 20 minutes, then break up along score marks and spread out over the pan in a single layer.
- Return to the warm oven with the oven off. (If it has cooled down too much, turn it on and set the temperature at no higher than 200ºF). Let sit inside another 30 minutes or so, then remove and let cool completely.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Love these, but I always seem to overcook them.
Have you tried using Nutritional Yeast in your crackers or Psyllium Husks? One of those two seem to make the buns have some of the graham consistency. Haven’t tried this recipe yet but will be doing so once I get some Brown Swerve!
I made the old version many times and love it. Thank you for all your wonderful recipes. You are a genius and I never hesitate to make anything of yours.
Might want to take a look at the updated wording. The molasses is an option in the ingredient list but is added in the instructions. Might be confusing to some.
Hi Carolyn!
Your recipe has two sets of nutritional information. While one is clearly labeled, “3 crackers,” and I THINK the other might be per 2″ square cracker, could you please help unconfuse me? Thanks.
I deleted the other info… that was from a previous time when I couldn’t add the nutritional info directly to the recipe card. Hope that helps!
I feel like I’m not doing something right when I use swerve. Things taste great out of the oven but once it cools it’s like eating sugar that has not desolved. All I noticed is the crunch of raw sugar. Any suggestions?
I have had that in a few recipes but not in this one.
Hi Amy, erythritol has a tendency to recrystallize. I don’t like that texture either, and can suggest a few options that often mitigate the crystallization.
1. Try using part powdered Swerve and part granulated.
2. Be sure to incorporate your sweetener into the recipe properly. For example, if a recipe instructs to “cream sweetener and butter,” be sure to beat the two together until light and fluffy. This can take several minutes.
3. Try substituting allulose for a small portion of the Swerve (probably no more than 1/4 of it or so, since allulose keeps things softer than erythritol).
4. If it’s safe to do so, keep the finished baked good on the counter. (Use common sense for this one, please! Don’t let them sit out more than a couple days, especially if your climate is on the warm side.) Alternatively, warm it slightly if it was kept in the fridge.
5. Consider exploring other erythritol-based sweeteners; some have a tendency to recrystallize a little less, despite the similar ingredients. Find one you enjoy using and eating.
Please don’t sub allulose here. Your crackers will never crisp up properly. Even if you use a tiny bit. I’ve been experimenting a lot with it and it’s just not going to produce a crisp cookie.
Thanks Carolyn; I was thinking more in terms of cakey items than hard, crispy ones, since erythritol crystals are more noticeable in softer baked goods. I’m sorry if my response was confusing. I’m definitely no expert, and I defer to the recipe author for further graham cracker-related issues!
No worries! It’s funny but I rarely get the crystals in my baked goods. Only in frostings and custards and such. But the grahams need erythritol for sure. Bocha sweet or allulose will keep them from crisping up.
I used to love graham crackers and cream cheese with jelly-these would be perfect for that, you could just add homemade sugar-free jelly or even store bought if the carbs were low. I don’t have the brown swerve yet or yacon syrup, but I will get some at some point and try this recipe. It sounds pretty easy if you have the time!
I am a diabetic who pee’s her sugars out rather than put my kidneys through too much, but because I pee my sugar out( sorry for this) I’m wary of causing a uti…. it happened onceChristmas 2018 and it was no fun at all. So I can’t put molasses or (whatever yacon is)and of course honey is out of the question too so what can I use? Keep in mind that there are very few keto ingredients available to us in the backward country of Australia!! ????☹️????
You can just skip it. It won’t be quite the same but should still be tasty.
Hi!! Can i use stevia instead?
Stevia doesn’t crisp up the way Swerve does so your crackers may never be very crisp.
I just bought graham cracker flavoring a few weeks back I can’t wait to make some and try adding that. Thanks!
Fabulous! I have been missing “sweet” crackers. These hit the spot. I made them twice first time I overcooked them but they still were good. Much better the second time. Perfect with peanut butter & coffee. Thank you
Do you think if I was really careful I could make these into cutout shapes rather than squares, or would the dough be too fragile? These will be a perfect addition to an afternoon snack for my 5 year old T1D. Thanks in advance!
It should work. I have similar cut out cookies.
Perfect, I have made your cutout cookies several times with great success!
these turned out pretty good and very easy to make and do not take much time to prepare
I am thinking to try replacing the cinnamon and molasses with orange zest or other flavours
I like how crispy and thin they turned out
So I’m lazy and didn’t skim thru 7 years of comments to see if anyone has asked you this yet… I apologize if you e already addressed this…
What is your opinion on replacing the Swerve/molasses combo with just brown sugar swerve? It is my absolute favorite tho g right now and just wondered if you thought it would be successful.
You were right – these are amazing with a smear of peanut butter! I am now in possession of ALL your tremendous cookbooks and – pardon my gush- I am loving them! You are by far my favorite Keto Chef and your books are just beautiful! Thank you so much!
I think it would be fine. I haven’t used it in this recipe yet since this is an older recipe. Thanks so much for your kind words!
I can’t wait to try these!
Perfect rainy day to bake something that is always comfort food…
Has anyone made them , crushed them up, added some melted butter, a pinch of salt & a bit of sugar free sweetener to use as a cheesecake crust???
I’m trying that and will LYK????????
Yes, you can do that for a cheesecake crust. It’s delicious!
Thanks for letting me know but I haven’t noticed a spike. I don’t use it often though. But, I will check my Blood sugar next time.
Thanks for the great recipe! Can’t wait to try it but I have a few questions. Do you use Swerve Granular or Confectioners? I find the Confectioners works in anything it’s sweeter. Have you tried Sukrin Gold syrup? It’s sugar free and worked great in my Pecan Pie. I will try it & let you know since many of us need sugar free. I just found Swerve Brown! Might be a nice flavor.
I use granular. And nope, I steer clear of those fiber syrups as they typically raise blood glucose.