Thin Crispy Crackers (Regular + GF)

After so many homemade cracker recipe fails over the past couple years (guys, SO many…), I am obsesssssssed with these delicious thin crispy crackers!

My friend, Liz, brought them over for dinner a while back, and I fell in love with the golden salty crunch of them. They’re the perfect neutral cracker for cheese, chicken salad, dips, or just munching on.

Here are the tips I’ve found that work best for getting them perfect:

• You want to roll the dough soooo thin, like seriously paper-thin (between sheets of parchment paper)
• You want them *thisclose* to overbaked…really golden, but not burnt
• I’ve found that I get the most even and crispiest bake on the top shelf of the oven
• Do not be shy with the salt!

Also, I wasn’t paying attention when rolling out the dough, and somehow the shape of my dough became like…a Precious Moments angel or a ghost??? Lol I can’t unsee it…

I usually halve this recipe for myself and nibble on it all week. I love sprinkling with flaky sea salt, but you could try adding some finely-chopped rosemary to the dough, or sprinkling with everything bagel seasoning as well.

Can these crispy crackers be made gluten-free?

Yes, these are great gluten-free. You can use a 1:1 GF flour mix (you want one with xanthan gum, ideally).  I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 entirely, or I’ve done three-fourths of that and one-fourth of the Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose GF mix, which gives a bit of extra flavor.

How to make the crispiest thin crackers

Set oven to 425 F. Put one rack fairly close to the top of the oven (not at broil level, but just below). Mix all the ingredients together until it forms into a dough.

Separate into 6 balls. Roll out each ball between two pieces of parchment paper, and roll it as THIN AS POSSIBLE. Seriously like paper thin.

If you make a full batch (I usually halve it for myself), you won’t be able to bake them all at once. So keep the top parchment paper on until you put them in the oven, so the dough doesn’t dry out.

Once ready to bake, remove the top layer of parchment and transfer the parchment + dough to a sheet pan. Use a fork to lightly poke holes all over to stop major puffing from happening in the oven.

Sprinkle flaky sea salt over it and bake for 9 to 13 minutes, until crispy and slightly brown on the edges.

Keep an eye on it, it burns quickly, so pay attention! But you DO want it really golden and crisp and *thisclose* to overbaked, not doughy at all. I’ve found that it bakes better when it’s higher in the oven vs. on the bottom.

Let it cool completely and then break apart into cracker-size pieces. Store at room temperature (I put it in a tupperware container with the lid loosely resting on it…if you seal it, they’ll go stale). Use within a week.

Other cracker-adjacent snacks you’ll love:

• Spicy Unleavened Cheese Straws (with GF option)
• Savory Parmesan Rosemary Shortbread (Unleavened)

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Print Recipe

Thin Crispy Crackers (regular & GF versions)

These are the crispiest thin crackers, and packed with golden salty flavor! I'd tried and failed at several homemade cracker recipes, but this one is finally my foolproof winner.

You can make them with regular flour, or easily make a gluten-free version as well. When making this for myself, I halve the recipe.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time11 minutes mins

Total Time21 minutes mins

Course: Bread Recipes

Servings: 8

Equipment

• Parchment paper
• Sheet pans
• Bamboo French Style Rolling Pins

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour or a 1:1 GF mix see notes
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• For sprinkling: flaky sea salt other spices or spice mixes

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 F. Put one rack fairly close to the top of the oven (not at broil level, but just below).
• Mix all the ingredients together until it forms into a dough.
• Separate into 6 balls. Roll out each ball between two pieces of parchment paper, and roll it as THIN AS POSSIBLE. Seriously like paper thin.
• If you're making a full batch (six dough balls), you won't be able to bake them all at once, so keep the top parchment on until you put them in the oven, so the dough doesn't dry out. Once ready to bake, remove the top layer of parchment and transfer the parchment + dough to a sheet pan. Use a fork to lightly poke holes all over to stop it from puffing up too much.
• Sprinkle flaky sea salt over it and bake for 9 to 13 minutes, until crispy and slightly brown on the edges. Keep an eye on it, it burns quickly, so pay attention! But you do want it really golden and crisp and *thisclose* to overbaked, not doughy at all. I’ve found that it bakes better when it’s higher in the oven vs. on the bottom.
• Let it cool completely and then break apart into cracker-size pieces. Store at room temperature (I put it in a tupperware container with the lid loosely resting on it…if you seal it, they’ll go stale). Use within a week.

Notes

1. To make this gluten-free, you can use a 1:1 GF mix (you want one with xanthan gum, ideally).  I’ve used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 entirely, or I’ve done 3/4 of that and 1/4 of the Bob’s Red Mill all-purpose GF mix, which gives a bit of extra flavor.
2. These bake crispier on a higher shelf in the oven
3. I usually halve the recipe for myself (three dough balls).