Homemade Oyster Crackers
These homemade oyster crackers are a spot-on stunt double for the real thing. They are totally perfect served with chili!
Why make homemade oyster crackers?
I make homemade oyster crackers, Ritz crackers, graham crackers, and peanut butter crackers because it’s fun to do and it gives me complete control over the food that I’m eating. Making anything from scratch – like oyster crackers – is something I particularly love to do with my son. I want him to understand that food doesn’t magically appear in a bag.
When I began the project of making homemade oyster crackers, I decided that I wanted them to be hexagonal like the ones sold in stores. I couldn’t find a cookie cutter small enough, so I made my own.
I used folded over tin foil to make the cookie cutter, but I would not recommend this technique. It wasn’t sharp enough to make a clean edge and it didn’t hold up.
If you really want to make your own cookie cutter, I suggest trying this cookie cutter kit. I haven’t tried it yet, but it has great reviews. (View on Amazon) [paid link]
If you don’t mind the hexagons being slightly larger, you can use this cookie cutter set. (View on Amazon) [paid link]
When I make homemade oyster crackers again, I’ll probably just take the easy route and cut them into cute tiny squares using this tool. The crackers won’t have the classic oyster cracker look, but they will taste the same. (View on Amazon) [paid link]
Other Products Used to Make Homemade Oyster Crackers
You’ll need a rolling pin. This is my favorite one! (View on Amazon) [paid link]
Chicago Metallic makes my favorite cookie sheet. (View on Amazon) [paid link]
You absolutely do not need a Silpat, but my life hasn’t been the same since I bought one. No more buying rolls of parchment paper or trying to scrub cookie sheets clean. (View on Amazon) [paid link]
Homemade Oyster Cracker Recipe
One of the best parts about making homemade oyster crackers was discovering Molly Sheridan’s blog, Wonderland Kitchen. It’s a whole blog full of DIY projects that I am itching to try! I have a new blog crush – big time! The recipe for homemade oyster crackers that I used is a recipe that she developed for Serious Eats. The recipe below is Molly’s, but I added in my own notes along the way.
Homemade Oyster Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
- 1/3 cup cold water plus additional as needed
- table salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl.
- Using your hands, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse meal.
- Add water and lightly knead the dough together to form a ball.
- Cover bowl and let rest for 15 minutes.
- Roll the dough to as close to 1/8" as you can get. (I did some thicker crackers and they didn't come out as well.)
- Use cookie cutters, a ravioli cutter, or a butter knife to cut dough into tiny shapes (hexagons, squares, or whatever you'd like).
- Place cut dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a Silpat, leaving a tiny bit of space between each piece.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the crackers are just beginning to brown on the bottom.
- Turn the oven off and crack the door open.
- Leave the crackers in the oven to cool for another twenty minutes.
- Sprinkle cooled crackers with salt.
Notes
Nutrition
A Fun Use for Your Oyster Crackers
Although oyster crackers are traditionally used in soup, they are a fun snack all on their own. Kimberly of the lovely Rhubarb and Honey (who happens to be a great friend of mine and co-conspirator for the upcoming Food Media Forum) has a recipe for baked oyster crackers with ranch, lemon pepper, and garlic powder that would be a hit at a summer BBQ. I discovered her recipe when she won my most recent Facebook game of Cupcake Roulette! I was tasked with finding something on her blog to inspire cupcakes. When I saw her baked oyster crackers, I got all kinds of oyster crackery ideas! A cupcake related to oyster crackers is coming soon!
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