Chocolate graham crackers recipe for a fun homemade treat, a snack, or a scoop for cheesecake dip.
I will never forget the time one of Camille’s teachers from daycare pulled me aside and said Camille has a jealousy issue.
When Camille was about 10 months old, I began dropping Camille off at a small ‘mom’s day out’ program a few hours each week. We were required to fill out a form each day. A section on the form inquired about the type of snacks she was allowed to have. I always said ‘snacks from home only’ because I packed plenty of snacks for her each day.
What I didn’t know was that during snack time, the other kids were eating Cheerios and store-bought graham crackers. Apparently, my little Camille was jealous and kept reaching for them. After she was directed towards her snack from home, she snatched the graham crackers from the other kids.
I took it as a sign that homemade graham crackers needed to happen. We love that recipe and make it about once a month in our house.
We recently moved into a neighborhood that celebrates nearly every weekend with s’mores parties. So now, my pantry must always be stocked with graham crackers, marshmallow and peanut butter cups (side note: if you haven’t switched from chocolate bars to peanut butter cups in your s’mores, this is your year!). We have fire pits sprinkled throughout the neighborhood, and if the weather is nice on Friday, we all head out to make s’mores. I’d say about half the time my grahams are homemade, and half of the time they are store-bought. When I make graham crackers from scratch, the s’mores are incredible. Homemade grahams are a bit thicker (yet still crisp) and taste more like a cookie than the store-bought ones. I’d rather have a cookie base than a cracker base for my s’mores, ya know what I mean?
When I received a reader request for a homemade chocolate graham crackers recipe, I immediately thought of how amazing a double chocolate s’mores would be! So, I reached for Dutch chocolate cocoa powder to make this recipe.
What’s the difference between Dutch Process and Natural Cocoa Powder?
Dutch processed cocoa powder has been treated with an alkalinizing agent to neutralize the acidity of the cocoa powder. It’s pH is near 7, while natural cocoa powder is between 5 and 6. The lower the number, the more acidity.
What makes Dutch chocolate different?
It typically has a more mellow or smooth flavor. It tastes darker and richer, too. Often, it has a darker color. Recipes that use Dutch cocoa powder are often leavened by baking powder, which has a neutral pH.
Can you use regular cocoa powder instead of Dutch processed?
In a word, no. It really depends on the recipe. When a recipe uses leaveners like baking soda, you should use regular cocoa powder, unless the recipe states otherwise, like this chocolate graham crackers recipe does! If you want to make a swap and the recipe doesn’t mention it, you can use Dutch processed cocoa powder anytime a recipe doesn’t need leaveners. I use Dutch processed cocoa powder when I’m making chocolate frosting or chocolate glazes, for example. I like the rich, dark flavor Dutch process cocoa provides in frostings. If you’re making a cake that calls for baking soda and you substitute Dutch-process cocoa powder, the cake will not rise properly. The Dutch processed cocoa powder has a lower acidity and will not react with the baking soda properly to make the cake rise. By and large, if a recipe calls for cocoa powder, it means regular. It will nearly always specify Dutch processed if you need it. For this recipe, you may use either, but I highly recommend the Rodelle Dutch process cocoa powder because of the rich, mellow, smooth flavor.
What can I use this chocolate graham crackers recipe for?
These homemade chocolate graham crackers are amazing with my cherry cheesecake dip. Actually, the first time I made that recipe, Camille was only 14 months old, and her eyes lit up when she saw the graham crackers. She snatched one off the counter, and I let her have it. Little did I know, that she had been wanting graham crackers for a few months and she finally got her little hands on one! Beyond that, they’re great for snacking, s’mores, or grinding up to use as a pie crust, or rolling my cherry cheesecake cookies in. Let me know if you have any more questions about Dutch processed cocoa powder below. I’m here for you! Thanks so much to Rodelle for sponsoring this post, and letting us all dive more into the wonderful world of chocolate together.
