Homemade Honey Oat Crackers with Chocolate-Yogurt Dip

Oh…my…gosh.

Honestly… I have no idea where this came from.

Here’s how it all went down in my kitchen.

I scooped out a little yogurt. I melted some chocolate. I creamed some sugar with a touch of milk. I tasted.

I shrugged. I added more sugar. I tasted again. And voila. Uh duh.

Oh wait, you were talking about the crackers, weren’t you?

Well that was easy, too. The hardest part was having to wait for the dough to harden in the fridge. For an hour… what the heck am I suppose to do for an hour? I mean, I guess I kinda sorta have a life? Okay, I’ll admit watching Breakfast At Tiffany’s doesn’t really count. So I went to the gym. Thank goodness because I ended up eating half of this recipe for lunch. Okay, after lunch… for dessert. Okay, afternoon dessert. Not “Dessert” dessert… that comes later. I mean how could you not? These are crackers… aren’t you suppose to eat an entire bag of crackers without realizing it? Isn’t that what you’re suppose to do?

Chobani yogurt + chocolate chips = new fad. Deal with it, people. It’s happening all right.

This recipe is different… different, but good. I tell no lies. It’s a great option for a healthy snack on the go. Just slap some of this homemade chocolate dip in between two crackers and you’re good to go. And yes… this chocolate dip just happens to be super darn delicious and super darn healthy. The base is made with Chobani greek yogurt, which gives it a tangy and tart flavor. For those of you with a pretty heavy sweet tooth, you may want to add in more sugar, agave, or honey depending on your taste buds.

Without all those “whatchamacallit” ingredients and processed “ihavenoideawhatthisis” additives, these crackers are the real thing. Bake a batch of them. Trick your kids into thinking they’re getting away with having dessert in the middle of the day. They’re not… they’re totally under your control.

That’s what I call good parenting.

They are super crispy on the outside with just the perfect bit of tenderness on the inside. Yes, they taste like baked oatmeal squares… but in a thinner, crackier sense, you cracka! And sure, the dip is unconventional, but I live for unconventional. That might also explain my choice of daily indulgences… U.S. presidential biographies as light reading, really good jazz music, astronomy books, and eating my cereal with a fork.

Yes I do that. Wanna argue? I do it so I can slurp up all the sugary milk at the end… that is, after all, the best part.

Betcha didn’t think of that, did ya? Yes I know, I’m actually a genius.

I think I found my next Super Bowl party recipe.

Homemade Honey Oat Crackers with Chocolate-Yogurt Dip

adapted from this recipe

Ingredients:

For the crackers:

1/2 cup rolled oats, finely processed

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch of cinnamon

4 tbsp yogurt butter, margarine, or other butter spread cut into pieces

3 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp water, plus more if needed

For the Chocolate-Yogurt Dip:

6 tbsp chocolate chips, melted

1/2 cup plain Chobani greek yogurt

1 1/2 tbsp sugar, agave nectar, honey, or other sweetener

Splash of milk

1/4 tsp vanilla

Preparation:

To make 12 crackers:

Combine all the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Cut in the butter until the texture is dry and crumbly.

In a small bowl, mix the honey, water, and vanilla. Mix with the dry ingredients until blended in the food processor. Pulse the dough until it forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough out very thin onto a floured surface or on top of parchment paper and cut into rectangles. Form whatever excess dough you have left over and re-knead the dough and flatten until all has been used up. Poke each cracker with a fork to give it the traditional graham cracker shape. Place them on an cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until they are golden brown and crisp. Store in an air tight container. They will keep for awhile.

To make chocolate-yogurt dip:

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave for 1 minute, stopping at 30 seconds to stir.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until combine. You can stir all ingredients together by hand if you so desire. Remove and pour into a serving dish. Dip homemade grahams into the batter and enjoy!