When picking Graham cracker substitutes, you would generally want something that does the job as well as these famous crackers and has similar characteristics.
However, in this case, we could possibly go beyond that limited scope, especially for baking and dessert needs. It would also be fruitful to look at alternatives that can take on a similar role, but achieve results with somewhat different, but desirable and justifiable qualities.
In my opinion, that’s a really useful and wholesome approach to take when looking at substitutes for graham crackers. After all, other ingredients can possibly enrich a recipe and potentially be your new favored way for the recipe, rather than simply being stand-ins for the crackers.
Usually, the best substitutes for Graham crackers are cookies, digestive biscuits, ice cream cones, vanilla wafer cookies, pretzels, some breakfast cereals, and crushed nuts (pecans, walnuts, and almonds).
One of the pitfalls in listing substitutes for something like graham crackers, is obviously branding and the sheer volume of products available. And since covering every brand and type of cookie simply isn’t possible, we will limit ourselves to only a few types, categories, or brands that are well-recognized.
Additionally, we will group similar products together. I believe for this discussion, it isn’t necessary to break down similar substitutes or alternatives into separate points. That way, rather than have a long list, we can have a more sensible and focused discussion on actual substitutes, rather than an unnecessarily long and repetitive list.
Now that we’ve laid the groundwork, let’s get to business and discuss these substitutions in detail!
Table of Contents
Best Graham Cracker Substitutes And Alternatives
1. Cookies Or Biscuits
Once we look at things from a simpler perspective, a truth becomes evident – Graham crackers are a cookie. And there are a lot of cookies that can take on the same role where dessert and baking needs are concerned.
A lot of cookies, crackers, biscuits, and other baked goods fit right into this category. So, we’ll list a few obvious and useful choices.
- Digestive Biscuits: These are basically close cousins of graham crackers. While not very popular in America, they’re very popular in much of the world, especially the British commonwealth regions.
These biscuits are also made from whole wheat flour, but are made to be thicker and have a more buttery texture. Graham crackers are similar, but are designed to be crisp, with somewhat sweet notes of honey and cinnamon.
So, while there are some differences between these cookies, once crushed and used in a dessert or as a base of a pie, they can be considered rather similar because they bring similar characteristics to the food.
Overall, using digestive biscuits in place of graham crackers offers a very close, very useful substitution. - Gingersnaps: The famous gingersnaps can be a wonderful substitute for graham crackers. When used in desserts and pies, they offer a similar texture, but also bring in the more flavor-packed touch of honey, ginger, molasses, and cinnamon.
These are a good choice if you want the pie base to be similar to the classic graham crackers but with a bit more flavor and personality. - Wafer Cookies: Products like vanilla wafer cookies or chocolate wafer cookies are quite the pick as graham cracker substitutes. These offer a rather nice crust with quite the flavor punch.
Usually, these cookies are quite sweet, so when using them for a pie crust/base, you might want to omit any sweetener for these.
Additionally, while vanilla wafer cookies offer the more neutral vanilla flavor, when using other options like chocolate wafer cookies, you will want to match flavors for the pie and the base/crust. Hint: it works rather well with butterscotch, caramel, and even raspberry fillings! - Other Cracker Cookies: Several types of cracker cookies will fulfill the role of graham cracker substitutes rather nicely. Saltine crackers and animal crackers will work, as will shortbread crackers.
Though some recipe adjustments might be necessary to accommodate these cookies. Additionally, avoid frosted versions (like frosted animal crackers) as the sugar coating doesn’t quite play well for base or dessert needs. - Sandwich Cookies (Oreos): Popular as Oreos are as cookies, they are pretty much a legit dessert ingredient in their own right at this point. Lo and behold, they’re also wonderful as pie crust and can be a wonderful alternative to graham crackers.
There are tons of Oreo pie crust recipes you can use as a guide. Most recipes work fine with the whole cookie (including the filling). Though, some might suggest skipping the filling, which though acceptable, isn’t much fun! I prefer keeping the filling there, after all, it’s like half the fun of these cookies!
Also, since Oreo cookies are pretty sweet, you will want to skip any sweetener to the crust and still be prepared with a sweet tooth.
It’s worth remembering that while I’m specifically mentioning Oreos here, I do it because of their popularity and versatility. Many brands of chocolate cream cookies will fit into this role just as well. Several sandwich cookies too are good to go, though you’ll have to take your own pick depending on your preferences.
2. Ice Cream Cones
My mouth is watering at this simple thought and its visualization – ice cream cones as graham cracker substitutes for pie crust and in other desserts. In fact, the idea sounds yummy enough to plain skip graham crackers for these recipes and lean into ice cream cones instead.
The firm texture of the cones works rather well with pies and the hints of sweetness and vanilla, but an overall profile that veers towards neutral also works in their favor. Besides, if you really want to push the envelope, you can get these cones in a whole range of flavors, which might work well with the pie you intend to make.
Conventional ice cream cones are the way to go for a graham cracker substitution. But, if you prefer, those thicker and nice waffle-style cones could work too. It helps that they have that nice and alluring charm of their own.
3. Crushed Nuts (Almonds, Walnuts, Pecan)
As a man writing this, believe me, the painful imagination of writing these words together is not lost on me. Yet, not every term can be sacrificed to double entendre, even if it evokes painful imagination. After all, in the realm of cooking, there’s quite a lot of crushing of nuts like almonds and walnuts, and it becomes rather ludicrous to avoid writing these simple terms together.
Anyways, I digress, so let’s turn back to the topic.
Most nuts like almonds, walnuts, and pecan can go rather well with a variety of desserts and pies. Ideally, for pie crusts, you would want them crushed somewhat nicely.
Something like almond meal works rather well, as do walnut meal and pecan meal. Although if you want something more uniform, almond flour (or other nut flours) will work too.
This forms a nice alternative to graham crackers and can bring a rather interesting bit of texture and taste. Match the flavors and texture well, and you’ll have a phenomenal dessert for your table.
4. Breakfast Cereal (Cornflakes, Cheerios, Oats)
Want a quick and easy substitute for graham crackers? Well, look at your breakfast supplies. If you’ve got cornflakes, cheerios, oatmeal, or something similar, you’re in business!
The good thing is that breakfast cereals like cornflakes and cheerios are remarkably easy to crush. I mean, you could simply put them in a cloth or bag and go to town with a rolling pin! Or, go the less fun way and use a grinder (meh).
These famous breakfast cereals are easy to match with pretty much any flavor and form a delectable crust for the pie.
On the other hand, if you’re using oatmeal, you’ll have to put in a little more effort but you’ve got a healthier and more nutrition-rich crust for your pie. This alternative can even work better than the classic graham cookie approach.
5. Pretzels
Pretzels sound like an odd-choice for graham cookie substitutes, especially for desserts and pies, but these snacks are positively wonderful when put into action.
They have that nice and strong texture with a wonderful crunch that would be a wonderful addition to any cheesecake, pie, or pastry.
Pretzels are usually salted and many people who use them for pie crusts actually do like that tinge of saltiness they provide, along with the texture touch they have. That said, those who prefer the pie crusts to have the more conventional tastes can consider unsalted pretzels for the role.
Using smaller pretzels should be the more convenient option as they would be easier to crush. And then there’s the choice of how to crush them. A rolling pin would work, as would a mallet. But if you prefer convenience, a food processor is the easiest option to work here.
Choosing The Right Substitute For Graham Crackers To Take Your Recipe To The Next Level
As we see here, there are plenty of options and ideas to pick from when you want graham cracker substitutes for your recipes. Most of these options work fine with desserts, pies, cheesecakes, and other options. And they’re quite easily available, so you can pick what works best for you.
Many of these are worth a try and call for some kitchen experiments that you can enjoy and perhaps find an ingredient that works closer to your heart for your favored dessert recipe.