Quick Answer: What Are The Well-Known Graham Crackers Substitutes?

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Graham crackers are a type of cookie that is baked with flour, sugar, and often butter. If you don’t have it in your kitchen, you can use graham crackers substitutes such as Ice cream cones, Crisp Cookies, Sponge cake, Marie Biscuits, Homemade graham crackers, Digestive cookies, and Crushed cereal.

Graham Crackers Substitutes are perfect choice to fulfill the shortage of it. Graham crackers are a classic snack for making various delicious recipes such as s’mores, pies, ice cream sundaes, cheesecakes, and more.

They are one of the most loved comfort foods, similar to biscuits and crackers in texture and taste. These ultimate snacks are sometimes challenging to find and are expensive too.

So when you want to prepare a recipe that calls for graham crackers, you can use some suitable substitutes to get the same flavor and taste.

You can eat graham plain or enjoy it by dipping it in your favorite chocolate flavor. These delicious graham crackers are versatile, crunchy, and sweet, which you might have fond memories of.

These delightful treats go well as a base for a cheesecake, or you can enjoy them as such. If you have a few graham crackers in stock, many good options can replace them, and they work just the same.

We will find out the best substitutes that you can use for graham crackers.

What Is Graham Cracker?

Graham crackers are sweetened flat cookies that you can use as a snack or as an ingredient to prepare cheesecakes, pies, or tarts. These crackers are made with wheat flour and are either honey or cinnamon flavored.

They taste slightly sweet, and you can also add oats or rye to whole wheat flour. The round-shaped crackers have scalloped edges with perforations on top. You can use them in various recipes or enjoy them plain.

Sylvester Graham invented this popular dessert ingredient in the early 19th century to curb the appetite with a healthy and tasty snack.

Nutrition Table

Nutrition Value Table	Calories (Per 100g)
Ice Cream Cones	417
Crushed Pretzels	380
Crisp Cookies	393
Sponge Cake	297
Shortbread Crackers	510
Saltine Crackers	421
Marie Biscuits	443
Homemade Graham Crackers	423
Gingersnaps	416
Digestive Cookies	483
Crushed Oats	397
Crushed Cereal	84

1. Ice Cream Cones

The firm texture of ice cream cones helps them hold up, and you can dip them in chocolates. They make an excellent graham cracker substitute and can substitute them in making the base for pies and use them in various desserts.

The vanilla flavor pairs well with different ice creams and adds variety to your dessert arsenal.

Ice cream cones are an inexpensive option to substitute graham crackers, and the best part is that they are readily available. You can use them as such in your recipes without needing to bake them.

Graham crackers and ice cream cones have many common features, such as a sweet taste, solid texture, and vanilla flavor, making them a perfect substitute. They work nicely in desserts and with many other recipes.

Use them to make pies, ice cream sundaes, and tarts, and you also have the option to pick a cone of any flavor you like to enrich your dish.

How To Substitute
Use ice cream cones to substitute graham crackers in a 1:1 ratio.

2. Crushed Pretzels

The delicious and versatile crushed pretzels are an excellent substitute for graham crackers as both have a similar flavor and texture. Crushed pretzels make a perfect replacement in many recipes that call for graham crackers.

Moreover, pretzels are nutritious and provide various health benefits as they are rich in fiber and protein.

Crushed pretzels are readily available, and if you do not have graham crackers, you can get them at the nearest grocery store.

You can add a delicious extra flavor to your dish with pretzels when preparing a dessert or creating some new recipe.

Like graham crackers, crushed pretzels have the hard and crunchy texture of pretzels with hints of cinnamon and vanilla, so you get the same crispiness and flavor when substituting graham crackers.

You can prepare pies, cheesecakes, cakes, and other baking items with crushed pretzels. You can also use crushed pretzels as toppings in sundaes, yogurt, pudding, ice cream, etc., to replace graham crackers.

How To Substitute
Use crushed pretzels to substitute graham crackers in a 1:1 ratio.

3. Crisp Cookies

You can choose from a wide range of cookies by replacing graham crackers with cookies. You can also pick crispy or chewy cookies for your taste and liking.

Vanilla and chocolate flavors are the most commonly used flavor replacement that matches graham crackers in texture.

You can quickly dunk cookies of your taste and flavor in milk or eat with a spoon as you do with graham crackers.

Cookies of a wide variety are freely available and are one of the easiest and best options to replace graham crackers.

You can easily replace graham crackers with any cookies or biscuits, as most of them are similar to cookies in texture. You can use your favorite flavor to add a different taste to your recipe.

How To Substitute
Use crisp cookies to substitute graham crackers in a 1:1 ratio.

4. Sponge Cake

Fluffy and delicious sponge cake is an excellent substitute for graham crackers with different flavors. You can choose the taste of your choice to replace graham crackers in your recipe.

However, the texture of the sponge is different, but if you are looking for something new and a sweeter alternative to graham crackers, sponge cake is a great choice.

Although sponge cake’s texture is different, you can still use them to make the crust for cheesecake replacing graham crackers.

You can also use it for making pies and tarts. You can find sponge cake flavors like vanilla, lemon, chocolate, etc. Sponge cake gives you a wide range of options to get a distinct taste and flavor for your crust.

How To Substitute
Use one-to-one swaps.

5. Shortbread Crackers

Shortbread crackers are easy to use with many benefits, making them an excellent substitute for graham crackers. They are low in sugar and have fewer calories, thus giving you a healthier alternative to graham crackers in your recipes.

Shortbread crackers are an excellent option for people who need a gluten-free diet and provide fiber and protein health benefits.

Additionally, shortbread crackers go well in many recipes where you use graham crackers. You can use them in making pies, desserts, and cheesecakes.

Shortbread crackers make many savory dishes like chicken pot pie, quiche, and more. Shortbread combines two parts of sugar with one part of butter to yield a buttery crumb.

The soft crumb melts in the mouth like crust pastry making shortbread crackers so crunchy and delicious.

How To Substitute
Use one-to-one swaps.

6. Saltine Crackers

Many people have apprehension about replacing graham crackers with saltine crackers as they are somewhat salty.

However, a bit of sweetness goes well with salty flavor making saltine crackers an excellent replacement for graham crackers. Secondly, saltine crackers and graham crackers both have the same texture.

Saltine crackers allow you to give a personal touch to your dish. You can use these saltine crackers in various recipes, including chicken casserole.

They are a classic pantry staple and an excellent graham cracker substitute with similar consistency and texture. Saltine crackers are budget-friendly, as you can often get them at lower prices.

You can make a perfect crust for your favorite recipes, including ice cream sundaes, pies, tarts, and cheesecakes. The slightly salty flavor makes them a unique addition to your desserts that work so well.

How To Substitute
Use saltine crackers to substitute graham crackers in a 1:1 ratio.

7. Marie Biscuits

The versatile Marie biscuits are an excellent replacement for graham crackers. They offer many benefits, have a similar texture, and are available in the same vanilla flavor.

They are freely available in most supermarkets and grocery stores. So if you are short of graham crackers to prepare a dish, you can get Marie biscuits quickly to create a similar taste and flavor.

Secondly, Marie biscuits are inexpensive as you can get them much lower than graham crackers.

The other benefit of Marie crackers is that you do not need to bake them before using them in your recipes. The chances of crispy Marie biscuits crumbling in your recipe are less.

Moreover, you can easily crush Marie crackers as a tart base or a pie crust. Overall, Marie is one of the most convenient substitutes for graham crackers with multiple benefits.

How To Substitute
Use Marie biscuits to substitute graham crackers in a 1:1 ratio.

8. Homemade Graham Crackers

If you are out of graham crackers and need a suitable replacement, you can prepare one with ingredients available in your pantry. The homemade graham crackers are easy to prepare, and you need only a few ingredients.

Homemade graham cracker is a healthy substitute for store-bought graham crackers.

You have the option to add your favorite ingredient for toasty and cinnamon-flavored golden crunchy homemade crackers, perfect for dessert sandwiches or pie crusts.

To prepare homemade graham crackers, you need whole wheat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, butter, salt, whole milk, honey, and vanilla extract.

Moreover, you do not need stamps or cutters to shape and cut the crackers. A Rolling pin, ruler, fork, and knife can help you quickly make crackers at home and substitute graham crackers.

How To Substitute
Use homemade graham crackers to substitute graham crackers in a 1:1 ratio.

9. Gingersnaps

Little gingersnaps are spicy cookies that make a perfect substitute for graham crackers in most recipes. Additionally, gingersnaps add a dash of distinct flavor that graham cracker doesn’t provide.

When you replace graham crackers with gingersnaps, you create a unique flavor profile in your recipes.

Moreover, gingersnaps also add tasty spiciness that can help offset some ingredients’ intense sweetness and create a unique mouthwatering flavor.

Gingersnaps are comparatively less dry, so they won’t alter the profile of the recipe by sucking the moisture.

Gingersnaps are available in different flavors, so you can choose one that pairs well with other ingredients of your dish.

Besides lending a unique punch to the recipe, gingersnaps also add distinct contrast to the dish’s unique texture. The crispy gingersnaps are a well-acceptable replacement for graham crackers in desserts.

How To Substitute
Use one-to-one swaps.

10. Digestive Cookies

The filling and crunchy flavored digestive cookies are an excellent substitute for graham crackers. Digestive cookies go well with most desserts.

They are a perfect option for people with a sweet tooth as they can try different flavors as per their taste and other recipe ingredients.

Digestive cookies don’t get soggy if you refrigerate or freeze the recipe, thus maintaining the crispiness of the cookies.

Digestive cookies make a perfect replacement for graham cookies as they match them in texture, flavor, and consistency.

Adding digestive cookies to desserts will give them a crunchy texture and pair well with many ingredients you use in desserts.

You can substitute graham crackers with digestive cookies in preparing puddings, custard, yogurts, cheesecakes, pies, ice creams, and more. You can easily crush digestive cookies to prepare a crust.

How To Substitute
Use one-to-one swaps.

11. Crushed Oats

The nutritious crushed oats are a healthier replacement for graham crackers. Oats are a rich fiber source and have a firm texture. A breakfast with crushed oats is a healthy and delicious way to get your recommended dose of fiber.

Oats are heart friendly as they are known to reduce cholesterol levels. For a perfect breakfast, you can use oats as a snack with milk and fruit. They are an excellent substitute for graham crackers in recipes where you need them.

The nutrient-dense crushed oats are flavorsome and have a firm texture similar to graham crackers. You can also use flavored oats in your recipe to take it to another level.

They provide crispiness to cheesecakes and pies like graham crackers and are a good option for preparing crusts for pies and cakes.

How To Substitute
Use crushed oats to substitute graham crackers in a 1:1 ratio.

12. Crushed Cereal

Crushed cereal has a crunchy and sweet flavor similar to graham crackers and is an excellent substitute for graham crackers.

To get a similar taste and flavor, you can use crushed cereals to replace graham crackers in cheesecakes, pies, and tarts.

The best part of crushed cereal is the addition of a nutritional boost to your recipe. It provides extra crunch and makes a perfect replacement for many bakery items.

The crushed cereal is also easy to digest and a healthy option to avoid processed foods. It is suitable for people who are on a gluten-free diet.

You can find cereal at any grocery store and for a tasty little twist, use flavored cereal, rice crisps, cornflakes, and granola. Crushed cereals also pair perfectly with soft dishes, including ice cream, yogurt, and pudding.

So, you can use crushed cereal in your recipes to get a similar crunchy and sweet profile to graham crackers.

How To Substitute
Use one-to-one swaps.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do Graham Crackers Taste?

Honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extract combine to give graham crackers a distinct flavor.

They taste slightly sweet and have a texture similar to crackers and biscuits. Graham crackers are an excellent snack and a crunchy ingredient for your desserts.

Can Marie Biscuits Replace Graham Crackers?

Yes, you can substitute graham crackers with Marie biscuits as they have a similar texture to graham crackers. You can substitute graham crackers with Marie biscuits to prepare pies, tarts, cheesecakes, and more.

12 Perfect And Crispy Graham Crackers Substitutes That You Must Have

Prep Time

minutes

Cooking Time

minutes

Total Time

minutes

Crushed cereal has a crunchy and sweet flavor similar to graham crackers and is an excellent substitute for graham crackers.

Ingredients

Ice Cream Cones
Crushed Pretzels
Crisp Cookies
Sponge Cake
Shortbread Crackers
Saltine Crackers
Marie Biscuits
Homemade Graham Crackers
Gingersnaps
Digestive Cookies
Crushed Oats
Crushed Cereal

Directions

Choose your favorite substitute from the list given above
Follow the directions given in the recipe after having substituted the ingredient in the correct ratio

Recipe Video

Author
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Jess Smith

Hi, my name is Jess Smith, and I love cooking in my spare time. Around three years ago, I decided to give up my day job as a teacher to pursue my passion for food. While I have enjoyed sharing tips and tricks on Social Media, I have decided to expand my horizons through this blog.

Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.

I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!