# Alternative to graham crackers for cheesecake?



## commodore

I don't know what graham crackers are here (I don't live in the US). Can I make the base of cheesecake out of another ingredient? Can I just make it from dough like with most cakes?


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## rouxtheday

Graham crackers are a sweet cracker (biscuit) that more closely resemble a cookie than a cracker, at least in flavor and usage.

Cheesecake does not necessarily have a crust. But if you want one, uou can substitute any crushed crisp cookie for the graham cracker in making your cheesecake crust (e.g., shortbread, chocolate or vanilla wafers, gingersnaps, etc.). I've frequently seen recipes calling for amaretti, and I think biscotti would probably work really well, too.


I've also had nut-based crusts on cheesecakes (crushed hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, etc.) which were quite delicious.

There are some cheesecakes that call for a pastry crust, but it doesn't sound very appealing to me. Of course, I've never had one, so I could be wrong!


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## phatch

Vanilla wafers, gingersnaps as mentioned. Animal crackers work well too.


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## suzanne

Graham crackers are digestive biscuits. 

Graham crackers usually come in large squares that have a perforation to break them into two rectangles. If your recipe calls for a specific number of graham crackers, the conversion is 15 graham cracker squares or 30 oblong crackers make 1 cup (250 ml) fine crumbs. The standard weight conversion is 66 graham crackers to the pound, so 1 cup/250 ml should be about 100 mg.

Roux is right, though -- you can use crumbs of just about any kind of cookie/biscuit, or nuts, or a mixture of the two. If you have some other kind you want to use, go for it! :lips: Use the conversion above.


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## chefraz

you can make the crust with a cookie dough, I've used chocolate chocolate chip.also I]ve seen cake layers being used for the crust.


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## lentil

We use the cut off edges from lemon squares and brownies- but don't add any extra sugar or butter.My favorite is the lemon! Bake lightly before adding cheesecake filling. Biscotti work well too.


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## bughut

In the UK the equivilent for graham crackers is digestive biscuits.
They're not as fab for smores though, but then, when do we ever have the weather for a bbq in Scotland anyway. Bah humbug!!


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## siduri

Yes, digestive biscuits are the closest. But you can use other stuff, and you can also make a brisee crust. I have a recipe in a time-life cookbook for the Lindy's cheesecake that has a brisee crust - i believe that the crumb crust was invented for home cooks to make it easier. 
where do you live?


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## shipscook

I personally do not care for graham crackers. I usually do a shortbread type, like the crust for lemon bars. Put it on a cookie sheet and bake till light brown, watch carefully can go to dark brown in a few seconds it seems.
I let it cool off and then put in baggie and crush with rolling pin or if in a hurry, use food processor.
Like the above post, brownie edges make great crusts too. I use that for peanut butter pie and fudge mable cheesecake.
Enjoy,
Nan


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## commodore

Wow what a nice forum! So many answers. Thank you people. I live in Estonia by the way.


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## 123chef

if you can't find graham crackers anywhere, you can make it at home..

Makes about 48 2 1/2-inch squares (this will greatly depend on how thin you roll the dough)

2 1/2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (4.5 ounces) graham flour (whole wheat)
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (2 ounces) brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 ounces unsalted butter
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all the ingredients in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix until smooth and well combined, scraping down the bowl to make sure the butter is not stuck to the sides.

Spread the graham cracker dough onto a piece of parchment or a silpat.

Lay another piece of parchment or wax paper over the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin, until about an 1/8-inch thick. The thinner you get it the crisper the crackers and quicker they will bake.

Peel off the top parchment and transfer the bottom parchment with dough onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for about 8 minutes and then turn the cookie sheet around and bake for another 5-8 minutes. (If you want them to break into even squares, then score the dough with a fork midway through baking.) The crackers should be golden brown.

Cool on a rack. Once the cracker is cool you can break up into pieces. As you can see I just left it up to chance and didn't score my dough, since I intend to pulverize them anyway!

If making the crackers into a crust then grind them up in a food processor. Use what you need for the crust and freeze the rest.

good luck!


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## chefhow

If you want something close i would try ginger snaps.


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## pete

What flavor cheesecake are you making? As you can see there are a number of options for your crust. Let the flavor of your filling be your guide. If you want a relatively neutral flavor a plain shortbread or vanilla wafer would be good. If you are doing a cheesecake with fall flavors, ie. pumpkin, apple, spice, then gingersnaps might be good, making a chocolate cheesecake or a coffee or nut flavored one, then maybe a crust of crushed chocolate wafers. The possibilities are many.


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## bughut

Chefhows suggestion reminded me...If you make chocolate refridgerater cake , use half graham crackers (digestive biscuits) and half ginger snaps and ignore the recipe if it mentions cake crumbs. Just make up the difference with biscuits. It'll still work. I dont pour chocolate on top, but i add almost twice the ammount of cocoa to the recipe. Makes it hard and chewy, but fab in tiny ammounts.
Add pistachios. Mostly for visual effect. I give it away free with the fruit platter in tiny triangular slivers as a Langniappe ( a little more than was asked for. Picked up that fabulous idea on my first visit to New Orleans) Customers love it.


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## amazingrace

I think you can be limited only by your imagination. There are many alternatives to graham crackers. Depending on the flavor of the cheesecake, you might use vanilla wafers, lady fingers, ginger snaps, chocolate wafers, chocolate chip cookies, coconut crisps, or any combination of flavorful 'crispies'. Savory cheesecake fillings pair well with crumbled potato chips or saltine crackers, or bread crumbs.


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## maryb

Crushed Oreo cookies work very well. Just ignore the calorie count :lol:


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## geese4u

Zwieback cookies for babies make a great crust for cheesecake. They are not too sweet, and have a good texture for the cake.


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## tessa

any plain slightly sweet biscuit/cookie works well


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## Guest

i'd love to hear more about crushed oreo crust! how much of butter do you add to it? does it need anything else to make the crust? i'm a beginner, forgive my unprofessional questions!


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## boar_d_laze

2 or 3 tbs melted butter is enough for an 8" or 9" crust.

BDL


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## amazingrace

Biscotti make very good crust.  Use butter the same as with graham crackers,  but omit any additional sugar.  Biscotti can be purchased plain, or in a variety of exciting flavors, including with nuts.  Yum.  

For savory cheesecakes,  I go according to the flavor of the batter.  Corn chips or any sort of cracker work well for me.  Or just eliminate crust altogether.  However,  I have found that the crust tends to soak up the oils that settle out of the cake, making for a more pleasant product.


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## gunnar

i usually use toasted pinenuts anymore. What with all the gluten free people popping out of the wood work these days. Have also used macadamia nuts. neither really need any extra butter to hold together just hit them in a food processor for a bit then mush into the bottom of the pan, bake to set (about 6-10 minutes) then pour cheescake mix over the top. I have found that when using Oreos,after processing, the white filling is enough by itself to provide a binding agent, maybe a spot (1 tsp) of melted butter to help moisten but not really neccessary.


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## boar_d_laze

I use egg whites to hold nut crusts together.  Works better than going bareback -- even with macadamias.  

BDL


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## fr33_mason

boar_d_laze said:


> I use egg whites to hold nut crusts together. Works better than going bareback -- even with macadamias.
> 
> BDL


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## kyheirloomer

I was beginning to wonder why nobody suggested nuts. They make great crusts for things like cheesecake.

Peanuts seem to compliment almost any cheesecake. But if you want to mix and match flavors, try hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews, or Brazil nuts.

When grinding nuts it's a good idea to use the pulse button on your processor. Over processing can turn them into a paste, because of their high oil content.

_There are some cheesecakes that call for a pastry crust,

_It's only recently that I heard about this. Have never even seen one, let alone tasted one made that way.

When I first heard about it I discussed it with a pastry chef friend who makes, on average, 250 cheesecakes a day. She wasn't familiar with it either. So I wonder if it was ever very common?


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## boar_d_laze

KYHeirloomer said:


> _There are some cheesecakes that call for a pastry crust,
> 
> _It's only recently that I heard about this. Have never even seen one, let alone tasted one made that way.
> 
> When I first heard about it I discussed it with a pastry chef friend who makes, on average, 250 cheesecakes a day. She wasn't familiar with it either. So I wonder if it was ever very common?


Crostata Riccota is certainly not uncommon. At least not in Italy. I posted my recipe here on Chef Talk. But just in case you're too lazy to search, click this. Further, the technique of using a pasta frolla or pate sucree works well with just about any cheesecake. One more arrow in the quiver.

BDL


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## fr33_mason

This has probably been done but I'm going to try and make my favourtie ice cream cone flavour which is Tiger (black licorice and orange) on a sugar cone crust. Or as a twist go orange cheese cake with a black licorice drizzle.


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## charron

FR33_MASON said:


> This has probably been done but I'm going to try and make my favourtie ice cream cone flavour which is Tiger (black licorice and orange) on a sugar cone crust. Or as a twist go orange cheese cake with a black licorice drizzle.


I did an ice cream cake not long ago on a waffle cone crust. It worked out really well; the waffle cone didn't hold it's crispness but the flavour was still there and it held together as a crust. It would probably work even better as a cheesecake crust. Wafer cookies make for a nice light crust... more of a pan liner than a structural componant. Crumbled brownies work as well if you don't think the calorie count is high enough. I like to leave the brownies rather chunky; it creates an iceburg effect in the cheesecake.


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## sueb

/img/vbsmilies/smilies/chef.gifI realise now that a UK digestive biscuit crumb mixed with a little melted butter....is a replacement for the US Graham crackers


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## ed buchanan

stale choco or regular cake crumbs, cookie crumbs, corn flakes, any cereal grain.granola , just about anything


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## e-clair

What can I use as a substitute for an eclair cake? It has layers of graham crackers, instant pudding and cream....

I can't wait to try this yummy recipe.  Ideas anyone?


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## bakerbakke

I use Amaranth crakers, which a diabetic friedly and gluten free.  And if you can't find the actual crackers, you can just use amaranth flour.


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## bakerbakke

But egg whites aren't neccessarily a 'naughty food', better than more butter!  Or if you just want moistness, and not the fat, to hold it all together, try clarifing the butter first, then use that. Gives it an intense, rich buttery taste, minus the fat!


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## cheffums

Be creative, experiment


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## bakerbakke

I found a new Graham Cracker alernative for those that live in places where you can't buy Graham Crackers. I used Trader Joes[sub][emoji]174[/emoji][/sub](any brand'll do)Soft Baked Snickerdoodles, which don't need as much butter{binding agent} to hold them together. These, at least this brand, are free from 8 common food allergies: gluten, wheat, milk, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs or soy!


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## tilly floss

Hi !
I was just wondering if you would use ginger snaps or any other sweet biscuit in a baked cheese cake???
Best regards


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## phatch

Sure, but usually because it reflects something else I'd be doing with the cheesecake. For example, if I were doing a lemon cheesecake or a plain cheesecake with a lemon curd layer, ginger snaps pair well. But with just a plain cheesecake, I think a distinctly flavored crust distracts from the cheesecake.


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## lydia cooks

I am not entirely convinced that Graham Crackers are the same as UK's digestive biscuits! 

It seems to me that there are 2 sorts of Graham Crackers - a sweet one and a savoury/salted one. 

Yes, a sweet Graham cracker could be likened to a Digestive Biscuit. 

However, for the savory one I think a closer look in the Cheese Cracker/Biscuit isle of a supermarket would see you finding something similar - I just can't remember what they are called! 

I am tempted to go with a Scotttish Oatcake myself! 

Cheesecakes are traditionally based with crushed digestive biscuits bound with melted butter.

Lemon Cheesecakes are lush with a Ginger Nut base!

Try Jaffa Cakes, chocolate side down, as a base for an Orange Cheesecake!

Coconut Macaroons for a Pineapple/Exotic fruit cheesecake!

Just think - 'What goes with the flavour of the cheesecake that you are making?' Then experiment with different flavour bases!


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## elaine adams

Digestive biscuits are the closest to Graham crackers.  Other suggestions are ginger nuts, rich tea biscuits, oat cookies.  Actually the list is endless, but cooking is all about experimenting, expecially when recipes are from another country, and the ingredients have a different name.


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## salty dog

The best cheesecakes I've had were from Ratner's in New York.

Once got a plain cheesecake that had a pineapple slices bottom.

Really crustless seems best to me.


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## koukouvagia

I use fresh lady fingers for my cheesecake.





  








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koukouvagia


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Dec 26, 2014


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## eolian

Like several others have said pulverized cookies work really good. I sold cheesecakes as a sideline/hobby for awhile and the Pecan Sandies were a big hit for my buyers. Wait until you make a Baked Alaska from Oreo cookies / homemade Caramel ice cream and slathered with real butterscotch made from butter & Scotch...Cookie crusts are the bomb. "It just occurred to me i should of said Bombe"  Hahaha.


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## mckallidon

I have never considered this but I am borrowing an idea I had for something else.  Try something between a crepe and a pancake.  I would cook it light and over-sized, low heat longer time so it is drier and tougher on the crust, so it acts like a better crust for a desert, and put it in your pan and cut the edges off to fit. 

Another idea, not yet refined.  Put almonds, sugar, salt, and either honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, something like that and process so you get something really really thick.  Spread it out into the bottom of the pan, precook.  Like I said, very unrefined idea.  May work, may not.


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## mckallidon

salty dog said:


> The best cheesecakes I've had were from Ratner's in New York.
> 
> Once got a plain cheesecake that had a pineapple slices bottom.
> 
> Really crustless seems best to me.


It just takes up more cheesecake space.


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## chefedb

You can buy any kind of cookie put it in a robot cou grind it into crumbs and use them Example  Lemon cookies ,Vanilla wafers,

choco  chip ,oreo,oatmeal you name it.


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## koukouvagia

chefedb said:


> You can buy any kind of cookie put it in a robot cou grind it into crumbs and use them Example Lemon cookies ,Vanilla wafers,
> choco chip ,oreo,oatmeal you name it.


'Nilla wafers is a favorite. I also love gingerbread cookies.


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## droschke7

Personally when making a Cheese Cake base I use Digestive biscuits, unsalted butter, demerara Sugar and Cinnamon, but then I usually make no bake Cheese cake


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## cerise

salty dog said:


> The best cheesecakes I've had were from Ratner's in New York.
> 
> Once got a plain cheesecake that had a pineapple slices bottom.
> 
> Really crustless seems best to me.


I miss Ratner's. Haven't been there in years.

One of the best cheesecakes I ever ate was at the original Lindy's in New York. As I recall, there was no cookie or biscuit crust - just the faint taste of lemon or orange (zest?). Epicurious has a good example. (Don't know if it's _the _original.)


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## panini

I personally don't like or eat cheesecake but I'm always asked for the margarita one. I split batter in 3rds, to the 2/3rds,add good tequila, cointreau, keylime juice.  For the crust I lightly blind bake ground salted pretzels and butter. 3 layers with plain in the middle.


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## hassan

Alternative to graham crackers for cheesecake?


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## daraghmac

I use Golden Graham's breakfast cereal and it's very nice. I also make a brownie batter and part bake, cool down and add the cheesecake mix. Really delicious


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## cerise

Crushed Amaretti cookies, is another idea.


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## letsforker

Pretty much any biscuit that's not too sweet!  It's more just for that lovely, crumbly texture - the cheesecake filling itself will provide that sugar hit 

Where are you from?


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## filmcricket

Thank you! I live in Germany and need this recipe.


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## lonanisle

The quote attributed to Jo Brandt is actually from Michael Flanders in "At the Drop of a Hat"


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## fwunder

I did grow up in America, and have experimented with many options for reproducing the graham cracker crust expected under an authentic New York Cheesecake. My best substitute has been shown to be Jacob's Hovis Digestives Biscuits - the ones that come in the red package. Standard digestives are too "white bread" and not heavy enough to get the same effect.


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