What Are Graham crackers/wafers and How Can I Use Them?

Graham crackers/wafers is easier to cook with than it looks. Here's how to choose, use, and store them, what to substitute, and 163 recipes to get you started.

What are graham crackers/wafers?

Graham crackers are flat, crisp, lightly sweet rectangles made from whole wheat (graham) flour, with a toasty honey-and-cinnamon flavor. In Canada and parts of the world they are sold as graham wafers, the same cracker under another name.

They sit somewhere between a cookie and a cracker: sweet enough for snacking, sturdy enough to build with.

That double life is the whole point. A graham cracker is both a thing you eat straight and a building block for desserts.

Whole Crackers vs Crumbs

This page is about the whole cracker, kept in sheets. The same cracker ground to sand becomes graham cracker crumbs, the base for most pressed dessert crusts, and pressing those crumbs with butter gives you a graham cracker pie crust.

So reach for whole crackers when the shape matters: stacking, layering, sandwiching, or snapping along the scored lines. Grind them only when a recipe wants crumbs.

How to Use Them

The most famous job is the s'more: a square of chocolate and a toasted marshmallow pressed between two crackers until the chocolate softens.

Beyond the campfire, whole crackers work as a no-bake layering tool. Stacked with pudding or whipped filling and chilled overnight, they soften into cake-like layers, which is the trick behind an Easy Eclair Cake.

They make a quick base for kid-friendly snacks like Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Bears, and broken into shards they add sweet crunch to a Sweet & Salty Snack Mix or a fruit crumble like Apple Crisp with Graham & Oats.

The flavor is mild and honey-toasty, so they pair with almost any sweet partner: chocolate, peanut butter, marshmallow, caramel, cream cheese, and tart fruit all work.

One thing to watch in icebox cakes: layer the crackers whole and dry, then let time and the moist filling soften them. Soaking them first turns the whole thing to mush.

Substitutes

Digestive biscuits are the closest stand-in, with the same wheaty sweetness, and they are the default outside North America. Use them one for one.

Vanilla wafers or shortbread cover the snacking and layering roles with a richer, more buttery flavor. Gingersnaps bring spice that suits fall desserts. For s'mores specifically there is no flawless swap, but a thin, crisp digestive comes closest.

Buying & Storage

Whole crackers come boxed in wax-paper sleeves of about nine full sheets each. You will find plain (honey), cinnamon, and chocolate versions, plus a sturdier honey-maid style; pick plain for crusts and layered desserts where you do not want a competing flavor.

Sealed, they keep for months in a cool, dry cupboard.

Their enemy is humidity, which turns the snap soft and stale, so press the air out and reseal the inner sleeve after each use.

A box past its best is not unsafe, just bendy and dull. If your crackers have gone limp, a few minutes in a 300°F (150°C) oven crisps them back up.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find graham crackers/wafers: Graham crackers/wafers are usually found in the baking supplies section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Graham crackers/wafers are a member of the Baked Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

全麦饼干/片

British (UK) term

Graham crackers/wafers

en français

biscuits Graham

en español

galletas graham

How much do graham crackers/wafers weigh?

Related

Baked Products

Recipes using graham crackers/wafers

There are 163 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Halloween Grave Yard Cupcake

Grave yard cupcakes add some extra horrific sense to your Halloween party!

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Squares

Creamy cheesecake bars with fresh raspberries and a chocolate crust.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

A delicious creamy ice cream with ripe strawberries and graham cracker pieces. A delightful summertime treat!

Lemon Ice Box Pie

If you're looking for a cold dessert, then this scrumptious treat will satisfy your every need.

Favourite Apple Strudel

A variation of German Apple Strudel with walnuts and raisins using phyllo pastry to speed up the preparation.

Eclair Cake

Easy and delicious. I cheated a bit by topping with canned milk chocolate frosting that I nuked for 30 seconds to make it easier to spread. I refrigerated the cake 8 hours before cutting.

Classic NY Cheesecake

A tall, creamy New York cheesecake on a buttery graham cracker crust, topped with a glossy homemade strawberry glaze. Dense, rich, tangy, and everything a real NY-style cheesecake should be.

Minnie Pearls

Minnie Pearls are no-bake pink cookie bars loaded with coconut, almonds, and graham crumbs, bound with butter and powdered sugar and tinted rosy. Just mix, chill, and cut, no oven required.

Easy Eclair Cake

So fabulous! The longer it sits in the fridge, the better it tastes!

Reese Cookies

Reese cookies: no-bake peanut butter bars with a graham cracker base and melted chocolate top. The homemade chocolate-peanut butter cup bar that tastes identical to the wrapped classic.

Banana Smunchies

Frozen banana peanut butter sandwiches on graham crackers. Just three ingredients and 20 minutes to make a batch of 26 kid-friendly frozen snacks.

Jellied Cheesecake

No-bake jellied cheesecake with cottage cheese, crushed pineapple, whipped cream, and crystallized ginger on a graham cracker crust. A light, airy refrigerator dessert.

Whipped Cream Graham Cake

No-bake whipped cream graham cracker cake that kids can help build! Stack graham squares with fluffy cream, chill until the crackers soften into tender cake-like layers. 3 ingredients, zero oven time.

Light Chocolate Cheesecake

Place plain, nonfat yogurt into cheese cloth or a coffee filter. Place in strainer over a small bowl or cup. Allow to drain 2 to 24 hours, covered and refrigerated, until cheese reached desired consistency. Discard the whey (liquid). Store in covered container in refrigerator.

Chocolate Chip Cake

Moist coffee cake made with graham cracker crumbs instead of flour, layered with cinnamon-sugar streusel packed with chocolate chips and walnuts. Sour cream batter bakes rich and tender.

Widow's Kisses

Light-as-air meringue cookies with ground hazelnuts and candied citron, perched on crisp baking wafers. A classic European confection that melts on your tongue.

Quick Peanut Butter Chews

No-bake peanut butter chews with graham crackers, golden raisins, and cinnamon. Five ingredients, no cooking, and ready to eat straight from the freezer.

Merry Bars

No-bake Merry Bars layered with graham crackers, mashed banana, maraschino cherries, coconut, and nuts in a butter-powdered sugar base. Festive, colorful, and fridge-set.

Chocolate Cherry Cheese Ball

Chocolate cherry cheese ball blends cream cheese with cherries, crushed pineapple, and mini chocolate chips into a sweet, no-bake dessert dip you shape and chill. Serve with graham crackers for an easy party treat.

Pumpkin Delight

Pumpkin delight is a no-bake layered dessert: a graham cracker base under a fluffy spiced pumpkin filling of cream cheese, vanilla pudding, and whipped topping. A lighter, make-ahead alternative to pumpkin pie.

Reeses Bars

No-bake Reeses bars with a peanut butter, graham cracker, and powdered sugar base topped with melted chocolate chips. Five ingredients and no oven required.

Ribbon Refrigerator Cake

Ribbon refrigerator cake with layers of graham crackers and a pineapple-walnut filling set with gelatin. A vintage no-bake icebox dessert topped with whipped cream.

After School Bars

After school bars are no-bake layered cracker treats with a buttery brown sugar coconut filling sandwiched between Club crackers and topped with sweet vanilla frosting. A retro lunchbox classic kids can't stop reaching for.

Icebox Cake

Old-fashioned icebox cake with ground marshmallows, dates, graham crackers, and walnuts rolled into a log with cream. A no-bake vintage dessert sliced and served cold.

Chocolate Banana-Split Pie

No-bake chocolate banana split pie with a chocolate graham cracker crust, frozen yogurt filling, sliced bananas, and whipped topping. A lighter frozen dessert with banana split flavor.

Cherry S'Mores

Cherry s'mores made in the microwave with graham crackers, chocolate, marshmallows, and cherry pie filling. A fruity twist on the campfire classic, ready in under 5 minutes.

Baking Butter Graham Cracker Crust

Homemade graham cracker pie crust with butter, sugar, and a dash of baking soda. Bakes thin and crisp, makes two crusts, and freezes beautifully for later.

Peanut Butter Delight

No-bake peanut butter bars with a graham cracker crust, powdered sugar, and a thin chocolate topping. Tastes like a giant homemade Reese's cup in bar form.

Graham Wafer Delights

Graham wafer delights with a cooked date and brown sugar filling sandwiched between graham crackers. A no-bake layered dessert bar topped with chocolate icing.

Sweet Graham Snacks

Graham cracker toffee bark with a buttery brown sugar glaze and ground nuts. Just 4 ingredients and 15 minutes for a crispy, caramel-coated candy snack.

Ricotta Cheesecake

Italian-style ricotta cheesecake with orange zest and buttermilk on a ginger graham cracker crust. Lighter than cream cheese cheesecake with a delicate, fluffy texture.

Lowcal Ricotta Cheesecake

Lighter ricotta cheesecake with a ginger graham crust, orange-scented filling, and tangy buttermilk. All the richness of a classic, without the cream cheese overload.

Frozen Smores

Frozen s'mores sandwiches with chocolate peanut butter pudding and whipped topping between graham crackers. A no-bake, five-ingredient frozen treat with no campfire needed.

Date & Ginger Fans

No-bake chocolate date and ginger fans made with crushed graham crackers, semi-sweet chocolate, crystallized ginger, and chopped dates. Set in a flan pan, chilled, and sliced into elegant wedges.

Ice Cream Sandwich

Peanut butter ice cream sandwich made with graham crackers and vanilla ice milk. Three ingredients, no cooking, ready in five minutes flat.

Master Magic Lemon Pie

Master magic lemon pie sets sweetened condensed milk with fresh lemon juice and zest, no cooking required for the filling. Crowned with a billowy meringue over a cinnamon-graham crust.

Lois' Magic Lemon Pie

Lemon meringue pie with sweetened condensed milk filling in a cinnamon graham cracker crust. The filling thickens like magic with no cooking needed.

Loren's Cheesecake

Loren's cheesecake with three packages of cream cheese on a graham cracker crust, topped with a sweetened sour cream layer. A classic New York-style cheesecake done in three simple stages.

Graham Muffins

Graham cracker muffins made with crushed graham crackers, honey, and skim milk. A quick, no-flour muffin with a warm, toasty graham flavor ready in 25 minutes.

Refrigerator Mocha Torte

Refrigerator mocha torte layers graham crackers between rich chocolate-coffee buttercream in a loaf pan, chilled until firm. No-bake icebox cake with sliceable mocha layers. Serves 10.

Tea Timers

Tea timers, dainty triangle-cut sour cream cookies rolled in graham cracker crumbs and flecked with orange and pecans. Crisp, lightly sweet little wedges built for an afternoon teacup.

Marie's Killer Cheese Cake

Classic New York-style cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, creamy cream cheese filling, and tangy sour cream topping. Baked low and slow for a dense, crack-free finish.

Frozen Chocolate Banana

Frozen chocolate bananas coated in chocolate syrup and crushed graham crackers. A three-ingredient, no-cook frozen treat that kids can make themselves.

Engagement Cheesecake

Classic New York cheesecake with graham cracker crust and egg whites. Creamy engagement cheesecake baked for 3 hours with special cooling method.

Crisp Jalepeno Cheesecake

Crisp jalapeno cheesecake with fresh peppers, ginger, and cinnamon in a creamy filling on a graham cracker crust. A bold sweet-heat cheesecake with a whipped sour cream topping.

Low Cal Graham Crust

Low calorie graham cracker crust with just 3 ingredients. Uses less butter and sugar than standard recipes for a lighter pie base that still holds together.

Sweet & Salty Snack Mix

Low-calorie snack mix with pretzels, peanuts, air-popped popcorn, graham crackers, and cinnamon-dusted raisins. No baking required. Grab a handful and try to stop at one.

Eggless Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake

Eggless chocolate amaretto cheesecake: a rich, dense chocolate cheesecake made with egg substitute instead of whole eggs, spiked with amaretto and topped with whipped cream and sliced almonds. A nutty, chocolaty twist on the classic.

Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Bears

Preschoolers will love these delicious cub-shaped cookies, made with nutty butter and crispy graham crackers. You and the kids can even create these cookies together!

No Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

Easy to follow, kids love to work with you together to make these delicious cookies.

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