Peanut butter pie, toasty s’mores and creamy cheesecake are the perfect addition to any meal. Plus, kids love them too! I mean, is there anything better than a creamy vanilla cheesecake or peanut butter pie? Still, I managed to put aside my obsession with cheesecake and find new and fun ways to use this most classic ingredient. On this list of Graham Cracker desserts, you’ll find everything from toffee bark and ice cream to cookies and even a cake. Let’s get baking!
1. Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls
If you’re a cake pop lover, then you’ll love these quick and tasty peanut butter truffles. They’re salty-sweet, nutty, and wonderfully dense. Using Graham Cracker crumbs along with peanut butter and powdered sugar leave these both creamy and slightly crunchy. If you have the time, try forming the balls around half a chewy caramel and then sprinkle some sea salt on top once you’ve coated them in chocolate.
2. How to make S’Mores (4 Ways!)
Other than cheesecake and pies, s’mores are probably what most people think of when holding a box of Graham Crackers. Hershey chocolate is likely the most used brand for making s’mores because it’s thin and breaks to just the right size to fit the crackers. These tasty s’mores will take you right back to your childhood! But there’s no need to start a fire. Just pop these babies into an oven, broil for 1 to 2 minutes and enjoy the melty, marshmallow goodness.
3. Philadelphia 3-Step Cheesecake
I had to include at least one cheesecake, and this is a classic. Philadelphia is the pinnacle of cream cheese companies, so it makes sense they would have a fool-proof recipe. This recipe requires just five ingredients, one of which is a pre-made Graham Cracker crust. Start by blending the cream cheese until it’s smooth, then add the other ingredients and beat until silky smooth. Voila! Easy peasy.
4. Easy Graham Cracker Toffee
It’s hard to believe that layers of Graham Crackers, toffee, and chocolate could be so addictive, but here we are. It’s the perfect blend of sweet crunch, rich chocolate, and golden toffee. And don’t worry, the caramel is super simple to make. Add the butter and brown sugar to a pot and bring to a boil. After a few minutes, pour over the crackers and bake. This will ensure it sets so you can break it into pieces.
5. No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie
Peanut butter pie is sweet, salty, creamy, and a breeze to whip up last minute. You’ll make a simple no-bake cheesecake with cream cheese, powdered sugar, You can whip up this creamy cheesecake with just a few simple ingredients: cream cheese, powdered sugar, peanut butter and milk. It’s the perfect sweet and creamy treat for get-togethers, potlucks, and picnics. For a lighter finish, fold through some Cool Whip before putting the pie in the freezer to set.
6. S’mores Bars
There’s a reason we all crave s’mores during the summer. The crunchy crackers, sweet and sticky marshmallows, and rich chocolate are just what you need after a long day in the sun. But, that flavor combination is just as tasty even when it’s raining outside. That’s why I love this recipe! You get the same taste without the sticky fingers and burned tongues. Also, I’m in love with that incredibly uniform marshmallow topping, too.
7. Homemade Graham Crackers
Graham Crackers get their name because they’re made from Graham flour, which is whole wheat flour that isn’t ground quite as fine. Interestingly, the flour was named after a guy named Graham, hence the capitalization. Fun fact: Did you know our cousins across the pond pronounce it “gray-am?” Anyway, making these at home couldn’t be easier. Though the rectangle shape is classic, I like to use cookie cutters and make mine a little more fun.
8. Millionaire Pie
Unlike millionaire shortbread, which is layers of buttery cookie, caramel, and chocolate, this millionaire pie is loaded witty a creamy filling and lots of fruit. The creamy filling is a blend of cream cheese, condensed milk, and lemon juice, so it’s not super sweet. That complements the crushed pineapple, cherries, and pecans so well, and this pie is 100% irresistible.
9. Vegan Key Lime Pie Bars
Not only is this vegan thanks to the soaked cashews, but it’s also gluten-free. Gluten-free Graham Crackers are pretty impressive, and you can even buy the crumbs if you want to save time. Since macadamia nuts are a bit expensive, maybe try using toasted coconut in the crust instead.
10. Graham Cracker Ice Cream
This recipe doesn’t just have crushed Graham Crackers folded through; they’re infused right into the ice cream. You’ll blitz them down and mix them with brown sugar, salt, and xanthan gum. The xanthan gum will keep any ice crystals from forming and stabilize the ice cream in general. I went ahead and added 1/2 cup of sour cream to the mix to give it an almost cheesecake-like flavor.
11. Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait
This is the kind of impressive, Instagram-worthy dessert you can whip up in minutes and modify in a snap. I have so many whiskey glasses in my house (am I the only one with an addiction to Home Goods/Home Sense?), but I mostly use them for desserts. These are my new faves, and I just love the twisted glass effect. Feel free to swap out the strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, peaches, or mango.
12. Graham Cracker Cookies with Coconut
Who knew you could make Samoas Girl Scout-style cookies with crushed Graham Crackers, condensed milk, chocolate chips, and coconut? Start by crushing the crackers before adding condensed milk and chocolate chips. Then, just mix it with a spoon until it’s all moist and will hold in a ball when you squeeze. Roll the balls in coconut and press them down lightly on a lined baking tray before baking until golden.
13. Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake
I couldn’t finish this post without one more cheesecake recipe. Sorry, not sorry! I just adore this double-layer cheesecake. First of all, it’s super easy to make, and you only need one cheesecake batter. Just take a cup or two out and blend it with pumpkin puree and a few traditional warm spices. But it’s the layering that I love the most. It’s so striking when you take that first slice, and I probably have a hundred or so pictures on my phone.
14. Peppermint Graham Cracker Toffee
Unlike most chocolate bark recipes, this has a layer of Graham Crackers on the bottom, making it crunchy and less likely to break into pieces when you stack it in a tin. It’s very similar to the recipe above in that you’ll make a quick caramel that gets poured over and bake until set. But instead of dark chocolate, you’ll top this with white chocolate and crushed candy canes for a festive finish.
15. Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Bars
The name might seem odd, but it speaks to just how easy these peanut butter bars are. Lunch ladies have a lot of mouths to feed, after all, and they don’t have time to make elaborate desserts. Basically, you’ll make a bigger batch of those peanut butter truffles from the top of this post. It’s a quick mix of butter, peanut butter, Graham Cracker crumbs, and powdered sugar. Press that into a lined baking dish and top with melted chocolate mixed with peanut butter. In less than 30 minutes, you’ve got a family favorite that’s super easy to make!
16. S’mores Dip
Unlike most dessert dips, this one is served hot! No one can resist this chocolaty, marshmallow goodness. But unlike traditional s’mores, these are far less messy! Super easy to make and perfect for parties.
17. No-Bake Banana Cream Lush
You’ve no doubt seen the word “lush” in many titles on various food blogs. It’s more or less the name for dessert lasagne, a layered dish full of pudding and cream and deliciousness. In this case, it’s a heavenly mash-up of Graham Crackers, banana pudding, sweetened cream cheese, and fresh banana slices. I added a drizzled layer of salted caramel to the middle and some shaved chocolate to the top.
18. Graham Cracker Layer Cake
If you like to eat Graham Crackers straight out of the sleeve, you’ll go nuts for this unusual Graham Cracker cake. It’s light, moist, and made just like any other yellow cake. You’ll beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy before incorporating the eggs and vanilla. Lastly, you’ll alternate adding the dry mix and the milk. But the big difference here is that instead of just flour, you’ll use Graham Cracker crumbs, too. I think this would be fantastic with some marshmallow fluff in the middle and a light whipped ganache coating.
19. Butterfinger S’mores Bars
How many times have you bitten into a warm s’more and thought, “I wish this had peanut butter.”? Well, your prayers have been answered in the form of a decadent traybake. It has a Graham Cracker crust and chocolate fudge filling with mini marshmallows mixed throughout. You could leave it there and be very happy, but the crushed Butterfingers on top take this to a whole other level.
20. Vegan Lemon Pie
Even though this is a vegan recipe, the filling is incredibly creamy. The base is made using a simple dairy-free milk pudding which you’ll thicken with cornstarch. To that, you’ll add soaked cashews, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend until smooth. This leaves you with a creamy and firm texture, a lot like a baked cheesecake. Top it with delectable whipped coconut cream and plenty of extra lemon zest. If you want more zing, try adding a layer of this vegan lemon curd. I put a thick layer on top of the cashew filling, which I then topped with the coconut cream. Click on a star to rate it!
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