23 Amazing Graham Cracker Desserts You Need To Try

Graham crackers are delicious treats that come in various shapes and sizes. They are usually eaten at breakfast time or during snack times. Some of them even contain chocolate chips.

Graham crackers are made from wheat flour, sugar, salt, leavening agents, and sometimes cocoa powder.

The name comes from their inventor, Sylvester Graham who was a 19th-century American physician. He believed that refined foods should only be consumed occasionally.

Here are 23 recipes for some of the tastiest gourmet versions of these tasty snacks that use Graham crackers to make delicious desserts.

1. Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

The Blueberry Cheesecake Ice cream flavor hit shelves earlier this month. It features blueberries, cheesecake, vanilla ice cream, and graham crackers.

So, why not try it out for yourself to find out how spectacular this recipe can be with a little effort?

2. S’mores Monkey Bread Muffins

These S’more Monkey Bread Muffins are just like those you’d find at campfire s’mores parties.

They’re easy to make, too, thanks to a simple recipe that includes graham crackers, chocolate chips, marshmallows, butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.

Make sure to use store-bought muffin cups, though, because homemade ones aren’t tall enough to fit the filling.

3. Frosty Pumpkin Pie

A Frosty Pumpkin Pie is a delicious dessert that combines pumpkin pie filling with vanilla ice cream. This recipe is easy to make and requires no baking skills.

You can use store-bought ingredients or prepare them yourself. If you want to add some extra flavor, try adding cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cardamom, cloves, and/or mace.

4. Blueberry Graham Dessert

This recipe was inspired by our love of blueberries and my desire to make something delicious. We like to use frozen berries because it makes things much easier.

You can always thaw out the berries ahead of time and keep them in the freezer until you are ready to eat them.

This dessert tastes great warm or cold. If you want to serve it hot, just pop it into the microwave for about 30 seconds.

5. Frozen Banana Split Pie

A frozen banana split pie is something you might want to make yourself if you are feeling like having dessert one day.

This recipe calls for bananas, ice cream, whipped topping, and chocolate syrup. You could even add some sprinkles if you wanted to go the extra mile.

Bananas are great because they are easy to work with, and they freeze well. They don’t taste too sweet, and they’re really versatile.

If you’ve ever had a banana split, you know how good it tastes. Frozen bananas give this pie a creamy texture that is perfect for a dessert.

6. Layered Lemon Dessert Squares

With summer just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to make some lemon dessert squares.

These are really easy to make and you don’t even have to bake them. They’re perfect for picnics, potlucks, and parties. You could easily add nuts or sprinkles to make them extra special.

7. Blueberry Crumble Tarts

The Blueberry Crumble Tart recipe is one of our favorite desserts. We love the tartness of blueberries combined with the sweet crumble topping.

This dessert is perfect for breakfast or brunch. You can make it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge.

8. Quick Apple Crisp

We love apple crisp because it’s one of those desserts that you just want to eat while watching TV. But we never thought about making my own version until recently.

We had some apples left over from a recipe, so we figured why not make something different out of them?

This recipe turned out great, and it’s super easy to put together. You don’t even need an oven to bake it in. Just pop everything into a bowl and mix well.

Then pour it onto a baking sheet and stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes. After that, take it out and let it thaw completely. Once it’s cooled down, add some cinnamon sugar on top, and enjoy!

9. Marshmallow Fudge

This week, we’re sharing our favorite fudge recipe. It’s simple, easy to make, and it tastes amazing. If you’re looking for a great treat to bring over to someone’s house, give this one a try.

10. Chocolate Malt Cheesecake

We had never heard of malt powder, but it makes a great addition to chocolate desserts like this one.

This recipe uses it to replace some flour in the classic New York–style cheesecake, giving the cake a rich flavor without weighing it down.

If you don’t want to use malt powder, feel free to use half whole wheat pastry flour and half white. You’ll still end up with a delicious dessert.

11. Peanut Butter Old-Fashioned Balls

Peanut butter balls or truffles are one of our favorite desserts (see also ‘24 Appetizing Peanut Butter Desserts‘). We like them because they’re sweet, salty, rich, and decadent.

But sometimes, even though we’re craving something delicious, we just don’t feel like making anything complicated.

And that’s where these peanut butter truffle recipes come into play. These old-fashioned peanut butter balls are easy to make, require no baking, and taste great straight out of the oven.

To start, combine 2 cups of unsalted peanuts, 3/4 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely ground.

Add 1 stick of softened salted butter and process again until combined. Then add 4 ounces of cream cheese and pulse until it forms a dough ball. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

12. Philadelphia Cheesecake

Philadelphia Cream Cheese Company has been making the best cream cheese around since 1884. They’ve perfected the art of making creamy cheesecakes, too.

Their three-step cheesecake recipe takes about 5 minutes to make, and you don’t even need to bake it.

All you do is mix together some cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.

Then pour everything into a graham cracker pie shell, cover it with plastic wrap, and chill it overnight.

When you’re ready to serve it up, take off the plastic wrap and heat it in the oven for 10 minutes. You’ll love this light and fluffy cheesecake.

13. Graham Cracker Easy Toffee Recipe

Graham cracker toffee is one of our favorite treats around Christmastime. We love how easy it is to make and the fact that it takes just five ingredients. You’ll never want to buy store-bought again!

14. Peanut Butter No-Bake Pie

Peanut butter pie alone is sweet and salty, easy to whip together, and so creamy. This recipe uses graham cracker crust, chocolate chips, and peanut butter filling. If you want it even sweeter, add a dollop of cool whip on top.

15. Graham Crackers Homemade Recipe

Graham Crackers are one of those things that everyone loves. They’re crisp, sweet, salty, buttery, and delicious.

But did you know that you don’t actually have to buy them? You can easily make them yourself, and we’ve got the recipe here.

All you need is some whole wheat-based flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Mix up a batch of dough, roll out into a thin sheet, and bake. Then let cool completely and slice into squares. Easy-peasy lemon squeezy.

16. Millionaire Style Pie

This rich and fruity dessert couldn’t be simpler to make. You just mix together three ingredients— condensed milk, cream cheese, lemon juice—and you’re done!

This pie alone is perfect for summer entertaining because it doesn’t require much effort, and it tastes great cold or hot (for more delicious summer pie recipes, read here). Plus, it looks like a million bucks!

17. Key Lime Pie Vegan Bars

Key lime pie is one of those desserts that people either love or hate. If you’re into key lime pie, there’s no better way to enjoy it than by making a dessert bar full of different flavors.

This recipe uses graham cracker pie crust, which makes it both gluten-free and vegan. You’ll find that the bars are moist and delicious, and they make a great snack or dessert option for parties.

18. Graham Cracker Style Ice Cream

This recipe actually doesn’t just have the most amazing crumbled graham crackers thoroughly folded through; they’re actually added and infused directly into the ice creams.

If you’ve never had a gingersnap ice cream, this one might surprise you.

19. Graham Cracker Coconut Cookies

This recipe makes about 12 small cookies. You can add raisins or nuts to change up the flavor. Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until it forms a soft dough. If the mixture seems too dry, add another teaspoon of milk.

20. Graham Cracker Peppermint Toffee

Peppermint Bark is one of our favorite holiday treats, especially during the winter months.

This version uses graham crackers instead of chocolate bars, so it’s perfect for those who don’t like chocolate. If you’re looking for something different, try this peppermint graham cracker toffee.

21. Peanut Butter Lunch Lady Bars

Lunch ladies have so much on their plate and a lot of children to feed. They don’t have enough time to bake fancy desserts like cakes and pies. So what do they do? Make peanut butter bars, of course!

And since they’re already making peanut butter sandwiches every day, why not add some extra flavor with a little chocolate and peanut butter? These lunch lady peanut butter bars are perfect because they’re fast, easy, and delicious.

You’ll start out with a base layer of graham cracker crust topped with a creamy peanut butter filling, and then you’ll cover it all up with chocolate.

You can even use semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate if you want to save money. But if you’d rather spend a little more, go ahead and buy good-quality chocolate chips.

22. Banana Cream No-Bake Lush

We love bananas. We love cake. And we especially love banana cake. So we knew we had to make something special. This is one of those things. It’s like eating a slice of heaven.

Topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of powdered sugar, it’s just perfect.

23. Graham Cracker Cake Recipe

Graham Crackers are one of our favorite things about Christmas. They’re crunchy, sweet, and delicious. And now there’s a way to enjoy them without having to dig into a whole box.

This recipe takes advantage of that fact and uses Graham Cracker crumbs as part of the batter. It’s light and easy enough for kids to make.

Frequently Asked Question

Does Graham Cracker Crust Need To Be Baked?

Typically, yes. But there are exceptions. For example, some recipes call for a graham cracker crust without baking it.

These types of pies often use a “no-bake” filling, meaning the pie filling doesn’t set up while baking. So you’ll want to make sure the crust is completely cooled before adding the filling.

If you’re making a no-bake pie/dessert: Cool the crust before filling it. This way, you don’t risk having the filling melt onto the hot crust.

Also, check the pie or cheesecake recipes you’re using for crust cooling and baking instructions. Some recipes state that the crust needs to be baked, but others say that it can be left out.

Why Are They Called ‘Graham’ Crackers?

The name “Graham cracker” dates back to 1841 when it was coined by John Harvey Kellogg, founder of Battle Creek Sanitarium.

He named his creation after Sylvester Graham, an early 19th-century American physician known for advocating dietary restrictions such as avoiding alcohol and meat.

One of his most famous patients was Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune. Greeley wrote about Graham’s diet regimen in his paper, calling it “a sort of vegetarian diet.”

In 1847, Graham published a book titled Plain Facts for Old And Young, which included recipes for bread and cakes.

In the book, he described how to make what we now call graham crackers. His recipe consisted of four parts: graham flour, molasses, shortening, and water.

Why Were Graham Crackers Invented?

Graham crackers are named after Sylvester Graham, a 19th-century American evangelist, and health reform advocate.

He became famous for his dietary recommendations, including consuming no alcohol, meat, sugar, salt, or spices.

His ideas about health led him to develop the concept of “Grahamism,” which he called a “system of living.”

This included abstaining from alcohol, eating whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and avoiding stimulants like coffee and tea.

So he came up with the idea to make a biscuit that tasted just like the ones he ate growing up in Scotland.

He began experimenting with different flours and baking techniques, eventually creating a soft cookie that could be cut into shapes.

He called it Graham crackers, and they quickly caught on. By the 1860s, Graham crackers had become a staple food in America.

They were sold in grocery stores and bakeries everywhere, and soon people were referring to the snack as “Graham crackers.”

Final Thought

So whether you’re looking for a quick dessert, a snack, or a treat, these 23 Graham Cracker Dessert Recipes will help you find the right combination of flavors and textures. Enjoy!