Cheesecake Crust Alternatives You Haven't Thought Of

Classic American cheesecake recipes — whether they call for you to bake the cheesecake, just throw it into the fridge to set, top it with strawberries or cherries or chocolate or whatever — pretty much always call for one thing in particular: a graham cracker crust. (And before you say that real cheesecake doesn't come with a crust, consider that, for most home cooks, it does; many home cooks want to make something slightly simpler than a Basque cheesecake. Besides, who are we to argue about authenticity when the results are still delicious?)

The graham cracker crust is tasty, versatile, and easy. That said, you might not always have graham crackers on hand or enough graham crackers to make a full crust. The good news? There are lots of ingredients that you can use to make a cheesecake crust that don't involve graham crackers. In fact, you might find that some cheesecake crust alternatives are even more delicious than the classic graham cracker crust, while being just as easy to make. Here are some cheesecake crust alternatives to consider.

If you don't find that graham cracker crusts, or graham crackers in general, provide your baking projects with enough flavor (they were, after all, invented to help tamper consumers' excitement), consider swapping your graham cracker crust for a cheesecake crust made from an undeniably more flavorful option: gingersnaps. These zippy, zingy, crunchy cookies will pair especially well with a cheesecake that offers some citrus notes or, in the fall, with a pumpkin cheesecake recipe. (No springform pan on hand? These pumpkin cheesecake bars come together in a standard square baking pan.) Just sub in gingersnaps where the recipes call for graham crackers.

Home bakers on Reddit suggest using an equal mixture of crushed gingersnaps and crushed graham crackers — if the ginger flavor doesn't come through enough for you, add some extra powdered ginger — or try mixing your crushed gingersnaps with some ground pecans. Whatever option you go with, though, pick a high-quality gingersnap that will provide a lot of spice.

Another mildly flavored but oh-so-delicious cookie that you can transform into a cheesecake crust? The animal cracker. You know them from your childhood, but if you haven't eaten one of those little elephants or tigers in a while, you're missing out. Originally, animal crackers were created to contain less sugar and less shortening than other cookies, and that simplicity has proven successful for more than a century and a half.

You can use crushed animal crackers as a crust for cheesecakes, pies, and tarts with ease. While you probably don't think of animal crackers as being particularly spicy or full of flavor like a gingersnap, animal crackers do contain some spices, like nutmeg and mace, which means they complement fruity desserts (like maybe a fruit-topped cheesecake) particularly well. Just mash the crackers, combine them with melted butter and other spices as desired, and then bake your crust until golden and fragrant, before cooling and using.

When it comes to swapping out your graham cracker cheesecake crust for another, potentially superior crust (or at least more convenient, if you have no graham crackers), go beyond cookies. Really, if it's crunchy and won't turn completely soggy when exposed to a bit of moisture, it'll probably work — and one thing that has plenty of experience staying nice, dry, and crispy-crunchy in the face of liquid? Ice cream cones.

You can use either waffle or sugar cones, combined with butter and sugar, to make your cheesecake crust, but food blogger and author Kelly Senyei told The Rachael Ray Show that she prefers the buttery notes provided by crushed waffle cones. She also mentioned that this alternative crust is a great fit if you find that you frequently buy ice cream cones only to see a bunch of broken pieces in the bottom of the box. Add this idea to your ice cream cone hack arsenal, and thank us later.

A fun cheesecake crust alternative that provides you with endless possibilities: crushed breakfast cereal. You want to go basic and slightly savory? Opt for corn flakes or Cheerios. You want something a little fruity, fun, and colorful? Reach for the Fruity Pebbles. Making a chocolate cheesecake and want something complementary? You can't go wrong with Reese's Puffs or Peanut Butter Crunch. Combine the crushed cereal of your choice with a little sugar and melted butter, pop it into your baking receptacle, and either bake it or let it chill; either option works, but you'll need to do one or the other before adding your cheesecake filling.

This option featuring cereal is a particularly good choice if you want to make a gluten-free pie crust and you're having trouble finding ingredients that will work (after all, graham crackers, pretzels, ice-cream cones, and most cookies are all filled with gluten). Just reach for a naturally gluten-free cereal, like corn flakes or Fruity Pebbles. If it's made with corn or rice, you're likely in the clear, but check the ingredients list on the cereal box to be sure.

There's a wealth of breakfast items that you can use to make a cheesecake crust. Beyond oats and breakfast cereal, you can also use granola. Just like an oat crust, a granola crust can be gluten-free, but making this type of cheesecake crust will take a little more work overall (compared to making a cookie-based crust) — if you make the crust from scratch. You'll essentially just be making granola from scratch. Then, you'll throw the granola in your food processor with melted butter, before applying it to your springform pan and letting it chill in the fridge.

However, if you just don't have the time or the inclination to make your own granola at home, you can use store-bought granola or store-bought granola bars the exact same way. Just crush them up in a food processor or blender first. Whichever route you go, consider using this crust with a breakfast-inspired cheesecake, complete with lots of fruit.

If you've been eating your pistachios one way and one way only — straight from the shell — then you're missing out. While they might not be an obvious first choice, pistachios' unique, slightly sweet flavor profile means the nuts pair perfectly with a range of favorite desserts — including cheesecake.

To make a pistachio-based cheesecake crust, grind the shelled pistachios in a food processor before combining them with butter, pressing the mixture into your pan, and then pre-baking the crust. Unfortunately, unlike almonds, it can be difficult to find pistachios pre-ground in many grocery stores, so you'll likely need to grind your own at home. As for the type of cheesecake you use to fill your pistachio crust, you could go all-out pistachio and make a pistachio-flavored cheesecake. Otherwise, consider complementary flavors such as chocolate, citrus fruits, floral flavors like rose water or orange blossom, or spices like cardamom or clove.

Don't limit your shortbread crusts to tarts alone. This type of crust also works well with cheesecake, specifically New York-style cheesecake. Not sure on what the difference is between New York cheesecake and any other type of cheesecake? Well, New York cheesecake is notoriously heavy on the cream cheese, which means the cake is overall quite heavy and rich. This heaviness and richness call for a crust that can stand up to it, and that's where shortbread crusts come in.

Shortbread, though humble, is sturdy, reliable, and incredibly easy to make, with minimal ingredients — plus, it's traditionally paired with New York cheesecake. You'll just need flour, sugar, eggs, and butter, which all come together to form a dough. Press the dough into the bottom of a springform pan and bake, and you've got your cheesecake crust. If you don't have time to make your own shortbread, or if you're short a few ingredients, you can achieve a similar taste (if not quite a similar texture) by making a cookie-based cheesecake crust using store-bought shortbread cookies crushed and combined with butter.