Graham crackers have become ubiquitous baking ingredients. You’ll often see them used in pies and cheesecakes to make crusts.
Those graham cracker crusts are very popular because they excel at remaining firm and they add more complexity to the overall flavor of numerous sweet treats.
If you want to learn how to make graham cracker crusts, then you’ve come to the right place. Stay tuned and find out how you can make those delicious crusts at home!
How Many Graham Crackers In 1 1/2 Cups?
Bakers will need 10 full-sheet graham crackers to produce 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. The crumbs can be made by pulverizing them inside a food processor. The graham crackers can also be manually crushed using a plastic bag and a heavy object. Graham cracker crumbs can be mixed with butter and sugar to create pie and cheesecake crusts.
How Many Graham Crackers Will You Need to Produce 1 1/2 Cups of Crumbs?
According to this article from Bon Appetit, the graham crackers we know and love today have been around since 1934. Their staying power should not be surprising given their delicious combination of flavor and texture.
You can vastly improve a dessert by introducing some graham crackers into the mix. Baked goods, in particular, benefit from their presence.
Avid bakers are well aware of how often recipes call for the presence of graham crackers. To be more specific, many recipes require bakers to prepare graham cracker crumbs.
So, how many graham crackers will you need if a recipe requires 1 1/2 cups of crumbs? Processing 10 graham crackers should give you the exact amount of crumbs you need.
Just to be clear, you will need 10 full sheets of graham crackers to come up with the aforementioned amount of crumbs. We’re not just talking about 10 panels.
How Do You Turn Graham Crackers into Crumbs?
With the right number of graham crackers in your possession, you can now start working on turning them into crumbs.
There are two easy ways to make graham cracker crumbs. Let’s talk about them in greater detail below.
Method 1: Use a Food Processor
The easiest way to make graham cracker crumbs involves the use of a food processor.
Get your 10 sheets of graham crackers and start breaking them up. Just get them to the point where the food processor will have an easier time handling them.
Next, place the broken graham crackers into the food processor and turn it on.
Stop the food processor every now and then to check on the texture of the crumbs. You want the crumbs to have an almost sandy texture.
Turn off the food processor when the graham crackers have been sufficiently crumbled.
Method 2: Pulverize the Graham Crackers Manually
Is your food processor broken or perhaps you have no food processor at all? In that case, you’ll have to pulverize the graham crackers manually.
Start by getting a resealable plastic bag and put the graham cracker sheets in there. Make sure you close the bag tightly afterward.
Now, put the bag on your countertop and start smashing it with a heavy object. You can use a rolling pin, a meat tenderizer, or even a pot that you can handle properly.
Continue smashing the crackers until they turn into sand.
How Do You Make a Graham Cracker Crust?
Graham cracker crumbs are often used to make crusts. Creating that kind of crust may seem difficult, but it’s a fairly straightforward process.
Follow the steps below so you can create that crust yourself.
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
We’re assuming that you already have the graham cracker crumbs ready. That means you focus on preparing the other ingredients.
Start with the butter you’ll be using as the main binder of the crust. Prepare about five tablespoons of melted butter.
You can melt the butter by putting it in a saucepan and cooking it over low heat. Keep cooking until the butter is completely melted.
Butter can also be melted in the microwave. Simply place the butter in a microwave-safe bowl before zapping it for about 30 to 45 seconds.
Graham cracker crusts also require sugar. Both granulated sugar and brown sugar will work, but the latter is preferred because it is more flavorful.
Step 2: Mix the Ingredients
With all the ingredients ready, you can now start mixing them.
Grab a large bowl and dump the graham cracker crumbs in there. Next, sprinkle in your sugar of choice.
You can now slowly pour the melted butter into the mixture. Use a fork to mix all the ingredients.
The mixture is ready when it feels damp and becomes more moldable.
Step 3: Line the Pan with the Graham Cracker Mixture
For this next step, you will need a clean spoon to transfer the graham cracker mixture to your pan of choice.
Start molding your crust at this point. Press the crumbs tightly against the bottom and the edges of the pan so your crust is whole.
Packing down the crust also helps firm it up. Grab a glass or any cup with a flat bottom and use that to pack the crumbs into the pan.
Step 4: Par-Bake the Graham Cracker Crust
Finally, you should par-bake your crust so it can easily handle the moist filling you will be adding later.
Par-bake the crust at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius) for around eight minutes. The crust should be nice and firm after that.
Conclusion to How Many Graham Crackers in 1 1/2 Cups
A graham cracker crust can be the perfect complement to a creamy cheesecake or a delectable pie. Use the information included here to create your own graham cracker crusts!
Frequently Asked Questions about How Many Graham Crackers Are Used to Make 1 1/2 Cups of Crumbs
What Can You Use to Make Crusts instead of Graham Crackers?
If you don’t have graham crackers available, you can replace them with digestive cookies. Digestive cookies lack the honey flavor of graham crackers, but they still provide plenty of texture and a good amount of sweetness.
Do You Always Have to Bake a Graham Cracker Crust?
Graham cracker crusts don’t always need to be baked. You can also chill them in the refrigerator for at least two hours so they firm up properly.