Graham Cracker Crumble Topping
A buttery, crunchy graham cracker crumble that crisps as it cools — perfect for topping pies, parfaits, or ice cream.
Equipment
- Oven
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Rolling Pin
- Zip-top Bag
- Food Processor
- Medium Bowl
- Spoon
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 sleevegraham crackers 9 sheets of 4 crackers, roughly crushed–see note
- 6 tablespoonsunsalted butter melted
- 3 tablespoonssugar granulated or light/dark brown, your choice–see note
- 1/2 teaspoonvanilla extract optional, see note
- 1/2 teaspoonground cinnamon optional, see note
- pinchkosher or fine sea salt
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Crush 1 sleeve graham crackers (9 sheets) to a rough crumb using a rolling pin in a zip-top bag or a food processor; you want small chunks and crumbs, not powder.
- In a medium bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers, 3 tablespoons sugar (granulated or light/dark brown, your choice), a pinch of kosher or fine sea salt, and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional). Stir to mix.
- Add 6 tablespoons melted unsalted butter and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional) to the dry mixture. Stir until the crumbs are evenly coated and hold together when lightly pressed.
- Spread the crumb mixture into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8–12 minutes, checking at 8 minutes and again as needed, until the crumbs are light golden brown and fragrant. Watch carefully so the crumbs do not burn (most ovens take about 10 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and let the crumble cool completely on the baking sheet to room temperature—the mixture will be soft when hot and will crisp as it cools.
- Once cooled, break the mixture into crumbles. Store in an airtight container up to 3 days at room temperature, 1 week in the refrigerator, or 3 months in the freezer. Return to room temperature before using.
Notes
Notes
Graham Crackers:
To crush grahams, place the crackers in a zip top bag and crush with a rolling pin or the bottom of a measuring cup. Or, pulse the graham crackers in a food processor. I like to roughly crush the grahams, creating a mixture of fine crumbs and medium-sized chunks, for a well-textured crumble.
Using Nabisco Original Grahams (recommended), this comes out to about
1-1/2 cups of crushed crackers
, 135 grams.
Sugar:
When using graham cracker brands made with molasses, I use granulated sugar to make the crumbles. When using honey grahams, or when I want to add a little depth of flavor, I’ll use brown sugar. This recipe is very adaptable and customizable.
Cinnamon and Vanilla:
Optional, depending on the type/brand of graham crackers you’re using. If you’ve bought honey grahams, you might want to add a touch of cinnamon. If using cinnamon grahams, omit. I find that some graham cracker brands can use a little extra “oomph” from a splash of vanilla.
For serving ideas, see the
“Ways to Use”
section in the article above.
Graham Crackers:
To crush grahams, place the crackers in a zip top bag and crush with a rolling pin or the bottom of a measuring cup. Or, pulse the graham crackers in a food processor. I like to roughly crush the grahams, creating a mixture of fine crumbs and medium-sized chunks, for a well-textured crumble.
Using Nabisco Original Grahams (recommended), this comes out to about
1-1/2 cups of crushed crackers
, 135 grams.
Sugar:
When using graham cracker brands made with molasses, I use granulated sugar to make the crumbles. When using honey grahams, or when I want to add a little depth of flavor, I’ll use brown sugar. This recipe is very adaptable and customizable.
Cinnamon and Vanilla:
Optional, depending on the type/brand of graham crackers you’re using. If you’ve bought honey grahams, you might want to add a touch of cinnamon. If using cinnamon grahams, omit. I find that some graham cracker brands can use a little extra “oomph” from a splash of vanilla.
For serving ideas, see the
“Ways to Use”
section in the article above.