Alternative cheesecake base

[freshbaker]

Hi all! I’m a beginner baker (who doesn’t even have an oven and relies on a makeshift-large-pan-on-stovetop situation) and I have a question about a particular cheesecake base that I’ve been thinking about.

Many love to make cheesecakes almost as much as they love making them, which is why there’s always a shortage of crushed graham crackers in the market (at least where I live). It’s been even more challenging to get a hold of the stuff recently because of the ongoing quarantine period. I know I could also use different types of cookies or crackers, but I like the flavor of graham crackers more. This drawback has allowed me to become more creative with my approach—what if I could make the base out of streusel instead of graham crackers?

I know that streusel crumbles very easily and only relies on butter as a binding component, but so does a graham cracker base, right? Would any of you have any ideas on what I could add to the streusel mix to make it a little bit more robust and structured? I imagine that I’d have to pre-bake the base first before adding my cheesecake batter on top and put the whole thing in the oven. If you don’t think this would work, could you tell me why? I’d love to hear from you. Thanks!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Streusel wouldn’t work well since it has no binder like egg. Plus it needs to be baked because of the flour.



For a alternative crust you can use any type of crispy cookie. The cookies already have a binder in them. So when you crush them up and add the butter, the moisture from the butter helps to rebind the crumbs.
Ginger snap (my favorite and what I always use instead of graham crackers)
Vanilla wafers
Oreos
Shortbread
Chocolate wafers
Biscoffs
Pecan sandies.

 

[freshbaker]

Streusel wouldn’t work well since it has no binder like egg. Plus it needs to be baked because of the flour.



For a alternative crust you can use any type of crispy cookie. The cookies already have a binder in them. So when you crush them up and add the butter, the moisture from the butter helps to rebind the crumbs.
Ginger snap (my favorite and what I always use instead of graham crackers)
Vanilla wafers
Oreos
Shortbread
Chocolate wafers
Biscoffs
Pecan sandies.

Hi! Thanks so much for your input on this! You’ve explained it very clearly.

What about if I do choose to add the egg and bake it though? Do you think that would work?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Hi! Thanks so much for your input on this! You’ve explained it very clearly.

What about if I do choose to add the egg and bake it though? Do you think that would work?

You have to understand that streusel has no strength to it. It literally crumbles because no gluten is developed in it. It has no binder.

It’s just flour and butter.

If you add egg, then you are making a tart dough.

It’s called pâte sucrée.

 

[freshbaker]

Interesting input on this. Thanks a lot for the info!

 

[retired baker]

Interesting input on this. Thanks a lot for the info!

just increase the sugar in the streusel. It will bake brittle on its own but the batter will soften it.

or butter/flour the bottom of the mold and crumble broken cookies onto it, the batter will pick it up.