Got Too Many Graham Crackers? Hide Them In A Pound Cake

Sure, graham crackers are essential for s'mores and a key ingredient for a homemade pie crust — but what else? What are we supposed to do with the rest of the box? Instead of letting the leftovers sit in the back of the pantry, try making a graham cracker pound cake.

All you need to do is follow your favorite recipe — just make sure you skip pre-heating for the freshest pound cake around — and add graham cracker crumbs (about half a sleeve) to the batter. They'll be hidden to the naked eye, but easily admired by your taste buds. For extra oomph, pour lemon juice on the finished dessert for the boldest, freshest pound cake of your life.

If you want to take it up a notch, add some tropical flavor by making a key lime pound cake. Where will the graham crackers go, you ask? Well, once you've mixed the cake ingredients, make a streusel with — you guessed it — crushed graham crackers, sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Sprinkle it on top of the finished cake. Graham crackers, say aloha to paradise!

Besides pound cake, there are other ways to use up excess graham crackers. One option is to make Hello Dolly bars (also known as magic cookie bars), which involve layering a baking sheet with graham crackers (mixed with melted butter), chocolate chips, pecans, coconut, and drizzled condensed milk. After baking for 30 minutes, slice into squares for the perfect individually-sized serving of sweetness.

Another way to secretly incorporate graham crackers is to disguise them as toffee. Line a baking sheet with graham crackers side-by-side, cover them with a butter and brown sugar mixture, and bake for eight minutes. Once out of the oven, decorate with your favorite soft caramels and chocolate chips, spread the melted candies around, toss in a pinch of pecans, and break into pieces after cooling for several hours. It may look like your grandmother's toffee recipe, but it takes half the time and a lot less stress.

Finally, a simple way to eliminate all your leftover graham crackers is to make three-ingredient frozen treats for your next event. Sandwich two graham crackers between peanut butter and frozen Cool Whip for the ultimate twist on a classic ice cream sandwich.