graham cracker crust for cheese cake, what is the substitute here

I have never done a cheese cake but want to  make one.  My recipe calls for a graham cracker crust and I have no idea what I should use as a substitute.  I am a novice to baking, FYI!

We mix ginger biscuits and digestives.  Different ratio depending on the cheesecake.

Digestives is traditional...but oreos are freaking delicious!

I've used both gingernuts and digestives, but recently used chocolate bourbons to make a Mississippi Mud Pie and it was lovely! So if you want a chocolatey cheesecake, you could try those. For a basic non-flavour-ish one, I'd stick to plain digestives, though.

I've used Digestives too, and bonus - they are fun to smash up!

I also use Digestives. That Oreo idea is going to be put to use the next time I bake a cheesecake though!

I've used Digestives too, and bonus - they are fun to smash up!

They are fun to smash up!! I love beating the heck out of the ziploc bag full of Digestives with my rolling pin. 

I don't really care for digestives as a substitute.  I think the texture is wrong.  My fiance did some experimenting after I sent him a box of actual graham crackers, and he thought that Abernethy (sp?) biscuits were a closer fit.  Not sure if those are available outside Scotland, though. 

As others have suggested, though, Oreos are great, depending on the type/flavor cheesecake you're making.  Also, gingersnaps (the really crunchy kind, not the chewy ones, obviously) are lovely, especially if you're making something seasonal, like an apple or pumpkin cheesecake.

I am the opposite of Woadgrrl.  I have never liked the taste of a graham cracker crust.  Ugh.  But I do like the digestive crust. It is not logical, because I actually like graham crackers...not enough to pay £6 for them at the American import store...but I like them.

I think the digestives are best if you really really macerate them in a food processor, imo when they are smashed, they aren't as good.

My fiance did some experimenting after I sent him a box of actual graham crackers, and he thought that Abernethy (sp?) biscuits were a closer fit.  Not sure if those are available outside Scotland, though. 

Mmm I bet that would make a nice crust.  But I don't think of Abernethy Biscuits being like graham crackers, I think they're more like shortbread. 

Mmm I bet that would make a nice crust.  But I don't think of Abernethy Biscuits being like graham crackers, I think they're more like shortbread. 

I think his reasoning was based more on texture than flavor.  I haven't tried the biscuits, so I'm not sure.  The thing I don't care for about the digestive crusts is that the ones I've tried have been sort of soggy.  I love graham cracker crusts that are really crispy/crunchy, and the digestive ones just don't match up. 

I haven't yet tried to make a digestive crust myself; I have a feeling that by upping the ratio of sugar to biscuit crumb I might be able to get a better outcome.  It'll be a tasty experiment, anyway.

I think his reasoning was based more on texture than flavor.  I haven't tried the biscuits, so I'm not sure.  The thing I don't care for about the digestive crusts is that the ones I've tried have been sort of soggy.  I love graham cracker crusts that are really crispy/crunchy, and the digestive ones just don't match up. 

I haven't yet tried to make a digestive crust myself; I have a feeling that by upping the ratio of sugar to biscuit crumb I might be able to get a better outcome.  It'll be a tasty experiment, anyway.

If it's an issue of crispy/crunchy, would pre-toasting the crushed digestives in the oven on a baking sheet help? Might dry them out a bit. Probably want to do it at a low temp so that when you actually bake the crust it doesn't wind up horribly overdone.

That could work.  I'll add it to my list of experiments.   My thinking, though, was that it has more to do with relative sugar content.  I think that the graham cracker crumbs might caramelize a bit more, which is why I want to try adding a little extra sugar.  I may be completely off-base, but I figure it's a decent working hypothesis.

A mix of digestives and ginger nuts might give you more the texture you're after.  I've only ever substituted digestives myself.

That could work.  I'll add it to my list of experiments.   My thinking, though, was that it has more to do with relative sugar content.  I think that the graham cracker crumbs might caramelize a bit more, which is why I want to try adding a little extra sugar.  I may be completely off-base, but I figure it's a decent working hypothesis.

I'll be interested to see how that works! Texture aside, I prefer the flavour of digestives to graham crackers. I find graham crackers a bit sweet - considering that what normally goes into my pies is sweet enough already.