The Bizarre Reason Graham Crackers Were Invented

When it comes to graham crackers, your first thought might be, "Where's the rest of this s'more?" This tasty treat has a long reputation for being a great item to enjoy around a campfire, with that particular combination of ingredients making its debut in 1927. Since then, people have been evolving the average s'more, with graham crackers usually maintaining their purpose as the dessert's base. 

Before graham crackers became such a part of an incredibly popular treat, they had a much different purpose; it had nothing to do with an enjoyable treat or the great outdoors and everything to do with curbing one's sexual appetites. That's right, folks. The original graham cracker was conceived to help one "avoid sin" and, as a side affect, develop healthier eating habits.

In the 1800s, a vegetarian minister named Sylvester Graham thought he could help curb inappropriate thoughts of sexual desire by creating a snack item. He felt that if this product was devoid of ingredients like spice and sugar (let's face it, what makes graham crackers delicious), those who were sold on the theory could also use the crackers as a dieting method while they get their mind out of the gutter. Graham's original version was bland, sugar-free, and most likely miserable. Luckily, the graham crackers today are delicious, not as nutritious, but much better to snack on.

The real question is, how did the delightful flavors of cinnamon, sugar, and honey become a part of graham crackers? Well, it's pretty simple, really. While Sylvester Graham was busy trying to cure the world of sexual thoughts and living a cleaner lifestyle, others were taking to his un-patented creation and spinning it to their own accord. 

People like J. Thompson Gill, best known for writing baking books, didn't have the same mindset as Graham and wanted to incorporate other sweeter components to make the snack item more edible. Gill saw the potential graham crackers had for being a great ingredient to incorporate in baking dishes and went with it.

By the late 1800s, graham crackers were sold everywhere by the Nabisco company. Around two decades later, the ultra-sweet and cinnamon-filled graham crackers enjoyed today were taken under the wing of the well-known brand Honey Maid, and the rest is history.