Graham Cracker Crust

The only graham cracker crust recipe you need! It’s thick, buttery, doesn’t crumble, and comes out reliable every time. Learn how to make a from-scratch crust and you’ll never buy a pre-made version again. This crust is reliable for no-bake or baked desserts including cheesecakes, pies and tarts, bars, and any other recipe requiring a graham cracker crust.

Pie crust of any kind can intimidate even the most experienced bakers. Armed with a little knowledge and confidence, anyone can master it! We’ve tackled favorite recipes for an all-butter pie crust and a butter/shortening crust (with vodka as the secret ingredient!), and today we’re diving into from-scratch graham cracker crust. This type of pie crust is so insanely straightforward to mix, yet many still reach for pre-made, store-bought options. No more!

What stands out Graham Cracker Crust Recipe

Why make this from-scratch graham cracker crust?

• Straightforward to Make: With only a few ingredients and a couple stirs of a fork, your crust is ready to go.
• Taste: A from-scratch graham cracker crust tastes infinitely better than a store-bought crust. There’s simply no comparison between from-scratch and store-bought.
• No-Bake Option: This is a wonderful crust to use for no-bake (and baked!) recipes, especially in the hot summer months when you want to avoid turning on the oven.
• Versatile: Use this graham cracker crust as the base of s’mores pie, strawberry cheesecake bars, key lime pie, New York style cheesecake, and many other recipes.

A standby Graham Cracker Crust

Graham cracker crusts seem so elementary, but if you’ve ever lifted a slice of pie out of the pan and had the crust break and crumble all over the plate (mortifying if you’re serving to company and just plain annoying otherwise!), then you KNOW how important a good crust is!

This is the only graham cracker crust recipe you need and here’s why:

• Perfectly Plush: We've had the (dis)pleasure of making graham cracker crusts that crumble and fall apart or conversely, leak liquid because there’s too much butter. This recipe strikes the reliable balance to create a crust that holds together beautifully and never crumbles, yet is still plush and a little soft.
• Flavor! It might not seem important in something as simple as a graham cracker crust, but honestly? We could eat this crust ON ITS OWN. Using brown sugar turns a basic graham cracker crust into something truly rich on its own.
• Clean Slices Every Time: Quite possibly the most important aspect of any graham cracker crust recipe. Pack the crust in nice and tight (follow the instructions in the recipe!) and you’ll have reliable, clean cut pie slices every single time.

Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients

Combine these four ingredients for the most memorable graham cracker crust you will ever taste.

1. Graham Cracker Crumbs: Use either whole graham crackers that you crush up yourself or ready-made graham cracker crumbs. Both options work wonderfully! If you crush them yourself you have 2 options: 1) put the graham crackers in a zip-top bag and use something relatively heavy to crush them, or 2) use a food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs (this method yields the finest, most even crumbs).
2. Sugar: We use light brown sugar to keep the crust plush and give it a little more of a browned butter/toffee flavor.
3. Butter: You might notice that this recipe has a smidge more butter than most graham cracker crust recipes call for. We find this extra bit of butter helps bind the crust together and keeps it from crumbling apart when it’s sliced. (Want to ratchet this crust up a notch? Use browned butter!)
4. Salt: Balances out all of the flavors.

How to Make Graham Cracker Crust From Scratch

This crust comes together quickly thanks to a short ingredient list and a simple mixing process.

1. Make Graham Cracker Crumbs: If you haven’t purchased pre-made crumbs, crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs, measure out 2 cups, and place them in a medium bowl. Speedy Tip! Use 14 graham crackers (the full sheets) for about 2 cups of crumbs.
2. Add the Brown Sugar and Salt: Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the brown sugar and salt.
3. Stir In the Melted Butter: Drizzle the melted butter over the graham cracker mixture and use a fork to mix everything together, ensuring that it is evenly moistened.
4. Press and Pack: This is crucial! Press and pack the crust into the pan. Years ago, we heard a tip about using the bottom and sides of a measuring cup to press a graham cracker (or Oreo) crust into the pan. It’s a total game-changer! You can use anything – dry measuring cups, a liquid measuring cup, a regular drinking glass – anything that has a round bottom will do. A tightly packed crust means that it will hold together beautifully when sliced instead of crumbling all over the place.

Pan Note: This recipe works for a standard 9-inch pie plate, 8-inch or 9-inch square pan, or a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. Double this recipe to use in a 9×13-inch pan.

Graham Cracker Pie Crust Substitutions

There aren’t many ingredients in this pie crust, but below are suggestions for substitutions, should you need to make them:

• Graham Crackers: Use any flavor or variety of graham cracker you like, crushed digestive biscuits, gingersnaps, vanilla wafers, or cornflakes. Regardless of which you use, be sure to crush as finely as possible and use 2 cups of crumbs.
• Brown Sugar: Replace brown sugar with an equal amount of granulated sugar, coconut sugar, or muscovado.
• Butter: Vegan alternatives or coconut oil work great.

No-Bake vs Baked Graham Cracker Crust

The beauty of this pie crust recipe is that it can be used in both types of recipes (no-bake and baked)! Whether your recipe calls for making the crust, adding a filling, and chilling, or for baking the crust, these are our recommendations:

• No-Bake Recipes: If the crust and pie will not be baked, prepare the pie crust as directed, then place the pan in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before filling it.
• Baked Recipes: If the graham cracker crust needs to be pre-baked, bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, then proceed with your recipe as written.

Keeping leftovers

• Make Ahead: Prepare the graham cracker crust up to 2 days in advance of filling it. Simply cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until ready to fill.
• Freeze: Prepare the crust as instructed, then wrap the pie plate in plastic wrap and then in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

Use This Graham Cracker Crust Recipe To Make:

The possibilities are endless! With a standby (and easiest!) graham cracker crust recipe, add these desserts to your must-make list!

• Banoffee Pie (pictured below)
• Pecan Pie Cheesecake
• Blueberry Cheesecake Pie
• Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie
• Key Lime Pie or No Bake Key Lime Cheesecake
• No Bake S’mores Pie or S’mores Bars

Graham cracker crust is the base of so many memorable desserts – cheesecakes, pies, bars, and more! Which makes it all the more important to have a tried-and-true, reliable recipe that you can use time and again. This thick, buttery, and DELICIOUS crust can be used for both no-bake and baked desserts; be sure to save it to your recipe arsenal today!

Photography by Dee Frances

• Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie crust
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Total: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, approximately 14 full graham crackers
• ⅓ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• Pinch salt

Method

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt, ensuring no lumps of brown sugar remain.
2. Drizzle the melted butter over the graham cracker mixture and toss to combine with a fork, ensuring that the mixture is evenly moistened.
3. Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate, 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan and pack tightly using the back of a measuring cup.
4. If using in a no-bake recipe, place the pan in the freezer for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the filling and proceed with the recipe.
5. If the graham cracker crust needs to be pre-baked, bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then proceed with the recipe as written.

Notes

Equipment: This recipe works for a standard 9-inch pie plate, 8-inch or 9-inch square pan, or a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. You will need to double the recipe to use in a 9×13-inch pan.

Graham Crackers: You can use any flavor or variety of graham cracker you like (and you can buy a box of graham cracker crumbs!), or you can also use crushed digestive biscuits, gingersnaps, vanilla wafers, or cornflakes. Whichever of these you use, just be sure to crush as finely as possible and measure out 2 cups of crumbs.

Brown Sugar: You can substitute regular granulated sugar, coconut sugar, or muscovado.

Butter: You can substitute vegan alternatives or coconut oil. For an extra oomph of flavor, go the extra step of making browned butter instead of simply melting the butter.

No-Bake Recipes: If the crust and pie will not be baked, prepare the pie crust as directed, then place the pan in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before filling it.

Baked Recipes: If the graham cracker crust needs to be pre-baked, bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then proceed with the recipe as written.

To Make Ahead: You can prepare the graham cracker crust up to 2 days in advance of filling it. Simply cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until ready to fill.

To Freeze: Prepare the crust as instructed, then wrap the pie plate in plastic wrap and then in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

Photography by Dee Frances