Graham Cracker Crust

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This homemade graham cracker crust recipe is easy to make with 4 ingredients. Pre-bake this graham cracker pie crust to use in your favorite no-bake pies, or use it to make cheesecake, key lime pie, etc.

Graham Cracker Crust in a white pie dish


This homemade graham cracker crust recipe is my go-to for so many desserts – cheesecake, no-bake pies like this no bake peanut butter pie, key lime pie, lemon pie etc.

This graham cracker pie crust is easy to make with only 4 ingredients. You can use store-bought graham cracker crumbs or grind up whole graham crackers in a food processor or high-powered blender. The secret ingredient (cinnamon) makes it extra-special!

In this post you’ll learn how to make graham cracker crust and will never go back to using store-bought versions again. Also, try this Oreo crust!

Graham Cracker Pie Crust baked in a white pie dish

Graham Cracker Crust: Ingredients and substitutions

  • Graham crackers. Choose your favorite graham cracker variety to make this recipe: honey grahams, cinnamon grahams, even chocolate graham crackers all work well. Use a gluten-free graham crackers to make this recipe gluten-free. Alternatively, use store-bought graham cracker crumbs to make the recipe even easier and skip the step of blending/processing the grahams.
  • Granulated sugar. organic cane sugar, white sugar, and even coconut sugar all work well in this recipe.
  • Ground cinnamon. technically this is optional, but I never make it without cinnamon!
  • Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well too.
Ingredients in this Graham Cracker Crust recipe

How to make Graham Cracker Crust

Let’s walk through how to make this graham cracker pie crust recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video!

If using full graham crackers, the first step in this recipe is to turn them into graham cracker crumbs. This can be done by either blending them in a high powered blender or processing them in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade.

Breaking the crackers into smaller pieces as you put them into the container will help make blending/processing easier.

photo showing How to Make Graham Cracker Crust - making graham cracker crumbs

Process/blend until a flour-like powder forms. Make sure to check for un-processed pieces of graham cracker. You may need to pause, release some pieces from the blades, and continue blending/processing.

photo showing How to Make Graham Cracker Crust - making graham cracker crumbs

Next, transfer the graham cracker crumbs to a large bowl.

Then, add the sugar and cinnamon to the graham cracker crumbs in the large bowl and stir to combine.

two photos showing How to Make Graham Cracker Crust - combining dry ingredients

Next, add the melted butter and stir until the mixture is uniform throughout.  

two photos showing How to Make Graham Cracker Crust - adding melted butter

Pour the crust mixture into the prepared pie dish.

How to Make Graham Cracker Crust - pouring crust mixture into pie dish

Then, press it down into the bottom of the dish and halfway up the sides. I usually used greased hands to do this step. You can also use a greased silicone spatula.

How to Make Graham Cracker Crust - in a pie dish before baking

Bake

At this point, check the recipe for which you’ll be using this graham cracker crust. Many recipes, like this key lime pie, lemon pie, and the best cheesecake, call for pre-baking the crust for different amounts of time.

graham cracker crust filled with pie filling before baking

If using this homemade graham cracker crust for a no-bake pie, you will need to bake it in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.

Then, remove the crust from the oven and let it cool completely before filling it with your favorite no-bake pie filing – like this chocolate pudding pie, peanut butter pie, vegan chocolate pie, French silk pie, etc.

baked Graham Cracker Crust in a white pie dish.

Serve

Use this graham cracker pie crust in your favorite no-bake pie recipe, baked pie recipe, cheesecake recipe, etc., topped with homemade whipped cream, of course. Here’s some suggestions:

a cheesecake with a Graham Cracker Crust

Graham Cracker Crust Recipe FAQs


Does graham cracker crust need to be baked?

I prefer to bake the crust so the butter/sugar melt, then firm up while cooling and hold everything together. Technically you can use it in a no-bake recipe and it would be just fine!

How do you keep a graham cracker crust from burning?

To keep the edges of the crust from burning, cover them with a pie crust shield or foil. To keep the entire crust from burning – follow the recipe and do not over bake.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes, if you’re making two pies you can double the recipe. Or if you’re making a no-bake dessert that goes in a 9×13″ pan, I’d suggest doubling the recipe.

Graham Cracker Crust in a white pie dish

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Homemade Graham Cracker Crust Recipe

Laura
This homemade graham cracker crust recipe is easy to make with 4 ingredients. Pre-bake this graham cracker pie crust to use in your favorite no-bake pies, or use it to make cheesecake, key lime pie, etc.
5 from 1 vote
Course Dessert, pie
Cuisine American
Servings 12 Servings (1 pie)
Calories 111
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time8 minutes
Cooling1 hour
Total Time1 hour 18 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9” round pie dish.

Make graham cracker crumbs.

  • Gently break full graham cracker sheets into smaller pieces as you put them into the container of a food processor fitted with the “S” blade or the container of a high-powered blender.
  • Process/blend until a flour-like powder forms. Make sure to check for un-processed pieces of graham cracker. You may need to pause, release some pieces from the blades, and continue blending/processing.
  • Transfer the graham cracker crumbs to a large bowl.

Make the Graham Cracker crust

  • Add the sugar and cinnamon to the graham cracker crumbs in the large bowl and stir to combine.
  • Then, add the melted butter and stir until the mixture is uniform throughout.
  • Pour the crust mixture into the prepared pie dish, pressing it down into the bottom of the dish and halfway up the sides.

Bake

  • At this point, check the recipe for which you’ll be using this graham cracker crust. Many recipes, like this key lime pie and the best cheesecake, call for pre-baking the crust for different amounts of time.
  • If using this graham cracker crust for a no-bake pie, you will need to bake it in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.
  • Then, remove the crust from the oven and let it cool completely before filling it with your favorite no-bake pie filing – like this vegan chocolate pie, French silk pie, etc.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions
  • Graham crackers. You can choose your favorite graham cracker variety to make this recipe: honey grahams, cinnamon grahams, even chocolate graham crackers all work well. You can choose gluten-free graham crackers to make this recipe gluten-free. You can also use graham cracker crumbs to make the recipe even easier and skip the step of blending/processing the grahams.
  • Granulated sugar. organic cane sugar, white sugar, and even coconut sugar all work well in this recipe.
  • Ground cinnamon. technically this is optional, but I never make a graham cracker crust without cinnamon!
  • Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well too.
Ways to Use a Graham Cracker Crust

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 114mg | Potassium: 21mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 175IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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