This recipe makes the best homemade graham cracker crust in minutes with only graham crackers, butter, and brown sugar. I’ll show you how to prepare and, if needed, par-bake the crust to make it sturdier. Afterward, use this easy graham cracker crust recipe as the perfect base for your favorite baked and no-bake desserts, from pies and cheesecakes to dessert bars.
An Easy Graham Cracker Crust Recipe for Your Favorite Desserts
I can’t even tell you the last time I purchased a premade crust at the store. Definitely no judgment, as I would never knock the convenience of store-bought! However, this homemade graham cracker crust recipe is just so much better. It’s buttery and a little bit sweet, and it only requires 3 ingredients to make. Plus, I like to control the thickness of my crust. I LOVE the crust of any dessert, so a thicker one is always better, in my opinion.
If you’ve never attempted a graham cracker crust from scratch before, I am here to teach you how to make the perfect graham cracker crust. Use it for pies, cheesecakes, cheesecake bars, or any dessert that needs a stable, crunchy, easy-to-make graham cracker base. While this recipe includes instructions for par-baking the crust, you can certainly use it for no-bake desserts, like strawberry delight, as well.
I have separate recipes for an easy Oreo pie crust and flaky pie crust if you’re looking for more homemade bases for your favorite desserts!
Only 3 Ingredients
The perfect graham cracker pie crust recipe doesn’t need anything more than the simple ingredients below. These are notes on what you’ll need. For the full measurements and recipe details, scroll to the recipe card after the post.
- Graham crackers – I use regular honey graham crackers, but any flavor works with this recipe. Use gluten-free graham crackers to make a gluten-free graham cracker crust. You can crush the crackers yourself (very easy to do, with or without a blender!) or buy ready-to-use graham cracker crumbs to make your crust.
- Butter – The butter can be salted or unsalted.
- Brown sugar – When baked, the sugar melts and helps to bind the crust. You can use either granulated sugar or brown sugar. I prefer the deeper, more caramelized taste of brown sugar.
How Many Graham Crackers Do I Need?
To get a full recipe for the crust, I recommend 10-11 sheets of graham crackers. One sleeve in a standard 14.4-ounce box of graham crackers contains 9 graham cracker sheets, just shy of 1 ½ cups when ground into a fine crumb, which isn’t quite enough.
If you don’t want to open a second package for one or two extra sheets, just reduce the butter in this recipe by 1 tablespoon. Another option is to skip grinding the crackers yourself and buy a package of graham cracker crumbs instead.
How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust
This pie crust recipe is for a standard 9-inch pie plate, and you can also use it with an 8- or 9-inch springform pan (see how to make a no-bake crust in a springform pan).
- Grind the crumbs. Grind the graham crackers into crumbs using a food processor or blender. If you don’t have a blender, seal the graham crackers in a Ziploc bag and use a heavy object, like a rolling pin, to smash them. Try to achieve a fine crumb.
- Combine the crust ingredients. Add the crumbs to a medium-sized bowl with the butter and sugar. Mix thoroughly until crumbs are well coated. The mixture should resemble coarse sand, and it should stick together when you press it between your fingers.
- Shape the crust. Next, press the crumb mixture into the pan. It’s helpful to use the bottom of a measuring cup or a glass to press the crust into the bottom and up against the sides. Be sure to pack the crust nice and tight. If it’s pressed too loosely, it’ll crumble apart when you slice your dessert.
- Par-bake the crust. If you’re baking your graham cracker crust, bake it at 325°F for 8-10 minutes. Afterward, remove the crust from the oven and let it cool completely before adding your desired filling.
When You Should Par-bake the Crust
Many recipes call for par-baking or “blind-baking” the graham cracker crust. Just like you’d blind-bake a pie crust, this involves pre-baking the finished crust in the oven before you add the filling. Par-baking creates a sturdier crust, so this method is used most often in no-bake dessert recipes or baked desserts where the crust needs a head start over the filling.
Once baked, the crust will have a nice crisp to it, and it will hold together once it’s sliced. It can be difficult to cleanly remove the first slice of any pie or dessert, but if you take a knife or angled spatula and gently slide it along the outside edge of the crust, it will help to loosen it up before you lift the slice out.
Unbaked Option
You can also use this recipe without baking it. In this case, I recommend adding 1 additional tablespoon of butter to the crumb mixture. It’s also a good idea to refrigerate or freeze the crust prior to using. Chilling the crust turns the butter back into a solid, keeping the crust crust together when it’s not filled. If you find your unbaked crust seems a bit soggy, add an additional ¼ cup of graham cracker crumbs and press it back into the pan.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Store airtight. This homemade graham cracker pie crust can be baked and cooled 1-2 days in advance. Cool completely, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and store at room temperature.
- Freeze. You can also freeze the baked or unbaked graham cracker crust. Wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw the crust before baking. Or, if you’re leaving it unbaked, you can fill the crust from frozen.
Recipes Using a Graham Cracker Crust
This easy graham cracker crust can be used as the base for countless baked and no-bake desserts on the site. These are some ideas to get started.
Easy Graham Cracker Crust
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: One 9-inch pie crust
- Category: Pie
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Make the best homemade graham cracker crust to use for your favorite pies, cheesecakes, and no-bake desserts. All you need is 3 ingredients! Includes par-baking instructions.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (135g) graham cracker crumbs (10–11 sheets of graham crackers)
- ¼ cup (55g) packed light brown sugar
- 7 tablespoons (98g) butter, melted
Instructions
- Grind the graham crackers into a fine crumb using a food processor or blender.
- Combine the ingredients in a medium-size bowl and mix thoroughly until crumbs are well coated.
- Press the crumbs into the pan until densely packed.
- Bake at 325°F for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
Notes
- To make this crust without a food processor, you can use a Ziploc bag and a heavy object like a rolling pin or smash the graham crackers. Try to achieve a fine crumb when possible.
- To make this crust ahead of time: bake and cool completely, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. This can be made 1-2 days in advance.
- Either salted or unsalted butter will work
- Granulated sugar can be used in place of brown sugar
- This recipe can be made with any of the graham cracker flavors
- This recipe is for a standard 9-inch pie and can also be used with a springform pan (8 or 9-inch pan will work just fine).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 166
- Sugar: 9.4g
- Sodium: 101 mg
- Fat: 10.5g
- Carbohydrates: 17g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 24mg
