Easy Homemade Graham Cracker Crust Recipe

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You won’t believe how easy it is to make this Homemade Graham Cracker Pie Crust Recipe in your own kitchen! With just 3 simple ingredients and a minimum amount of time, you’ll have the perfect base for all your favorite pies and delicious desserts.

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A basic graham cracker crust recipe is something every home cook should have in their repertoire. With just 3 ingredients and the simplest of methods, learning how to make this perfect graham cracker crust recipe is as easy as pie. 

I love this homemade crust as the base for all sorts of decadent desserts from lemon bars to mini cheesecake bites and even apple pie around the holidays.

This quick graham cracker crust is buttery and flavorful and so much faster and easier than making a traditional pie crust that you have to roll out.

Why You’ll Love This Easy Graham Cracker Crust Recipe

• It’s an easy recipe and quicker than traditional rolled pie crust.
• So versatile. From lemon bars to cheesecake bars, key lime pie, and even holiday pies like my Dutch Apple Pie and Libby’s Pumpkin Pie–a graham cracker crust can work for numerous desserts!
• Just three ingredients so you know exactly what’s in it.
• The taste is so much better than store-bought crusts, and it holds a lot more fillings!

Ingredients

Here’s everything you need for a buttery graham cracker crust.

• Graham Cracker Sheets – I like to use the Honey Maid brand of graham crackers. They have the best flavor and crispness.
• Unsalted Butter – Melted. This binds the crust and gives the crust that buttery, homemade flavor.
• Granulated Sugar– For binding the crumbs together.
• A Pinch Of Salt– I don’t count this as an ingredient and you can omit this if you’d like.

How To Make Graham Cracker Crust

Full ingredient amounts are listed on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This recipe works best for an 8-inch, 9-inch, or 10-inch pie pan.

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350º and lightly spray a 9-inch or 10-inch pie plate with cooking spray.

Tip: If you don’t have a food processor, place the crackers in a resealable bag and use a rolling pin to finely crush the crackers. Place the crumbs into a bowl and stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Step 6

Bake your homemade graham cracker crust in a preheated 350 degrees F oven. Bake for 10-15 minutes for pies with no bake fillings or 10-12 minutes for pies with baked fillings.

Step 7:

Allow the crust to cool before filling. It can be slightly warm, but not hot. Fill with your desired filling and chill or bake per the recipe instructions. Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing!

HINT: See the “Variations” section below for recipe amounts to accommodate various size pans and a no-bake option!

Substitutions 

• You can use shortbread cookies or gingersnaps in place of the graham crackers: You’ll need 6 1/2 ounces or 1 1/2 cups (packed) cookie crumbs.
• Gluten-free swap: Use gluten-free graham crackers for a gluten-free graham cracker crust.
• Dairy-Free swap: Use a dairy-free butter or refined coconut oil for a dairy-free graham cracker crust

Variations

This recipe is best for 8-inch, 9-inch, and 10-inch pie plates. However, the recipe can be adjusted to accommodate any size pan for all your dessert needs:

Graham Cracker Crust Recipe For 9×13 Inch Pan

8×8 Inch Baking Pans and 8 inch Cheesecakes

For A No-Bake Pie Crust

The Best Brand of Graham Crackers For The Crust

Hands down, Honey Maid Graham Crackers are my favorite brand to use for graham cracker crust. They’re easy to find, consistent in flavor, and hold up to baked and no baked crusts. Also, the flavor of the Honey Maid graham cracker crust doesn’t compete with the filling.

Pro Tips-How Do You Keep A Graham Cracker Crust From Falling Apart?

After making dozens of graham cracker crusts, here are the best tips and tricks I’ve picked up over the years for a fail proof graham cracker crust!

• Measure the crumbs correctly. You’ll need 1 1/2 cups (packed) or 6 1/2 ounces. I recommend using a kitchen scale for accuracy.
• Butter and sugar keep the crumbs together. Melted butter and melted sugar act as the “glue” that binds the crumbs together during the baking process. After the crust has cooled, the butter and sugar solidify, keeping the crust bound together.
• Watch the butter. During recipe testing, I found that adding too much butter to the crust caused the sides to slump and shrink in the pie plate.
• Press, press, press! This is the most important step. Use a measuring cup, a flat bottom glass, or your hands to firmly press the crumb mixture into the bottom and sides of your pan. Make sure there are no loose crumbs and the crust is evenly packed. Pay extra attention to the edges where the bottom meets the sides to ensure they’re thick and sturdy.
• Chill or bake. Depending on your recipe, chilling or baking the crust will solidify the butter and sugar, creating a sturdier base. If baking your filling, aim for a light golden brown color around the edges. If you’re making a no bake dessert you can chill the crust until firm before adding your filling or bake it until golden brown and toasty.
• Filling Matters. If you have a wet filling (like apple pie or lemon bars) consider brushing the bottom of the crust with a beaten egg before baking. This helps create a moisture barrier to keep your crust whole.

How to Use Homemade Graham Cracker Crust

There are so many ways to use this recipe. From holiday pies, no bake desserts, and cheesecakes, graham crackers crusts are easy and versatile! These are just a small handful of my favorites:

• Apple Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
• Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust
• Lemon Bars
• Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
• Cherry Cheesecake
• No Bake Blueberry Lemon Cheesecake
• No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
• Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

Storage

This is a great make ahead recipe. If you are planning on using your crust later, keep it unbaked in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Chill the crust solid before wrapping it in plastic wrap and make sure you place it somewhere it won’t get crushed.

FAQs

More Great Recipes With Graham Cracker Pie Crusts

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