Graham cracker crust is probably one of my top favorite pie crusts of all time – it’s buttery and sweet, with just the right balance of nutty flavor from the graham crackers. Graham cracker pie crust is perfect for no bake pies, allll the cheesecakes, and loads of other sheet cake type desserts.
It’s no secret that I always prefer homemade pie crust over store bought – it just tastes so much better and produces a better dessert or sweet treat at the end of the day. Although it’s not always possible to make every element of a dessert from scratch, this homemade crust recipe is so easy and quick to make that it’s really not much extra effort at all! Trust me – it will make all the difference in your desserts!
This buttery crust is perfect for any baked pies or no-bake desserts that require a sweet cracker base. Double the recipe quantities and store that extra pre-baked graham cracker crust in the freezer for your next homemade pie or dessert!
Table of contents
- Ingredients for Graham Cracker Pie Crust:
- How to Make this Homemade Graham Cracker Crust Recipe:
- Recipes That are Great with Graham Cracker Crust
- Can I Use This As A Pre-baked Dessert Crust?
- Can I Freeze Pre-Baked Graham Cracker Crust?
- Can I Freeze the Unbaked Crust?
- Do I Always Need To Chill This Crust Before Use?
- Tips For Making Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients for Graham Cracker Pie Crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs – I always use Honey Maid brand – if you would like to use a gluten free brand, it should substitute just fine. I personally prefer name brand graham crackers over generic.
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup salted butter, melted – if you substitute unsalted butter, go ahead and add about 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the crumb mixture
How to Make this Homemade Graham Cracker Crust Recipe:
Making this pie crust is fairly straightforward. You will have the most success by using a food processor to grind fresh graham crackers into even crumbs. You can also place the crackers in a heavy duty plastic baggy and crush them with a rolling pin – take care to crush them as finely as possible. You can swap in graham cracker crumbs that come packaged that way – though I find they taste just a tad less “fresh.”
Once you have ground up the crackers, you’ll sweeten them with a touch of sugar and bind it all together with melted butter. Press the crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate – use a measuring cup or small cup with straight sides to help pat everything into a compact, even layer.
Finally – chill (the butter will harden and hold the crust together) or bake the crust. Baking the crust makes a toastier graham flavor and it also melts the sugar which then binds together the crumbs when it cools.
Recipes That are Great with Graham Cracker Crust
- Pulse graham crackers in a food processor or place in a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin until they form fine crumbs.
- Add granulated sugar to the graham cracker crumbs and combine evenly (you can also use brown sugar for a more caramelized flavor in the crust.)
- Melt butter in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave. Pour melted butter into the graham cracker mixture and pulse (or stir) until evenly combined.
- Press graham cracker mixture evenly across the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie plate.
- Use your fingers or the flat bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crust tightly and evenly into the pie plate.
- Chill in the freezer for 10-15 before filling with a no-bake pie filling.
- Alternately, bake in a 350°F oven for 6-8 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before adding pie filling.
Can I Use This As A Pre-baked Dessert Crust?
Yes, definitely! In fact, most pie recipes that involve wet fillings such as fruity pies require a pre-baked crust so that the pie crust doesn’t come out soggy and undercooked.
The great news though is that this Graham Cracker Crust can also simply be chilled without the need for baking when following recipes that call for no-bake pie fillings!
Can I Freeze Pre-Baked Graham Cracker Crust?
While it is possible, I don’t usually recommend freezing pre-baked pie crust of any kind as it tends to affect the freshness of the pie crust. The freezing and thawing process can also alter the texture of the pie crust.
For best results, stick to freezing unbaked pie crust instead!
Can I Freeze the Unbaked Crust?
Freezing unbaked pie crust is a great way to save yourself time in assembling your pie. Simply mold your pie crust in a pie dish and then wrap it in plastic wrap, making sure that you press plastic wrap gently against the shape of the pie crust, getting rid of as much excess air as possible (to prevent freezer burn). This crust can be stored for up to a month in the freezer, but after that it will begin to lose its flavor.
You could also store loose graham cracker crust in a Ziploc bag or airtight container.
When ready to use, thaw the crust out at room temperature, making sure that it’s soft enough to bake or use from chilled.
Do I Always Need To Chill This Crust Before Use?
If you intend to make a pie that uses no-bake pie filling then I do recommend that you first follow the step of chilling the crust before assembling the rest of the pie. This will help to keep your crust keep its shape and hold together.
Of course, if you opted to bake the crust before adding the pie filling then you can skip the chilling step.
Tips For Making Graham Cracker Crust
- This recipe calls for 1.5 cups of graham cracker crumbs. 1 sleeve of graham crackers or 9 graham cracker sheets will give you 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs which means that you’ll need approximately 14 graham crackers for one 9” pie crust (a standard pie pan size).
- Go ahead and use salted or unsalted butter for the crust but don’t omit the butter. The melted butter together with the sugar forms a kind of glue that holds the crust together. When chilled, the fats in the butter firm up, holding the crust together. The melted butter (in the oven and somewhat when unbaked) dissolves the sugar, creating a liquid glue that then hardens when cooled.
- This recipe fills 1 standard 9-inch pie plate. It will fill a deep dish 9-inch pie plate also, but you will end up with a slightly thinner crust. If you use a 9×13 baking dish, you will need to multiply the recipe by 1.5 which means that you’ll need 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs, ¾ cup melted butter, and ½ cup granulated sugar.
- If you are making a pie like a peanut butter and chocolate pie then adapting this plain graham cracker crust to make it a chocolate graham cracker crust is a great option! To do so, simply use chocolate graham crackers instead of plain.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup salted butter melted
Instructions
- Pulse graham crackers in a food processor or place in a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin until they form a fine, even crumb.
- Add granulated sugar to the graham cracker crumbs and combine evenly.
- Melt butter in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave. Pour melted butter into the graham cracker mixture and pulse (or stir) until evenly combined.
- Press graham cracker mixture evenly across the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie plate.
- Use your fingers or the flat bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crust tightly and evenly into the pie plate.
- Chill in the freezer for 10-15 before filling with a no-bake pie filling.
- Alternately, bake in a 350°F oven for 6-8 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before adding pie filling.
- Storage:
- Unbaked pie crust can be stored in the freezer, in an airtight container or bag, for up to 1 month.
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