Skip the stale, store-bought crusts and make your own! My Graham Cracker Crust recipe takes 5 minutes to make and can be used for pies, cheesecakes, and more. Includes a how-to video!
A Quick & Easy Pie Crust
I can understand being intimidated by a traditional pie crust recipe, with all the rolling, chilling, and blind baking. But a graham cracker crust? That’s easy! There’s rarely an excuse to ever buy one from the store; they don’t taste nearly as good as homemade, and they are so supremely simple to make from-scratch!
Today I’m walking you through the four simple steps of my go-to pie crust recipe. The entire process takes about five minutes, and once you try the final result, you’ll never want to go back to the store-bought crusts.
Why use my recipe:
- Can be used for baked or no-bake recipes.
- Cuts nicely without crumbling apart.
- Just four basic ingredients!
- Works for both pies (like my chocolate pie) and cheesecake.
- Takes minutes to prepare and tastes SO much better than store-bought!
What You Need
Just a few ingredients come together to make this easy crust! It’s so simple to make and 100% worth the (very little) effort. Here’s what you need:
- Graham crackers. You can pulverize graham crackers or use pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs. If you are pulverizing your own crackers, you will now need 11 graham cracker sheets to reach the 1 ½ cups; I previously recommended using 10, but it turns out graham crackers are shrinking (isn’t everything in the supermarket these days?). If you don’t have graham crackers where you live, digestive biscuits will also work (more on this below).
- Sugar. I like to use a mix of both white sugar and brown sugar, but you can use just one or the other if you like. The brown sugar adds a slightly richer flavor (something you don’t get from a semi-stale store-bought crust!).
- Butter. This acts as the glue that holds the whole graham cracker crust together. You can use salted or unsalted butter, but I tend to prefer salted here (it helps balance the sweetness of the dessert!).
SAM’S TIP: Still buying your Oreo crusts from the store? I also have a recipe for an easy Oreo crust that tastes so much better than the pre-made version.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust
- Crush the crackers – Process your graham crackers in a food processor (or place them in a large ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them) until you have fine, sandy crumbs.
- Add the sugars – Transfer your crumbs to a bowl and stir in the sugars.
- Melted butter – Pour in melted butter and toss everything together with a fork.
- Mix it up – Toss the ingredients together until all of the crumbs are moistened and the mixture is well-combined.
- Press into your pan – Transfer your crumbs to your pie plate or springform pan and press them tightly into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
- Smooth the sides – Use your fingers to press the crumbs firmly all around the sides of the pie pan to make a nice even edge.
All that’s left is to use as directed! Follow your recipe for any baking instructions, or place in the fridge/freezer for a no-bake recipe.
SAM’S TIP: I like to use the (clean) bottom of one of my measuring cups to press the crumbs into the pan for a smooth, even surface. You can also use the bottom of a small drinking glass for this.
Frequently Asked Questions
It really depends on the recipe, so follow that first. Pre-baking isn’t usually necessary, but many bakers like to pre bake their crust so it is extra crisp.
Now, if you are making a crust for a no bake recipe (like my no-bake cheesecake!), you can just slip the pie plate/springform into the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before adding the filling. The crust will still cut nicely without baking it!
If you didn’t make any substitutions (reducing the sugar, swapping the butter, etc.) then the issue most may lie in how tightly you packed your crust into the pan. You want to make sure your crust is firmly packed into the sides and bottom of your pie plate/springform pan.
Another issue could be if you waited too long to press your crumbs into the pie plate. As the butter cools, it re-solidifies and if the crust hasn’t been pressed, it won’t cling together but will stay crumbly. If this happens you can always toss your crumbs back in the microwave in 5 second intervals, stirring in between, until the butter is warmed and the crumbs will cling together again.
Yes! If you don’t have graham crackers where you live, you can absolutely use pulverized digestive biscuits instead. You will need 12 digestive biscuits to get 170g of crumbs (you will have a bit extra after weighing).
This recipe isn’t just for pies! I use it in many of my cheesecake recipes as well, like my key lime cheesecake (pictured above!).
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Easy Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (170 g) graham cracker crumbs (or 11 graham cracker sheets pulverized to crumbs in a food processor)
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 1 Tablespoons brown sugar packed
- 7 Tablespoons (100 g) butter melted
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Pulverize graham crackers in food processor until finely ground into crumbs (skip this step if starting with graham cracker crumbs).1 ½ cups (170 g) graham cracker crumbs
- Stir together graham cracker crumbs and sugars in a medium-sized bowl. Add melted butter and use a fork to combine ingredients well until crumbs are all moistened.2 Tablespoons sugar, 1 Tablespoons brown sugar, 7 Tablespoons (100 g) butter
- Pour mixture into pie plate or springform pan. Use the (clean!) bottom of a measuring cup to firmly pack crumbs into the bottom of the pan and (if using a pie pan) gently press up the sides. Use your fingers to pack crumbs tightly into the sides of the pie pan.
- If the crust needs to be pre-baked, bake on 350F (175C) for 10-13 minutes and allow to cool before filling. If using this crust as part of a different recipe, bake according to your recipe's instructions. If this crust is for a no-bake recipe, refrigerate or freeze for 10-20 minutes before filling.
Notes
Sugar
You can substitute more granulated sugar if you do not have brown.Video note:
I accidentally say the wrong oven temperature in the video. Always follow my written recipe.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Lisa
This recipe was simple and delicious! I used it for a no bake pie and just refrigerated it ahead of time and it was perfect. Confused why people keep asking if they should bake it – your instructions are very clear. This crust does NOT need to be baked if you are making a pie that does not need to be baked.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it soo much, Lisa! 🙂
Carla Greaves
Thanks. My first time but I thought that was💜😄
CL
In your video, you say to bake @ 325… In the written instructions, you say bake @ 375 🤔🤔
I guess I’ll go with 325 and hope for the best
Sam
It’s always best to use the written instructions. Sometimes I mis-speak and those errors are much harder to catch and correct. 🙂
Carolyn
OK Im going to try this w a sugar free (WW) pudding mixture. I don’t know if I want to bake it or not, before the pudding gets added.
Sam
I’d probably bake it but either should work well. Enjoy!
Kristen
The store was out of graham crackers crusts and I was so craving a pie I make with pistachio pudding. I reluctantly googled “how to make a graham cracker crust” and decided to try this recipe. After one bite, my husband said I can never buy a store bought crust again! 🙂 I was thinking the same thing! It came out perfectly and was soooo delicious! Thanks so much for sharing!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Kristen! It’s so easy and so delicious. 🙂
Kristin R Garland
Hey there! I was just wondering if you are using salted or unsalted butter?
Sam
Hi Kristin! It really doesn’t matter here. 🙂
John Jones
I followed your recipe and it turned out yummy. thanks
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Jorge Hernandez
I’m about to make a pumpkin pie, I’ll bake it and I’m hopefull about this recipe!
Sam
I hope you love it! 🙂
Alex
Hello, question here: since I bake my cheesecakes would I want to bake this crust beforehand and let it cool before baking it again with cheesecake filling or do you think it would be better just to bake it once I’ve added the filling?
Sam
Hi Alex! There is no need to pre-bake this crust. 🙂
Heath Hollingshead
My first time making this crust recipe, Im doin a quick toss together no-bake peanut butter cheesecake. I usually just use store bought any other time and im let down each time cause of the flavor and crumble consistency of it. Do I need to bake this recipe or freeze it for 10-20 minutes!?
Sam
Hi Heath! I use this crust for my no bake cheesecake and don’t bake it so there shouldn’t be any need to do so. Enjoy! 🙂
Katy Tetta
Hi Sam, I’m going to make your cheesecake recipe. We are down in our other home and my spring form pan is at our other home. Does cheesecake need a spring form pan or can I use a pie pan?
Thanks, Katy
Sam
Hi Katy! Typically a pie pan is smaller than a springform pan. It will work just make sure not to overfill the pie pan. 🙂
Rosemary LaFreniere
to get the crust spread evenly in a pie pan , I use another pie pan and press the pan over the crust. simple
Sam
Great tip, Rosemary! 🙂
GramBerna
So, the recipe I have calls for a “9” graham cracker crust”
The only other ingredients are yogurt and cool whip. I don’t want to use a store bought crust. Would I bake this? And then put in the filling after it cools? Are the store bought ones considered baked?
Sam
There’s nothing that really needs to bake here, so it’s not necessary to bake it. 🙂
Laura Martin
I made this crust as No Bake! I froze the crust with an ice cream filling. The crust stuck to the glass pie dish even when I allowed it to warm up a bit, but not so long that the ice cream melted too much. I could not get the crust out except in pieces. No kidding! Everyone loved it regardless! If you freeze this crust you may want to coat your pie dish so it doesn’t stick.
Karen
Good to know. Thanks.
Faye
Do I need to bake crust to make a choc. Pudding pie?
Sam
Hi Faye! It’s really dependent on what the recipe tells you to do here. 🙂