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.
Susan Galdames
I followed the recipe to the last detail, but after baking the crust for 7 minutes and the crust came out and cooled, it was hard. Even after the cream was added it was hard to cut. Please
Sam
Hi Susan! The crust is meant to be firm, but it should not be difficult to cut. Were any of the ingredients mis-measured?
Oregon Farm Gal
Quick and great taste. I had never used brown sugar in combo with white sugar, it was a winner for taste. Will be my go to recipe!
Melissa
This was the best graham cracker crust!! Thank you for a great recipe!
Donna
Should I bake the graham crust even though I am making a no-bake cheesecake filling ? Will it hold together better. Your other instructions said that you could put in frig. or freezer for 10 minutes before adding the cheesecake filling. Just wanted to do the best way because I haven’t make this recipe before. ( your recipe by the way).
Thank you.
Sam
Hi Donna! While you *could* bake it, I never do and haven’t found it to be necessary. Just chilling it in the fridge lets the butter solidify and helps hold it together. Enjoy! 🙂
Sue
Should I grease the springform pan before putting the graham crust mixture in it?
Sam
Hi Sue! There’s no need to grease the pan here. 🙂
Sue
Thank you for the suggestion To cool it on top of the stove for the first 10 minutes. Not one crack in my cheesecake and this is the first time I’ve ever had that happen when I make a cheesecake. Awesome thank you
Sam
I’m so glad it turned out! 🙂
Tiffany Sierro
Hello! Do you use salted or unsalted butter? Thank you!
Sam
I use salted butter in the crust, but really either will work. 🙂
Dawn
This crust did not turn out as I expected. I have made many graham cracker crusts from scratch, and this one turned out different than it ever has before. I’m not sure if it’s because of the brown sugar? It got really hard and I think the brown sugar might’ve actually caramelized. Just wanted to give a heads up for anybody that has this issue, maybe leave out the brown sugar?
debbi schneider frew
i was just checking my recipe to yours. i didn’t know about the brown sugar aspect though, and yours is so much better! thanks
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Debbi! The brown sugar adds a nice extra depth of flavor. 🙂
Laura
Hi, I don’t have a food processor, so I crushed the graham crackers with a rolling pin. Ten graham crackers made a bit more than 1 cup finely crushed. You need to add about 4 1/2 graham crackers to the recipe. The crust was perfect for Butterfinger Ice Cream pie. Thank you!
Sam
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Laura! Thanks for your feedback. Your pie sounds delicious. 🙂
LLC
can you freeze the cheesecake ahead of time
Sam
I haven’t tried freezing my cheesecake recipe but I think it should work just fine. 🙂
Joyce
Can you use gluten free graham crackers for this recipe?
Sam
Hi Joyce! I haven’t tried it but it could work. 🙂
Marie
This may be a silly question but is the butter salted or unsalted?
Sam
Hi Marie! Either works perfectly in this recipe and I always just use whichever I happen have on hand (usually unsalted). I’ll add a note to the recipe to clarify that you can use either!
Val B
The brown sugar made all the difference. When pre-baked for a banana cream pie, it was firm enough to hold its shape when serving yet tender enough to enjoy with every bite. I’m keeping this recipe handy!
Sugar Spun Run
YAY! I am so happy to hear how much you enjoyed it, Val. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Genevieve
This is a perfect simple recipe!
Rochelle
Delicious!
ida
loved the recipe for our family i cut the sugar just a tad thx !!!!!!!