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 ยฝ 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.
Jeannette
Can I double the crust in your cheesecake recipe. We love a bit of xtra crust?
Sam
Sure thing! ๐
Shirley
Sam, can the crust be frozen for future use? Forgive me if this has been addressed and I missed it.
Sam
Hi Shirley! That will be just fine. ๐
N.Smith
I started it with 10 graham crackers but had to add an additional 2 to make 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs. It turned out perfect and it is enough to cover a 9โ round springform pan. It was a great base for my cheesecake!
Melissa
I didn’t feel like dragging out my heavy food processor so I put the graham crackers in a gallon ziploc and crushed them with a rolling pin. I added the other ingredients to the bag, mushed them around in the bag and dumped it in my pie plate. Easy peasy, no clean up! The ratio of grahams to butter worked perfectly for me.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it turned out so well for you, Melissa ๐ Thanks for coming back to leave a review!
JoAnn
I followed the recipe measured my graham graham crackers and ended up with a soggy mess.
Sam
I’m so sorry this happened, JoAnn! It’s very odd that it came out soggy if you measured the graham cracker crumbs. Did you make any other alterations to it?
Joni
I used gluten free graham crackers to make the pie with a lemon chiffon filling…serving guests, too! It was scrumptious and stayed together when cut and put on the dessert plates.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious. We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Joni! ๐
Janice
Loved the crust , filled it with chocolate cream pudding! Amazing
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds delicious, Janice! Enjoy โค
David
I love your Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie. I have made it many times… but had never watched the video about making the crust until just now. I always make the crust by. your written instructions… but in your video, you say to heat the oven to 325ห. In writing, you say 375ห (which is what I have always done). I intend to make the pie crust again tomorrow… and I guess I will try the 325ห video version. I hope it is even better!
Sam
I’m so sorry for the confusion, David! The written recipe is correct here. ๐
David
I knew the written recipe was always successful, so I used that. Please do not apologize. You are such a wealth of important and good information. I rely on you ALL THE TIME! Thank you so much! I wish I could post a picture of โyour pieโ that I made. It is wonderful.
ParkersPlace
February 1, 2022
This didn’t work for me. There wasn’t enough graham cracker mixture to cover the glass pie plate (as in your photos) AND it was an oily mess so it had to be tossed. Looked nothing like your photos. Do you have a clue as to what I could have done wrong? I went according to the recipe but melted margarine instead of butter.
Sam
I’m so sorry this happened! Did you make sure to measure out the graham crackers after you pulverized them? I know sometimes the manufacturers will change sizes of things. It sounds like the ratios may have been slightly off. ๐
Z Nutrition Club
Definitely must have been the margarineโฆ in doing a recipe I learned that spread which I had thought was butter all along is different from real butter, thereโs margarine, spread, butter and many more but once you go butter you will never want anything more ๐ฅฐ
Paul M
The different cracker manufacturers make different size โsheetsโ so it is best to weigh the crackers.
HoneyMaid, for example, has 9 sheets of four crackers in each pack, weighing 140 grams. So 11 sheets are needed for 170 grams.
Bottom line: weigh the ingredients.
Candy
No they were Oreo cookies
Sam
Ah, that would be the problem. I would recommend using my Oreo crust recipe instead, this recipe is designed for making with graham crackers and uses much more butter. For Oreo cookies you will need a different amount of crumbs and significantly less butter.
Candy
Thanks so much. Thought maybe that was what I did wrong. Will try your Oreo cookie receipt next time.
Ken
I’m using your recipe for an apple ombre pie, and it worked very well1 Thank you!
Sam
I’m so glad it worked well for you Ken! Your pie sounds delicious! ๐
Jon Robertson
What about cinnamon graham crackers for you cheesecake crust? Think it would taste odd?
Sam
Depends on the recipe. It could be really good. ๐
Candy
I used the amount of melted butter and chocolate crushed cookies and when I baked pie crust it just melted and had way to much butter and this was butter not Margerine what did I do wrong?
Sam
You said you used chocolate crushed cookies, were these chocolate graham crackers?
Kristin Ei
It seems so obvious. Thanks I just needed the proportions and it wa scrumptious! Very lovely ๐ฅฐ
Maura
Video indicates bake at 325F.
Written instructions state 375F.
Which is recommended?
Sam
Hi Maura! Sorry about any confusion. If there is ever a discrepancy, it’s best to stick with the written recipe. ๐
Vivian Bennett
Is it best to cook the the crust for the chocolate pie, or to just put it in the freezer?
Sam
Hi Vivian! It’s really your choice here. I personally wouldn’t bake the graham cracker crust before using in the chocolate pie. ๐
Judy
Iโm using it for an old fashioned banana cream pie. I know itโs going to be delicious. Iโve been using the ready made Graham crust but homemade is best.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
This will work perfectly for that! We hope it turns out beautifully for you, Judy! Enjoy โค๏ธ
Pat Gibson
What am I doing wrong my crust stinks on me I do press it down just like yo do
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Pat! We’re so sorry your crust is sticking–that’s so frustrating. ๐ We’ve never had this happen ourselves, but we believe greasing or spraying the pan first should help.
JUDY TAYLOR
Delicious!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for letting us know you loved this recipe, Judy! โค๏ธ