Graham Cracker Crust

Name: Graham Cracker Crust
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 1
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, about 11-12 sheets; ⅓ cup granulated sugar; ⅛ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter); ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

The Best Graham Cracker Crust Recipe

I know, I know. Where’s the filling? But here’s the thing. A great pie crust is the secret to the best pies, whether they’re no bake or just your classic apple pie. This Graham Cracker Crust is the base you need to fulfill your wildest dessert dreams.

Using just 4 ingredients, you can form this homemade pie crust in just about 20 minutes – once you have that, then we can talk pie fillings!

Recipe Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this easy graham cracker crust:

Graham Cracker Crumbs: you’ll need about 11-12 sheets. If you don’t have a food processor you can crush the graham crackers by hand.
Granulated Sugar: adds sweetness to the crust.
Salt: omit if you are using salted butter.
Unsalted Butter: will hold the crust together.

Ground graham cracker in a food processor.

How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust

Blend: Crush graham crackers in the food processor until fine, and add to medium bowl.

Stir: Add sugar and salt, stir to combine.

Melt: Melt butter in microwave safe bowl, stir to cool.

Mix: Add butter to graham crackers and mix until well combined.

Form Crust: Press mixture into pie shell or springform pan.

Refrigerate: Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

How Long to Bake Your Crust

To bake the crust, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and bake for 8-10 minutes. Let it cool before filling.

Graham cracker crumbs in a food processor.

Tips for the Best Graham Cracker Crust

Read through these tips for some help with the best homemade graham cracker crust:

Crushed Graham Cracker Crumbs: If you’d rather skip the food processor or crushing the graham crackers by hand, you can buy store brand graham cracker crumbs instead.
Baked Crust is Less Crumbly: If you want to make a no bake pie, that’s totally fine, but know that the crust will be a little bit more crumbly when you’re slicing the pie.
The Trick to an Evenly Distributed Crust: First use your fingers to spread the crumbs out, and then use the measuring cup to press them firmly into place.
Variations: You can use cookies (Biscoff, Oreos, etc.) instead of graham crackers, add in cinnamon, or even use a butter substitute for a vegan-friendly crust.
Brown Sugar vs Granulated Sugar: you can use either, it’s personal preference. 🙂

The graham crack crumb being layered at the bottom of the spring form pan.

How to Store Homemade Pie Crust

After you’ve baked the pie crust and let it cool, you can wrap it in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. It will stay good in the fridge for about a week. This will also work if you haven’t baked the crust and want to save it for a no bake pie/dessert recipe.

Can You Freeze Graham Cracker Crust?

Definitely! Once the pie crust has cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or put it in an airtight container. It should keep for 2-3 months in the freezer.

Easy Pie Filling Ideas

Now that you have the pie crust, what are you going to fill it with? There are so many choices! Here are a couple of my favorite fillings to get you started:

Lemon Pie
Key-Lime Pie
Chocolate Pudding Pie
Apple Pie
Strawberry Pie (or any other berry you like)

You could also do a cheesecake filling and make this Easy Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake or my favorite, easy Instant Pot Cheesecake!

Enjoy!

Yield: Makes 1 crust