The Graham Cracker Pie Crust Recipe that never lets me down. It’s sweet, sturdy, and buttery with the perfect ratio. I’m sharing all the tricks to make it flawless every time.
author’s note
Golden, Buttery, and Gone in Seconds!
I grew up on my mom’s “famous” ice cream pie. She used a store crust most of the time, and I always ate around it. Then one day she tried a homemade graham cracker crust. Sold. I was hooked from the first bite.
Ever since, I keep a simple Graham Cracker Crust Recipe in my back pocket. It takes minutes, tastes much better, and works with so many desserts. This version has the butter to crumb ratio I trust, the right touch of sugar, and it slices clean.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swap or Tip |
|---|---|
| Graham cracker crumbs | Crush to very fine, even crumbs for clean slices. Gluten free grahams or digestive biscuits work. |
| Granulated sugar | Brown sugar adds a toasty note. Coconut sugar works but will darken the crust. |
| Fine sea salt | Optional. A tiny pinch brightens sweetness. |
| Ground cinnamon | Optional. Great with pumpkin or apple fillings. |
| Unsalted butter, melted and cooled | Let it cool to room temp before mixing so the crumbs feel like damp sand and hold when pressed. |
How To Make Graham Cracker Pie Crust Recipe
These tips below will help to ensure a perfect crust every single time!
- Crush: Pulse grahams to very fine crumbs. Re-pulse any chunks.
- Mix: Stir crumbs, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Add cooled melted butter until it feels like damp sand and holds when pressed.
- Press: Pack firmly into the pan. Do the bottom first, then up the sides.
- Set: Bake until set and fragrant, or chill 20 minutes (or freeze 10) for a no-bake crust.
- Fill: Cool baked crust to room temp, then add filling. Keep no-bake crust chilled until ready.
Quick Tip
Line the pan with parchment before adding crumbs. When set, lift out using the overhang and slice cleanly.
Storage
Use this crust the same day it’s made or bake it up to a day ahead and store tightly covered at room temperature. Avoid leaving unbaked crust uncovered for more than a few hours to prevent drying.
Graham Cracker Crust Desserts:
Graham Cracker Crust
Video
Ingredients
- 1-3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs about 12–13 full graham cracker sheets—see note 1
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar or light brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Once melted, set aside to cool for 5 minutes. (Hot butter will cause a greasy crust.) If you will be baking the crust, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a blender or food processor, process the graham crackers until they are all fine crumbs (re-blend any large chunks). Measure to get a level 1 and 3/4 cups of graham cracker crumbs (see note 2) and add to a large bowl.
- Add in sugar and salt. Use a spatula to scrape every bit of the melted and cooled butter into the bowl. Gently stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Using your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Use the bottom of a flat 1-cup measuring cup to thoroughly compress the graham cracker crumbs into a firm crust.
- Bake or Chill: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes and set aside to cool or chill the crust. (If baking, allow the crust to fully cool before adding the filling.) To chill: Cover formed crust tightly and freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for 20 minutes before filling to allow time for the crust to firm up and butter to re-solidify.
Recipe Notes
- 8×8-inch square pan: Double the recipe.
- 9×9-inch pan: Double the recipe.
- Graham cracker crust for a 9×13-inch pan: Triple the recipe.
- Jelly roll pan (10.5×15.5): Quadruple the recipe.
- Half-sheet pan (18×13): Quadruple the recipe.
- Muffin tin crumb crust: Grease or line cavities of a miniature muffin tin. Add 1 tbsp of the prepared crust mixture into each cavity and press against the base and barely up the sides. Use the top of a milk bottle cap to firmly press the bottom. Chill the pan for 15–20 minutes, then bake at 350°F for 10 minutes. Fully cool before using an off-set spatula to carefully remove the shells.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Variations
Switch Things Up
- Mini crusts: Grease or line mini muffin tin. Press 1 tbsp crust into each cavity and up the sides. Use a bottle cap to flatten. Chill 15–20 mins, bake at 350°F for 10 mins. Cool fully, then gently remove and fill.
- No-bake crust: Freeze for 10 mins or chill for 20 to firm up before filling.
- Chocolate crust: Use chocolate or cinnamon grahams or try this Oreo crust.
Graham Cracker Pie Crust Recipe FAQs
To keep the crust from crumbling, here are my top tips:
–Thoroughly crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs (larger pieces will make the crust fall apart).
-Use melted butter.
–Compress the crust tightly (I like to use the bottom of a flat measuring cup).
Graham cracker crusts can get soggy fast. For wet fillings, bake the crust and let it cool completely first. Also, let the melted butter cool before mixing. It helps prevent a greasy, soggy base.
The method stays the same, only the amounts and bake vs. chill time change based on the pan.
Here’s a quick reference guide for different sized pans:
–8×8-inch square pan: Double the recipe.
–9×9-inch pan: double the recipe.
–Graham Cracker crust for a 9×13-inch pan: Triple the recipe.
–Jelly Roll Pan (10.5×15.5): Quadruple the recipe.
–Half-Sheet Pan (18×13): Quadruple the recipe.
