This is our favorite Graham Cracker Crust -- with the perfect proportions and just the right amount of sweetness! Plus all the tips and tricks you need to make a perfect crust anytime you need one!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, Vegetarian
Keyword graham cracker crust
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 8 minutesminutes
Total Time 23 minutesminutes
Servings 1pie crust, 8 servings (See Note 3 for larger quantities)
MELT BUTTER: Start by melting 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 the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
BLEND GRAHAM CRACKERS: 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 (Note 2) and add to a large bowl.
MIX: Add in the 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.
PRESS TOGETHER: Using your fingers, press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and then 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.
STORAGE: This crust is best used the same day it's made, but it can be baked up to 1 day ahead and stored, tightly covered, at room temperature. Don't store an unbaked crust, uncovered, for more than a few hours -- it will start to dry out and can become crumbly.
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Notes
Note 1: Graham crackers: While it’s easiest to just add graham cracker sheets to the blender, there can be a good amount of variation from cracker to cracker and brand to brand. Measure the crumbs instead of counting out graham cracker sheets. Note 2: Measuring: Slightly overfill the measuring cups and then level off the top with the back of a table knife for the perfect measurement.Note 3: Scaling up the recipe: The way you make this crust is the same from dessert to dessert; the only things that will change are quantities depending on pan size and whether you need to bake or chill the crust.Here's a quick reference guide for different sized pans:
8x8-inch square pan: Double the recipe.
9x9-inch pan: Double the recipe.
Graham Cracker crust for a 9x13-inch pan: Triple the recipe.
Jelly Roll Pan (10.5x15.5): Quadruple the recipe.
Half-Sheet Pan (18x13): Quadruple the recipe.
Muffin tin crumb crust: Grease or line cavities of a miniature muffin tin. Add 1 tablespoon of the prepared crust mixture into each cavity and press against the base and barely up the sides with your fingers. Use the top of a milk bottle cap to firmly press down the bottom. Chill the pan for 15-20 minutes and then bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Fully cool before then using an off-set spatula to carefully and gently remove the shells to then fill with filling.