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A homemade graham cracker crust recipe for baked pies and no bake pies is the best graham cracker crust you’ve ever had! NEVER buy a store bought crust again – this one is easy and tastes SO MUCH BETTER!
Graham cracker pie crust is one of my favorite pie crusts – a good graham cracker crust is a must have in your baking arsenal. So many pies can be made to pair with the graham cracker flavor because it’s so versatile. You can fill it with anything you want!
- You could buy a store bought crust, but homemade tastes so much better and it stands up to pre-baking or baking better than the store-bought crusts.
- Just 3 ingredients – with options for what you have in your pantry
- Use it for a totally no bake pie or bake it to make it crunchy
- You can use this for a baked pie (like chocolate chess pie) or baked cheesecake
- It’s tried and true and the only graham cracker crust I make!
How to make a Graham Cracker Crust
- Graham Crackers: You have two different options when starting with graham crackers: whole and crumbs. One is cheaper, one is easier. Regardless, buy the name brand – they taste better.
- Sugar: You can use granulated sugar, powdered sugar, OR brown sugar.
- Butter: I used unsalted butter in all my recipes, but you can substitute salted if you need too. You won’t notice a huge difference.
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Dorothy’s Expert Tips
- To grind or crush your crumbs, you can use a food processor or crush with a rolling pin in a plastic bag. Both turn out the same – so use what’s easiest.
- I mix all my crumb crusts with a FORK. I like how a fork works for mixing together the crumbs, and then again when adding the butter. It makes it more crumbly and incorporates the butter better.
- Once mixed, it will have the texture of very coarse sand.
- A secret to the perfect graham cracker or cookie crust is compacting the crumbs. You need to really, really compact them. Start with your hands to get it around the edges of the pie plate and then you can switch to a glass if you want to really compact it.
- Pan Sizes: This recipe is written for a 9-inch pie plate. It will also work in a 9- or 10-inch springform pan (for cheesecake) or either an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan. You can use it in a 9×13-inch pan but it will be much thinner, so personally, I double it for that size pan.
How to use Graham Cracker Crust
- Any no bake pie recipe, like butterscotch pie, no bake pumpkin pie, or no bake cheesecake.
- No Bake Pie with crunchier crust: Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 325°F. Let it cool completely, then fill and chill according to the recipe directions. A baked graham cracker crust will be more crunchy and be less crumbly, but you have to use your oven.
- Baked with a Key Lime Pie or my classic cheesecake recipe.
Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
NEVER buy a store bought pie crust again when you can make this easy 3-ingredient Graham Cracker Crust. Use it for ANY pie recipe – bake or no bake!
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (170g) graham cracker crumbs, (from about 10 or 11 whole graham crackers)
- ¼ cup (50g) packed brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons (84g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- If you’re using whole graham crackers, finely crush them in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and roll with a rolling pin.
- Stir graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add melted butter and stir with a fork.
- Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie plate. Press hard to compact. You can use a glass to press the bottom, but use your fingers to press the sides.
- To make a no-bake pie: Chill pie crust for at least one hour before filling. Cover if chilling longer. Make pie as directed.
- To make a baked graham crust: Preheat oven to 325°. Bake crust for 10 minutes, until it just starts to brown. Cool completely before filling.
Notes
- You can also add 1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon and salt
- This recipe is written for a 9-inch pie plate, 9-10″ springform pan, or 8-9 inch square pan. I recommend doubling the recipe for a 9×13-inch pan.
- You can bake in this crust; just follow the recipe for whatever pie or cheesecake you’re making. Sometimes it will need pre-baking, sometimes not; it just depends on your recipe.
- This pie crust can be made up to 48 hours in advance and stored in the fridge wrapped well in plastic wrap.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 1448kcal | Carbohydrates: 151g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 92g | Saturated Fat: 52g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 211mg | Sodium: 857mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 82g | Vitamin A: 2452IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I have made this twice in the last two weeks for malted milk pie. It is perfect! I like the idea of using brown sugar. It keeps its shape and cuts nicely. Fantastic recipe.
I’m not sure which to use when. When is a baked crust needed and when is unbaked more appropriate. Thanks!!!
It depends on the pie recipe you’re using. And if it’s a completely no bake pie recipe, then it’s your choice if you wan’t the crust a little crunchier.
Thanks a lot for all the explanations. But a still have a question. 😳I want to use the crust for a cheesecake that has to be in the frizzer for at least 6 hours. Can I freeze this crust or should I just freeze the cheesecake and when it’s done jut put it on top of the crust that it’s been In the refrigerator for an hour. ? Please give me your opinion. Thanks
You can use this recipe for the cheesecake, just follow the directions in that recipe.
Will never buy another Graham cracker crust…this is super tasty & incredibly easy.
Now need to invest in some nice glass pie plates.
Made this in a pinch for my peanut butter pie since I didn’t have a Graham cracker crust, but had a box of Graham crackers.
Easy recipe. I left out cinnamon because I don’t think it would go well with peanut butter, but other than that followed to the letter. Don’t know how you’d make this with less butter as someone else stated, the crumbs wouldn’t stick together.
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