The Perfect Graham Cracker Crust
Buttery, lightly sweet, and so simple, this is the perfect graham cracker crust recipe. It’s just right for any recipe calling for a graham cracker crust!
I’ve made many a graham cracker crust in my day for a myriad of different recipes. Cheesecakes. Pies. Dessert bars.
This recipe happens to be brilliantly simple and it doesn’t crumble into brittle pieces when filled and served. It’s perfect!
Graham Cracker Crumbs
This recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs.
If you take nothing else from my never-ending advice, let it be this: don’t use store bought graham cracker crumbs for this recipe. Crushing the graham crackers yourself (or letting a blender do it) will result in perfectly textured graham cracker crumbs.
I like to grind them into coarse crumbs with some slightly bigger pieces for texture. If the pieces are too bit and coarse, they won’t hold together well for the crust. But avoid grinding them into pure sawdust. You want somewhere in the middle.
You can go the old-fashioned route using a rolling pin and bag or use a blender or food processor.
Other Ingredients
Pour the crumbs into a bowl and add:
- brown sugar
- a bit of flour
- butter
The flour helps bind the crust ingredients together. If you are not baking the crust, leave out the flour.
Also, this crust is very lightly sweet. I use brown sugar for flavor and texture. If you want it sweeter, simply add a few more tablespoons sugar.
9-Inch Pie Crust
This crust fits perfectly in a 9-inch pie plate. For larger pie plates, increase the recipe as needed.
I dump the buttery crumbs into a pie plate use my fingers to press the crumbs lightly up the sides and across the bottom so that it’s a mostly even layer across the sides and bottom of the pie plate.
Press and Bake
Then I take a measuring cup (usually a 1/3 cup measure) and use it to press the crumbs tightly across the bottom and the sides.
I almost always bake this graham cracker crust. It helps it hold it’s shape once filled, sliced and served.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes.
You can leave the crust unbaked as well (as mentioned above, omit the tablespoon flour if not baking the crust0.
Perfect Graham Cracker Crust
This crust is perfect for so many recipes:
And any other recipe that calls for a 9-inch graham cracker crust.
I happen to love buttery graham cracker crusts with my whole soul, and I’m glad to finally have a resting place for the best of the best.
FYI: It’s also not against the law to increase all the ingredients by a quarter or a half if you want a more prominent graham cracker crust for your favorite pie or cheesecake. In my world, there’s no such thing as too much crust. 😉
Perfect Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (150-158 g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12-13 rectangle graham crackers) – see note
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (9 g) flour (see note)
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, melted (I use salted)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine the graham crackers, sugar, and flour in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add the butter and stir until the graham cracker crumbs are evenly moistened.
- Scatter the crumbs across the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Use your fingers to lightly press the crumbs into an even layer on the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.
- Grab a 1/3- or 1/2-cup measuring cup and use the bottom of the measuring cup to press the crumbs into a tighter layer across the bottom and into the sides of the pie plate.
- Bake the crust for 8-10 minutes until fragrant and set (don't let it brown too much).
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Perfect is right! Thanks so much, Mel!
PS If anyone is baking in a small pie pan (like the disposable ones), doing 2/3 of the recipe worked perfectly. And thankfully all the ingredients divide easily into thirds. 🙂
I made this crust for Christmas this year as the base for my French Silk pie. Everyone agreed it was the best crust ever! It’s just as you described! Lightly sweet and stays crunchy! Love it! It’s a keeper!
Happy to hear it was a hit – thanks, Cindy!
Several of my Thanksgiving pies have graham cracker crusts. This sounds delish! If pie making day is Wednesday, could I make these a few days earlier?
Yes! Just keep it well-covered so it doesn’t get stale.
Can this be made in a spring form pan? Like would it work for the classic cheesecake on your site?
It should work great – although if using a 10-inch springform pan (or if you want a thicker cheesecake crust), I’d 1 1/2 the recipe or increase as desired.
Just curious what the flour does! Love a homemade Graham cracker crust and knew you would have a solid one on your website! Thanks for sharing!
Delicious and simple graham cracker crust. I used it as the base for the cherry cheesecake pie published the day after this was published. It is so much better than a store bought crust and I had all the ingredients in my home.
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, Laura!
I always like to add just a touch of vanilla extract to the crust mixture, especially if I’m making bar cookies. (it’s a nice addition to rice crispie treats, too.)
Great idea!
Super recipe
Store bought doesn’t even come close to this. Take the extra minutes it takes to make your graham cracker pie crust from scratch.
Homemade graham cracker crust really is yummy!
This recipe is perfect Nuff said !
I always use 2 cups, and the bought crumbs are just fine. Spray a glass pie pan with Pam, melt the butter in micro right in pan, add the crumbs and stir. Then press down in the pan. Then micro on high 2 minutes..No having to turn the oven on! Have. Even doing this for decades. Enjoy! Dianne
Interesting!
Blend finer for Butterscotch pie with a Meringue topping. My mother sold 2 pies per day in her small town restaurant in Brodhead Kentucky 1972-1990. Blondell Riddle’s Brodhead Cafe. Best food for a hundred miles.
The butterscotch pie sounds amazing!
Very good recipe! Thank you so much!
Thanks, Diana!
I’ve always used your graham cracker crust recipe from your no bake cheesecake, I’m excited to see the difference of the brown sugar instead of granulated sugar! I noticed that you mix your ingredients in a bowl then dump them into the pie plate… I always just mix it all together in my pie plate, one less dish to wash!
Good idea, Misty!