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Making your own graham cracker crust takes about 10 minutes of hands-on time, and it works under almost any pie or cheesecake. Mix a little spice into the crumbs and you can match the crust to whatever filling you’re making.
Makes one 9 or 10-inch crust (8 slices) · 3 ingredients · 10 minutes hands-on · Bakes 7 to 8 minutes at 350°F · No-bake option · Freezer-friendly up to 3 months
About This Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
Every baker needs a good graham cracker crust recipe on hand, since it’s the base for so many pies and cheesecakes. This one takes three ingredients and one food processor, and brown sugar and salted butter give it a deeper, more caramel-like flavor than a standard crust.
Here’s the fun part: spice. A little mixed into the crumbs goes a long way. Warm spices like cinnamon go with fall and baked fruit fillings, ginger and citrus zest go with tangy, creamy pies, and cardamom goes with almost anything. I put all the pairings in one place below, so you can pick the right one for whatever you’re baking.
This homemade graham cracker crust works for baked pies, cheesecakes, and no-bake cream pies. It’s a Thanksgiving and holiday baking staple, and a graham cracker pie crust is just as useful the rest of the year. The same idea works for bars, like my raspberry s’mores bars, which use a crust made with graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- There’s no dough to roll out or chill
- Cleanup is quick, since everything mixes in one container
- A small glass or measuring cup does all the pressing, so you don’t need special tools
- It’s beginner friendly, so it’s a good first step if you’ve never made a pie from scratch
- It’s an easy job to hand to a helper or a kid
- Your kitchen smells like toasted graham crackers and brown sugar while it bakes
ingredients
Graham Crackers. Plain whole graham crackers (full sheets) work best here. Twelve make about 2 cups of crumbs. Honey or cinnamon graham crackers are an easy way to change the flavor, and digestive biscuits are a good swap if that’s what you can find. For a gluten-free crust, use gluten-free graham-style crackers.
Brown Sugar. Light or dark brown sugar both work, and dark gives a deeper molasses flavor. White sugar will work in a pinch, but the crust won’t taste as caramel-like.
Butter. This recipe uses salted butter, melted, so it coats every crumb. If you only have unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to the crumbs.
Spices. These are optional, and the right one depends on your filling, so check the pairings below. Fresh spices have the most flavor, and if you’re not sure which to use, cardamom or cinnamon fits almost anything.
this recipe’s must-haves
A food processor turns the graham crackers into fine crumbs in seconds, and you can pour in the melted butter while it pulses. If you don’t have one, a zip-top bag and a rolling pin work too.
You’ll also need a 9 or 10-inch pie dish, a small glass or flat-bottomed measuring cup for pressing the crust down, and a spatula for stirring if you’re mixing by hand.
how to make this Graham Cracker Crust
Crush
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the graham crackers, brown sugar, and any spices to a food processor and pulse into a fine crumb. No food processor? Crush the crackers in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin or your hands, then stir in the sugar.
Mix
With the food processor pulsing, pour in the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened. You can also stir them together in a bowl with a spatula.
Press
Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 or 10-inch pie dish. Use the bottom of a small glass or measuring cup, and your hands, to compact it firmly.
Bake
Bake for 7 to 8 minutes.
Cool
Cool completely, then fill and use as desired.
Tips for the best graham cracker crust
- Pulse until the crumbs are fine and even, since big pieces make a crust that crumbles when you slice it
- Keep pulsing while you pour in the butter so that every crumb gets coated
- The crumbs should look like wet sand and hold together when you pinch them
- Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan first, then up the sides of the pan
- Pack the crust down firmly with a small glass or measuring cup, since a firm crust slices cleanly
- Bake it for 7 to 8 minutes, so that it stays crisp under a filling
- Let it cool completely before filling, especially for custard and cream pies
variations
Swap the graham crackers for gingersnaps, vanilla wafers, or chocolate cookies. Each one changes the flavor of the crust, so match it to the filling. Vanilla wafers make a good crust too, like the one in my pecan pie cheesecake, which also works with graham cracker crumbs.
Use honey graham crackers or cinnamon graham crackers for a different flavor base without changing anything else.
Add finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the crumbs for a little crunch.
If you only have unsalted butter, use it and add a pinch of salt to the crumbs.
Skip the bake for no-bake pies and chill the pressed crust in the fridge for 30 minutes instead.
Spice Pairings for Graham Cracker Crust
A little spice in the crust is what makes a pie taste planned. Think of it in three groups: warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves go with fall and baked fruit fillings, bright flavors like ginger and citrus zest go with tangy and creamy fillings, and cardamom goes with almost anything.
These amounts are starting points for one crust. Cardamom is strong, so keep it at 1/4 tsp, and the other spices can go up to 1/2 tsp.
| Pie or dessert | Spice or flavor | Amount for one crust |
|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin pie | Ground cardamom (what I use in my pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust), or cinnamon | 1/4 tsp, or 1/2 tsp |
| Apple pie | Cinnamon plus nutmeg | 1/2 tsp plus a pinch |
| Pecan pie | Cinnamon, or ground cloves | 1/2 tsp, or a pinch |
| Sweet potato pie | Nutmeg plus allspice | 1/4 tsp plus 1/4 tsp |
| Pumpkin cheesecake | Pumpkin pie spice | 1/2 tsp |
| Classic cheesecake | Cinnamon, plus lemon zest for a fresh note | 1/4 tsp plus 1 tsp |
| Key lime pie | Lime zest plus ground ginger | 1 tsp plus 1/4 tsp |
| Lemon pie | Ground ginger plus lemon zest | 1/4 tsp plus 1 tsp |
| Banana cream pie | Nutmeg plus cinnamon | 1/4 tsp plus 1/4 tsp |
| Chocolate cream pie | Instant espresso powder, or a tiny pinch of cayenne for warmth | 1/2 tsp, or a tiny pinch |
| Coconut cream pie | Cardamom plus ground ginger | 1/4 tsp plus a pinch |
| Peanut butter pie | Cinnamon plus salt | 1/2 tsp plus a pinch |
| Gingerbread or holiday pies | Ground ginger, cinnamon, and ground cloves | 1/4 tsp, 1/4 tsp, and a pinch |
More Easy Homemade Food Hack Recipes: Homemade Whipped Butter| Cinnamon Whipped Cream | Baileys Hot Fudge Sauce | Cranberry Jam
faqs
Can I use store-bought graham cracker crumbs?
Yes. Twelve whole graham crackers make about 2 cups of crumbs, so measure out about 2 cups and keep the sugar and butter the same.
What if I’m not sure which spice to use?
Cardamom goes with almost anything, so it’s a safe pick. Just keep it at 1/4 tsp, since it’s strong. Cinnamon is another easy choice for most fillings.
Can I use this crust for cheesecake?
Yes, it works for cheesecakes. The recipe makes enough for one 9 or 10-inch crust, and you press it into the bottom and up the sides the same way.
Do you have to bake a graham cracker crust?
It depends on the filling. Pre-bake the crust for baked custard pies like pumpkin. For no-bake pies, press the crust into the dish and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes instead. For no-bake cream pies, pre-baking or chilling both work.
How do you keep a graham cracker crust from falling apart?
Pulse the crackers into fine, even crumbs, since big pieces make a crust that crumbles when you slice it. Keep pulsing while you pour in the butter so every crumb is coated. The crumbs should look like wet sand and hold together when you pinch them. Then pack the crust down firmly with the bottom of a small glass or measuring cup, and a firm crust slices cleanly.
Why does the crust need to cool before filling?
A warm crust can melt a cold filling. Cool it completely first, especially for custard and cream pies.
Can you freeze graham cracker crust?
Yes. Freeze the pressed, unbaked crust in the pie dish, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months. Bake straight from the freezer and add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
Need more inspiration for a sweet treat? Check out my dessert recipes page!
what to make with this graham cracker crust
Pumpkin pie is the obvious place to start, and I use cardamom in the crust for it. The crust also works for cheesecake or pumpkin cheesecake, and for key lime pie or lemon cream pie. For pumpkin cheesecake, try my mini no-bake pumpkin spice cheesecakes, and for a lemon dessert, my lemon rosemary meringue tart uses a graham cracker crust made the same way.
It holds up under banana cream or coconut cream pie, chocolate cream pie or peanut butter pie, and ice cream pie.
how to store
Unbaked crust: Press it into the pie dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Baked crust: Cool completely, cover, and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Freeze the pressed, unbaked crust in the pie dish, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months. Bake straight from the freezer and add 1 to 2 minutes to the bake time.
Extra crumbs: Store graham cracker crumbs in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month, ready to press when needed.
More Desserts with Graham Crackers
If you want to put the crust to work, a cherry cheesecake is a natural place to start, since graham cracker crusts and cheesecakes go together. It’s an easy way to try one of the spice pairings above.
For something cold, strawberry cheesecake ice cream is a frozen way to use graham crackers. It’s a good one for warm weather when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
A strawberry icebox cake is another no-bake option that uses graham crackers. It’s an easy dessert to make ahead.
Finally, if you make this graham cracker crust recipe, please be sure to give this recipe a star recipe rating on the recipe card and/or leave a comment! I love to hear when you all make recipes, and I do take the time to respond to every single comment.
Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!
Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make the recipe! I love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!
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Graham Cracker Crust
equipment
- Food processor (or zip-top bag and rolling pin)
- 9 or 10-inch pie dish
- Small glass or flat-bottomed measuring cup for pressing
- spatula
ingredients
- 12 whole graham crackers full sheets, about 2 cups of crumbs
- 5 Tbsp brown sugar
- 5 Tbsp salted butter melted
- Optional: spices of choice see spice pairings
instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Add the graham crackers and brown sugar (and any spices) to a food processor and pulse into a fine crumb. (No food processor? Crush the crackers in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin or your hands, then stir in the sugar.)
- With the food processor pulsing, pour in the melted butter and pulse until the crumbs are evenly moistened. You can also stir them together in a bowl with a spatula.
- Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 or 10-inch pie dish. Use the bottom of a small glass or measuring cup, and your hands, to compact it firmly.
- Bake for 7 to 8 minutes.
- Cool completely, then fill and use as desired.
video
notes
- Yield: 12 whole graham crackers makes about 2 cups of crumbs, enough for one 9 or 10-inch crust.
- Salted vs. unsalted butter: This uses salted butter. If you use unsalted, add a pinch of salt to the crumbs.
- No-bake option: For no-bake pies, press the crust into the dish and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes instead of baking.
- Cooling: Cool completely before filling so a warm crust doesn’t melt a cold filling.
- Spices: Mix spices into the crumbs before adding the butter so they distribute evenly.
- Pre-baked vs. filled and baked: Pre-bake the crust for baked custard pies like pumpkin. For no-bake cream pies, pre-baking or chilling both work.
- Storage: Unbaked crust keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Baked crust keeps at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze the pressed, unbaked crust for up to 3 months.
nutrition
about meghan
Meghan Yager is the recipe developer, food photographer, and creative force behind Cake ‘n Knife, where everyday moments are celebrated with bold, flavor-forward recipes. From cozy cocktails to bold appetizers and indulgent desserts, her approachable style brings people together around food worth sharing. Meghan’s work has been featured by Good Housekeeping, Oprah Daily, Today, Woman’s Day, and The Huffington Post. She lives in Denver, where she brings big flavor and a little sass to every bite.
