The only graham cracker crust recipe you need! It’s thick, buttery, doesn’t crumble, and comes out perfect every time. Learn how to make a homemade crust and you’ll never buy a pre-made version again. This crust is perfect for no-bake or baked desserts including cheesecakes, pies and tarts, bars, and any other recipe requiring a graham cracker crust.

Graham cracker crust pressed into a glass pie plate.

Pie crust of any kind can intimidate even the most experienced bakers. Armed with a little knowledge and confidence, anyone can master it! We’ve tackled favorite recipes for an all-butter pie crust and a butter/shortening crust (with vodka as the secret ingredient!), and today we’re diving into homemade graham cracker crust. This type of pie crust is so insanely easy to make, yet many still reach for pre-made, store-bought options. No more!

Why You’ll Love This Graham Cracker Crust Recipe

Why make this homemade graham cracker crust?

  • Easy to Make: With only a few ingredients and a couple stirs of a fork, your crust is ready to go.
  • Taste: A from-scratch graham cracker crust tastes infinitely better than a store-bought crust. There’s simply no comparison between homemade and store-bought.
  • No-Bake Option: This is a wonderful crust to use for no-bake (and baked!) recipes, especially in the hot summer months when you want to avoid turning on the oven.
  • Versatile: Use this graham cracker crust as the base of s’mores pie, strawberry cheesecake bars, key lime pie, New York style cheesecake, and many other recipes.
Graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.

The Best Graham Cracker Crust

Graham cracker crusts seem so elementary, but if you’ve ever lifted a slice of pie out of the pan and had the crust break and crumble all over the plate (mortifying if you’re serving to company and just plain annoying otherwise!), then you KNOW how important a good crust is!

This is the only graham cracker crust recipe you need and here’s why:

  • Perfectly Moist: I’ve had the (dis)pleasure of making graham cracker crusts that crumble and fall apart or conversely, leak liquid because there’s too much butter. This recipe strikes the perfect balance to create a crust that holds together beautifully and never crumbles, yet is still moist and a little soft.
  • Flavor! It might not seem important in something as simple as a graham cracker crust, but honestly? I could eat this crust ON ITS OWN. Using brown sugar turns a basic graham cracker crust into something truly delicious on its own.
  • Clean Slices Every Time: Quite possibly the most important aspect of any graham cracker crust recipe. Pack the crust in nice and tight (follow the instructions in the recipe!) and you’ll have perfect, clean cut pie slices every single time.
Melted butter added to bowl with graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt.

Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients

Combine these four ingredients for the most amazing graham cracker crust you will ever taste.

  1. Graham Cracker Crumbs: Use either whole graham crackers that you crush up yourself or ready-made graham cracker crumbs. Both options work wonderfully! If you crush them yourself you have 2 options: 1) put the graham crackers in a zip-top bag and use something relatively heavy to crush them, or 2) use a food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs (this method yields the finest, most even crumbs).
  2. Sugar: We use light brown sugar to keep the crust moist and give it a little more of a browned butter/toffee flavor.
  3. Butter: You might notice that this recipe has a smidge more butter than most graham cracker crust recipes call for. I find this extra bit of butter really helps bind the crust together and keeps it from crumbling apart when it’s sliced. (Want to ratchet this crust up a notch? Use browned butter!)
  4. Salt: Balances out all of the flavors.
Mixing together graham cracker crust.

How to Make Graham Cracker Crust From Scratch

This crust comes together very quickly thanks to a short ingredient list and a super simple mixing process.

  1. Make Graham Cracker Crumbs: If you haven’t purchased pre-made crumbs, crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs, measure out 2 cups, and place them in a medium bowl. Quick Tip! Use 14 graham crackers (the full sheets) for about 2 cups of crumbs.
  2. Add the Brown Sugar and Salt: Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the brown sugar and salt.
  3. Stir In the Melted Butter: Drizzle the melted butter over the graham cracker mixture and use a fork to mix everything together, ensuring that it is evenly moistened.
  4. Press and Pack: This is crucial! Press and pack the crust into the pan. Years ago, I heard a tip about using the bottom and sides of a measuring cup to press a graham cracker (or Oreo) crust into the pan. It’s a total game-changer! You can use anything – dry measuring cups, a liquid measuring cup, a regular drinking glass – anything that has a round bottom will do. A tightly packed crust means that it will hold together beautifully when sliced instead of crumbling all over the place.

Pan Note: This recipe works for a standard 9-inch pie plate, 8-inch or 9-inch square pan, or a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. Double this recipe to use in a 9×13-inch pan.

Graham cracker crust stirred together in a mixing bowl.

Graham Cracker Pie Crust Substitutions

There aren’t many ingredients in this pie crust, but below are suggestions for substitutions, should you need to make them:

  • Graham Crackers: Use any flavor or variety of graham cracker you like, crushed digestive biscuits, gingersnaps, vanilla wafers, or cornflakes. Regardless of which you use, be sure to crush as finely as possible and use 2 cups of crumbs.
  • Brown Sugar: Replace brown sugar with an equal amount of granulated sugar, coconut sugar, or muscovado.
  • Butter: Vegan alternatives or coconut oil work great.
Graham cracker crust poured into a glass pie plate.

No-Bake vs Baked Graham Cracker Crust

The beauty of this pie crust recipe is that it can be used in both types of recipes (no-bake and baked)! Whether your recipe calls for making the crust, adding a filling, and chilling, or for baking the crust, these are my recommendations:

  • No-Bake Recipes: If the crust and pie will not be baked, prepare the pie crust as directed, then place the pan in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before filling it.
  • Baked Recipes: If the graham cracker crust needs to be pre-baked, bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes, then proceed with your recipe as written.
Graham cracker crust being packed into a pie plate using a measuring cup.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions

  • Make Ahead: Prepare the graham cracker crust up to 2 days in advance of filling it. Simply cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until ready to fill.
  • Freeze: Prepare the crust as instructed, then wrap the pie plate in plastic wrap and then in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

Use This Graham Cracker Crust Recipe To Make:

The possibilities are endless! With the best (and easiest!) graham cracker crust recipe, add these desserts to your must-make list!

Slice of banoffee pie on a white plate.

Graham cracker crust is the base of so many amazing desserts – cheesecakes, pies, bars, and more! Which makes it all the more important to have a tried-and-true, reliable recipe that you can use time and again. This thick, buttery, and DELICIOUS crust can be used for both no-bake and baked desserts; be sure to save it to your recipe arsenal today!

If you make this recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating – it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️

Graham Cracker Crust

Yield: 1 (9-inch) pie crust
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
An easy graham cracker crust that you can make from scratch with only a few ingredients. Can be used for both baked AND no bake recipes!
4.25 (33 ratings)
Print Pin Rate

Ingredients

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, approximately 14 full graham crackers
  • ⅓ cup light brown sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • Pinch salt

Instructions 

  • In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and salt, ensuring no lumps of brown sugar remain.
  • Drizzle the melted butter over the graham cracker mixture and toss to combine with a fork, ensuring that the mixture is evenly moistened.
  • Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate, 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan and pack tightly using the back of a measuring cup.
  • If using in a no-bake recipe, place the pan in the freezer for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the filling and proceed with the recipe.
  • If the graham cracker crust needs to be pre-baked, bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then proceed with the recipe as written.

Notes

  • Equipment: This recipe works for a standard 9-inch pie plate, 8-inch or 9-inch square pan, or a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. You will need to double the recipe to use in a 9×13-inch pan.
  • Graham Crackers: You can use any flavor or variety of graham cracker you like (and you can buy a box of graham cracker crumbs!), or you can also use crushed digestive biscuits, gingersnaps, vanilla wafers, or cornflakes. Whichever of these you use, just be sure to crush as finely as possible and measure out 2 cups of crumbs.
  • Brown Sugar: You can substitute regular granulated sugar, coconut sugar, or muscovado.
  • Butter: You can substitute vegan alternatives or coconut oil. For an extra oomph of flavor, go the extra step of making browned butter instead of simply melting the butter.
  • No-Bake Recipes: If the crust and pie will not be baked, prepare the pie crust as directed, then place the pan in the freezer for at least 15 minutes before filling it.
  • Baked Recipes: If the graham cracker crust needs to be pre-baked, bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, then proceed with the recipe as written.
  • To Make Ahead: You can prepare the graham cracker crust up to 2 days in advance of filling it. Simply cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until ready to fill.
  • To Freeze: Prepare the crust as instructed, then wrap the pie plate in plastic wrap and then in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!

Author: Michelle
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Photography by Dee Frances