Posted Oct 28, 2022, Updated Feb 15, 2024 This homemade graham cracker crust recipe is my go-to for so many desserts – cheesecake, no-bake pies like this no bake peanut butter pie, key lime pie, lemon pie etc. This graham cracker pie crust is easy to make with only 4 ingredients. You can use store-bought graham cracker crumbs or grind up whole graham crackers in a food processor or high-powered blender. The secret ingredient (cinnamon) makes it extra-special! In this post you’ll learn how to make graham cracker crust and will never go back to using store-bought versions again. Also, try this Oreo crust!
Graham Cracker Crust: Ingredients and substitutions
Graham crackers. Choose your favorite graham cracker variety to make this recipe: honey grahams, cinnamon grahams, even chocolate graham crackers all work well. Use a gluten-free graham crackers to make this recipe gluten-free. Alternatively, use store-bought graham cracker crumbs to make the recipe even easier and skip the step of blending/processing the grahams. Granulated sugar. organic cane sugar, white sugar, and even coconut sugar all work well in this recipe. Ground cinnamon. technically this is optional, but I never make it without cinnamon! Salted butter. Unsalted butter works well too.
How to make Graham Cracker Crust
Let’s walk through how to make this graham cracker pie crust recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video! If using full graham crackers, the first step in this recipe is to turn them into graham cracker crumbs. This can be done by either blending them in a high powered blender or processing them in a food processor fitted with the “S” blade. Breaking the crackers into smaller pieces as you put them into the container will help make blending/processing easier. Process/blend until a flour-like powder forms. Make sure to check for un-processed pieces of graham cracker. You may need to pause, release some pieces from the blades, and continue blending/processing. Next, transfer the graham cracker crumbs to a large bowl. Then, add the sugar and cinnamon to the graham cracker crumbs in the large bowl and stir to combine. Next, add the melted butter and stir until the mixture is uniform throughout. Pour the crust mixture into the prepared pie dish. Then, press it down into the bottom of the dish and halfway up the sides. I usually used greased hands to do this step. You can also use a greased silicone spatula.
Bake
At this point, check the recipe for which you’ll be using this graham cracker crust. Many recipes, like this key lime pie, lemon pie, and the best cheesecake, call for pre-baking the crust for different amounts of time. If using this homemade graham cracker crust for a no-bake pie, you will need to bake it in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Then, remove the crust from the oven and let it cool completely before filling it with your favorite no-bake pie filing – like this chocolate pudding pie, peanut butter pie, vegan chocolate pie, French silk pie, etc.
Serve
Use this graham cracker pie crust in your favorite no-bake pie recipe, baked pie recipe, cheesecake recipe, etc., topped with homemade whipped cream, of course. Here’s some suggestions:
The best cheesecake recipe. Fill it with this chocolate pudding pie filling (which is made from scratch). It’s the perfect crust for no bake peanut butter pie! This key lime pie and lemon pie etc Use it to make this vegan chocolate pie French silk pie would taste amazing with this crust.
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