Julie Clark
Posted:
How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust
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Learn how to make a graham cracker crust that will be the perfect base to all of your cheesecakes, fruit and pudding pies. Tips for baked pies, no bake pies and freezing the crust.
Fruit pies and cheesecakes are hugely popular in the summertime. What crust goes best with these pies? Graham cracker crusts! Today I’m showing you how to make the perfect graham cracker crust.
You love our oatmeal pie crust and our grandma’s best pie crust recipe. This recipes comes from my old Amish Cooking recipe book. We’ve been making it for years and it’s time to share it with you!
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Ready in less than 20 minutes.
- Nice and thick for fruit pies, pudding pies and cheesecakes.
- Perfectly sweet flavor by using brown sugar.
- Make it gluten free with GF graham crackers.
How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust
- Crush the crackers. Use a food processor to process the graham crackers into fine crumbs. You’ll need two cups, which is about 17 whole graham crackers. You can also place the crackers in a zippered bag and roll with a rolling pin, but make sure the crumbs are very fine. This will help hold the crust together best.
- Mix the crumbs. Place the crumbs in a medium bowl and add the brown sugar and butter. Mix until well combined.
- Press into the pan. Press the mixture into the bottom of a pie plate. This pie crust will fill an 8, 9 or 10” deep dish pie plate or an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan. The thickness of the crust will change based on the exact size of the pie plate. This would also work for 2 thinner 8″ pie plates if you like a thinner graham cracker crust.
Use a measuring cup or small glass to firmly press the graham crackers on the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Pressing firmly is important! This will help the crust hold together while serving.
Bake the crust:
Bake at 375º Fahrenheit for 5-8 minutes. Allow the crust to fully cool before you fill it with anything.
No bake crust:
I get it. Summertime is HOT and you want no bake desserts. You can use this recipe for a no bake pie. Simply make it in advance and refrigerate the pressed crust for about 2 hours before filling. Again, it’s very important to press the crumbs tightly into the pan so the crust holds together.
What can I use besides graham crackers?
Here are a few options to try for a flavor twist:
- Pretzels
- Waffle cones
- Digestive biscuits
- Gingersnaps
- Vanilla Wafers
Remember that you can use cinnamon or chocolate graham crackers too!
Can you freeze a graham cracker crust?
Yes. Make the graham cracker crust in advance. Then double wrap it and freeze for up to 4 months. I recommend waiting to bake the crust until you defrost it.
Perfect Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
Learn how to make a graham cracker crust that will be the perfect base to all of your cheesecakes, fruit and pudding pies. Tips for baked pies, no bake pies and freezing the crust.
Servings 8
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs (about 17 whole crackers)
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup salted butter melted
Instructions
- Use a food processor to process the graham crackers into fine crumbs. You’ll need two cups, which is about 17 whole graham crackers. You can also place the crackers in a zippered bag and roll with a rolling pin, but make sure the crumbs are very fine. This will help hold the crust together best.
- Place the crumbs in a medium bowl and add the brown sugar and butter. Mix until well combined.
- Press the mixture into the bottom of a pie plate. This pie crust will fill an 8 or 9” deep dish pie plate or an 8×8 or 9×9 square pan. The thickness of the crust will change based on the exact size of the pie plate. This would also work for 2 thinner 8" pie plates if you like a thinner graham cracker crust.
- Use a measuring cup or small glass to firmly press the graham crackers on the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Pressing firmly is important! This will help the crust hold together while serving.
- Bake at 375º Fahrenheit for 5-8 minutes.
- Allow the crust to cool before filling.
- If you want to use this for a no bake pie and not bake the crust, refrigerate the crust for 2 hours before filling. This will firm the butter up and help the crust to hold together.
Notes
The calories shown are based on the pie being cut into 8 pieces, with 1 serving being ⅛ of the pie crust. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 53mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
What pies can I make with a graham cracker pie crust?
The possibilities are endless! Think of fresh fruit pies, custard pies, pudding pies and key lime pies. But they are great for baked pies too! If you’re making a custard like pie (think sweet potato pie or pumpkin pie), bake the crust for about 8 minutes before filling and baking again. This will help the crust from becoming soggy.
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