Learn how to make a thick, buttery homemade graham cracker crust with this easy recipe and my perfected shaping methods. You need just 3 ingredients, and it tastes so good, I guarantee you’ll never go back to store-bought graham cracker crust. And if graham crackers aren’t available where you live, we’ve got a tested-and-approved biscuit crumb crust alternative for you!
Today I’m teaching you my practiced-and-perfected method for making a deliciously buttery, sweet graham cracker crust that’s wonderfully crisp and crumbly, but still holds shape. You can use it for pies, bar desserts, cheesecakes, and more—like cheesecake pie, banoffee pie, and lemon blueberry cheesecake bars.
Master a graham cracker crust, and the rest is as easy as s’mores brownie pie. 🙂
Can’t I Just Buy a Pre-Made Graham Cracker Crust?
Yes, you can! But a homemade graham cracker crust is much easier and quicker than you think. Pre-made crusts always seem to lack flavor… and definitely taste a little stale.
When it comes down to it, the taste and texture of a homemade graham cracker crust is on a completely different level. Maybe even a different planet. Buttery, sweet, crispy, crumbly… and made from only 3 ingredients. Just THREE! And here they are:
Grab These 3 Ingredients
- Graham Crackers: (Well, obviously.) You need about 12 full sheet graham crackers, to yield about 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) crumbs. You can also purchase graham cracker crumbs in most grocery stores in the baking aisle. Graham crackers are an American pantry staple and come in classic honey flavor, but you can also find chocolate, cinnamon, and low-fat versions. Any flavor would be fine in this graham cracker crust recipe. I prefer to use the Nabisco Honey Maid brand original graham crackers—more info on that below.
- Butter: Melted butter binds the tiny crumbs together, and makes this crust taste unbelievably buttery and delicious. You need 6 Tablespoons (85g) of butter for a pie crust, but only 5 Tablespoons (71g) for a cheesecake crust. (Full cheesecakes can be really heavy and wet, so that is why I slightly reduce the butter.)
- Granulated sugar: As the crust bakes, the sugar crystals assist the butter in binding the crumbs together. Graham crackers are already sweet, so we don’t need to add much sugar, just 1/4 cup.
Nabisco Honey Maid Brand vs. Store Brand
After testing multiple brands, my very scientific conclusion (LOL) is that the best graham crackers to use for this crumb crust are the Nabisco Honey Maid brand. The store-brand graham crackers we tried were lighter in color and the texture wasn’t quite as crispy.
When pressing the crust made from store-brand crackers into the pie dish, it felt more moist, and a bit mushier. Which makes sense, because the Honey Maid ones feel harder/crispier as if they’ve been baked longer, so the store-brand graham cracker crumbs feel a bit mushier when you add the melted butter.
All that said, you can certainly still make this crust with any brand of graham crackers you have! (And I’m not getting paid by Nabisco to tell you to buy their products, just genuinely a fan!)
Graham Cracker Math
Graham crackers can also vary slightly in size and weight, and occasionally manufacturers change the size or amount you get in a package—which means my team and I have to go through all our recipes that use graham crackers and update them! (In case you’re wondering why your printed recipe may no longer match the recipe on the website.) Some math info you may find helpful:
- 12 graham crackers should yield about 1.5 cups of crumbs when they’re finely ground, or about 180g. (12x15g)
- 1 full sheet graham cracker = 14–16g, or about ½ an ounce
- 12 full sheets = 168–192g
- 1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs = roughly 180g
How to Make Your Homemade Graham Cracker Crust (It’s Easy)
Start by grinding up your graham crackers. You can use a food processor or blender for this, but if you don’t have one, just put them in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin. You want really fine crumbs, so feel free to take out all your frustrations on these crackers!
Mix the crushed graham crackers with the granulated sugar, and then stir in the melted butter. The mixture will be thick, sandy, and coarse. Try to smash/break up any large chunks.
Prevent Your Graham Cracker Crust From Falling Apart
The ratio of ingredients is important, but what matters most is how you press the mixture into your pan. The technique you use can make or (literally) break a great graham cracker crust:
- Don’t be nervous that it’s crumbly: The mixture inevitably feels too crumbly as you start pressing it into the pan, but when you start applying pressure, it will stick together.
- Use your hands first: Press the bottom and around the sides with medium-firm pressure until the crumbs aren’t moving around anymore—you don’t want any loose crumbs. You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help smooth out the surface, just don’t pack it down too hard.
- Don’t pack too tightly: The crust needs to be compact, so it doesn’t crumble apart, but not so tight that it bakes into a hard, dense crust. You really just want to pack it until the shape has set and it’s no longer crumbly.
- Keep it rounded if making a pie: This sounds a bit odd, but you don’t want a right angle at the bottom edges where the sides and the bottom meet. Instead, you want it a little bit rounded so it stays connected when you slice into it—so the side crust doesn’t immediately separate from the bottom crust. Slide a spoon around the inside of the crust where the sides and bottom meet, to get that rounded shape.
I like to use my thumb on one hand and 4 fingers on my other hand to go around the top and sides. You can see me do this in the video tutorial below, too.
And, as explained in the 4th success tip above, running a spoon around the inner sides helps the crust keep a rounded shape, so the slices of your pie stay intact:
FAQ: What Size Pan Does This Fit?
You will want to use an ungreased 8-inch, 9-inch, or 10-inch pie dish, cake pan, springform pan, or square pan for this recipe. It’s not enough for a 9×13-inch pan. If you’re making a 9×13-inch dessert, I recommend 1.5x the recipe.
FAQ: Does Graham Cracker Crust Need to Be Baked?
Typically, yes. After shaping into your pan, this crust should be baked, and the amount of time really depends on the recipe you’re using, and whether it’s a baked or a no-bake filling. Check the pie or cheesecake recipe you’re using for crust baking and cooling instructions.
I usually pre-bake this graham cracker crust for at least 10 minutes at 350°F (177°C) before adding a filling. If you’re making a no-bake pie/dessert: cool the crust before filling it, unless the no-bake pie recipe you are using states otherwise.
Or try my no bake cheesecake, which uses a brown sugar graham cracker crust that isn’t baked at all.
Digestive Biscuit Crumb Crust Alternative
For non-US readers, my team and I tested out making this crust with digestive biscuits (we used McVitie’s brand), and here are our findings:
Though different in size and shape, 1 standard digestive biscuit weighs just about the same as 1 full sheet graham cracker, about 15g. Digestives are similar in flavor to graham crackers, but the texture is slightly different. Digestives aren’t quite as crispy-crunchy as graham crackers, and disintegrate faster when wet, as those who like to dip them into their tea will know. We found that we needed some extra crumbs in the crust to help absorb the melted butter.
We’re also adding a bit more sugar, because digestive biscuits contain about half the amount of sugar as graham crackers. So the final recipe for a digestive biscuit crumb crust that works as a great alternative to this graham cracker crust is:
- 200g digestive crumbs (about 2 cups; 13–14 standard digestive biscuits)
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted
Prebake for a bit longer than the graham crust, 12–15 minutes at 350°F (177°C).
Graham cracker crust is the base of so many incredible desserts, so it’s important to have a really solid recipe for this baking staple under your belt (or apron ties). And it’s worlds easier than regular pastry pie crust. Repeat: It’s easy! Buttery! Thick! Crunchy! Graham crackery! Just the best!
Other Crumb Crust Alternatives
You could also make this crumb crust with vanilla wafers or Ritz crackers instead of graham crackers. For an easy Oreo crust, see my Oreo Crust guide. And for an easy Biscoff cookie crust, see my Biscoff Crust guide.
Q: Have you tried any other alternatives for a graham cracker crumb crust?
PrintGraham Cracker Crust
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 9-inch pie crust
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Learn how to make a thick, buttery homemade graham cracker crust with only 3 ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers)
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- If you’re starting out with full graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. You can also place them in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a little arm muscle and a rolling pin.
- Stir the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar together in a medium bowl, and then stir in the melted butter. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks.
- Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-inch, 9-inch, or 10-inch pie dish, cake pan, springform pan, or square pan. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly. Tip: You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface, but do not pack down too hard. If making a pie, run a spoon around the bottom “corner” where the edge and bottom meet to help make a rounded crust—this helps prevent the crust from falling apart when you cut slices.
- For a baked dessert, pre-bake this crust per your filling recipe’s directions. I usually pre-bake for 10 minutes at 350°F (177°C). For a no-bake dessert, cool the crust completely before using, unless your filling’s recipe instructs otherwise.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: It’s freezer friendly! Freeze the prepared crust in your pan for up to 3 months. Thaw before using in your recipe. For shorter storage, keep the prepared crust in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before using in your recipe.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowl
- What Size Pan Does This Crust Fit? Use an 8-inch, 9-inch, or 10-inch pie dish, cake pan, springform pan, or square pan for this recipe. It’s not enough for a 9×13-inch pan. If you’re making a 9×13-inch dessert, I recommend 1.5x the recipe.
- Graham Crackers: Use cinnamon, honey, or chocolate flavor graham crackers depending on your dessert recipe. I usually use honey flavor because it is the standard graham cracker flavor. If I’m baking a chocolate treat, I like to use the chocolate graham crackers. The best graham crackers to use for this crumb crust are the Nabisco Honey Maid brand (not sponsored, just our conclusions!).
- Other Cookies/Crackers: You can substitute the graham cracker crumbs for vanilla wafer or Ritz cracker crumbs. For an easy Oreo crust, see my Oreo Crust recipe.
- Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 200g ground digestive biscuit crumbs (about 2 cups; 13–14 biscuits), 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, and 6 Tablespoons (85g) melted butter. You may need to add a few extra minutes to the pre-baking time, as digestive biscuits are not quite as crispy-crunchy as graham crackers.
I was so excited to see a non-us adaptation for this recipe as I try to make this in India. Thank you
Hi~
I made this crust with 12 full sheets of graham crackers (HoneyMaid), and the 6 TBLS of butter. I used the food processor to grind the graham crackers, and found I needed to add a bit more butter in order for the crust to stick together. Did I perhaps too finely grind the crackers?
Hi Meg, you still want a sandy mixture. It’s fine if you added a little more butter if you found the mixture needed it. Did you skip the sugar?
Easy and comes out perfect. I used the recipe for a pumpkin cheesecake and baked the crust for five minutes before adding the filling and baked again.
Made this recipe with GF graham crackers and followed the weight of the ingredients. I used an 8×8 glass pan and it turned out fantastic. I have printed out the recipe as it will now be my go too.
Am planning to use your graham cracker crust recipe. Will using SALTED butter make much difference?
Hi Joanne! You can use salted butter here – it won’t make a huge difference.
My graham cracker crust seems to always get soggy, real soggy. Frustrated
Hi Janet, depending on the recipe you’re using, it may help to pre-bake the crust before pouring in the filling.
I made this crust for my Key lime pie and pre baked it. It was a little too thick for my liking even though I used a 9” deep pie dish. The crust stuck terribly and most of it stayed in the pie plate. Should I spray or grease the pie plate if I make this again?
Hi Elaine, Did you follow the recipe as written? You should not have to grease or line the pan as there is plenty of butter in the crust to prevent it from sticking, which makes us wonder if there was perhaps too much graham cracker (especially since you said it was too thick).
I am curious why your pie plates are unlined and my recipe calls for lining with parchment paper. I was reading a recipe for banofee pie and they had me substitute ginger nut biscuits instead of digestive biscuits. So why and why not do the lining? I am a novice baker.
Hi Joanna, You do not have to grease or line the pan as there is plenty of butter in the crust to prevent it from sticking.
How do you prevent your crust from shrinking? I’ve tried another recipe twice and both times it shrank by a lot. Should I just make it taller? Next time I’ll try your recipe!
Hi Valentina, a graham cracker crust shrinks down the sides of a pie dish if there’s too much butter, if the graham crackers are too soft, or if it is too thick. I really like using Nabisco Honey Maid graham crackers, as they seem to be the crispiest of the available options. The recipe ratio above is just enough butter to hold the crumbs together, without making the mixture too soft. And make sure the edges aren’t too thick because if they are, they can slide down the dish.
Do I need to butter my cheesecake pan for the crust to stick to it good?
Hi Shelly, you do not have to grease the pan as there is plenty of butter in the crust to prevent it from sticking.
Hi Sally! First time making graham cracker pie crust…do I let melted butter cool off first or does it matter?
Hi Darlene, no need to let the butter cool off. Hope you love this graham cracker pie crust!
Hi. Will this still work without adding the extra sugar in the crust? I’m planning on baking some gingersnaps to make a gingersnap crust, and didn’t want to add any extra sugar as I don’t like too much sweetness in my desserts. Will it still hold together with just the gingersnap crumbles and butter?
Hi Treva! We still recommend adding some sugar like we do in this gingersnap crust. You can try reducing the sugar in the crust, but if you leave it out completely the crust will be pretty crumbly. Let us know what you try!
I love this recipe and use it for all my pies. However, it is very difficult for me to get it out of the glass pie plate. I use unsalted sticks of butter. What am I doing writing?
Hi Robin, make sure that the crust isn’t too tightly packed in — you’ll want it packed, but if it’s too much it can make the crust difficult to remove. Does it seem overly dry, too? If so, you could also try a minute less in the oven next time. Glad you enjoy this recipe!
Thank you so much for a great recipe and tips about using a 9×13 pan. The weights were really helpful since I had some honey crackers that weren’t graham (so they didn’t come in sleeves). I’ll definitely use this recipe again, it was delicious.
Hi Sally! Excited to make this for my husband’s birthday, however my mother-in-law is Celiac. Have you ever made this recipe with gluten-free Graham crackers? Or maybe have any advice? Thank you!!
Hi Elise, we haven’t tested this crust with gluten-free graham crackers, but we imagine it should work just fine. Let us know if you give it a try!
I used gluten free honey thins, followed the weights listed for each ingredient, it came out perfect!
Hi Sally! Excellent recipe thanks for sharing! I was contemplating making my pumpkin pie using this graham crust recipe and the recipe on the pumpkin puree can (E.D. Smith):
*4 eggs, beaten
*1 cup (250 mL) brown sugar, firmly packed
*1 can (796ml) E.D.SMITH® Pure Pumpkin
*2½ tsp (12ml) Pumpkin pie spice
*1/2 tsp (2ml) salt
*1½ cup (375 mL) heavy cream or evaporated milk)
But, considering the pie is baked @425° for 15 minutes and 350° for the remaining 45 minutes, my worry is that the crust will burn or over bake. I could use your advice.
Hi Julie, I’m glad you like this crust recipe! I would skip any pre-baking in this particular case. Tent the whole pie with foil when you lower the temperature to 350F. That will help prevent the crust from burning.
Thank you so much for this recipe, I’ve moved to Portugal from the US and they don’t have graham crackers here. I’ve had to improvise. I used digestive biscuit and they work perfectly.
Can we have recipe for lemon blueberry fill?
Hi Hollis, here’s our recipe for lemon blueberry cheesecake bars. Enjoy!
Hi! love all your recipes. I’m looking to make a mix and match recipe with your chocolate cupcake recipe with graham cracker crust to make a s’mores cupcake. Do you think this crust recipe would work for cupcakes? Or would you alter, if so, could you sway me in that direction?
Hi Joanna! We highly recommend this recipe for S’mores Brownie Cupcakes – the brownie base works better with the graham cracker crust than a light and fluffy cupcake. Let us know if you give them a try!
After using store bought graham cracker crusts for years, I finally made my own. Your recipe with all the tips is great! Actually, all your recipes are wonderful.
This reminds me of a recipe my mother-in-law shared with me many, many years ago. It is for a chocolate bottomed custard pie that calls for a combination of vanilla wafers and ginger snaps held together with melted butter (no additional sugar). Yummy too!
This is the best graham cracker crust and I’ve been using it for a long time. Most recently with the s’mores and cheesecake pies.
Hi Sally, thank you for this super simple yet fail proof recipe! I’ve made it a couple of times, but want to try a vegan version for a friend. Could I substitute the butter with cold pressed coconut oil? Thanks!
Hi Abha! We haven’t tested it, but coconut oil should work.
I use country crock plant base butter for all my baking. It comes in sticks just like butter.
Doesn’t change the taste or texture of your finished product.
Mine crust is sliding down the pie plate. I tried putting another pie plate in the center to see if that would help. When I removed the pie plate it was so wet in the inside and still didn’t have much of the crust on the sides. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Lisa, I’ve noticed this happens with certain brands of graham crackers. Some are crunchier than others, which keeps the crust on the drier side (less likely to slide down/remain wet) and my preferred choice is Nabisco. What brand did you use? If you try the recipe again, you could add another 2-3 Tbsp of graham cracker crumb mixture to help soak up more of the butter.
Everyone loves my cheesecakes and I always use your crust recipe. However, I notice a lot of times my crust comes out soggy once the cheesecake is done and I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong. Is it because I bake the cheesecake in a bein Marie? Do I let the cheesecake sit too long before chilling? I hope you have the answer
What could help is pre-baking the crust before pouring in the cheesecake filling. Pre-bake for about 10-12 minutes at 350°F (177°C), then pour filling into warm crust. The cheesecake bake time wouldn’t change, but this just gives the crust a little extra time/headstart.
This recipe might need to be altered to add more butter. Wondering if adding 7 or 8 tbsp instead would be a great starting point, as the crumbs to don’t come together with the suggested 5 tbsp, will I ruin it with too much butter?
Hi Nikki! Did your mixture look sandy like in the photos above?
Great recipe. Would love the recipe for that pie in the picture. Yum!!
Hi Kate, that’s our S’mores Brownie Pie.
Hi! If I am using this as a traditional cheesecake crust, would I pre-bake this, or just bake with the cheesecake filling in it? Thank you!
Hi Desseray, we do recommend pre-baking the graham cracker crust for cheesecake.
Can you use Nilla wafers for the crust?
Hi Jaylia, the same amount of crushed vanilla wafers should work well. Let us know how it goes!
Thank you for posting this much needed recipe. Less sugar than the one I misplaced. Each tip was useful. I have use this recipe but subbed crushed rice krispies for pies for a gentleman with celiac.
A fellow Celiac here… give Three Wishes Cinnamon cereal a try! Great graham cracker replacement!!
My go to graham cracker crust recipe! Stands up to whatever i put in it! Delicious and solid! I pre bake mine! Perfect every time! Easy to cut and holds together well!
I love your recipes and the detailed instructions you provide. My question:
I would like to use this crust for a chess -type pie. Do I need to pre bake this crust?
You likely wouldn’t have to pre-bake this crust for a chess pie, though it wouldn’t hurt. You could pre-bake for 10 minutes before adding the filling.
I made this Graham cracker crust for a pumpkin pie. The crust will burn if you don’t tent it even if you don’t pre-bake the crust. One person asked about it but, unfortunately I didn’t read that many reviews.