Level up your desserts with an easy, foolproof graham cracker crust that is crumbly, buttery, and easy to make! Made with 3 ingredients and 15 minutes, it’s the perfect cookie base for pies, cheesecakes, and more!
A graham cracker crust is one of my favorite crusts when I need a crumbly cookie base. My Oreo cookie crust is another popular one, but sometimes I need a flavor other than chocolate for desserts like key lime pie, pumpkin cheesecake, and coconut cream pie!
It’s made with just 3 ingredients, and you never have to worry about working with yeast, kneading any dough, or worrying about whether or not your butter is cold enough! Although there are times when you can’t replace an all-butter pie dough (there’s nothing like it) or my vintage never fail pie crust.
What a graham cracker crust lacks in tenderness and flakiness, it makes up for in sweet, buttery-crisp graham cracker goodness.
Make more than one cookie crust at a time, and freeze whatever you’re not using. That way you can just pull one out of the freezer when you need it. And now that you know how to make graham cracker crust, you’ll never need a store-bought crust again!
3-Ingredient Graham Cracker Crust
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s made with just 3 ingredients.
- There’s only 10 minutes of bake time. No chilling, kneading, or rolling required.
- The crumbly cookie base does a great job of holding its shape.
- Graham cracker flavor pairs well with all kinds of fillings.
Helpful Tools
- 9-inch pie plate
- Food processor – I just have this mini and it works great
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Graham cracker crumbs – You’ll need about 12 sheets of graham crackers, pulsed into crumbs.
- White sugar – For sweetness. I use this over brown sugar because even though brown sugar would add great flavor, it would also increase the moisture in the crust.
- Salted butter – Melted butter gets added to the crumbs and helps to bind them. Salted butter balances the sweetness.
How to make Graham Cracker Crust
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step One: Use a food processor to pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Pour them into a large bowl.
Or, use a large freezer bag and a rolling pin. Either way works!
- Step Two: Mix in the sugar with the crumbs and then pour in the melted butter. Stir until it looks like wet sand.
- Step Three: Transfer the crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate and use the bottom of a measuring cup or flat glass to press down gently to form an even layer of crust on the bottom and up the sides.
- Step Four: Bake the crust in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 minutes until it is just set.
- If your food processor is small, you may need to pulse the crackers in batches.
- If your food processor is big enough, you can make the crust right in there (combining the sugar and melted butter) and avoid dirtying up a mixing bowl.
- Do not press too hard when leveling the crust with the glass bottom. If it’s too compact, the crust will be hard.
- The crust will be ready to use once it is out of the oven; however, if using it for a no-bake filling, let it cool completely first.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers
Once baked and fully cooled, you can store a graham cracker crust at room temperature for up to 3 days. Just be sure to wrap it tightly in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
Freezing Instructions
You can also wrap it in plastic wrap, transfer it to a freezer bag, and keep it frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature before you fill it with anything.
FAQs
How can I make cookie crumbs without a food processor?
Another easy way is to place all the cookie sheets into a Ziploc bag, get rid of excess air, and seal it. Then, use a rolling pin to crush the cookies into crumbs.
Can I use a larger pie plate?
If you were to double the batch, you could use this recipe for a 9×13 dessert. As it’s written, this graham cracker crust fits an 8 and 9″ pie plate, a springform pan, and a square dish.
Can I swap the graham crackers for another cookie?
You can! I have made banana pudding cheesecake bars with a vanilla wafer crust as well as pretzel crusted brownies. They are both very similar and would make great variations.
More Ways to Use Graham Cracker Crusts:
Peaches and Cream Ice Cream Pie
Click here to view my entire collection of dessert recipes.
Did You Make This?
If you made this recipe, I’d love to know how it went in the comments section below.
You can also tag me on Instagram – @melissa_ppplates or share a pic in the Persnickety Plates Community Facebook group. I love seeing what you’ve tried!
Easy Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs about 12 graham cracker sheets
- 2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set out a 9" pie plate.
- If you're starting with full graham cracker sheets, use a food processor or a large zip top bag with a rolling pin to crush into a fine crumb.1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- Pour the graham cracker crumbs and sugar into a large bowl and stir to combine.2 Tablespoons granulated white sugar
- Pour in the melted butter and stir until coarse and sandy.6 Tablespoons salted butter
- Pour the crumbs into the pie plate and use the bottom of a flat glass to gently press it into an even layer onto the bottom and up the sides.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until just set.
Notes
- If using a small food processor, pulse the crackers in batches.
- For larger processors, make the crust directly in there to save dishes.
- Don’t press the crust too firmly—too compact and it will be hard.
- If using for a no-bake filling, let the crust cool completely before filling.
- Store baked, cooled crust at room temp for up to 3 days—wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
- Freeze for up to 3 months: wrap in plastic, place in a freezer bag, and thaw at room temp.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
