Homemade Graham Cracker Crust

Chocolate pudding pie in a graham cracker crust.

Homemade Graham Cracker Crust

This is our favorite Graham Cracker Crust, with the perfect proportions and just the right amount of sweetness and crunch! This recipe is easy to make with just 3 simple ingredients: graham crackers, butter, and sugar. It turns out so delicious and buttery, you'll never buy one from the store again!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 8

Total Time 23

Servings slices

Calories 166

Author Kim

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups 180g graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheet graham crackers)
1/4 cup 50g granulated sugar (I typically use slightly less than a full 1/4 cup)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
6 tablespoons 85g unsalted butter melted

Instructions

If you have full graham crackers, use a food processor or blender to grind them into fine crumbs. You can also place them in a sealable bag and crush them into fine crumbs with a rolling pin. If you will be baking the crust for your recipe, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, stir the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar together and ground cinnamon (if using), and then stir in the melted butter until evenly combined. Break up any large chunks.
Pour the mixture into an un-greased 8-inch, 9-inch, or 10-inch pie dish, cake pan, springform pan, or square pan. Using your fingers, pat the crumbs evenly across the bottom and up the sides ensuring the crust is nice and compact. You can also use the bottom of a flat 1-cup measuring cup to thoroughly compress the graham cracker crumbs into a firm crust.
Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes and set aside to cool or chill the crust. (If baking, allow the crust to fully cool before adding the filling.) To chill: Cover formed crust tightly and freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for 20 minutes before filling to allow time for the crust to firm up and butter to re-solidify.

Notes

Storing baked: This crust is best used the same day it's made, but it can be baked up to 1 day ahead and stored, tightly covered, at room temperature. Don't store an unbaked crust, uncovered, for more than a few hours -- it will start to dry out and can become crumbly.
Storing not baked: The prepared, unbaked crust can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before using in your recipe.
Freezing: The crust can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Cover the pan tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Thaw before using in your recipe.
Larger pan: If you’re making a 9×13-inch dessert, I recommend 1.5x the recipe.

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