This simple graham cracker crust recipe comes together fast with only 3 ingredients! Thick, buttery, and lightly sweet, it’s perfect for your no-bake desserts and adaptable to your macros.
As much as I love all the different flavors and combinations of pie filling (like the cinnamony goodness of Pumpkin Pie or all the different combinations of berries you can use for Berry Pie), I think the crust might be my favorite part.
After all, if there’s a particular piece of pie with a lot of flaky, buttery crust, I claim that for myself!
I’m a huge fan of my Homemade Pie Crust Recipe, but some pies are just better with a graham cracker crust, don’t you agree?
After a few trials, I’ve figured out how to make a graham cracker crust that’s easy, healthy, and delicious!
How do you make a graham cracker crust from scratch?
Crushing graham crackers into crumbs and adding just two baking staples gives you a quick and easy no-bake crust without having to run to the store.
HOMEMADE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST RECIPE
Whether you care that this particular homemade graham cracker crust recipe is healthy or not, I can promise you that it is:
- Delicious
- Thick and sturdy
- Buttery
- Super easy
- Not CRAZY sweet, but just sweet enough
- Just THREE staple ingredients
- Easily adaptable for vegetarian and gluten-free diets
Plus, it tastes WAY better than the store-bought graham cracker crust from Keebler!
EASY GRAHAM CRACKER PIE CRUST RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You only need 3 graham cracker crust ingredients for this easy recipe:
- Graham Crackers. One reason I started making my own graham cracker crust is that the store-bought kind had so many ingredients we try to avoid. (Plus, I’ve always thought store-bought graham cracker crusts tasted a little bit stale). Aim for a simple ingredients list without high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils.
- Brown Sugar. Or make your own brown sugar with granulated sugar + molasses.
- Melted Butter. Salted or unsalted butter is fine.
See? Totally basic and probably already in your kitchen. You can do this!
GRAHAM CRACKER COOKIE CRUST RECIPE VARIATIONS
This recipe is PERFECT for gluten-free folks too!
Choose your favorite gluten-free graham crackers and get to baking! I’ve tested Pamela’s brand and Annie’s brand – both are available at Amazon and Thrive Market.
If you can’t find gluten-free graham crackers, try looking for cookies. Any cinnamon or honey-flavored cookie will work as well!
You could even try chocolate graham crackers for a REALLY fun dessert!
Enjoying treats, especially homemade treats with simple ingredients, is a great start, but it’s not enough. You also need to make sure you’re getting enough protein to fuel your body. Try one of my favorite High Protein Recipes on Repeat – these are the meals I return to again and again to hit my protein goals!
HOW TO MAKE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
If you’ve ever wondered how to make graham cracker crusts for pies, I promise it’s super easy! Follow these simple instructions:
Step 1: Crush the graham cracker sheets into fine crumbs using a blender or food processor (I recommend a food processor). You want an even, finely ground crumb texture for the best crust.
Step 2: Add the sugar and melted butter and stir until the graham cracker crumbs are well coated and the crumb mixture sticks together when pressed between your fingers like wet sand. Mix in a large bowl if your blender or food processor jars are hard to stir in.
Step 3: Press mixture into your pie pan or springform pan. Chill for 10 minutes before filling. Done!
TIPS FOR GRAHAM CRACKERS PIE CRUST
- If you don’t have a blender or food processor, you can place your graham crackers in a resealable bag and crush them by hand or by beating them with a rolling pin or meat mallet.
- Graham cracker sizes change. You’ll need around 14 sheets of graham crackers for this graham cracker crust recipe, which equals about 2 cups of crumbs (or about 210 grams).
- As you press the graham cracker crust into the pie dish, use the back of a measuring cup or a small spatula to make sure it is firmly pressed into place and that it is not too thick where the sides meet the bottom of the pan.
- This graham cracker crust recipe fits in one 8 or 9-inch pie plate or springform pan. If you’re making a dessert in a larger dish (like a 9×13 baking dish), you’ll want to make 1 ½ times the recipe so that you have enough.
- When making a no-bake dessert with this graham crust recipe, pop the finished crust into the fridge to chill for 10 minutes before adding the filling. This helps “set” the crust so that no filling leaks through the bottom.
- Make your pie crust ahead of time. This graham crackers pie crust works best when the crust is chilled before filling. Make it a day or so ahead and wrap it in plastic wrap to store in the refrigerator.
RECIPES WITH GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
The most obvious choices for recipes with graham cracker crusts are pies and cheesecakes, including these yummy treats:
You can also use the graham cracker crust as a crumbly layer in a Parfait.
FITTING GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST RECIPE INTO A REAL FOOD LIFESTYLE
Does a real foodie even eat recipes with graham cracker crust?
Sure!
Eating real food is a lifestyle. Real life includes all sorts of foods, not eliminating entire foods or food groups, and you can fit them into a balanced day. Understand the nutrition of graham cracker crust cheesecake (or other desserts) and how it fits into your macro goals, supplementing with protein so your meals are balanced.
What we can do is make sure that our graham crust recipes are made with real food ingredients, AND that we’re accurately tracking what we eat so that we can stay in line with our nutrition goals.
I’ve got you covered with the real food ingredients.
As for tracking, figure out what’s in your favorite dessert and what portion you’re actually eating. A free app like MyFitnessPal can help with this.
Look at the macro data – do you need to add more protein to your plate? Take a smaller serving to lower the total carbohydrates? Keep the fat where it is but fill your plate with fresh fruits and vegetables so that you actually feel satisfied with the amount of food you’re eating?
You have plenty of options for including your favorite desserts in your real food lifestyle.
Want to learn more about macros, nutrition goals, and accurately tracking what you eat? I’m a board-certified fat loss and nutrition coach, helping women 35+ lose weight and have more energy without giving up the foods they love. Grab my free guide here to start achieving your real body goals today!
PERFECT GRAHAM CRACKER PIE CRUST RECIPE FAQS
Do you have to prebake recipes for graham cracker crust?
How do you make a graham cracker pie crust recipe that doesn’t fall apart?
The key to preventing the graham cracker crust recipe from falling apart is butter. You want to start with melted butter and make sure it coats all the graham cracker crumbs thoroughly. If it’s not mixed well BEFORE you make the crust, it will crumble as you make your pie.
Can I make a pumpkin pie with this homemade graham cracker crust?
Go right ahead! Follow my recipe for a Healthy Pumpkin Pie, but use this crust recipe instead. Bake pie as directed!
MORE EASY DESSERT RECIPES
High Protein Recipes on Repeat
Download the top 15+ recipes that are on repeat in my house, making it easy to feed my family AND meet my protein goals!
Graham Cracker Crust
This simple graham cracker crust recipe comes together fast with only 3 ingredients! Thick, buttery, and lightly sweet, it’s perfect for your no-bake desserts and adaptable to your macros.
Ingredients
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (14 sheets of graham crackers) (210g)
- ⅓ cup brown sugar OR any granulated sugar with ½ tsp molasses (67g)
- ½ cup butter melted (113g)
Instructions
-
Crush the graham cracker sheets into fine crumbs using a blender or food processor (I recommend a food processor). You want an even, finely ground crumb texture for the best crust.
-
Add the sugar and melted butter and stir until the graham cracker crumbs are well coated, and the crumb mixture sticks together when pressed between your fingers like wet sand. Mix in a large bowl if your blender or food processor jars are hard to stir in.
-
Pour the crumbs into your favorite pie dish (I like using my 8″ springform pan) and press FIRMLY into the bottom and sides of the dish. Chill for 10 minutes before filling.
-
There’s no need to bake – continue with your favorite no bake pie recipe and enjoy!
Notes
- If you don’t have a blender or food processor, you can place your graham crackers in a resealable bag and crush them by hand or by beating them with a rolling pin or meat mallet.
- As you press the graham cracker crust into the pie dish, use the back of a measuring cup or a small spatula to make sure it is firmly pressed into place, and that it is not too thick where the sides meet the bottom of the pan.
- Check your graham cracker labels! One reason I started making my own graham cracker crust is that the store-bought kind had so many ingredients we try to avoid. (Plus, I’ve always thought store-bought graham cracker crusts tasted a little bit stale). Aim for a simple ingredients list without high fructose corn syrup or hydrogenated oils.
- This graham cracker crust recipe fits in one 8 or 9-inch pie plate or springform pan. If you’re making a dessert in a larger dish (like a 9×13 baking dish), you’ll want to make 1 ½ times the recipe so that you have enough.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 2gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 232mgPotassium: 53mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 355IUCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mg
