This easy, 3-ingredient graham cracker crust is perfect for using with no-bake recipes and baked desserts. It’s thick and buttery and stays together perfectly when slicing desserts. I’ve used it with my no-bake cheesecake, s’mores ice cream cake, and s’mores cupcakes (to name just a few recipes). Whether you’re tired of buying pre-made graham cracker crusts from the grocery store or simply need a trusted graham cracker crust recipe, this one will be perfect for your next dessert!
Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients
This graham cracker crust only uses three simple ingredients:
- Graham Crackers. You can use plain, honey-flavored, chocolate-flavored, or cinnamon-flavored graham crackers with this recipe. I like to use honey graham crackers for a classic flavor.
- Brown Sugar. Use light or dark brown sugar for this recipe. I usually use light brown sugar but dark brown sugar will yield a richer, more molasses flavor.
- Unsalted butter. Since there’s already salt in the graham crackers, unsalted butter is preferred to keep the graham cracker flavor on point. Salted butter will work, but note that the result will be saltier.
How to Make Perfect Graham Cracker Crust
Making graham cracker crust is quick and easy. First, you’ll grind the graham crackers into fine crumbs. You can do this with a food processor or add the graham cracker sheets into a large Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Either way works!
Add the graham cracker crumbs into a medium bowl along with the brown sugar and melted butter, then mix it all together with a rubber spatula until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Add the mixture into your springform pan or pie dish and pack it down on the bottom and up the sides of the pan. You want to pack it firmly here so that it stays together when you slice it. I like to use a measuring cup to pack it down.
If you’re making a baked dessert (like a baked cheesecake or pie), you’ll want to par-bake the crust at 350ºF (177ºC) for 10 minutes at this point, then move on to making the filling in your recipe. If you’re making a no-bake dessert (like my no-bake cheesecake or s’mores ice cream cake), freeze the graham cracker crust for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling. Easy!
Substitutions for Graham Crackers
You can use any flavor of graham cracker for this recipe – plain, honey, chocolate, or cinnamon being the most popular. Other substitutes that work well are vanilla wafers and other crunchy cookies that are vanilla-based in flavor. If you don’t have graham crackers where you live, you can use 200g of digestive biscuits (about 13 biscuits) in place of the graham crackers. If using digestive biscuits, reduce the butter amount in the recipe to 6 Tablespoons.
If you’re looking to use Oreos, use the Oreo Cookie Crust from this recipe, and if you’re looking to use Biscoff Cookies, use the Biscoff Cookie Crust from this recipe.
Recipes to Use with Graham Cracker Crust
I absolutely love using this graham cracker crust with the following recipes:
Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
- 2 Cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs about 15 full sheets
- 1/3 Cup (67g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan, 10-inch springform pan, or deep dish 9-inch pie pan. Pack it down tightly to the bottom and up the sides of the pan using a glass jar or measuring cup. You’ll want to pack it as tightly as possible to prevent it from crumbling apart when you cut into your dessert.
- For no-bake desserts like no-bake cheesecake, freeze the pie crust for 10-15 minutes before filling and continuing on per your recipe's instructions. For baked desserts like pies and baked cheesecakes, par-bake the graham cracker crust at 350ºF (177ºC) for 10 minutes before filling and continuing on per your recipe's instructions.
Notes
Did you make this graham cracker crust? I want to know what dessert you paired it with! Let me know in the comments and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
I build the wall, I place a slightly smaller pan before baking.
I have to make this every year for my sister. She says mine is every bit as good as the Cheesecake Factory! Have you seen the price of those things? Maybe I need to go into business!