Basic Graham Cracker Crust
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Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
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159 | Calories |
9g | Fat |
18g | Carbs |
1g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 8 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 159 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 9g | 12% |
Saturated Fat 5g | 25% |
Cholesterol 20mg | 7% |
Sodium 73mg | 3% |
Total Carbohydrate 18g | 7% |
Dietary Fiber 1g | 2% |
Total Sugars 10g | |
Protein 1g | |
Vitamin C 0mg | 0% |
Calcium 14mg | 1% |
Iron 1mg | 3% |
Potassium 29mg | 1% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
A graham cracker pie crust is an easy, delicious option on top of which to build many pies and cheesecakes. It's also far less time-consuming and takes less skill than a standard pastry crust or shortcrust. Use it in cream pies, frozen pies, and icebox pies – all are wonderful with graham cracker or cookie crumb crusts.
Our basic graham cracker pie crust needs just 3 ingredients: graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter. The recipe has the measurements for both an 8- or 9-inch pie crust or a thicker or deep dish crust.
Ingredients
For a Standard 8- or 9-Inch Pie Crust:
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1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
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1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
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1/4 cup sugar
For a Thicker Crust for Cheesecake or Deep Dish Pie:
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2 cups graham cracker crumbs
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1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
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1/3 cup sugar
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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If the recipe you're making requests a baked pie shell, preheat the oven to 375 F.
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In a large bowl combine all ingredients using the smaller amounts for a standard 8- or 9-inch pie plate, or the larger amounts for a springform pan or a large, deep-dish pie plate.
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Mix all the ingredients thoroughly using a spatula or wooden spoon.
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Press the crumbs firmly over the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.
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For an unbaked pie shell, chill for an hour in the refrigerator before filling. To loosen a chilled crust so it will release from the pie plate easily and in one piece, heat the bottom and sides of the pie plate with a damp kitchen towel which has been rinsed in very hot water.
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For a baked pie shell, bake it for about 8 to 10 minutes. For a firm pie shell, bake it for 10 to 12 minutes, or chill it thoroughly in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
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Place the pie shell on a rack and cool completely before filling.
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Enjoy!
Graham Crumbs
- To make graham cracker crumbs, put the graham crackers in a plastic food storage bag, seal the bag after letting most of the air come out, and use a rolling pin or meat mallet on the flat side to crush the crackers until the crumbs are fine. Alternatively, put the crackers in a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
- It takes about 14 graham crackers (squares) to make 1 cup of fine crumbs.
Recipe Variations
Here are some suggestions for flavored crusts:
- Pecan or Walnut: Reduce the crumbs by 1/4 cup and add 1/4 cup of finely chopped pecans. For a walnut flavored crust, use 1/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts.
- Cinnamon-Spiced: Add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the crust mixture or about 3/4 teaspoon for a large crust.
- Peanut: Replace half of the graham cracker crumbs with chopped dry roasted peanuts. If desired, add 1/4 cup of grated or shaved semisweet chocolate to the peanut and crumb mixture. This makes an excellent crust for a peanut butter pie.
- Chocolate: Replace the graham crackers with chocolate graham crackers.
- Light: Replace the butter with yogurt or light margarine.
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