Basic Graham Cracker Crust

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 06/08/21
Basic Graham Cracker Pie Crust

The Spruce 
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 8 mins
Total: 18 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 pie crust
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
159 Calories
9g Fat
18g Carbs
1g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
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.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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.

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Ingredients

For a Standard 8- or 9-Inch Pie Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

  • 1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/4 cup sugar

For a Thicker Crust for Cheesecake or Deep Dish Pie:

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs

  • 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/3 cup sugar

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients
    The Spruce

  2. If the recipe you're making requests a baked pie shell, preheat the oven to 375 F.

  3. 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.

    crushed graham cracker
     The Spruce

  4. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly using a spatula or wooden spoon.

    mix ingredients
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  5. Press the crumbs firmly over the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate.

    form the crust
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  6. 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.

  7. 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. 

  8. Place the pie shell on a rack and cool completely before filling.

  9. 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.