You don’t need to rely on commercial pie crusts this season. You can make your own Homemade Graham Cracker Crust in just 20 minutes with regular grocery staples!
Use this easy pie crust as the base to Pumpkin Streusel Pie. Use chocolate sandwich cookies for a twist and make up a Sorbet & Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Ganache or a tasty Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pie. There are so many options for Homemade Pies with a crumb crust!
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Pie is probably my very favorite baked good. Chocolate Cheesecake is a close second, but when I think of comforting desserts or a sweet treat that I want to bring to a party, pie is the winner.
One thing that can make or break a good pie, however, is the crust. Store bought varieties rarely make the grade. Thankfully, pie crust is easy to make!
Whether you make a Easy Homemade Pie Crust with butter, an even easier Press In Pie Crust, or this simple Graham Cracker Pie Crust, your pies promise to be devine!
Why Make This
It’s easy! You can make your own in just a matter of minutes. It’s super easy and the same method can be applied to any crumb crust, whether you’re using crackers, cookies, or even pretzels to build the crust.
It’s delicious. While a commercial crust can be super convenient, there’s something a little more special about preparing a pie in your own pie dish — much prettier than those foil thingummies — and the flavor and texture of homemade is better, particularly with butter. This graham cracker crust takes the Best Pumpkin Pie in the World to new levels. Trust me.
Ingredients
You only need three ingredients to make a homemade graham cracker pie crust:
graham crackers – You can use standard graham crackers, but you can also use Teddy Grahams or another type of cookie, such as Biscoff, Oreos, shortbread, or digestives. You can even use pretzels as a crumb crust substitute. (Remember to use leftovers for a fun batch of smores.)
butter – I typically use dairy butter, but you can also use margarine or a plant-based butter if you prefer.
sugar – The sugar is there partially for sweetness but also as a binding agent. When the sugar mixes with the melted butter and then bakes in the oven, it helps to hold things together.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Having a food processor will speed up your process, but you can use the old ziploc bag and a rolling pin method if you prefer. Keep in mind that 1 ½ cups of crumbs is about 12 full graham crackers.
Your mileage may vary depending on the type and size of the cracker, the humidity in the air, and what music you have playing in the background. (I kid. At least with that last one.)
Here’s how to make a homemade graham cracker pie crust in the food processor:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Process the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. You want very fine crumbs with no lumps.
- Add the butter and sugar to the bowl and pulse until well combined.
- Press the crumbs very firmly into a pie plate and up the sides, using the bottom of a flat measuring cup can help to press firm.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack before continuing with your pie recipe. If the pie recipe calls for an unbaked crust, chill it in the freezer instead of baking it.
FAQs
The combination of butter and sugar together acts as a binding agent to hold the graham cracker crumbs together. Pressing the mixture firmly in the pan also contributes to its texture while baking it seals the deal.
A baked and cooled crust will hold up better than one that hasn’t been baked.
You can use a variety of cookie or cracker crumbs for a pie crust or cheesecake base. Options include chocolate sandwich cookies (aka Oreos), shortbread, pretzels, and digestives. The textures will vary depending on how well the crumbs absorb the melted butter.
Recipe Costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- graham crackers – $1.00
- butter – $0.17
- sugar – $0.03
While your costs may vary depending on how and where you shop, you can expect to pay about $1.20 for a 9-inch graham cracker pie crust.
Save even more:
To make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. There are only three ingredients in this recipe: crackers, sugar, and butter. To economize, buy these items when they are on sale and buy as much as your budget and storage space will allow in order to stock up until the next sale. You’ll find that the winter holidays and Easter tend to garner great sales on these items. You can freeze the butter until you’re ready to use it, so don’t hesitate to stock up.
- Watch for items on clearance. Often times I’ll find these same items on clearance after the holidays, but also year-round. Clearance groceries are safe! Often times the packaging is changing or the store is discontinuing the item, so they want to unload it fast. Just check the expiration dates so that you have enough time to use it up.
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Homemade Graham Cracker Pie Crust
Equipment
- food processor
- glass measuring cup
- dry measuring cup
- pie pan
- rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs from about 12 full sheets
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Process the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. You want very fine crumbs with no lumps. Add the butter and sugar.
- Press the crumbs very firmly into a pie plate and up the sides. Using the bottom of a measuring cup can help to press firm.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Cool completely on a rack before continuing with your pie recipe. If the pie recipe calls for an unbaked crust, chill it in the freezer instead of baking it.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on November 19, 2016. It has been updated for content and clarity.
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