Who doesn’t love a good graham cracker crust?! it gives the perfect texture contrast to creamy pies and cheesecakes. In this post, I’ll go over how to make this graham cracker crust recipe in the bake and no-bake version, as well as tips on keeping it from crumbling.
Bake or no-bake?
It’s really up to you, as well as what the recipe calls for! In the photo above, I made a no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, so naturally the crust was no-bake as well. The key to keeping a no-bake crust intact is to make sure there’s enough butter to coat the entire mixture well, pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs, and press the crust in firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup (or other item that can press it well). Then you’ll want to freeze it for at least 45 minutes, or refrigerate for an hour to hour and a half. This hardens the melted butter back up and is what firms up your crust to help keep shape.
If you’re baking, you will want to preheat the oven to 350 F and bake for about 8 minutes. It should be a nice golden color and not too dark. If baked too long, it is prone to cracking and shrinking.
How to make this graham cracker crust recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 Cups of graham cracker crumbs (approx 12 full sized graham crackers)
- 10 Tbsp butter, melted (1 stick plus 2 tbsp)
- 1 Tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 Cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
No Bake Instructions:
- In a food processor, pulverize the graham crackers into fine crumbs and measure out two cups for the mixing bowl.
- Add the cinnamon, pinch of salt, and sugar, then mix until combined.
- Pour in the melted butter and combine into mixture, making sure everything is coated well by the butter.
- With a pencil, trace the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan onto parchment paper to make a circle. Cut out the circle, then place on the bottom of the pan.
- Pour the graham cracker mixture into the pan and press down firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup, or similar item.
- Place into the freezer for 45 minutes or refrigerator for at least 1 hour to 1.5 hours.
Baking Instructions:
- Follow the above instructions, except instead of placing in freezer, bake in the oven at 350 F for about 8 minutes, making sure the result is golden and not too dark.
Important Notes
- In lieu of a food processor, you can technically crush the graham crackers in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin, but I really don’t recommend that method. The first reason is the crumbs need to be fine, which you won’t be able to achieve with a rolling pin. The second reason is that it takes a really long time! Trust me, I know from experience after crushing Oreos with a rolling pin one time. After that, I went out and got a food processor pronto. Here’s a link to the one I have. It’s basic, but inexpensive and does the job!
- If your mixture doesn’t seem well coated by the butter, add a couple extra tablespoons of melted butter if need be. You want to make sure it’s well coated with butter (but not too much that it’s too wet) to make a stable crust.
Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
Equipment
- Food Processor
- 9 Inch Springform Pan
Ingredients
- 2 Cups graham cracker crumbs Approx 12 full graham crackers
- 10 Tbsp butter, melted 1 stick plus 2 tbsp
- 1/4 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulverize the graham crackers into fine crumbs and measure out two cups into a mixing bowl
- Add the sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt, then mix until combined.
- Pour in the melted butter, mixing well to make sure its incorporated completely into the dry mixture.
- With a pencil, trace the bottom of the springform pan on parchment paper and cut out a circle.
- Place the circle in the bottom of the pan, then pour in the graham cracker mixture.
- Press down firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup or similar item.
- Freeze for 45 minutes or refrigerate for at least an hour to hour and a half
- If baking, bake at 350 F for about 8 minutes. Color should be golden.
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