If you’ve looked at any of my other specialty crust recipes you know I’m a stickler when it comes to perfection. I’ve looked at countless pictures of graham cracker crusts posted by other bakers Many of the crusts looked them were crumbly and ready to fall apart. Some looked like the graham cracker crumbs were just sprinkled into the pie plate. I want a somewhat solid crust so most of it comes out with the filling.
Graham cracker crusts work best for no-bake recipes such as cream pies, cheesecakes, and an assorted types of fillings that are primarily pudding based. This crust can be whipped together in 5 minutes if you want to use a food processor like some recipes recommend. I’m old school and do almost everything by hand. I prefer to crush the graham crackers myself even though it might take an extra few minutes.
This recipe can also be used to make a gluten-free graham cracker pie crust. Simply use gluten-free graham crackers. If Instacart is available in your area, chances there’s a store nearby that carries gluten-free graham crackers. Pamela’s is probably the best known brand. To find a local store that carries Pamela’s gluten-free graham crackers, check the Pamela’s store locator. Schar (sold at Walmart) and Annie’s are available in some stores but nowhere near as well known as Pamela’s.
After testing and reviewing dozens of graham cracker crust recipes, I realized why none of them met my expectations. Most of them recommend using a measuring cup or glass to press the crust. The crust needs to be packed a lot firmer than most recipes recommend. If the crust isn’t packed firmly, it will crumble when slicing the pie. Bingo! Once I realized the issue with most recipes, I decided to find a better solution, of which I found several.
Techniques To Firmly Pack A Graham Cracker Crust
- Use a pastry roller
- Use another pie plate
- Use a plastic cover from a store-bought graham cracker crust
I should note that if you’re using an aluminum foil pie plate, pressing the crust doesn’t seem to be an option. The sides of the aluminum pan will bend and prevent you from applying the pressure necessary to fully pack the crust. Most regular bakers have metal or glass pie plates, for which the following options might work.
Pastry Roller
My idea of trying a roller was complicated by the fact that I needed a roller small enough to use on the sides of the pie plate. The smallest pastry roller I could find was 2.5″ wide. I thought it was too big but it seemed to produce a much more solid crust than the ones I pressed by hand or using a measuring cup. I’m not big on giving corporations free advertising but I will say that I bought the roller below at Wally World.
In my quest to find a smaller roller I discovered an even better solution but not everyone is going to be onboard with the idea. The roller below, which I found to be perfect, is actually a wallpaper seam roller. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. The roller is only 1.5″ wide. It is hardwood and absolutely perfect for packing a graham cracker or other type of crumbly cookie crust.
Another Pie Plate
If you have multiple size pie plates, you might have one just the right size to press inside the one you’re using for the graham cracker crust, None of my pie plates worked because they’re all 9-inch deep dish but I’ve heard other bakers claim they have pie plates that fit perfectly inside others. If you’re lucky enough to have a pie plate that’s the right size, I would recommend spraying the outside edges and bottom with non-stick cooking spray before pressing it into the crust.
Plastic Cover From Store-Bought Crust
This technique is so obvious it might not need to be mentioned. Store-bought graham cracker crusts have a plastic cover that can be used to cover the pie during storage. You can also use it as a mold to press the graham cracker crust even more firmly into the pie plate. It doesn’t work anywhere near as well as using the pasty roller but it’s a simple solution that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Without further ado, let’s start creating that perfect graham cracker pie that won’t fall apart when you’re slicing the pie! Of course, if you like a crumbly crust you can just jump to the recipe below.
3 Simple Steps To Create The Perfect Graham Cracker Crust
- Make the crust
- Line the pie plate
- Bake it up
What You’ll Need
5 Simple Ingredients
- Graham crackers (regular or gluten-free)
- Butter (melted)
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon (optional)
Utensils & Equipment
- 9-inch pie plate
- Medium mixing bowl
- Rolling pin or food processor
- Spoon or spatula
- Pastry roller OR
- Smaller pie plate OR
- Plastic cover from store-bought crust
- Wire cooling rack
Super Easy Graham Cracker Pie Crust Recipe
Utensils & Equipment
- 1 9-inch pie plate
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 Rolling Pin (or food processor)
- 1 spoon or spatula
- 1 small microwave-safe bowl
- 1 pastry roller (optional)
Ingredients List
- 8 ounces graham crackers (15 sheets)
- 7 Tbsp butter melted
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
Preheat Oven
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
Process The Graham Crackers
- You can use a food processor if necessary or if it's quicker. I usually place the graham crackers in a large resealable bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Be sure to leave a corner of the bag open to allow the air to escape as you crush the graham crackers.
- Regardless of the method you choose, the crackers must pulverized into crumbs as small as possible. The reason most graham cracker crusts fall apart is the crumbs were too big and/or the recipe didn't include enough butter.
- Pour the crushed graham crackers into a medium bowl.
Melt and Mix
- Melt the butter then stir in the sugars and cinnamon. You can use a microwave-safe bowl or a saucepan.
- Ingredients must be thoroughly blended. Make sure the sugars are completely dissolved and the cinnamon is well incorporated.
Bring It All Together
- Drizzle the melted mixture over the crushed graham crackers. Don't dump it all in one spot.
- Use a spoon or spatula to mix until completely incorporated. There should be no wet spots from the liquid ingredients. Keep mixing until the crumbs hold together when pinched.
Form The Crust
- Pour the crumb mixture into a 9-inch pie plate.
- Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pie plate and up the sides. For now just press the mixture as firmly as you can. Make sure the sides and bottom of the crust are the same thickness all the way around.
Most Important Step
- This is the step where I noticed issues with other graham cracker crust recipes. They recommend using a measuring cup or spoon to press the crust.
- My recommendation is to use one of the 3 items mentioned above – a pastry roller, smaller pie plate, or plastic crust cover. I use a pastry roller since I found one that is small enough to roll the sides to the firmness that can't be achieved by larger items like a glass or measuring cup..
- When done, the crust should be almost perfectly flat. If you can see some crumbs sticking up higher than others, then keep pressing.
Bake
- Bake for 10 minutes or until the crust feels solid. It will harden as the butter cools.
- Once the crust is out of the oven, press it again. Use a pastry roller, your fingers, or whatever you used to form the crust before baking. Even though the crust is baked, the butter will help harden the crust as it cools.
Cool
- Place on wire cooling rack and allow to cool for at room temperature for at least one hour.