Good Graham Cracker Crust (Video)

Learn to make a thick, buttery home made graham cracker crust with this straightforward recipe and my perfected shaping strategies. You want simply 3 components, and it tastes so good, I assure you’ll by no means return to store-bought graham cracker crust. And if graham crackers aren’t accessible the place you reside, we’ve bought a tested-and-approved biscuit crumb crust various for you!

At this time I’m instructing you my practiced-and-perfected methodology for making a deliciously buttery, candy graham cracker crust that’s splendidly crisp and crumbly, however nonetheless holds form. You should use it for pies, bar desserts, cheesecakes, and extra—like cheesecake pie, banoffee pie, and lemon blueberry cheesecake bars.

Grasp a graham cracker crust, and the remaining is as straightforward as s’mores brownie pie. ?

Can’t I Simply Purchase a Pre-Made Graham Cracker Crust?

Sure, you possibly can! However a home made graham cracker crust is far simpler and faster than you assume. Pre-made crusts at all times appear to lack taste… and positively style slightly stale.

When it comes all the way down to it, the style and texture of a home made graham cracker crust is on a very totally different degree. Perhaps even a special planet. Buttery, candy, crispy, crumbly… and produced from solely 3 components. Simply THREE! And right here they’re:

Seize These 3 Elements

1. Graham Crackers: (Effectively, clearly.) You want about 12 full sheet graham crackers, to yield about 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) crumbs. You can even buy graham cracker crumbs in most grocery shops within the baking aisle. Graham crackers are an American pantry staple and are available traditional honey taste, however you may as well discover chocolate, cinnamon, and low-fat variations. Any taste can be nice on this graham cracker crust recipe. I desire to make use of the Nabisco Honey Maid model authentic graham crackers—extra information on that under.
2. Butter: Melted butter binds the tiny crumbs collectively, and makes this crust style unbelievably buttery and scrumptious. You want 6 Tablespoons (85g) of butter for a pie crust, however solely 5 Tablespoons (71g) for a cheesecake crust. (Full cheesecakes may be actually heavy and moist, so that’s the reason I barely cut back the butter.)
3. Granulated sugar: Because the crust bakes, the sugar crystals help the butter in binding the crumbs collectively. Graham crackers are already candy, so we don’t want so as to add a lot sugar, simply 1/4 cup.

Nabisco Honey Maid Model vs. Retailer Model

After testing a number of manufacturers, my very scientific conclusion (LOL) is that the most effective graham crackers to make use of for this crumb crust are the Nabisco Honey Maid model. The shop-brand graham crackers we tried had been lighter in shade and the feel wasn’t fairly as crispy. 

When urgent the crust produced from store-brand crackers into the pie dish, it felt extra moist, and a bit mushier. Which is smart, as a result of the Honey Maid ones really feel tougher/crispier as in the event that they’ve been baked longer, so the store-brand graham cracker crumbs really feel a bit mushier while you add the melted butter.

All that mentioned, you possibly can definitely nonetheless make this crust with any model of graham crackers you’ve gotten! (And I’m not getting paid by Nabisco to let you know to purchase their merchandise, simply genuinely a fan!)

Graham Cracker Math

Graham crackers may fluctuate barely in measurement and weight, and sometimes producers change the dimensions or quantity you get in a bundle—which suggests my crew and I’ve to undergo all our recipes that use graham crackers and replace them! (In case you’re questioning why your printed recipe could not match the recipe on the web site.) Some math information you might discover useful:

• 12 graham crackers ought to yield about 1.5 cups of crumbs after they’re finely floor, or about 180g. (12x15g)
• 1 full sheet graham cracker = 14–16g, or about ½ an oz
• 12 full sheets = 168–192g 
• 1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs = roughly 180g

Learn how to Make Your Do-it-yourself Graham Cracker Crust (It’s Straightforward)

Begin by grinding up your graham crackers. You should use a meals processor or blender for this, however should you don’t have one, simply put them in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin. You need actually nice crumbs, so be at liberty to take out all of your frustrations on these crackers!

Combine the crushed graham crackers with the granulated sugar, after which stir within the melted butter. The combination will probably be thick, sandy, and coarse. Attempt to smash/break up any massive chunks.

Forestall Your Graham Cracker Crust From Falling Aside

The ratio of components is essential, however what issues most is the way you press the combination into your pan. The method you utilize could make or (actually) break a terrific graham cracker crust:

1. Don’t be nervous that it’s crumbly: The combination inevitably feels too crumbly as you begin urgent it into the pan, however while you begin making use of strain, it should stick collectively.
2. Use your fingers first: Press the underside and across the sides with medium-firm strain till the crumbs aren’t transferring round anymore—you don’t need any free crumbs. You should use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to assist easy out the floor, simply don’t pack it down too exhausting.
3. Don’t pack too tightly: The crust must be compact, so it doesn’t crumble aside, however not so tight that it bakes into a tough, dense crust. You actually simply need to pack it till the form has set and it’s not crumbly.
4. Preserve it rounded if making a pie: This sounds a bit odd, however you don’t desire a proper angle on the backside edges the place the perimeters and the underside meet. As an alternative, you need it slightly bit rounded so it stays related while you slice into it—so the facet crust doesn’t instantly separate from the underside crust. Slide a spoon across the within the crust the place the perimeters and backside meet, to get that rounded form.

I like to make use of my thumb on one hand and 4 fingers on my different hand to go across the high and sides. You’ll be able to see me do that within the video tutorial under, too.

And, as defined within the 4th success tip above, operating a spoon across the internal sides helps the crust preserve a rounded form, so the slices of your pie keep intact:

FAQ: What Dimension Pan Does This Match?

You’ll want to use an ungreased 8-inch, 9-inch, or 10-inch pie dish, cake pan, springform pan, or sq. pan for this recipe. It’s not sufficient for a 9×13-inch pan. Should you’re making a 9×13-inch dessert, I like to recommend 1.5x the recipe.

FAQ: Does Graham Cracker Crust Must Be Baked?

Sometimes, sure. After shaping into your pan, this crust ought to be baked, and the period of time actually is determined by the recipe you’re utilizing, and whether or not it’s a baked or a no-bake filling. Examine the pie or cheesecake recipe you’re utilizing for crust baking and cooling directions.

I normally pre-bake this graham cracker crust for at the very least 10 minutes at 350°F (177°C) earlier than including a filling. Should you’re making a no-bake pie/dessert: cool the crust earlier than filling it, except the no-bake pie recipe you might be utilizing states in any other case.

Or attempt my no bake cheesecake, which makes use of a brown sugar graham cracker crust that isn’t baked in any respect.

Digestive Biscuit Crumb Crust Various

For non-US readers, my crew and I examined out making this crust with digestive biscuits (we used McVitie’s model), and listed below are our findings:

Although totally different in measurement and form, 1 commonplace digestive biscuit weighs nearly the identical as 1 full sheet graham cracker, about 15g. Digestives are related in taste to graham crackers, however the texture is barely totally different. Digestives aren’t fairly as crispy-crunchy as graham crackers, and disintegrate sooner when moist, as those that prefer to dip them into their tea will know. We discovered that we would have liked some further crumbs within the crust to assist soak up the melted butter.

We’re additionally including a bit extra sugar, as a result of digestive biscuits comprise about half the quantity of sugar as graham crackers. So the ultimate recipe for a digestive biscuit crumb crust that works as a terrific various to this graham cracker crust is:

• 200g digestive crumbs (about 2 cups; 13–14 commonplace digestive biscuits)
• 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
• 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted

Prebake for a bit longer than the graham crust, 12–quarter-hour at 350°F (177°C).

Graham cracker crust is the bottom of so many unbelievable desserts, so it’s essential to have a extremely strong recipe for this baking staple beneath your belt (or apron ties). And it’s really easy to grasp. To not point out, unbelievably good. Repeat: It’s buttery! Thick! Crunchy! Graham crackery! Simply the most effective!

Different Crumb Crust Options

You could possibly additionally make this crumb crust with speculoos biscuits (like Biscoff), vanilla wafers, or Ritz crackers as an alternative of graham crackers. For a straightforward Oreo crust, see this recipe for Cookies & Cream Pie.

Q: Have you ever tried every other alternate options for a graham cracker crumb crust?

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