Name: No-Bake Graham Cracker Crust
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 9
Ingredients: 165g (around 10 ½ sheets) graham crackers; 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar; 85g (6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Jump to Recipe

This no-bake graham cracker crust is the perfect base for no-bake desserts. It’s so quick and easy to make using only three ingredients! The graham cracker crumbs are held together with melted butter and pressed into the bottom of a pie dish.

a birds eye view of a graham cracker crust pressed in a pie dish.

A no-bake graham cracker crust is a quick and easy way to make a no-bake cheesecake or pie.

The crust is made from graham crackers and a little sugar, and it’s held together with butter. It has to be chilled after it’s made. This makes the butter firm, acting like the glue that holds the crust together.

Want a delicious pie idea to use this crumb crust in? Try this no-bake strawberry meringue pie or lemon meringue pie!

Ingredients for The Best Graham Cracker Crust

Here are the simple ingredients needed for this no-bake graham cracker crust recipe.

Graham crackers – I use honey maid graham crackers
Confectioner’s sugar – I prefer confectioner’s sugar for a no-bake crust, as granulated sugar can leave a grainy texture. You could also use soft brown sugar for a touch of molasses flavor.
Melted butter – this can be salted or unsalted butter.

See recipe card for quantities.

a lemon meringue pie with an easy graham cracker crust

Yield

This makes enough for a 9-inch pie plate.

If you are looking for an easy homemade graham cracker crust for a no-bake cheesecake (in a springform pan), use 1.5x the recipe.

fingers pressing the perfect graham cracker crust into a dish.

Instructions

Blend the melted butter into the cracker crumbs to create a thick crumb mixture.

graham crumbs mixed with butter in a blender.

Blend in the melted butter to create a thick crumb mixture.

Alternatively, if you don’t have a food processor, manually crush the crackers instead. Add the graham crackers to a large ziplock plastic bag. Seal it and bash the crackers until broken into a fine crumb. Add the graham cracker crumbs to a medium bowl with the sugar and pour over melted butter. Stir into a mixture that looks like wet sand.

Press the crust mixture into the bottom of the pie pan. Use your fingers to press the graham cracker mixture in and around the edges.

spoon pressing graham cracker crumbs into dish.

Use the back of a spoon or the bottom of a measuring cup to smooth it out for a clean look.

Place the homemade crust in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or the freezer for 20 minutes before filling it with your favorite no-bake filling.

Variations

You can add spices to the graham cracker crumbs to add flavor or use a different cookie!

Biscoff cookies – Biscoff Cookies can be used instead of graham crackers to create a spiced crust. Use around 200g (26 cookies) like in this cinnamon butterscotch pie.
Digestive cookies – if you can’t find graham crackers in your area, you can use digestive cookies too.
Brown butter graham cracker crust – Adding brown butter will boost its flavor. If browning your butter, add an extra tablespoon to account for the moisture that will evaporate.

Uses

This easy graham cracker crust recipe works well in no-bake recipes like fruit and cream pies.

Key lime pie
No-bake peanut butter pie
No-bake cherry pie – Fill the crust with sweetened cream cheese and cherry pie filling and top with whipped cream.
S’mores Baked Alaska

Though this is a no-bake recipe, you can use this recipe as a baked graham cracker crust, too (like in this brownie pie.)

side view of no bake graham cracker crust recipe

Top tips

This homemade graham cracker crust recipe is nice and firm when chilled, but cutting the first slice can be messy. Once that first slice has been cut, the rest should be easier. For clean slices, use a sharp knife and wipe the knife in between each cut.