While I love a traditional homemade pie crust made with butter and flour, I’m a big fan of graham cracker crust, too! With crushed grahams, sugar and butter, graham cracker crusts have a delightful caramelized flavor after baking. And while graham cracker crusts are often viewed as the “easier” pie crust, there are still a few pitfalls that you need to be aware of.
First, use fresh graham crackers if possible. You can grind them up in a food processor or put them in a Ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin or meat mallet. Second, be sure to use the proper ratio of graham cracker crumbs to butter. If you have too much butter, the crust will sink down into the pie plate while baking.
Third, always use a little sugar. You can use as much as 1/4 cup sugar if you like it sweeter, or the 2 Tablespoons I suggest. The sugar helps the crust bind together when it bakes. Finally, although many recipes allow for an unbaked graham cracker crust, the crust will hold together better and taste better after a quick bake. I recommend 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes if you plan to bake the crust again with filling inside, or 12-15 minutes if you’re adding a cold filling after baking.
Need something to fill your crust with? Try our Lemon Cream Pie, Key Lime Pie, Chocolate Cream Pie, or Dulce De Leche Icebox Pie.
