Learn how to make a graham cracker crust with just a few ingredients! This simple crust recipe is the perfect base for cheesecakes pies, and tarts. It’s so easy to make!
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Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crust
Today we are learning a simple, staple recipe that everyone needs in their recipe box – how to make graham cracker crust! This crust is essential because it’s a base recipe that can lead to so many delicious desserts.
Simple Ingredients, Delicious Results
The beauty of a graham cracker crust is that it calls for just a few, simple ingredients. Graham crackers, granulated sugar, and butter. You can add a little pinch of salt too, if you like. That’s it, just three or four ingredients!
This graham cracker crust can be made with gluten free graham crackers or regular graham crackers. That’s the beauty of this recipe, it’s so simple to adapt to meet different dietary needs.
How to Make a Dairy Free Graham Cracker Crust
For any of you who need a lactose free or dairy free pie crust recipe, you can use this recipe! It’s really easy to adapt to a dairy free diet – simply swap out the butter for dairy free or vegan butter or you could even use melted coconut oil.
If you need lactose free but not necessarily dairy free, use ghee! It’s still dairy (so not safe for dairy allergies) but it still has that really, buttery taste that we all love in a good graham cracker crust minus the lactose. It’s great for my lactose intolerant daughter.
I use Organic Valley Ghee because I can easily find it at my grocery store.
Also, be sure to check the labels on your graham crackers. I use Kinnikinnick S’Moreable Graham Crackers, which are also dairy free. Schar Honeygrams are dairy free, too.
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To Bake or Not to Bake
If you’re making a no-bake cheesecake or pudding pie, you don’t have to bake this crust before adding your filling. Just be sure to press your crust into the pan really, really tight.
Sometimes, I like to bake it for a few minutes first – it gives the crust a really nice “toasted” taste that just adds an extra dimension of flavor to the dessert. Totally optional but definitely delicious!
I also like to bake it for a couple minutes before cooling and adding a cheesecake filling that will be baked again. It really just helps it and will greatly reduce the risk of filling leaking through the crust and making it soggy. Again, totally optional.
Fillings for a Graham Cracker Crust
So you made a graham cracker crust, now what? What should you fill it with? Make a chocolate pudding pie by filling the crust with chocolate pudding and topping it with whipped cream.
My favorite version of a chocolate pudding pie is by making it with my Baileys Chocolate Pudding (use more milk in place of the Baileys if you prefer) and topping it with my White Chocolate Ganache Whipped Cream. It’s insanely good!
My coconut cream pie filling would be amazing in this gluten free graham cracker crust too. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
You can also make a double-batch of my no-bake salted caramel cheesecake filling to make a full-sized dessert instead of individual cheesecakes. I’m sharing a classic no-bake cheesecake filling next week so be sure you’re getting my email updates so you don’t miss it!
Pie-spiration
Need some more pie options? Try my regular gluten free pie crust – perfect for sweet and savory pies like quiche or fudge pecan pie. Enjoy!
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How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups gluten free graham cracker crumbs see notes
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons butter melted
- pinch of salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Add the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt to a large bowl. Mix together until all of the crumbs are moistened. **If you are making your own graham cracker crumbs with a food processor, feel free mix the crumbs, sugar, butter, and salt together with the food processor.**
- Use a flat bottomed measuring cup to firmly press the crumbs into a 9 inch pie dish or 9 inch spring-form pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.
- Cool before adding the filling.
Notes
- I make my own graham cracker crumbs by processing gluten free graham crackers in my food processor. It only takes a minute!
- If you don't need gluten free, just use regular graham crackers!
- Yes, you can skip the baking part for a truly no-bake dessert.
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Disclaimers
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Facts are estimated and aren't always accurate. Please consult a doctor or nutritionist if you have special dietary needs.
My daughter and I are both celiacs, so for us, gluten free is a must. Sometimes however, my favorite store is out of GF grahams. So I substitute Kinnikinnick Vanilla Wafers. My husband is a diabetic so I omit the sugar as well. Works and tastes great.
great idea!
Can the sugar be omitted? I can’t use the graham crackers mentioned due to high corn flour content. I use Pamela’s, but find the crackers already too sweet.
If you omit the sugar, just use a little bit more of the graham cracker crumbs so the mixture isn’t too wet.
Yum! I love the idea of baking it just a little bit for a no bake cheesecake to give it that toasty feel.
I love how easy this look, and with only a few ingredients. My favorite kid of recipe!
there is something about graham cracker crust that brings me back to my childhood it reminds me so much summertime and all the pies my mom would make with us. thanks for the great tips on making the crust!
This is awesome. It is so helpful to know that I can use coconut oil if I’m making a pie and realize I am out of butter!
So easy and easily a family favorite!
Easy and easily a family favorite!
there is something about graham cracker crust that brings me back to my childhood it reminds me so much summertime and all the pies my mom would make with us. thanks for the great tips on making the crust!
Yum! I love the idea of baking it just a little bit for a no bake cheesecake to give it that toasty feel.
Those look like the same graham crackers I use! Since my husband is gluten-free, and it’s gotten harder to find dairy-free grahams around here that don’t have a bunch of junk, I usually just make a gluten-free graham crust like this one. Equally delicious!
The only kind of crust I like! I often wonder why people buy the preamade as even in a hurry making one takes only a few minutes.
we LOVE those kinnikinnick grahams! this is one of my all time favorites, we love our cheesecake around here…
The only kind of crust I like! I often wonder why people buy the preamade as even in a hurry making one takes only a few minutes.
So true that a graham cracker crust is the base for so many wonderful desserts. All the things you can pair it with!! 😀
I love how easy this look, and with only a few ingredients. My favorite kid of recipe!
Easy and easily a family favorite!
So easy and easily a family favorite!
This is such a great and approachable tutorial! I helped out at a bakery a few years ago and learned how to make graham cracker crusts, they’re so tasty homemade 🙂
Thank you so much Jenna! That’s great having that hands on experience!
So true that a graham cracker crust is the base for so many wonderful desserts. All the things you can pair it with!! 😀
we LOVE those kinnikinnick grahams! this is one of my all time favorites, we love our cheesecake around here…
This is such a great and approachable tutorial! I helped out at a bakery a few years ago and learned how to make graham cracker crusts, they’re so tasty homemade 🙂
Those look like the same graham crackers I use! Since my husband is gluten-free, and it’s gotten harder to find dairy-free grahams around here that don’t have a bunch of junk, I usually just make a gluten-free graham crust like this one. Equally delicious!
This is awesome. It is so helpful to know that I can use coconut oil if I’m making a pie and realize I am out of butter!