Make your no bake desserts even easier with this no bake graham cracker crust. Made with just 3 ingredients and a few minutes of your time, you can have a crust ready for any no-bake filling or pudding.
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While I usually grab a storebought crust when I can, there's nothing wrong with homemade graham cracker crusts. They're easy to make, cheap, and quick too, especially when you skip the oven.
When I'm looking for a quick dessert, I'll grab a can of pie filling or a box of pudding mix and throw together a no bake pie or No Bake Kool Aid Pie in almost no time flat. Perfect for summer.
The kids love it every time, and I love that it can help me use up random odds and ends from the pantry. A Messy Pantry Costs You Money and sometimes I'll do a Clean Out the Pantry Challenge to help me clear out old boxes and cans.
If you love no bake pie recipes, be sure to check out my No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake too, it'd be fabulous with this crust!
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Minimal ingredients. You only need 3 ingredients to make this recipe, which means it's perfect for minimal shopping as you may find some, if not all, of these ingredients in your home already.
- No oven is needed. You will need access to a freezer (at least enough space to place a pie plate). But this no bake pie crust is great for keeping the house cooled and the oven off.
- It's fast to make. With minimal ingredients and a few minutes of your time, you can have this pie crust chilled, set, and ready to use. What you choose to fill it with may require a few additional minutes.
🛒 Ingredients
Graham crackers- This is the base of the recipe. You can buy a box of graham crackers or buy them as crumbs in a bag in the baking aisle. I recommend the box of plain grahams as they'll be cheaper, and then you'll have leftover cookies for snacking on later.
Butter- Melted butter is what moistens the crumbs and sugar and gets them to press nicely into the pan. Once chilled, the butter helps to hold everything together too.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Sugar. You can replace the requested granulated sugar with brown sugar or powdered sugar or omit it completely. Note that if omitted, the crust may be more brittle and prone to breaking when served.
For added flavor, you can add in ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
You can also add in up to 1 cup of rainbow jimmie sprinkles for a fun colorful appearance!
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Use store-brand graham crackers. Generic or off-brand graham crackers taste nearly identical to name brands but cost significantly less.
Buy in bulk. If you bake often, purchase large boxes of graham crackers or crumbs from warehouse stores or the baking aisle to save per ounce.
Substitute with what you have. You can use vanilla wafers, digestive biscuits, or even leftover cereal (like Cheerios) for a similar crust if you're out of graham crackers.
Skip the sugar. Most fillings are already sweet; omitting or reducing sugar in the crust can help stretch your pantry staples and still taste great.
🥄 Instructions for No Bake Graham Cracker Crust
Step 1: Add your butter to a small bowl.
Step 2: Microwave for about 30 seconds until melted. Set aside.
Step 3: Add your graham crackers to a food processor.
Step 4: Blend until fine crumbs.
Step 5: Add in the melted butter and sugar.
Step 6: Pulse to mix until combined.
Step 7: Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate.
Step 8: Press out into a crust. Make sure to cover the bottom and sides well so that there are no gaps.
Step 9: Carefully place the pie crust into the freezer and chill for at least 10 minutes.
Step 10: Fill with your favorite no bake fillings and either place in the fridge until ready to eat or slice and serve (follow the instructions on your filling, if it needs time to set, let it set).
Enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Using a food processor speeds up tasks like making pie crusts and Homemade Cheese Crackers.
- No food processor? No problem. Place graham crackers in a gallon-sized ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- If using a mini food processor, work in batches and transfer crushed crackers to a large mixing bowl to combine with sugar and butter.
- Pressing the crust into the pan? Use the backside of a metal spoon or measuring cup for easier handling.
- Trouble removing the crust from the pan? Dip the bottom of the pie plate (not a springform pan) in warm water. This warms the butter in the crust, aiding easy removal.
📖 Baked Crust Option
If you really want to bake this crust, simply add it to the oven at 350 degrees F and bake it for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely before adding your filling. This is a great tip if you want to make my Smores Pie with this crust.
❄️ Storage
Storage: Keep your crust stored well covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. Once filled, follow the storage instructions requested by the filling as some may last longer than others.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
- You can fill your pie with any canned pie fillings that are ready to eat right out of the can (usually fruity ones like apple or cherry). Homemade pie fillings like Homemade Peach Pie Filling or Instant Pot Apple Pie Filling work well too.
- You can make a no bake cheesecake filling or buy premade cheesecake filling from the grocery store (near the cream cheese). Or take it one step further and try Smores Ice Cream Pie (using cream cheese, marshmallow fluff AND ice cream!)
- You can whip up a batch of instant pudding mix and pour it into the crust. Fold the pudding with thawed whipped topping for a lighter consistency. (sort of like we do in our Halloween Dirt Cups for a mousse-like consistency).
- Homemade Peach Pie FillingRecipe $3.70 / Serving $0.46
- Instant Pot Apple Pie FillingRecipe $7.30 / Serving $0.91
- Smores Ice Cream PieRecipe $6.89 / Serving $0.86
- Halloween Dirt CupsRecipe $5.33 / Serving $0.89
❓ Recipe FAQs
While it's common to bake the crust before use, it's not actually needed. Because there are no components to this crust that require heat treatment, it's perfectly fine to keep it chilled, and it sets just as well as if it were baked.
If you don't have any graham crackers handy, you'll want to use some other form of cookie. Some good ideas include Nilla wafers, shortbread, oreo cookies, etc.
There are many reasons why your crust may be too hard, including too much butter (adding more than directed) or pressing on the crust after it's been set. You want the crust pressed enough to form a base and sides in a pie plate, but you do not need to overpress it.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Apple Pie with Graham Cracker CrustRecipe $7.16 / Serving $0.90
- Pumpkin Hand PiesRecipe $4.19 / Serving $0.52
- Homemade Peach Pie FillingRecipe $3.70 / Serving $0.46
- Applesauce Custard PieRecipe $3.83 / Serving $0.32
🐝 If you tried this no bake graham cracker crust, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
No Bake Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted - ($0.74)
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, about 1 sleeve - ($0.74)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar - ($0.04)
Instructions
- Melt butter. Microwave butter in a small bowl about 30 seconds until melted. Set aside.
- Make crumbs. Add graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form.
- Combine. Add melted butter and sugar to the crumbs and pulse until evenly combined.
- Press crust. Transfer mixture to a 9-inch pie plate. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides, ensuring there are no gaps.
- Chill. Place crust in the freezer for at least 10 minutes to set.
- Fill. Fill with your desired no-bake filling and refrigerate or serve as directed by the filling recipe.
Notes
- Sugar Options. Brown sugar or powdered sugar may be used. Sugar can be omitted, but the crust may be more fragile.
- No Processor Tip. Crush crackers in a sealed bag and press firmly with a spoon or measuring cup.
- Baked Option. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, then cool completely before filling.
- Flavor Add-Ins. Add ½ teaspoon cinnamon or up to 1 cup sprinkles for color.
- Filling Ideas. Works well with no-bake cheesecake, pudding with whipped topping, or pie filling.
- Storage. Store unfilled crust covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutritional Information
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