Easy gluten-free graham cracker crust at home using only 4 ingredients. This recipe works for baked pies and no-bake pies, and can be used in a pie dish, tart pan, springform pan, or baking pan for any and all crusts.
Recipe by Sarah Menanix on March 12, 2021
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT8M
Total time: PT18M
Rating
5 stars (29 reviews)
Keywords
cheesecake crust, gluten-free, graham cracker crust, no-bake, pie, tart
Ingredients
175 g (about 1.75 cups) gluten-free graham cracker crumbs*
1/4 cup granulated sugar*
5 tablespoons unsalted butter* (melted)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Categories
Desserts
Steps
For a baked crust, preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar together with a fork. Pour in the melted butter and salt and mix well with a fork until the crumbs are evenly moistened. The crumbs should be sandy, but a clump will just hold together when pinched. Note: I've tested this recipe with three different brands of gluten-free graham crackers, but your graham crackers might be slightly different. If a clump will not hold together because your crumbs are too dry, add 1/2 tablespoon more melted butter. If your graham crackers are too wet, add 1/4 cup more graham crackers crumbs.
Dump the buttery graham crackers into a 9-inch pie dish, 9-inch tart pan, 9 or 10-inch springform pan, or 8x8 baking dish.
Use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to firmly pack the crumbs down into a layer on the bottom of the baking dish or pan, being sure to save some of the crumbs along the sides. If you're making a graham cracker crust without sides, such as using an 8x8 baking dish for cheesecake bars, skip the sides and pack all the crumbs into the bottom.
Use your fingers to carefully and firmly press the crust up the sides of the baking dish or pan. For a tart crust, use your thumb to square off the top of the crust. For a springform pan, press the edge about 3/4-inch to 1-inch up the side of the pan. Leave the edge shaggy or use a thin knife along the top to create a more evenly straight edge.
For a no-bake crust, chill the crust for at least 2 hours or freeze for 20 minutes before filling. Be sure to keep it chilled until serving.
For a baked crust, blind bake (bake without filling) the graham cracker crust for 8 minutes before filling it. When the crust comes out of the oven, immediately use a clean dry measuring cup to gently press the crust down into the bottom and against the sides of the pie or baking dish or pan. Let it cool completely before filling. For cheesecake, bake the crust before filling it, which helps seal the crust keeping it crisp and not soggy.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 g
Calories: 74 kcal
Carbohydrates: 6 g
Fat: 6 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 14 mg
Sodium: 57 mg
Sugar: 5 g
Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
Reviews
Kendra on 2025-11-04 (5 stars): I made this for a pumpkin pie and it was AMAZING! Soooo good! And so simple! Thank you!
Giselle A on 2025-11-03 (5 stars): I loved this crust! I used coconut sugar and Pamela’s graham crackers - about an entire packet, save one graham cracker. I don’t like my desserts too sweet so next time I might skip the sugar or only put in 1/8 c as it was slightly too sweet for me.
Tammy Heath on 2025-04-02 (5 stars): My family loves my New York Cheesecake and this crust works perfectly for it. Super easy to do and fast.
Mama on 2024-11-22 (5 stars): I used your crust recipe for my family's favorite pumpkin pie (I used my go-to filling). I was really happy with the texture and flavor but, oh my....grrrr.....
Thank you for your suggestion to weigh the graham crackers. To my dismay, the weight listed on the box was almost 2/3 more than what the actual crackers weighed—I think the box weight must have included the plastic packaging. In your experience, is this normal? I was furious. I bought two boxes just in case, and I still didn't have enough (luckily, I had a few leftover grahams in my basement). FWIW, I bought Pamela's GF Honey Grahams; the box said net weight 7.5 ounces (212.6 g). It was more like 4 ounces!!!
I'm wondering if I have to be more vigilant the next time I shop for Thanksgiving and buy extra.
CINDY C. BOWDEN on 2024-11-13 (5 stars): I can't wait to try this pie crust. I've had issues in the past of the graham cracker being too crumbly. It looks like your recipe will work. I've also heard of using egg white to bind the crust, too. Have you tried with egg white before? Thanks for sharing!
Sean S George on 2024-10-20 (5 stars): Made this crust today with Pamela's GF grahams. Came out almost perfect, just a touch too hard; difficult to cut with a fork.
I used a dark metal pan to bake it, should I try glass instead? Or try skipping the second packing?
MichelleC on 2024-07-17 (5 stars): This was DELICIOUS Sarah!! Thank you for making this recipe. Easily our family’s new favorite go-to crust- this made our pie so much better! Do you by chance have cooking temp/time suggestion for this to be made into muffin tin cups? I’d like to make individual desserts for little ones school classroom, any advice would be appreciated. Thanks again!
mercmakesfood on 2021-03-12 (5 stars): Saving this for a rainy day (aka Sunday)
