Kitchen

[SharkE]

I guess the only hint I read online about using wax paper like cookie pan liner paper is the thing to do about keeping your graham cracker crust from turning hard and you can't cut it like in a banana pudding ?

Have to try that next time. Mine always sticks. 

If anybody has any other tips concerning how not to have a hard crust pass it on.

[butterfly123]

@SharkE 

Perfect Graham Cracker Crust {bake and no-bake}

prep time:

10 MINS

total time:

10 MINS

This is the BEST graham cracker pie crust - from scratch. It can be no-bake or baked depending on your mood. It's perfect!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs — from about 9 whole graham crackers
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon — optional
• Pinch of salt
• 7 tablespoons unsalted butter — melted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If you’re using whole graham crackers, finely crush them in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and roll with a rolling pin.
2. Stir graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add melted butter and stir with a fork.
3. Press mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9” pie plate. Press hard to compact. You can use a glass to press the bottom, but use your fingers to press the sides.
4. To make a no-bake pie: Chill pie crust for at least one hour before filling. Cover if chilling longer. Make pie as directed.
5. To make a baked graham crust: Preheat oven to 325°. Bake crust for 10 minutes, until it just starts to brown. Cool completely before filling.

[butterfly123]

When you have mixed the crumb base, tip it into the pan and spread it out evenly (a palette knife/metal icing spatula is good for this). Press the crumbs onto the base lightly using your fingers, making sure that you don't press too hard on the crumbs. For a smooth finish you could instead use the base of a glass or a metal mesuring cup, but again don't press too hard. Remember that the base will set more as it is cooked/chilled so the crumbs don't have to be packed completely solid.

If you find that the crumb base is still too hard, then you could slightly reduce the amount of butter used, though we would advise caution on this as the base could become too crumbly instead.

[nomless]

I can never get graham cracker crusts to hold together,  lol. My crusts fall apart. 

[chrystaltree]

@nomless 

Me too!  I never could get one right.  Either they are brick hard or they crumble and fall apart.  So, I buy the ready made ones.  

[SharkE]

store bought ones are tasteless and stale. 

Thanks for the recipe. 

[granddi]

My bachelor son is a pretty good cook. He remarked that he had pecans from a tree in his yard and was going to try his hand at pecan pie. He asked about making a pie crust. I told him to keep it simple and just get one from the grocery.

When I showed up at his house he had gotten a store graham cracker crust for his pecan pie. No, it did not quite work with pecans!! But he still tries his hand at kitchen tasks.

We all laughed and ate the pie with a spoon.

[insomniac2]

I like butterfly123's caution--to not press the crumbs too hard.