Creamy Classic Cheesecake Recipe
May 26, 2026
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Graham crackers are the slightly sweet, honey-and-cinnamon-flavored crackers that anchor cheesecake crusts, s’mores, no-bake pie bases, and most American dessert applications where you need a crisp, lightly sweet foundation. Crushed graham crackers + melted butter is the default crust for pumpkin pie, key lime pie, banana cream pie, and cheesecake. Graham-cracker-based favorites include Viral Burnt Basque Cheesecake, Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake, and Easy Mini Pumpkin Pies where the crust provides the crisp foundation that holds the filling and adds textural contrast.
The standard graham cracker crust is 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 12 full sheets, crushed), 1/3 cup melted butter, 2-3 tablespoons sugar. Mix, press firmly into a pie pan, bake at 350°F for 10 minutes (or refrigerate 30 minutes for no-bake). The pre-baking step is what makes the crust crisp rather than soft. Skipping it produces a slightly soggy result.
Crushing graham crackers in a food processor produces the most even crumb size. The fallback technique is a zip-top bag and rolling pin. Works but produces unevenly-sized crumbs. Pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs sold in canisters are a time-saver but lose freshness faster than whole crackers. For best results, crush as needed rather than storing crumbs.
For s’mores (the campfire and home-oven classic), the standard assembly is graham cracker + chocolate square + toasted marshmallow + second graham cracker. The home-oven version: place graham crackers on a sheet pan, top with chocolate squares and marshmallows, broil 30-60 seconds until marshmallows are golden. Top with second graham cracker and press gently. The chocolate square (Hershey’s is traditional) melts from the hot marshmallow’s residual heat.
For variations on the standard graham cracker crust, substituting half the graham crumbs with crushed pretzels produces a salty-sweet crust that works particularly well with chocolate fillings. Substituting 2 tablespoons of brown sugar for the white sugar in the crust deepens the caramel notes. Adding 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the crumb mixture builds on the warm-spice profile already present in graham crackers. For storage, graham crackers keep 6+ months in their sealed package; once opened, transfer to an airtight container. Other reader picks that build on graham crackers include The Ultimate S’more Cookie Bars and Fudgy Cheesecake Brownies. Browse cream cheese, chocolate, and salt for closely related cooking applications.
The original graham cracker recipe was created in the 1800s using graham flour, a coarsely ground whole wheat flour. Early versions were lightly sweetened and baked into crisp crackers intended to be simple and wholesome.
A classic graham cracker crust is made by mixing crushed graham crackers with melted butter and sugar. The mixture is pressed into a pie dish and baked briefly or chilled for no-bake desserts to create a firm crust.
Most graham cracker crust recipes use about 5 to 6 tablespoons of melted butter for approximately 1½ cups of graham cracker crumbs. The butter helps bind the crumbs together and creates a firm crust.
No-bake graham cracker recipes usually combine crushed graham crackers with melted butter and sugar. The mixture is pressed into a dish and chilled until firm. This crust works well for cheesecakes and layered desserts.
For more dessert base and cookie options, see our marshmallows and oreos recipes.