Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups graham cracker crumbs or 18 whole graham crackers
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter* melted
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
*Note – use real butter. Using a butter substitute could result in your crust falling apart. Real butter congeals when it’s chilled and will hold together the cracker crumbs.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F
- Finely crush graham crackers in a food processor or place them in a ziploc bag and roll/smash with a rolling pin.
- Stir graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Use a fork to break up any lumps of brown sugar. Add melted butter and continue to stir with a fork until well combined. Test mixture. Press a small amount in your hand, if it holds together you’re good to go, if dry and doesn’t stick add a little more melted butter.
- Press about 1 cup of the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Using your hands scoop out more mixture from the bowl and press onto the sides of the pan. Only go about 3/4 of the way up the side. Press firmly to compress. Be sure to press plenty of crumbs into the crevasse, where the bottom meets the side. You don’t want any filling leaking out the sides!
- To make a baked crust: Preheat oven to 350°. Bake crust for 5-8 minutes. Place in the refrigerator to chill completely before filling. If you are making my Key Lime Pie, pour filling into chilled crust and bake another 8 minutes.