As with any recipe I post, the recipe is first and the blabbering is second. See my Easy Graham Cracker Crust Recipe for Cheesecake below and read more details further down the page.
Easy Graham Cracker Crust Recipe for Cheesecake
Ingredients
- ¾ C Butter, melted
- 2½ C Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the spring-form pan by placing parchment paper at the bottom and lightly spray the paper and sides of the pan with cooking spray. You can line the sides with parchment papers as well, but I found that to be unnecessary.
- Melt the butter (the flavor of the crust can be more toasted if you brown the butter. To do this, stir the butter over medium heat. It will start to bubble and then the bubbling will go back down. It should start to brown shortly thereafter).
- Put the graham cracker crumbs in a medium bowl.
- Mix the cinnamon into the graham cracker crumbs.
- Add the melted butter into the bowl and mix with a whisk until moistened.
- Place graham cracker crust mix into the spring form pan.
- Press the crust around the pan evenly using the bottom of a flat cup. (Note: I prefer a thicker, flat crust so that there is an equal amount of crust in each bite. If you wish to have the crust go up the sides, you can do so by pressing the crust against the sides of the pan, but your crust will be thinner.)
This Graham Cracker Crust is not Pre-Baked
Some recipes you will see online will require you to pre-bake the crust. I tried this many times with many cheesecakes and the outcome has no real difference. All it does is make it take longer to make.
I say cut out the unnecessary steps and just bake the crust and the cheesecake together.
That being said, I have not tested this crust recipe with any desserts other than cheesecake. If you are looking to use a graham cracker crust in a pie or other dessert, my guess is that this recipe would work. However, I have not tested this hypothesis.
But I know this crust recipe is great for baking a cheesecake!
Toasted Graham Cracker Crust
I personally like browning the butter. My wife also prefers it.
When you add the browned butter to the graham cracker and cinnamon bowl, it just smells so good.
When you brown the butter, you should stir it constantly. It will start to bubble and then the bubbling will subside slightly. Once this occurs, it will start to brown. The browning process will leave toasted, grainy-looking specs. These specs are, as I understand it, toasted milk solids. Milk solids are what you get when you remove all the moisture from milk. They are basically powdered milk.
When you brown the butter, you are toasting the powdered milk that is hidden within the butter.
Now that I’ve expressed this preference for browning the butter, I have to tell you that if you gave me a crust made from regular melted butter and one made from browned butter, I probably couldn’t tell the difference.
But browning butter is fun to do, leaves a great aroma, and sounds sophisticated, so what’s not to like about it?
I know, I know… I just said I don’t want to waste the time to pre-bake the crust because it makes no noticeable difference to the crust. And now I’m saying I like to brown the butter even though it takes longer and makes no significant difference in the taste of the crust.
If that’s what you’re thinking, I don’t know what to tell you. I think browning the butter adds a coolness factor to the cheesecake whereas pre-baking the crust does not.
If you want to feel cool, brown the butter!
The Graham Cracker Crumbs
I do not make the graham cracker crumbs from scratch. I just buy graham cracker crumbs. I do this for two reasons:
First, pre-made graham cracker crumbs do just fine. There is not a particularly compelling reason to grind your own crumbs. It’s a lot of work for very little benefit.
Second, while I have not tested this specifically, it seems to me that pre-made crumbs are drier than graham crackers. I think this makes a better overall consistency to the crust. Again, I have done any sort of moisture testing. I just think pre-made graham cracker crumbs have a better feel.
I also don’t think there is that much of a coolness factor to turning graham crackers into crumbs.
“Hey, guess what?… I made my own graham cracker crumbs.”
“Oh cool, how did you do that?”
“Oh…I just took graham crackers and smushed them into crumbs.”
“Congratulations.”
See, it’s just not that cool.
If you want to grind up your own graham cracker crumbs, I would recommend that you use a food processor to make sure they are finely ground.
I’ve tried to smash them in a plastic baggie with a roller. It doesn’t work that well.
Conclusion
This graham cracker crust recipe for cheesecake is fast and easy. I like the crust flat and evenly dispersed. Doing so ensures each bite of cheesecake has an even amount of crust. But the crust is versatile. If you like crust on the sides of your cheesecake, you can press the crust against the sides of the pan. You can do it your way.
What’s your preference for the crust? Let me know in the comments.
