Vegetarian Recipes
Graham Cracker Crust
There’s nothing more American than pie, so they say, and nothing more festive if you ask me! The holidays are here, and that means it’s pie season, y’all! It’s SO easy to make a Graham Cracker Crust at home, so save yourself a few bucks and skip the bland, store-bought crusts and try this buttery, sweet, homemade recipe instead! It works for baked and no-bake desserts, and it holds together perfectly when cut. But that’s not all! Even though I only use 3 simple ingredients, this recipe yields not one, but TWO shallow 9″ pie crusts! You can certainly have your pie and eat it, too, when you follow this easy recipe. 🙂
I know making a traditional pie crust can feel a little tricky, especially if you’re new to baking. But you’ve got nothing to worry about with this easy, no-fail graham cracker pie crust recipe. It honestly couldn’t be simpler, and you don’t have to worry about rolling out dough or getting the perfect flaky texture. And you only need a handful of ingredients to make it!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this 3 ingredient graham cracker pie crust:
- Graham Crackers: You can use name-brand or generic graham crackers for this recipe. I use 18 sheets total (which is equivalent to 279g). You can use ready-made graham cracker crumbs as well, so long as you weigh out the same amount. However, it’s cheaper and just as easy to crush up your own graham crackers!
- Salted Butter: Cut this into little cubes before adding to the food processor. I use salted butter because it adds flavor, and the salt balances out the sweetness of the crust.
- Light Brown Sugar: This melts down in the oven and helps hold the crust together while also adding a slightly caramelized flavor.
Why Should I Make a Homemade Graham Cracker Crust?
I get it. Pre-made crusts are convenient and save time. But trust me, making your own graham cracker crust is worth the small amount of extra effort. Store-bought options always taste a little stale to me, and they’re not as buttery and flavorful as this easy recipe. And it also works out more budget-friendly to make your own crust at home (just $0.71 per crust!)
And not to mention, you can use any leftover crackers to make all sorts of delicious desserts or snacks, like my s’mores dip or our peanut butter fluff cups. So, not only will you have two 9” shallow pie crusts, but you’ll also have extras for another treat! Or, if you have a deep pie dish, this recipe will be enough for one pie crust, with a little leftover for a crumble on top, if desired. Store-bought crusts can’t beat that!
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
- I prebake my crust, even if I use it in a no-bake recipe. I find that it helps the crust hold its shape better and adds a nice, toasty flavor. I recommend baking your crust for 10 minutes if using it in a baked pie recipe and 12-15 minutes for a no-bake dessert.
- Don’t skip the sugar! It’s there to add sweetness AND hold the crust together. If you leave it out, your crust may be too crumbly when you cut into it.
- You can use any flavor of graham cracker you like. Honey, cinnamon, or chocolate options will all work just fine in this recipe for graham cracker crust!
How to Use
You can use this homemade crust in ANY recipe that calls for a graham cracker crust. Our key lime pie bars and no-bake pretzel peanut butter bars both use it, but feel free to get creative and try it with any recipe you like. A classic fruit pie or the filling from my peanut butter pie would be delicious with this crust. I’d also swap out the vanilla wafer crust in our lemon cream pie recipe for this one to switch things up a bit. You could even use it as a base for a cheesecake!
Make it Ahead!
This crust freezes and refrigerates well, so having some prepped and ready to go this time of year is always a pro move! I’d make it up to 2-3 days ahead of time and then keep it in the fridge until ready to use. If you’re freezing it, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and store it for up to 3 months. Make sure your pie dish is freezer-safe before freezing. Thaw completely before using it in your chosen recipe.
Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
Equipment
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Food Processor
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Glass Pie Plate
Ingredients
- 18 sheets of graham crackers (279 g) $0.74
- 5 Tbsp salted butter, cut into cubes $0.65
- 1 Tbsp light brown sugar $0.03
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Break apart the graham cracker sheets into a food processor.
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Add cubes of salted butter and brown sugar on top of graham crackers.
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Pulse until a fine, crumbly mixture forms (the consistency of coarse sand)
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Dump half of the graham cracker butter mixture into a 9” deep pie pan and press it down into the pan firmly with clean, dry hands.
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To make the thickness and coverage of the crust in your pie pan consistent on the bottom and sides, add another tablespoon at a time, if needed.*
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Bake the crust in the oven for 10-15 minutes**, until golden brown.
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Remove crust from oven, allowing it to cool completely. Use this homemade graham cracker crust with any pie recipe you like.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
**This crust holds together better and has a more pronounced flavor with a quick bake in the oven. I recommend baking for 10 minutes if you plan to bake the crust again with a filling (ex: a cooked fruit pie) or 12-15 minutes if you’re adding a cold filling to finish your pie (ex: a pudding or cream pie).
Nutrition
how to make a Graham Cracker Crust – step by step photos
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Break apart 18 graham cracker sheets (279g total) into a food processor. Add 5 Tbsp of salted butter (cut into cubes) and 1 Tbsp brown sugar on top of graham crackers.
Pulse until a fine, crumbly mixture forms (the consistency of coarse sand).
Dump half of the graham cracker butter mixture into a 9” deep pie pan and press it down into the pan firmly with clean, dry hands. To make the thickness and coverage of the crust in your pie pan consistent on the bottom and sides, add another tablespoon at a time, if needed.
Bake the crust in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown. Remove crust from oven, allowing it to cool completely.
You can use this homemade graham cracker crust with any pie recipe you like!
More Easy Pie Recipes
The post Graham Cracker Crust appeared first on Budget Bytes.
Vegetarian Recipes
How to Make Crispy Hash Browns
Potatoes are THE budget-friendly kitchen staple. They’re cheap and can be used in about a bazillion different ways. When I was asked for a tutorial on How to Make Crispy Hash Browns almost 9(!) years ago, I jumped on it. And all these years later, I still use this same method to get perfectly golden, crispy hash browns every time. I love making an indulgent breakfast on the weekends, and this recipe makes the perfect base for what I like to call my ultimate hash browns. Scroll to the bottom of the post to see what I topped them with to take them to the next level. 😉
“Just made these with frozen hashbrowns. My husband took one bite and asked “Wow, what’s the secret to making them crispy?” I replied with “Beth.” 😂”
Erin
Easy Recipe for Crispy Hash Browns
Just like any breakfast potatoes, I’m sure everyone makes their hash browns differently. BUT, there are three things that I’ve found to be key to making really great golden brown hash browns: rinsing the starch off the potatoes, drying the potatoes well, and using an adequate amount of oil. Yes, that’s right, OIL! If you don’t use enough oil, the potatoes will dry and tend to go from white to burnt. Use enough, and you’ll get crispy yet moist potatoes with a beautiful spectrum of golden brown color.
This recipe only uses 3 simple ingredients (potatoes, oil, and seasoning salt), so each ingredient really matters! That’s why I like to keep things simple and focus on technique. And I’m happy to say this easy recipe has never failed me yet. 😁
Crispy Hash Browns Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes (about 2 lbs.)* $1.76
- 4 Tbsp cooking oil, or as needed** $0.16
- Seasoning salt to taste $0.05
Instructions
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Peel the potatoes, if desired. Use a large-holed cheese grater or food processor to shred the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a colander and rinse well, or until the water runs clear. Let the potatoes drain.
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Squeeze the potatoes of their excess water by pressing against the side of the colander or squeezing in your fist. Or, place the potatoes in a clean, lint-free dish towel, roll them up, then press to remove excess moisture.
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Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat***. Once hot, add a tablespoon of cooking oil. Tilt the skillet to spread the oil over the surface. Add about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes or enough to cover the surface of the skillet in a solid, yet thin layer (1/2 inch thick or so). Let the potatoes fry, without disturbing, until deeply golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes). Season lightly with seasoning salt.
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Flip the potatoes, and drizzle with additional oil if needed. Let the potatoes cook on the second side without disturbing until golden brown and crispy again. Season lightly on the second side.
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If needed, flip and cook one more time to achieve the ratio of brown to white that you like. Repeat the process until all of the potatoes are cooked. Serve hot.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
**You must use an oil with a high smoke point, like canola, corn, peanut, or sunflower oil. Butter obviously gives amazing flavor, but the butter solids tend to burn, so you’ll want to use clarified butter or ghee instead. I didn’t have the patience to clarify any butter, so I just used canola oil.
***I always use my 10″ cast iron skillet because it offers non-stick protection while giving really even heat and a nice surface for crisping. While stainless steel is also great for crisping, starchy foods (like potatoes) tend to stick a lot more on stainless, so it can be tricky. If you’re not well practiced with keeping food from sticking on stainless steel, I’d suggest either cast iron or a non-stick skillet.
Nutrition
How to Make Hash Browns step-by-step photos
Clean the potatoes: Start with two russet potatoes (about 2 lbs). You can either scrub them clean and leave the skin on or peel them. Gather the other ingredients.
Shred the potatoes: Use a large-holed cheese grater or a food processor to shred the potatoes. I found that the potatoes shredded fairly easily with the cheese grater, so it wasn’t worth cleaning out the food processor.
Rinse the shredded potatoes: Place the shredded potatoes in a colander and rinse them really, really, really well. The water running from the colander should be clear. Then, let them drain.
Dry the shredded potatoes: Making sure the potatoes are as dry as possible is my secret to keeping them crispy. If they have too much water on them, that water will turn to steam while they cook, which basically steams the potatoes and makes them soft. So, you can either let them drain a long time in the colander, squeeze them dry with your hands, or roll them up in a clean, lint-free towel and press them dry. I chose the towel method.
Make the hash browns: Heat a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add about a tablespoon of oil. Spread the oil over the surface of the skillet, then add about 1/3 of the shredded potatoes or enough to cover the bottom of the skillet in a solid but thin layer (only about 1/2 inch thick). You’re shooting for maximum surface contact here, so if they’re packed in there too thick, some won’t touch the skillet…and they’ll generate steam again and make everything mushy.
While the potatoes are cooking, sprinkle on a little seasoning salt. This is the kind I use, but you can use whatever brand you like. I love the little bit of extra flavor and kick that seasoning salt adds to the crispy hash browns compared to just plain salt and pepper.
Now, the key here is to not touch them long enough for them to get really nice and brown and crispy. If you mess around with them, stirring or flipping too often, they won’t form a nice crust, and the long strands will kind of break down. So, LEAVE THEM BE. 😊 Then, once they’re very golden, flip them. You might need to drizzle on a little more oil at this point to help the second side crisp up.
Then, LET THE SECOND SIDE BE until it’s also golden and crispy. Now, depending on how many potatoes you have in the skillet, you may want to flip and cook one last time to get most of the potatoes crispy, but that’s up to you. Some people like a 50/50 ratio of crispy to soft, some people like almost all crispy. Repeat the process a couple more times or until you’ve cooked all the potatoes.
Topping Ideas!
These crispy hash browns are great on their own and all, but why not make them ULTIMATE by adding lots of yummy toppings? I did a fried egg, some avocado slices, diced tomato, sliced jalapeño, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream. Waffle House ain’t got nuthin’ on my hash browns.
Serving Suggestions
On those days when I don’t want to add any toppings, I like to serve these homemade hash browns with something equally delicious to make it a complete breakfast! I love piling them up alongside candied bacon for the perfect sweet-and-savory combo. Air fryer hard-boiled eggs are also great because they’re hands-off and cook themselves while I tend to the potatoes! But if I’m feeding a crowd, I’d go for something like a frittata or sheet pan pancakes since they’re both easy to make and can serve a lot of people at once.
Storage & Reheating
Let your leftovers cool and store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a skillet with a little oil or in the air fryer to crisp them back up again!
More Breakfast Potato Recipes
Our Crispy Hash Browns recipe was originally published 4/8/16. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be better than ever 3/20/25.
The post How to Make Crispy Hash Browns appeared first on Budget Bytes.
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