Last Updated on June 17, 2025 by Jennifer Osborn
The perfect graham cracker crust for bars! This easy 8x8 recipe comes together with just 3 ingredients—rich, buttery, and ready for all your dessert squares recipes.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This 8x8 Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
- Ingredients
- Prevent Crumbly Graham Crust (Quick Tips)
- Yield
- Quick Equipment Notes
- Step by Steps
- What Can You Make with This Crust?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How many graham crackers make 1 ½ cups of crumbs?
- Can I make this crust no-bake?
- Why does my graham cracker crust fall apart?
- Can I double this for a 9x13 pan?
- Does this crust work for cheesecake bars?
- Pin to Save for Later
- Recipe
- Comments
Why You'll Love This 8x8 Graham Cracker Crust Recipe
When you're making dessert bars, whether S'mores Bars or Lemon Bars with Sweetened Condensed Milk or Key Lime Pie bars, you need a solid, sturdy graham cracker crust that won’t crumble when you slice it.
This simple recipe gives you the perfect base for any 8x8 dessert. You can bake it or make it no-bake depending on your filling.
This square crust recipe is a riff on my graham cracker pie crust recipe.
Ingredients
- 1-¼ cups graham cracker crumbs (store-bought or make your own)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (can also use brown)
- 5 Tablespoons butter, melted
- Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
- Pinch of sea salt (optional)
Prevent Crumbly Graham Crust (Quick Tips)
Mix all the ingredients together and pat into the pan while the melted butter is still warm. This helps seal the crumbs together.
Press crumbs firmly and evenly into the pan using the bottom of a flat measuring cup or drinking glass.
Bake 7–10 minutes at 350F° for extra hold.
Or, chill for at least 30 minutes (no-bake option).
It's fine to put it back in the oven if your filling needs to be baked.
Yield
Fills an 8x8 pan perfectly.
Great for dessert bars, cheesecakes and more.
Quick Equipment Notes
- 8x8 square baking pan
- Parchment paper
- Flat-bottom measuring cup or drinking glass for pressing crumbs into a crust in the pan.
Step by Steps
What Can You Make with This Crust?
S'mores Bars, Lemon Bars with Graham Cracker Crust and Key Lime Bars or cheesecake bars.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many graham crackers make 1 ½ cups of crumbs?
About 10-12 full graham cracker sheets.
Can I make this crust no-bake?
Yes — chill for 30 minutes in the freezer before filling.
Why does my graham cracker crust fall apart?
Usually from not enough butter, not pressing firmly, or skipping bake/chill time.
But also, while my crust recipe holds together quite well, it is made from graham cracker crumbs, so a few crumbs should be expected.
Can I double this for a 9x13 pan?
Yes, double all ingredients.
Does this crust work for cheesecake bars?
It holds up beautifully under cheesecake fillings.
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Recipe
Graham Cracker Crust 8x8
Learn how to make a perfect graham cracker crust for an 8x8 pan! This easy no-bake crust works for bars, cheesecakes, and pies. Get the right graham cracker to butter ratio, how to press it evenly, and tips to keep it from crumbling. Make delicious dessert bars or mini pies with this simple homemade graham cracker crust recipe for an 8x8 square pan.
Ingredients
- 1-¼ cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately 10 full sheets or one sleeve from a box of graham crackers)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (use brown if you're out of granulated)
- 5 Tablespoons butter, melted
- ⅛ teaspoon of sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F°
- Line suare pan with parchment paper. (use binder cliips to hold paper to the pan if you like).
- Combine crumbs, sugar, salt and cinnamon if using in a large mixing bowl.
- Drizzle melted butter over the crumb mixture and stir until it resembles damp sand.
- Pour into pan and press into place.
- Bake at 350F° for 7 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let cool for a few minutes before filling.
Notes
Make crust while the butter is still warm. If it cools, it won't hold its shape as well.
Use the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup to help press it firmly into the pan.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 179Total Fat 8gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 13mgSodium 188mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 1gSugar 11gProtein 2g
Nutrition information is an estimate as I am not a registered dietician.
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