There are so many fun pies you can make when you have a gluten-free graham cracker crust at your disposal. In this post, I’ll show you how to make a homemade gluten-free graham cracker crust with only three simple ingredients. I’ll also share which gluten-free graham crackers work best in this recipe. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my disclosures.
Today I will show you how to make a beautiful and delicious homemade gluten-free graham cracker crust.
But before I do, I want to share a few interesting tidbits with you.
First, in researching this article, I learned that graham flour is coarse whole wheat flour. It’s not sifted when milled, and the flour uses the germ and bran of the wheat.
Of course, those on a gluten-free diet cannot eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats.
This makes it impossible for a person with celiac disease and gluten intolerance to enjoy graham crackers, much less a graham cracker pie crust.
The good news is that gluten-free graham crackers do exist and are made without wheat-laden graham flour, and instead are made from a combination of flours, starches, sugars, and binders, depending on which brand you buy. These ingredients mimic the taste and texture of graham cracker cookies, and you hardly taste a difference.
Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Brands
There are two gluten-free graham cracker brands found most widely at grocery stores in the U.S. Both brands are certified gluten-free.
Pamela’s Honey Grahams
First is Pamela’s Honey Grahams. These crackers most resemble the look, texture, and taste of traditional graham crackers, and they’re my preferred graham cracker brand.
Pamela’s Honey Grahams are made with butter, brown sugar, brown rice flour, sorghum flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, gluten-free oat bran, molasses, honey, baking soda, sea salt, baking powder, potato starch, xanthan gum, and cinnamon.
If you cannot eat dairy products or you experience a cross-reactivity to oats, you should avoid Pamela’s Honey Grahams. Pamela’s Honey Grahams are labeled Kosher (dairy).
I also tested Pamela’s Honey Grahams for hidden gluten using my Nima Sensor. Nima is a portable gluten-detecting device. If Nima doesn’t find gluten, it displays a smiley face, as seen below.
Schar Honeygrams
Another gluten-free graham cracker option that is widely available is from the brand Schar, the leading gluten-free brand found throughout Europe and the U.S.
Schar Honeygrams don’t have the best texture and are a bit dry and crumbly. Pamela’s has Schar beat on taste and texture, hands down.
However, if you’re looking for a dairy-free, gluten-free, and oat-free graham cracker option, Schar is your brand.
Schar Honeygrams are made from cornstarch, brown sugar, corn flour, palm fat, soy flour, soy bran, honey, modified tapioca starch, ammonium bicarbonate, baking soda, salt, and caramelized sugar.
Other GF Graham Cracker Brands
While not as widely available, Nairn’s makes a gluten-free oat graham cracker. It’s made with gluten-free whole grain oats (72%), sustainable palm oil, brown sugar, golden syrup, tapioca starch, raising agent (sodium bicarbonate), and sea salt.
Kinnikinnick also makes a gluten-free, vegan, and kosher graham cracker. It’s made with pea starch, non-hydrogenated shortening (palm oil), brown rice flour, potato starch, brown sugar, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, water, cane sugar, tapioca syrup, rice bran, molasses, salt, sodium bicarbonate, pea protein, natural flavor, pea fiber, inulin, sunflower lecithin, monocalcium phosphate, modified cellulose, and guar gum.
Partake Foods launched a gluten-free graham cracker in May 2023. I haven’t tried it yet.
If you can’t find gluten-free graham crackers anywhere and you don’t want to order them online, you could also use plain gluten-free cookies, Glutino gluten-free animal crackers, or gluten-free digestive biscuits. One of my readers told me she also uses gluten-free ginger cookies from Trader Joe’s.
Store-Bought Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust
Next, I will show you how easy it is to make your own graham cracker crust from scratch; after all, homemade tastes best.
That said, if you’re in a pinch or want to save time, I highly recommend buying a ready-made gluten-free graham cracker crust from Mi-Del. You can find Mi-Del crusts at both Safeway/Albertsons and Walmart stores.
Mi-Del graham cracker crusts are also labeled vegan, and they’re made from cane sugar, rice flour, palm oil, water, tapioca starch, natural flavors, baking soda, salt, modified cellulose, and guar gum. They’re certified gluten-free, Non-GMO Verified, and Kosher (pareve).
I’ve been buying Mi-Del Graham Style pie crusts for years because my mom loves frozen yogurt pies. I fill the crust with her favorite frozen yogurt and freeze it. She loves it.
I find the crust crumbles (a lot), so it’s better to pour the softened ice cream on the crust vs. trying to spread solid ice cream on it. The spreading will catch the crust and make it crumble.
Homemade Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust
If you can’t find the Mi-Del graham cracker crust near you, or you want a better-tasting graham cracker crust made from scratch, you’ll need to gather the following three ingredients:
- One 7.5-ounce package of Pamela’s Honey Grahams (about 200 grams of crackers), crushed into fine crumbs
- 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted (dairy-free butter works great too)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Because I prefer the taste of Pamela’s Honey Grahams, I use them, but you could also use 200 grams of Schar Honeygrams or another brand of graham crackers. You can use gluten-free cookies, gluten-free animal crackers, or digestive biscuits as well.
I used my food processor to crush the crackers into fine crumbly bits, then combined the crushed crackers with melted butter and granulated sugar.
I then pressed the ingredients into a 9″ pie pan, first using my hands, then using the back of a measuring cup. You’ll want to pack the bottom and sides in tightly, but be gentle because the crust is crumbly and fragile.
Refrigerate the pie crust for at least 1 hour so it will stiffen and firm up.
You can also make the crust ahead of time and freeze it for up to three months. I recommend buying disposable metal pie pans if you’re going to freeze them.
Once refrigerated, you can then add ice cream, frozen yogurt, pudding, or any of your favorite pie fillings to the crust. No baking is required.
Chocolate S’mores Pie
I decided to make a gluten-free chocolate s’mores pie to top my delicious new gluten-free graham cracker crust, after all, nothing goes better with graham crackers than chocolate and marshmallows, right? (Please note I used a meringue vs. marshmallow fluff. It tastes amazing – promise!)
I followed this recipe from Taste of Home to create this chocolate s’mores pie that sat beautifully upon my gluten-free graham cracker crust.
The pie was a decadent treat and one my entire family loved. Just look at those beautiful layers of graham crackers, chocolate, and meringue.
More Recipes and Articles
You might also like these gluten-free recipes and articles about gluten-free living.
- Are Marshmallows Gluten Free and Testing Jet-Puffed Marshmallows for Hidden Gluten
- Gluten-Free S’mores Cookies
- Easy Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe (3 Ingredients!)
- 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter and Chocolate S’mores Bark
- Amazing Back-to-School Finds From Pamela’s
- No-Bake Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Bars (with graham crackers)
Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
- 7.5 ounce package of Pamela’s Honey Grahams 1 package or about 200 grams of crackers, crushed into fine crumbs
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the crushed graham crackers with melted butter and granulated sugar. Mix well with a spatula.
- Press the graham cracker mixture into a 9" pie pan, first using the palm of your hands, then using the back of a measuring cup or other flat non-stick surface. Press gently but firmly to fill in the bottom and sides with the graham cracker mixture. The crust is crumbly and fragile.
- Refrigerate the pie crust for at least 1 hour or longer before adding any fillings. This will allow the crust to firm up and stiffen.
- Once the crust is chilled, it's ready to be filled and doesn't require any baking.
Good For You Gluten Free says
It can be hard to find. I’ve spotted it at Sprouts, Safeway, and Whole Foods. One box will work for the crust.
Dan says
I would sure like to buy Pamela’s GF Graham Crackers — or any brand of gluten free — somewhere other than Amazon. Very expensive there and the box is small so I am picturing needing two boxes for a 10″ cheesecake.
Good For You Gluten Free says
Yes I would chill then bake. Let me know if it works. Good luck!!
Chimom says
Thank you for sharing! I’m looking to use this for key lime pie, which does require baking. Would you recommend I chill the crust first, then fill it and bake?
Good For You Gluten Free says
I used Pamela’s graham crackers. They’re at grocery stores too like Sprouts and Safeway. They’re not that much $$
Arielle says
Definitely want to try this! Where do you find those graham crackers? I clicked the link for them which took me to Amazon where it shows they’re $17.50 a box?!