Brown Butter Graham Cracker Crust

Upgrade your pies and cheesecakes with this rich, nutty cookie base.

Serves
16
Time
30 minutes, plus cooling and chilling

TRISTAN DEBRAUWERE

Published on December 16, 2025

This fragrant graham cracker crust is adapted from a legendary graham shortbread cookie recipe by editor-in-chief Kat Craddock’s old boss, Chicago pastry chef Mindy Segal. Leagues beyond store-bought graham pie shells, this easy, no-roll dough is an ideal foundation for elevating any cheesecake, lemon bar, or custard pie. Feel free to brown and chill the butter ahead of time, but don’t walk away from the stove while it’s cooking; it can jump from perfectly toasted to blackened in an instant.

Featured in “In Montreal and New Orleans, A French Holiday Celebration Endures” by Chantal Martineau and Kayla Stewart in the Fall/Winter 2025 issue. See more recipes and stories from Issue 205.

Ingredients

10 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fine graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 large egg
½ tsp. vanilla extract

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Instructions

Step 1

In a small, heavy pot over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot with a silicone spatula, until it’s lightly browned and smells nutty, 6–10 minutes. Immediately pour it into a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until solid, at least 3 hours. (If storing for longer, cover with plastic wrap.) Set the butter aside at room temperature until softened.

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, and salt. In a second large bowl, using a wooden spoon or hand mixer, beat the browned butter and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, 3–5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then stir in the graham cracker mixture just until combined.

Step 3

Divide the dough into 1-inch-thick disks and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Step 4

Break the dough into chunks and press it into pie plates or tart pans in an even layer, about ¼ inch thick for full-sized pies or tarts or ⅛ inch thick for miniatures. Chill the shells until firm, at least 30 minutes, then line with greased parchment paper, fill with pie weights, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the crust is toasty and looks dry, 8–10 minutes for minis or 12–15 minutes for full-sized.

In a small, heavy pot over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot with a silicone spatula, until it’s lightly browned and smells nutty, 6–10 minutes. Immediately pour it into a heatproof bowl and refrigerate until solid, at least 3 hours. (If storing for longer, cover with plastic wrap.) Set the butter aside at room temperature until softened.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, and salt. In a second large bowl, using a wooden spoon or hand mixer, beat the browned butter and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, 3–5 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then stir in the graham cracker mixture just until combined.
Divide the dough into 1-inch-thick disks and wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Break the dough into chunks and press it into pie plates or tart pans in an even layer, about ¼ inch thick for full-sized pies or tarts or ⅛ inch thick for miniatures. Chill the shells until firm, at least 30 minutes, then line with greased parchment paper, fill with pie weights, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the crust is toasty and looks dry, 8–10 minutes for minis or 12–15 minutes for full-sized.