Pumpkin Pie With Graham Cracker Crust is a delicious twist on the classic pumpkin pie recipe. A buttery graham crust surrounds a perfectly spiced pumpkin filling to create a dessert your friends and family will love. Easy enough to make for a weeknight, but delicious enough to grace your Thanksgiving table.
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
An Updated Classic – We all love pumpkin pie, and adding a graham cracker crust updates the classic fall dessert.
Beginner Friendly – The pie filling and the crust are both incredibly easy to make, making this a great option for beginning bakers to make.
Something Different – If you are tasked with bringing one (of many) pumpkin pies to a meal, this is a fun way to give yours a little something special.
Make Ahead – Thanksgiving day is always busy, so make this pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust a few days in advance.
Freezer Friendly – This pie freezes and thaws well, so feel free to make it a week or two before you plan to serve it.
It’s hard to beat the festive flavor and decadent texture of the classic Libby’s pumpkin pie. My family loves it so much that I actually make them year round. This Graham Cracker Crust Pumpkin Pie is a delicious way to serve up a somewhat different version.
The graham cracker crust gives this pie a delicious buttery crumble in each bite, while maintaining the classic pumpkin flavor that everyone expects. It’s perfect for fall get togethers and will be the start of the show at Thanksgiving.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Recipe Discussion
Let’s discuss how to make this recipe, as well as the ingredients that are needed. Please take note that below you will find discussion, expert tips, and answers to frequently asked questions about this recipe to help you recreate it in your kitchen. If you *just* want the recipe itself, scroll down. The full printable recipe itself, with exact measurements and instructions, is found at the bottom of this page.
Sugar – This recipe calls for both granulated sugar, for the pie, and brown sugar, for the crust. The brown sugar helps give the crust a rich, almost caramel like flavor.
Spices – You’ll need cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Often I make it with just cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. You could even just use pumpkin pie spice, but I like the stronger hints of cinnamon. If you like your pies with a bit more spice, you can even double the spices.
Pumpkin – Make sure you are using pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which contains other ingredients. I recommend Libby’s Pumpkin. I make a lot of pumpkin recipes and I have found that other brands can have textures that vary greatly. Libby’s is usually nice and thick. If your pumpkin is watery, try and drain off some of that liquid.
Evaporated Milk – Make sure you get evaporated milk, not sweetened condensed. Evaporated milk is creamier and thicker than regular milk. It gives more richness to recipes than even whole milk does. If you like your pie on the thicker side, use a little less than the entire can.
Graham Crackers – While I used regular grahams to make this graham cracker crust for pumpkin pie, the cinnamon grahams would be delicious as well! You can buy graham cracker crumbs, or make your own from graham crackers. You will need 12 full size graham crackers when making your own.
Butter – This recipe calls for unsalted butter, but if you like your desserts a bit more salty, you can absolutely use salted.
How To Make Graham Cracker Crumbs
The easiest way to make graham cracker crumbs is to pulverize them in a food processor. You can also use a blender for this, just break the crackers into smaller pieces before putting them in. If you don’t have a food processor, place the graham crackers into a Ziploc freezer bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
How To Make Pumpkin Pie
With A Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter to a medium size bowl.
- Stir to combine mixture. It will have a sandy texture.
- Pour the crumb mixture into a 9 inch round pie pan. Using your hands, press the crumbs down in the center of the pan and up the sides. You want to press firmly, but not too hard – compacting the crumbs too much will make the crust hard. You can also use a flat bottomed glass or measuring cup to help press and smooth the crust. Bake for 10 minutes.
- While the pie is baking, crack eggs into a large bowl and whisk. Then add in pumpkin, spices, salt and sugar, stir well.
- Gradually add in evaporated milk and stir to combine.
- Pour pumpkin pie filling into the graham cracker crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least one hour, prior to transferring to the refrigerator. Chill for at least four hours prior to serving.
Recipe Tips and Advice
Storage – Store your pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust in the fridge, covered, for up to a week. I like to place a sheet of cling wrap or press and seal directly on top of the pumpkin portion of the pie to cover it. If you cover it with plastic wrap but the wrap does not touch the pie filling itself, it tends to collect condensation.
Freezing – This pie freezes well. Make sure to let it cool completely, then wrap tightly with cling wrap or press and seal. The plastic wrap should touch the top of the pie, – this helps limit any condensation or frostbite. After wrapping, place in a Ziploc freezer bag. It’s best used within 2-3 months. It can be thawed on the counter, or let thaw in the fridge overnight.
Pick A Pumpkin – As I mentioned earlier, canned pumpkin, much liked cooked, can vary greatly. I tend to stick with the Libby’s pumpkin, as it’s thick texture is pretty consistent. A few weeks ago I used a store brand canned pumpkin and it was incredibly watery and had an almost airy texture. If you are using a pumpkin that is more on the watery side, I recommend trying to strain off some of the liquid, as it can impact the recipe.
Cool It – Make sure you let your pie cool completely. Carry over cooking will help it finish baking, and cooling time helps it set up. If you try to cut it too soon, it will be a mess. Chill for a minimum of four hours, and it’s even better if you can make it the day before.
Top It – This pie is delicious topped with Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream or homemade Cinnamon Whipped Cream!
Recipe FAQs
There are a few ways to tell if a pumpkin pie is done. First, gently insert a knife into the center of the pie. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Another options is to give the pie a little shake. The center of the pie should have a touch of jiggle, but the entire pie should not wobble. The saying is it should jiggle, but not wiggle. Visually the filling will start to darken and puff up a bit.
An overcooked pumpkin pie can crack on the top. But the good news is that it will still taste delicious, and you can easily cover any cracks with whipped cream! To prevent cracking, just keep an eye on the pie and try not to overcook.
Yes. Make sure to use a pie, sugar or baking pumpkin. The type of pumpkin that you carve is not ideal for baking.
More Recipes To Try
If you like this recipe, here are more Thanksgiving worthy recipes I think you’ll enjoy!
- Libby’s Pumpkin Pie
- Mini Pumpkin Bundt Cakes
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Pumpkin Pie Rice Krispies Treats
- Pumpkin Roll
- Caramel Apple Pie
- Air Fryer Pumpkin Pie
- Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
More Graham Cracker Crust Pies
Make sure to grab a copy of my free Fall Favorite Recipes eCookbook!
Pumpkin Pie With Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs approximately 12 graham cracker sheets
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
Pie Filling
- 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger pumpkin pie spice can be used in place of
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves pumpkin pie spice can be used in place of
- pinch salt optional
- 2 large eggs
- 1 15oz can Libbys 100% Pure Pumpkin *not pumpkin pie mix
- 1 12oz can evaporated milk*
- whipped cream for topping optional
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar.
- Next, pour the graham crumb mixture into a 9 inch pie plate. Press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and up the sides, then bake for 8-10 minutes, then remove from oven to add pumpkin pie filling.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- While crust is baking, in a large bowl, beat eggs, then stir in pumpkin, spices, salt and sugar. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour into pie crust after it has baked.
- Bake pie for 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool on a wire rack for two hours, then refrigerate for at least four hours. Store covered in refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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