What Are The Best Gluten
Here are my top picks for storebought gluten-free graham crackers and how they stack up to my homemade GF graham crackers:
- My favorite gluten-free graham cracker recipe: Tender and crisp, with rich flavor from teff and oat flours, honey, vanilla, and cinnamon. Friendly to a variety of restricted diets.
- Made with teff, oat, and sweet rice flours, corn starch, brown or coconut sugar, honey or maple syrup, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, butter , vanilla. See the post for more substitution suggestions in case you don’t have the suggested flours!
Which Graham Cracker Crust Is Better Baked Or No
The crust in the photo at the top of this post is the baked graham cracker crust. It’s very stable, even at warm room temperature, although a no-bake graham cracker crust is most stable when chilled.
I like having the option of using a baked graham cracker crust in desserts that need some extra stability from the crust. That’s often the case with no-bake recipes like our s’mores pies, but it can come in handy when you’re making something quite small, like our cheesecake cookie cups.
A no-bake graham cracker crust simply will not work in a standard miniature muffin tin . It will fall apart as you try to get each crust out of its well of the pan.
The smallest size well from which I have ever successfully removed an intact no bake cookie crust is 6 well cake panel pan from USA Pans . And even then, you’ll need to add an unbleached parchment paper sling to the bottomand don’t chill the crusts too much or they will become brittle and crack when you try to remove them.
The best feature of the baked crust is its flexibility. Because it’s so stable, you can use it to make very small confections, and even lift it right out of a pie plate after it’s been baked and cooled.
Then, fill the crust with something warm or cold. Just be sure not to overbake the baked crust and it will cut easily with a fork when you serve it.
How To Make Gluten
Making a gluten-free graham cracker crust at home couldn’t be any easier. This is one of the easiest pie crusts to make!
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Substitution For Graham Cracker Crumbs
Before we start looking at substitution for graham cracker crumbs, lets take a look at what a graham cracker is, and whether its gluten-free. A graham cracker is a sweet flavored treat, usually flavored with honey or cinnamon. Its made with graham flour, which unfortunately isnt gluten-free. Graham Crackers originated in the United States in the 19th century and has become a household staple ever since. So why should being celiac stop us from indulging in this fan-favorite?
Graham flour whole wheat flour, which means it isnt suitable for celiac or gluten-intolerant individuals. It is ground more coarsely than wheat flour, but it essentially the same thing.
Tips For Making The Best Gluten
- I use a food processor to make my gluten-free graham cracker crumbs. You can also use a rolling pin to crush the crackers in a plastic storage bag.
- Use the back of a measuring cup to press down on the crust to help compact the crust. This will help the crust not to crumble and be more firm.
- If you are a fan of brown sugar, you can use it in place of granulated sugar. It gives the crust a hint of a molasses flavor.
- If you are making a no-bake pie, it is best to chill this pie crust for at least 2 hours before filling it.
- If youre making a baked pie, bake this crust per your recipes directions.
Read Also: Gluten Free Dairy Free Cookie Dough
Should You Bake Your Graham Cracker Crust
This gluten-free pie crust recipe works for a no-bake, chilled graham cracker crust and a baked graham cracker crust.
- No-bake graham cracker crust – To make this a gluten-free no-bake crust, be sure to chill the crust for at least two hours before filling it. When you don’t bake the graham cracker crust, it is more delicate than if it had been baked. Making a gluten-free no-bake pie, be sure to keep it chilled until you are ready to serve it.
- Baked graham cracker crust – I personally tend to opt to bake my gluten-free graham cracker crust, even when I am making a no-bake pie. When you bake a graham cracker crust, the sugar melts with the butter, making the crust hold together tighter, making the final pie crust less delicate.
Are Kinnikinnick Graham Crackers Gluten
The Smoreables graham style crackers from Kinnikinnick contain the following ingredients:
Pea Starch, Non-Hydrogenated Palm Oil Shortening , Brown Rice Flour, Potato Starch*, Brown Sugar*, Sweet Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Water, Cane Sugar, Rice Bran, Molasses*, Tapioca Syrup, Salt, Sodium Bicarbonate, Pea Protein, Natural Flavour, Pea Fibre, Sunflower Lecithin, Inulin, Mono Calcium Phosphate, Cellulose, Guar Gum.
This brand tests their products and they are free from gluten, dairy, nuts, soy, and peanuts. This is a safe choice for a gluten-free diet.
Read on: Is rice flour gluten-free?
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Graham Cracker Crust Substitutions
Graham crackers: You can substitute flavored gluten-free graham crackers to jazz up your crust. If you don’t have graham crackers or just want a different variation, substitute gluten-free vanilla wafers, gluten-free gingersnaps, or other gluten-free cookies.
Sugar: Swap out the sugar for brown sugar for a deeper flavor. Or, for refined sugar-free, use coconut sugar. Note: most gluten-free graham crackers use some form of sugar, so if you want your crust to be entirely refined sugar-free, you’ll have to make your own.
Butter: You can replace the butter with dairy-free vegan butter by weight! For dairy-free graham crackers, I recommend Nairn’s.
Storage And Make Ahead
Lucky for you, graham cracker crusts actually store really well. I almost always have a few in my freezer, depending on the time of year.
- This crust can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to three days before filling it.
- To store your graham cracker crust longer than that, both baked and unbaked crusts can be wrapped tightly and stored in the freezer for up to three months.
- To thaw your gluten-free crust, just let it sit at room temperature for about thirty minutes before filling.
Pro tip: If you plan on freezing your graham cracker crust, I suggest getting some of the disposable pie dishes to make them easier to store in the freezer.
Recommended Reading: Where Can I Buy Katz Gluten Free Products
Can I Freeze This Crust
This crust is easy to freeze in the pan that youre planning to use later. Freeze this gluten-free graham cracker crust for up to 3 months. Psst this is great if you use these a lot in the summer or around the holidays to get ahead!
You can also make this crust ahead and refrigerate for a few days before using it in your recipe.
Keto Graham Cracker Crust Faq
Is Graham Cracker Crust Gluten Free?
Since I like creating gluten free treats for you, I knew that this was going to be a little issue that was going to require my recipe-developer-thinking BRAIN to get to work. Until I remember that I made you guys those low carb gluten free graham crackers a few weeks back so -LIGHT BULB use THOSE to make a gluten free graham cracker pie crust! So, in short, YES! This graham cracker crust recipe is gluten free and delish as ever!
Are Graham Crackers Keto?
Graham crackers you can purchase at the store are typically not keto friendly, as they usually contain lots of carbs and sugars! This recipe, however, tastes just like graham crackers but is low carb and refined sugar free, making it Keto.
What can I sub for monkfruit?
Any other sugar free sweetener should work great for this cracker crust recipe, but I wouldnt recommend straight stevia.
Recommended Reading: Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Biscuits
Love This Recipe Save It For Later
Cuisine: Category:
If you love graham cracker crusts with your favorite pies or desserts, I hope this recipe will give you the freedom to still enjoy those recipes while sticking with your gluten-free diet.
This recipe can even be made ahead of time, so its really useful for the holiday season or the summer when you want quick desserts ready in just a few minutes.
If you loved this post, I hope that youll share it with your friends on and pin it for future reference on .
What To Make With A Graham Cracker Crust
Now that you’ve got a gluten-free graham cracker crust, let’s fill it! Use this crust on any of these recipes:
Cook Time: Total Time:
Easy gluten-free graham cracker crust at home using only 4 ingredients. This recipe works for baked pies and no-bake pies, and can be used in a pie dish, tart pan, springform pan, or baking pan for any and all crusts.
- 175g gluten-free graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Read Also: Starting A Gluten Free Diet
How To Use These Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crusts
I’ve made so many graham cracker crusts over the years, both baked and unbaked, and used them in too many cheesecakes to count. In fact, many of the best no bake gluten free desserts on this blog are made using this no-bake graham cracker crust.
My favorite recipe that uses a no-bake graham cracker crust has to be our no-bake strawberry cheesecake. The filling is made with strawberries, cream cheese, and whipped cream sugar and just a bit of gelatin. It’s so quick and easy, and it’s become a favorite of many of yours over the years.
You’d also love our no-bake chocolate pudding pie with a chocolate cookie version of the no-bake recipe below. The no-bake variety is also great when you aren’t even looking for the crust to lift out of its container at all in anything other than a spoonful, like our lemon meringue pie in jars.
You can also use the no-bake crust as the base for a baked recipe. Our key lime pie squares are a stunning example of how well that works.
Nabisco Honey Maid Brand Vs Store Brand
After testing multiple brands, my very scientific conclusion is that the best graham crackers to use for this crumb crust are the Nabisco Honey Maid brand. The store-brand graham crackers we tried were lighter in color and the texture wasnt quite as crispy.
When pressing the crust made from store-brand crackers into the pie dish, it felt more moist, and a bit mushier. Which makes sense, because the Honey Maid ones feel harder/crispier as if theyve been baked longer, so the store-brand graham cracker crumbs feel a bit mushier when you add the melted butter.
All that said, you can certainly still make this crust with any brand of graham crackers you have!
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Do You Have To Make Your Own Graham Crackers
I’m happy to answer this with one word: no. I always have a few emergency boxes of packaged gluten free graham crackers in my pantry. Simply put, there are times when I just don’t have the time to make my own cookies and the rest of the dessert.
My gluten free son loves anything with a graham cracker crust, so I try to keep a batch of my homemade gluten free graham crackers around. They really do taste just like Nabisco, and I’ll often make a double batch.
I keep one batch whole, wrap them tightly and freeze them. That allows me to make desserts like the decadent no-bake banana split or our no-bake chocolate eclair cake. The other batch I process into crumbs and keep in a sealed glass container on my counter. Either I’ll make them into a crust, or sprinkle some over a smoothie bowl or yogurtif I’m feeling generous.
Even though I rarely use the store-bought crackers, I’m super grateful that there are now enough brands of gluten free graham crackers that it’s possible to buy them. My current favorite packaged gluten free graham cracker brand is Schar. They’re not as good as homemade , but they’re great in a pinch!
What Are Graham Crackers Made Of
The main ingredients in many graham cracker products are flour, graham flour, sugar, canola oil, molasses, corn syrup or honey, leavening , salt, soy lecithin, and artificial flavors.
These are the common ingredients youll find in graham crackers, but they will vary a bit brand by brand.
Read on: Is soy lecithin gluten-free?
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Can You Buy Pre
Yes! Mi-Del sells a pre-made gluten-free graham cracker crust, although it can be difficult to find if your grocery shop isnt very well stocked. In order to cut down on preparation time, Kinnikinnick also offers pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs.
Thanks for reading this blog post. I hope you like and try this gluten-free graham cracker pie crust. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment below. And if you tried this recipe or any other from our site, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below! Thanks for visiting my Recipes, and I hope to see you again soon.
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Are Pamelas Graham Crackers Gluten
Pamelas honey grahams are a certified gluten-free product. Here are the ingredients:
Butter , Brown Sugar, Brown Rice Flour, Sorghum Flour, White Rice Flour, Tapioca Starch, Gluten-Free Oat Bran, Molasses, Organic Non-GMO Honey, Gluten-Free Natural Flavors, Baking Soda, Sea Salt, Grainless & Aluminum-Free Baking Powder , Xanthan Gum, Cinnamon.
If you are dairy-free in addition to being gluten-free, know that this product does contain butter, a dairy product.
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Faq: Does Graham Cracker Crust Need To Be Baked
Typically, yes. After shaping into your pan, this crust should be baked, and the amount of time really depends on the recipe youre using, and whether its a baked or a no-bake filling. Check the pie or cheesecake recipe youre using for crust baking and cooling instructions.
I usually pre-bake this graham cracker crust for at least 10 minutes at 350°F before adding a filling. If youre making a no-bake pie/dessert: cool the crust before filling it, unless the no-bake pie recipe you are using states otherwise.
Or try my no bake cheesecake, which uses a brown sugar graham cracker crust that isnt baked at all.
Heres What You Need To Make This Easy Gluten
- Gluten-Free Graham Crackers. Regular graham crackers are NOT gluten-free, so if youre making gluten-free graham cracker crust, its crucial to use gluten-free graham crackers. Our favorite are Pamelas , but there are lots of brands to choose from!!
- Sugar. Even though graham crackers are sweet on their own, adding granulated sugar or cane sugar to your gluten-free graham crust helps it set up better and give it more structure. It holds together better with sugar!
- Melted Butter . Then, youll need to melt a little salted or unsalted butter or melted dairy-free butter to bind everything together. I prefer salted butter since that little bit of salt helps balance the flavor. One thing to note is that Ive found gluten-free graham cracker crusts dont need as much butter, since gluten-free grahams have a different texture than traditional graham crackers.
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Top Tips For Making Best Keto Graham Cracker Crust
Can I Freeze Graham Cracker Crust
Absolutely! You can bake it in advance, and then just keep it in the freezer until you need it, since it needs to be frozen anyway If youre using it for a no-bake recipe, Id recommend baking it a little extra, to counteract the time that it would be baked for something like a cheesecake! Now youre armed and ready for baking season. Annnnd youre armed to make goat cheese cheesecake with honey cinnamon apples. AKA The dessert that Mr. FFF declared the best thing he has ever eaten.
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