To make a yummy no-bake pie there are lots of ways you can make your crust. Using different types of cookies and different flavorings can add so much to your pies. It might seem like a small detail, but having the best cookie crust can elevate your recipes. Here are a few different ways to make cookie crusts for 9″ pans so you always have options.
4) Classic Graham Cracker Crust
This is the one we know and love. You can buy graham cracker crusts pre-made from the grocery, but I think they taste better when they’re homemade. The ingredients for this recipe are simple. Combine 1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs with a 1/4 cup sugar and 6 tablespoons melted butter. You can’t go wrong with a crust this easy. Throw everything into the food processor and you’re ready to press this into your pie pan.
3) Maria Cookie Crust
Along the lines of graham cracker crusts are Maria cookie crusts. Both snacks have a very mild flavor that doesn’t compete with the fillings. To make a Maria cookie crust crush a 7 oz tube of the cookies and mix them with 1/2 cup of melted butter. I find this crust goes really well with dark chocolate fillings and toppings since the mild vanilla flavor balances the rich, almost-bitter chocolate. Unglazed animal crackers also work for this type of crust as well.
2) Sandwich Cookie Crust
For a truly decadent spin on the cookie crust you can use sandwich cookies instead of graham crackers. Chocolate is an obvious choice, but I find that the vanilla ones are good for some pies, while cheesecakes in particular end up much tastier with a lemon sandwich cookie crust. You could even use maple sandwich cookies for cream pie or peanut butter ones for a chocolate pie! To make this crust crush 25 cookies and mix them with 5 tablespoons melted butter until sandy. Bonus points to this crust as I find that it often holds together better than graham cracker crusts- maybe because of the cookie filling.
1) Speculoos Cookie Crust
Another fun spin on the no-bake crust is to use speculoos cookies. Lotus are the ones found in most grocery stores, but there are some other brands out there as well, including one from Trader Joe’s. For this crust crush 8 ounces speculoos cookies and combine with 3 tablespoons each melted butter and granulated sugar. Some ideas for using this crust are to turn a cheesecake into a more festive one and drizzle the top with caramel. Or use instant vanilla pudding as the filling and then sprinkle some crushed cookies on top before it sets. There are so many ways to use this crust!