
Pies come in two varieties: those with traditional rolled-out pastry crusts and those with press-in crumb crusts. Today I am sharing a guide to a wide variety of different crumb options for creating a press-in pie crust.
Crumb crusts come together in almost no time, can be made ahead, and are the fastest way to execute a delicious house for your favorite no-bake pie filling. Since they can be constructed from a large variety of crackers or cookies, the flavor of the press-in crust adds to the finished taste of each bite of pie.
The type of crumb you choose will determines the amount of butter to add and whether or not you add sugar. I have done all the work for you and compiled the details for each crumb type in the recipe below!

In my experience, I have found brand name products to be far superior to generic, particularly when it comes to animal crackers. My favorite press-in crust components are Oreos, any kind of shortbread cookie, and Saltine crackers. I also am a huge fan of the pretzel crust, but make sure you use the tiny rods or twists as opposed to the giant rods to ensure the best texture. If you have never tried the Saltine crust, I highly recommend giving it a go, particularly with a super sweet filling. The salty snap is a game-changer!

Crumb crusts are constructed by mixing finely ground crumbs with melted butter and perhaps some sugar. The sandy mixture is pressed evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish to create the crust, and then it is briefly baked until almost golden brown.
I find it easiest to press the sides of the pie first, and then finish by pressing the bottom. I also never worry about trying to make the edges even or perfect. It is a losing battle and really does not make any difference in the finished product. Do your best and carry on!


A Guide for Press-In Pie Crusts
Ingredients
Graham Crackers…
- 1 1/2 cups (5 ounces) finely ground graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Nabisco Nilla Wafer Cookies…
- 1 3/4 cup (8 ounces) finely ground Nilla Wafer cookie crumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Circus Brand Animal Cracker Cookies…
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) finely ground animal cracker cookie crumbs
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Pretzels…
- 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) finely ground pretzel crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Saltine Crackers…
- 1 1/2 cups (4 ounces) finely ground cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Oreo Cookies…
- 2 cups (8 ounces) finely ground Oreo crumbs (use the entire cookie including the filling!)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Gingersnap Cookies…
- 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) finely ground gingersnap crumbs
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Shortbread Cookies…
- 1 3/4 cup (8 ounces) finely ground shortbread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Biscoff Cookies…
- 2 cups (8 ounces) finely ground Biscoff crumbs
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the crust until evenly mixed.
- Press the crust into a standard 9-inch pie plate. I like to build the edges first, and then fill in the bottom. Try not to worry too much about the edges being perfect.
- Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes, or until beginning to turn golden brown. Remove and cool before filling.
What a fabulously helpful tool! Thank you so much – this is exactly what I’ve been needing, and especially today. May I ask what proportions you recommend when using the Biscoff cookies? My attempts to use them have been abject failures!
Thanks so much!
Perfect and so helpful.
Today’s ‘Pi Day’!