Gingersnap Pie Crust

By
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen
Linda Larsen is a journalist, quick-cooking and slow-cooking expert, and accomplished cookbook author with over 30 years of experience in testing and developing recipes.
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Updated on 07/6/21
Gingersnap pie crust key lime pie
Armstrong Studios/Photolibrary/Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
359 Calories
17g Fat
49g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 359
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 9g 43%
Cholesterol 31mg 10%
Sodium 377mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 52mg 4%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 209mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This super simple, four-ingredient pie crust is really good with pumpkin pie or any ice cream filling. This pie crust is great for beginning cooks because there is no messing around with shortening and water or cutting flour into fat. Just mix some gingersnap cookie crumbs with sugar, butter, and ground ginger and pat it into the pan.

You can use this recipe to make pumpkin pie, any fruit pie, or any pie that is fluffy, such as a gelatin pie that has whipped cream or whipped topping folded in. You can substitute a gingersnap cookie crust for any recipe that calls for a graham cracker crust. The spicy flavor of gingersnap cookies is a nice complement for fall and winter desserts like pumpkin cheesecake or pumpkin, sweet potato, or apple pies.

In the summer, try filling it with a combination of three cups of ice cream plus a 10-ounce jar of lemon curd or a can of frozen lemonade concentrate. This popular type of pie is also known as "icebox pie," a favorite in the American South. Icebox pies did not require the heat of baking and could be stored in the "icebox" until it was time to serve it.

You can even vary the type of cookie crust you make by changing out gingersnap cookies for most any other types of cookies. Try Oreo cookies, peanut butter cookies, sugar cookies, or shortbread cookies. There are infinite variations and infinite fillings that make this simple recipe a special dessert.

For the freshest, most wholesome pie crust, make your own gingersnap cookies from scratch. It only takes about 10 minutes to bake your own.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookies, crumbled

  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

  • 6 tablespoons butter, melted

Steps to Make It

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

  2. Combine the cookie crumbs, brown sugar, ground ginger, and melted butter in a medium bowl until you can pick up some of the mixture and press it into a ball that holds together.

  3. Press the crumb mixture into a greased 9-inch pie pan. Bake at 350 F for 10 minutes, until the crust is set. Remove the pie crust from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before filling with cooked fruit, ice cream, pudding, or anything you would like.

Recipe Variations

  • Other Cookie Crusts: Follow the basic proportions of cookie crumbs to sugar and melted butter. Omit the ginger if you are using other types of cookies. You could substitute ground cinnamon or nutmeg in place of the ginger if you would like. Follow your own taste preferences and what you think would be good.
  • No-Bake Method: Instead of baking the pie crust to set it, freeze it for 30 minutes or so before filling it and be sure to chill your pie thoroughly after filling. The crust may crumble a bit when you cut slices, but it is so good that no one will care.

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