Vanilla Wafer Cookie Crumb Crust

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 06/11/21
Pumpkin butter pie in cookie crust

The Spruce / Diana Rattray
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 20 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
145 Calories
10g Fat
14g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 145
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 5g 27%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 61mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 2mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 15mg 0%
*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.)

Use this vanilla wafer crust for your favorite pie filling. It's especially good for a no-bake pie like the pumpkin butter pie in the photo. 

Use it for any pie in place of a graham cracker or other cookie crumb crust. This is such a versatile crust, you just might find yourself using it more and more for your pies.

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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups fine vanilla wafer crumbs, about 30 to 35 cookies

  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Heat oven to 350 F.

  2. Blend ingredients thoroughly.

  3. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.

  4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

  5. Cool thoroughly before filling.

Tips

  • Too hot to turn the oven on? You can skip the baking step for any cookie crumb crust. While baking firms it a bit more and adds some flavor, it isn't necessary. Just make sure the crust is thoroughly chilled before you add the filling.
  • Use this recipe for pie or cheesecake.

Recipe Variations

  • Add a few tablespoons of finely chopped pecans or walnuts to the cookie crumbs.
  • Replace the vanilla wafer crumbs with gingersnap crumbs for a gingersnap crust.
  • Replace the vanilla wafer crumbs with chocolate cookie crumbs, ground animal crackers, or shortbread cookie crumbs.
  • Add about 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or other spices to the crumbs.