I’m a huge “from scratch” person, and if I see a recipe that calls for something bought pre-fab, I usually figure out if I can do it cheaper and more nutritiously at home. Graham cracker crusts for pies was one of those easy-t0-do at home (for a lot less $) things that I always made from scratch, using my Betty Crocker cookbook recipe. I recently came across a whole grain, healthy substitute for graham cracker pie crusts, and I was thrilled with how rich and delicious it tasted.
Between the whole grain oats, omega-3 packed walnuts, and real butter, there’s got to be a complete protein in this thing as well. Nice! Plus you get to avoid the trans fat that is almost always in these:
Walnut-Oat Pie Crust
From King Arthur Flour’s Whole Grain Baking Cookbook
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned or quick oats (not instant)
1 cup diced walnuts
6 Tbs melted unsalted butter
1/3 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread oats in a shallow layer in an ungreased round cake pan. Spread nuts in a shallow layer in another ungreased cake pan. Bake the nuts until they smell toasty and are beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Bake the oats until they’re starting to brown, 15-18 minutes. Watch both carefully; they go from brown to burned quickly.
Remove them from the oven and transfer to a food processor. Add the butter, sugar and salt. Process until the oats and nuts are finely ground and the mixture is cohesive. Remove the mixture from the food processor and press it into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch regular (not deep-dish) pie pan that’s at least 1 ¼ inches deep. Bake the crust until it’s just barely beginning to brown, 14 minutes. Remove it from the oven and set it on a rack to cool.
Now you can fill the crust with any pie that calls for a storebought graham cracker crust. I made a frozen peanut butter pie with it. Delish!
My pan is a little small for this crust - see how thick it got in the corners? But with the frozen PB topping, oh my! There's a reason it's almost gone in this pic!
This post is part of Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed With Grace, Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum, and The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.
This is also my entry in the Make it From Scratch carnival that I get to host next Tuesday. Click here to enter your own recipe, craft project, or whatEVER you like that is from scratch!
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Other Recipe Connections:
- Green Smoothies with Kale
- Jamaican Meat Marinade
- Summer Fruit Dips
- Banana Flax Muffins
- Homemade Granola and Granola bars
Find more pies at Love the Pie!
Hungry for more? Related posts:
What a yummy sounding pie crust substitute!
Sherry’s last blog post..Wilted Lettuce/Spinach Salad
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Great pie crust recipe, thanks for sharing! I am also big on from scratch and avoiding most processed foods.
meatlessmama’s last blog post..Vegetarian Spaghetti Pie
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Thats a great idea, I usually don’t like the graham cracker crusts that much anyway. I will have to try this.
Jenna @ Newlyweds’s last blog post..Outback Steakhouse Bushman Bread
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Yay for the King Arthur cookbook! I just returned it to the library after my renewals expired, and now I should really just buy it.
So many great whole-grain recipes, and they’ve all been super for me.
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Katie Reply:
June 30th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Thank you for recommending it to me! It’s def. going on my birthday wish list. I didn’t love the whole grain cupcakes we tried for Lovey Girl’s birthday…they were a little dry, and hubby says they tasted “healthy”. They were good, but I want something more moist.
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Thats a great idea, so much healthier than the cookie crust
Brenda’s last blog post..Brined BBQ Chicken for TMTT
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Thanks for the recipe and thanks for linking up to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.
Lisa@BlessedwithGrace’s last blog post..Tempt My Tummy Tuesday….Sloppy Joe..BBQ.. I don’t care what you call it.. Just call me to dinner ’cause this is good!
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I’m so glad I found your blog! I love this recipe. I’ve been wanting some way of making a sub for the graham crust, but drew a blank. Thanks!
Mother Hen’s last blog post..Pancakes Without Sugar
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Katie Reply:
July 4th, 2009 at 8:30 pm
The only other way I did it before was with Oreos, but I don’t suppose they are a healthy sub, right?
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This is a fabulous recipe. Thanks for sharing it with us. Have a great holiday weekend.
Mary’s last blog post..Salmon with Cilantro and Lime – Foodie Friday and Pink Saturday
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Wonderful, now I can make some of those no-bake pies I gave up because I stopped eating graham crackers a number of years ago because of the trans fat! I thank you, my waistline? Not so much.
Rhonda @ Shellbelle’s Tiki Hut’s last blog post..Foodie Friday — Chicken Mango Wrap
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Katie Reply:
July 4th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Some say fat doesn’t make you fat…although I suppose it depends what you’re filling these relatively healthy crusts with!
Welcome!
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Thanks for sharing this great alternative. I’m going to definitely try this.
Kathryn@BonafideSouthern’s last blog post..Foodie Friday: Oriental Salad
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I’m so glad to find your blog. I will have to spend some time going through your previous posts because I am so impressed with this crust recipe. Thanks for sharing it. I hope you will join me beginning in August for Crock Pot Wednesdays @ Diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com.
Darnold23’s last blog post..RED SKELTON AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
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Katie Reply:
July 4th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
Thanks for joining me, Debbie! I’ll make a note of Crock Pot Wednesdays and link up whenever I post a crock pot recipe. Are you accepting “old” posts, too, or just recent ones?
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I can’t wait to try this!!! Do you think it would work to substitute real maple syrup for the brown sugar? I am trying to limit refined sweeteners and have read that maple syrup is a “healthier” choice, if there is such a thing!
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Katie Reply:
July 4th, 2009 at 8:33 pm
I think maple syrup is def. healtier than brown sugar. I wonder how it would impact the crust. ?? Maybe lower the butter, just a smidge, to make up for the added liquid. I may have overdone the butter because I didn’t measure perfectly, and my crust was a little slippery – it fell down into the pan as it baked – so I don’t think you want it to liquid-y. Good luck! Come back and comment if you try it and it works, if you wouldn’t mind! I love avoiding white sugar as well.
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Thanks for your advice! I have been saving my money for a bottle of real maple syrup (it’s liquid gold) and this will be the first recipe I try with it!!! It may be a week or so until I have enough saved up, but I will come post my results as soon as I can!
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