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Recipe Connection: Walnut-Oat Pie Crust

June 30th, 2009 · 28 Comments · Do It Yourself, Recipes, Super Foods, Upgraded Nutrition

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. The fact that it is also gluten-free is a huge bonus.

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:

graham-crackersSource

Gluten-Free 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!

graham cracker pie crust, walnut oat pie crust, whole grain pie crust

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!

I’m demonstrating how my “Bean and Veggie Meal Plan Analysis” will work Thursday.  Please come on back for the demo and to participate with your meal plan.  I’ll help you find ways to include healthy beans and veggies in the foods you and your family already serve and enjoy!

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If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.

Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money.  If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.

Other Recipe Connections:

Find more pies at Love the Pie!

To Find Them Any Fresher You Would Have To Grow
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