This two-ingredient Oreo pie crust recipe delivers a sweet and crunchy shell. Simply crush, mix, shape, and bake. The crust is versatile for baked pies, cheesecake, no-bake treats, or ice cream desserts.
Recipe Science
- Crushing Oreos into fine crumbs creates a sturdy base, as the cookie crumbs bind together when mixed with melted butter.
- The fat in the butter solidifies after chilling, helping to hold the crust together and providing a firm foundation for the pie filling.
- The sugar and cocoa in the Oreo cookies slightly caramelize during baking (if baked), enhancing the flavor and giving the crust a deeper, richer taste.
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Why It Works
This Oreo cookie pie crust will take your desserts to the next level of sweetness. The texture adds a beautiful crunch to every slice. To create it, you must crush several creme-filled cookies and combine them with melted butter to form a shell.
I use a food processor to make preparation fast and easy, but a rolling pin works, too! The key is creating fine crumbs. The butter helps to moisten and bind the cookies together. Briefly, baking further crust locks the cookies together, making it easy to cut and serve.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cookies: You’ll need 24 regular-sized Oreo cookies to yield 2 cups of crumbs. The creme filling does not need to be removed as it adds sweetness and helps bind the crust. I used the traditional chocolate flavor, but other flavor varieties work well as long as they are the same size. Each cookie should weigh about 10 to 11 grams. Do not use thin or double-stuffed Oreos.
- Fat: Unsalted melted butter is my top choice for forming the pie crust. The milk solids get toasted when baked, adding a butterscotch note. The fat and water in the butter hydrates the cookie crumbs, helping it bind together. When the fat is cold, it solidifies, helping to hold the shell structure.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
Switching up the flavor is easy once you learn how to make this Oreo cookie pie crust recipe! Try these tasty ideas:
- Cookie: Try different Oreo cookie flavors like golden, red velvet, pumpkin spice, smores, fudge, peanut butter, mint, or lemon. There are always fun seasonal flavors.
- Gluten-free: Nabisco now offers gluten-free Oreos made with rice flour, tapioca starch, cornstarch, and xanthan gum. It may have a slightly different texture. Make sure to measure out 2 cups of packed cookie crumbs. The weight may differ due to the different ingredients used.
- Flavoring: To bump up the flavor of the crust, add in vanilla, peppermint, mint, anise, almond, or banana extract. Pulse shredded coconut to mix in. Add in coffee or espresso powder. Add lemon or orange zest for a citrus taste.
- Fat: Instead of butter, melted coconut oil can be used. Use refined coconut oil for a less nutty taste.
How to Make Oreo Pie Crust
Step 1: Preheat the Oven
Set the oven rack to the middle position and preheat to 350ºF (177ºC).
Step 2: Crush the Cookies
The fastest and easiest way to break down the cookies is with a food processor. Don’t remove the creme filling! Add them directly to the cup and pulse until fine crumbs form.
The white filling will become incorporated into the mixture. Measure out two packed cups, yielding about 250 grams. You’ll have a few extra tablespoons of crumbs to add if needed to make a bigger crust or fill in cracked spaces.
Alternatively, add the cookies to a large resealable bag and crush the Oreos with a rolling pin or mallet. It will take a little longer, but keep breaking them down. The finer, the better, as the crumbs will pack tightly together.
Step 3: Add the Butter
Melt the unsalted butter and let it slightly cool. Add it to a large bowl with the cookie crumbs. Mix it to evenly coat the crumbs. The mixture will look like wet sand but shouldn’t be too wet or soggy. That’s what you want! The moisture and fat will help to bind the cookie crust together.
Step 4: Shape the Crust
Press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of the pan as evenly as possible. If the crust is sticky, line it with plastic wrap first. Use your fingers to flatten out the top edge of the crust.
I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup and spoon to help smooth and shape it. The crumbs are delicate, so don’t push down too hard.
Use the back of a rounded spoon to press the edges.
Pro Tip: The cookie mixture fits on a 9-inch pie plate. A smaller 8-inch works well for a thicker crust, or a 10-inch for a thinner shell. Line a springform pan with aluminum foil if you want to use the crust to bake a cheesecake. This will prevent the butter’s fat from seeping out.
Step 5: Bake the Crust
The baking time depends on the dessert or pie recipe you plan to make. For custard fillings or cheesecake, bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, as it will continue to cook in the oven with the filling.
For no-bake fillings like my chocolate cream pie or peanut butter pie, bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling. This will prevent any cream fillings from melting.
Use This Crust For
There are various ways to add different fillings to the pie crust. You can also get creative and make multiple baked desserts or an ice cream novelty.
Frequently Asked Questions
The recipe has been designed with regular Oreos, but you can use any flavor. Do not use double-stuffed or thin varieties.
No! Do not scrape out the creme filling. It adds sweetness to the crust and assists with the binding.
Baking the crust so the ingredients meld together is highly recommended, creating a cohesive shell that slices easily. This shell can be stored at room temperature if not filled on the same day. An unbaked crust requires refrigeration because the butter will soften at room temperature and crumble apart more easily. Only use unbaked crust for ice cream desserts.
The Oreo cookies with the creme filling contain wheat, sugar, palm oil, and emulsifiers that help with the taste and binding. If you want to just use a cookie, you would have to add in a sweetener. Check out my key lime pie recipe with a graham cracker crust for reference.
Refrigerate unbaked crust for 5 days, baked crust for 3 days at room temperature, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Baking the Oreo crust has many benefits. The water and fat moisten the crumbs; when heated, the gluten proteins and sugars bind the crust together. This makes it more sturdy when the filling is added and easy to slice. I only recommend not baking the crust if used for an ice cream dessert. However, it will be more crumbly and harder to cut because the cold butter is primarily holding it together.
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Oreo Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 24 oreo cookies
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
- Heat the Oven – Set the oven rack to the middle position. Heat to 350ºF (177ºC).
- Crush the Cookies – Add the Oreos (with filling) to a food processor. Pulse until a fine crumb forms, about 15 to 20 pulses. Alternatively, add the cookies to a large resealable plastic bag. Use a rolling pin to crush into a fine crumb.
- Add the Butter – Measure out 2 cups of packed cookie crumbs (250 grams) and place them in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and stir to combine. The mixture will feel like wet sand.
- Shape the Crust – Add the cookie mixture to a 9-inch pie plate, or desired-sized pan. Press the crumbs evenly into the bottom and sides. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack down the bottom. Use the bottom of a spoon to press and smooth the crumbs into the sides and bottom edges of the pan. Flatten the top edge of the crust with your fingertips.
- Bake the Crust – For a baked dessert, bake for 8 to 10 minutes. For a no-bake pie filling, bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Unbaked Pie Crust: Use only for ice cream pies. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or until hardened, before filling. However, a baked crust will have a sturdier texture.
- Storing: Store baked pie crust covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. Refrigerate unbaked crust for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
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