Grapenuts Crust
Submitted by lynncoh
Two-ingredient Grape-Nuts pie crust made with ground cereal and apple juice concentrate. No butter, no flour, and naturally low-fat. Works for pumpkin pie or any no-bake filling.
YIELD
1 crustPREP
30 minCOOK
10 minREADY
40 minJust two ingredients and you’ve got a crunchy, nutty pie crust with no butter and no flour.
Grape-Nuts cereal gets ground in a food processor until it’s the texture of coarse sand, then mixed with apple juice concentrate and pressed into a pie pan. The apple juice concentrate acts as both the binder and the sweetener, replacing the melted butter that holds a traditional crumb crust together.
The crust bakes for just 10 minutes to firm up and toast slightly. For a no-bake filling like pudding or mousse, let it cool completely first. For pumpkin pie, skip the pre-bake and pour the filling right in, then bake everything together.
Pro Tips
- Grind the Grape-Nuts well. Coarse pieces don’t press into a smooth crust and the texture gets too pebbly.
- Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the pan using the bottom of a measuring cup. Loose spots will crumble when you slice.
- Use half the recipe if you just need a thin bottom crust without high sides.
- Let the crust cool completely before adding a cold filling. A warm crust melts whipped cream or mousse fillings on contact.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the ground cereal for spiced pies.
- Use white grape juice concentrate instead of apple for a more neutral flavor.
- Mix in a tablespoon of maple syrup for a richer, autumn-flavored crust.
Ingredients
Directions
Ground the Grape Nuts in a food processor.
You can use half of the recipe if you don’t need the crust to go too far up the side of the pan.
Mix the Grape Nuts and apple juice together and press into the pie pan.
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Bake crust for 10 minutes, then let cool if you you are using a cool filling.
For a pumpkin pie, just add the filling and bake it all at once.
Comments
