Graham cracker crust is a familiar base for many a cheesecake or cream pie. But any crunchy cookie can be turned into a pie crust, allowing you to mix and match crusts and fillings to suit your taste and imagination. Here are some of our favorite cookie crusts, starting with the perennial classic: graham cracker. See "tips" (at the bottom of this page) for more.
To make the crust: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, and butter.
Press the mixture into the bottom and partway up the sides of a 9" springform pan, 9" cheesecake pan, or 9" deep-dish pie pan.
If you're using a 9" x 1 1/2" pan, you'll have 1/4 to 1/2 cup of extra crumb mixture. This can become a garnish for the pie, if you like.
To prebake the crust: Place it in a preheated 375°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, just until set and you smell the cookies toasting. Remove the crust from the oven, cool on a rack, and finish with the filling of your choice.
To make a chocolate cookie crust: Replace the graham crackers with 2 cups of chocolate cookie crumbs (about 40 chocolate wafer cookies).
To make a vanilla cookie crust: Replace the graham crackers with an equal amount of vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (about 62 vanilla wafer cookies).
To make a gingersnap crust: Replace the graham crackers with 2 cups of crushed gingersnaps (about 43 small gingersnap cookies).
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