Buzz
The classic graham cracker crust for no-bake pies and cheesecakes feels a bit outdated. Embrace the festive season with a crumb crust that’s both unique and familiar. This crust offers an interesting texture and is possibly the easiest crumb crust you’ll ever make. You can create a press-in pie crust with just one ingredient: Pop-Tarts.
While you can swap out various cookies in a graham cracker crust recipe to experiment with different flavors, most require additional ingredients like butter (and sometimes sugar) to keep everything together. Without butter, the cookie crumbs won’t form a proper pie crust shape. The magic of Pop-Tarts is that each one has its own built-in sticky sugar filling. Simply uncover it, and with the help of a food processor, you’ll be done in about 30 seconds.
Steps to create a Pop-Tart crumb pie crust
For a standard nine-inch pie dish or cake pan, you’ll need four Pop-Tarts (or two sleeves). If you’re using a deep dish pan, add two more Pop-Tarts. Place the un-toasted Pop-Tarts in a food processor with a blade attachment. I chose the unfrosted strawberry flavor because, surprisingly, I didn’t want the frosting to overpower the sweetness of my crust.
For a cheesecake, line the pan with parchment paper. For a pie, grease the dish with butter. Process the Pop-Tarts on high speed until the crumbs resemble coarse sand, similar to the texture of any typical crumb crust. This should take about 30 seconds. Transfer the crumbs to your pie dish and use a flat-bottomed measuring cup (or any other suitable tool) to press and pack the crumbs along the sides of the dish.
Place the crust in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, or until the edges start to turn a light brown. This short time in the oven helps the jam particles warm up and bond with each other better. Let it cool on a wire rack for at least five minutes before adding your filling.
The crust’s gorgeous look is a nice touch, but my favorite part is its texture. The Pop-Tart’s pastry remains as soft as ever, while the jammy bits turn slightly chewy after baking. The flavor takes you back to elementary school, and it pairs perfectly with almost any filling. Pop-Tarts come in many flavors, so for an apple cinnamon mousse, try the brown sugar cinnamon variety. If you’re making a holiday pumpkin cheesecake, go for the pumpkin pie flavor. Just make sure the filling is ready, as this crust comes together in no time.
