Buzz
Graham cracker crusts play a key role in the dessert world, offering a quick and easy base for pies when turning on the oven isn’t an option. As someone who dreads the heat but always craves pie, I wish they excited me more.
I’ll never refuse a slice, but my least favorite use for a graham cracker crust is in my top-tier pies: key lime and lemon meringue. Graham crackers just don’t work with citrus—no one can convince me otherwise. They shine with melted chocolate and gooey marshmallows, where their nutty, whole-wheat taste and dry texture actually fit. Citrus pies demand something rich and buttery to balance the filling, which is why I’ll always choose a classic pastry crust instead.
However, as mentioned earlier, there are moments when I’m not in the mood to make pastry—but I also don’t want graham crackers. My ideal alternative? Atlantic Beach Pie, a brilliantly simple recipe I stumbled upon on Food52 and in the New York Times Cooking section last summer. The crust consists of butter, sugar, and crushed saltine crackers, while the filling is a no-fuss blend of condensed milk and lemon juice. Once chilled and set, it’s finished with whipped cream and flaky salt. I’ve been thinking about this sweet-salty, key lime-lemon meringue hybrid daily for nearly a year, yet somehow, I’ve never actually made it. Time to fix that—with one small tweak.
Saltines have their charm, but Ritz crackers are scientifically superior. They’re rich, flaky, and subtly sweet—everything I crave in a pie crust. Instead of using saltines, I opted for a Ritz cracker crust. Plus, with temperatures hitting 90ºF in Philly yesterday, I refused to turn on my oven, so I adapted the process into a completely no-bake method. Here’s how to do it.
Blend half a stick of butter with 2 tablespoons of sugar in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add 6 ounces (about a sleeve and a half) of Ritz crackers and pulse until finely ground, scraping down the bowl as needed, until the mixture holds together. Press into an eight-inch pie tin and freeze while you prepare the filling—a hybrid between lemon curd and condensed milk crème pâtissière. Naturally, I make it in the microwave.
Whisk a full can of condensed milk with a generous half cup of lemon juice, then microwave until steaming hot, about one to two minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together one whole egg, three yolks, and a quarter cup of cornstarch. Gradually temper the eggs and starch with a cup of the hot condensed milk mixture, then stir everything back into the remaining condensed milk. Microwave in 30-second bursts until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Smooth out any lumps with vigorous whisking (or a stick blender), let it cool slightly, and pour into the chilled crust. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until firm, about six hours. For cleaner slices, freeze the pie for an hour before serving. Finish with whipped cream, citrus zest, and a sprinkle of flaky salt.
I have to admit—this might just be my new go-to pie. While switching to a different cracker doesn’t completely eliminate the structural quirks of a no-bake crumb crust, it does wonders for both texture and flavor. Instead of dry graham cracker crumbs, you get crispy, buttery Ritz bits in every bite. Thanks to the extra butter and the crackers’ natural richness, the taste is surprisingly close to a traditional pastry crust. It’s a brilliant swap that works with any buttery, salty cracker you have on hand. Something tells me I’ll be making a lot more pie this summer.
