National Pie Day is January 23. February is Great American Pie Month. Pi Day is March 14. Ice cream pies are refreshing in the summer. Pies are the traditional Thanksgiving dessert. So, no matter what you're celebrating, we thought we’d share 5 gourmet pretzel crust pie ideas. From fruity to chocolatey to savory, we have a pie to suit your tastes and a pretzel variety to match.
No matter which pie – or two – you choose, the pretzel crust is simple to make, adds a touch of salt to a sweet pie, and gives you the perfect crunchy textured crust every time.
Here's what you need to whip up a simple pretzel pie crust:
- 1.5 cups of OMG! Pretzel crumbs, finely crushed
- 6 tbsp. melted butter
- Pie pan
- Measuring cup or flat-bottomed drinking glass
Here's how you make the perfect pretzel pie crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Pulse the OMG! Pretzels (choose your flavor based on your filling) in a food processor or crush them finely in a zip-top plastic bag.
- Combine the pretzel crumbs and melted butter in a bowl and stir until well combined.
- Press the pretzel mixture into the pie pan (be sure to push some up onto the sides of the pan). This is where the measuring cup comes in – it's important that the pretzel mixture is pressed thin and compact so that it forms a nice crunchy crust.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool before filling the pie.
Here are 5 of our favorite pie combinations:
- Salty Butterscotch Pretzel Crust Banana Cream Pie: For this pretzel crust pie, you can use your favorite banana cream pie filling recipe. Or keep it simple with some help from a few easy ingredients: banana instant pudding mix (prepare as box instructs), 1 cup of whipped cream, and fresh banana slices. Just combine the pudding and whipped cream together. Lay the banana slices on top of the baked pretzel pie crust, then top with the pudding mixture. Chill for 10 minutes, then you can top the pie with extra banana slices, a few crushed Salty Butterscotch OMG! Pretzels and serve.
- Sweet Chili Pretzel Crust Chocolate Mousse Pie: This is another pie that you can customize to your skill level or how much time you have. Feel free to make a classic cooked chocolate mousse to fill this delicious pretzel pie crust with just the right amount of spice to pair with the rich chocolate or take some help from the store with a chocolate mousse mix. Either way, this rich pie will be a crowd pleaser!
- Sweet & Spicy Pretzel Crust Apple Pie: While your pretzel pie crust is baking, peel and chop 4 apples. We like to dice them for this style of apple pie. Cook them down in a skillet with a few tablespoons each of butter and brown sugar as well as a teaspoon of cinnamon. Once the apples are soft enough for your liking, add them to the baked pretzel pie crust. To finish off the pie, create a pretzel crumble topping with Sweet & Spicy OMG! Pretzels. For this, just combine a handful of crushed pretzels with a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts and a tablespoon of room temperature butter. Then, scatter the mixture on top of the pie and return it to the oven for 5 minutes.
- Sweet & Salty Pretzel Crust Strawberry Pie: You can make this berry wonder any time of year thanks to frozen fruit! If you can use fresh berries, go for it, but because you cook the fruit down before adding it to the pretzel crust, it's not a must. One thing that is important with frozen berries is being sure you thaw them completely and let the excess moisture drain before you start cooking the fruit; otherwise, your pie filling will be a runny mess! Once your strawberries are ready (either slice the fresh ones or defrost the frozen ones), add them to a saucepan with 4 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch to thicken it. Once this is all combined and warm, you can add it to the baked pretzel pie crust. After it cools, top the Sweet & Salty Pretzel Crust Strawberry Pie with a few dollops of whipped cream before serving.
- Lemon Pepper Pretzel Crust Tomato Pie: Since not everyone has a sweet tooth, we wanted to include something savory to celebrate National Pie Day as well. The brightness and tang of Lemon Pepper OMG! Pretzels added to tomato pie will wake up your tastebuds with every bite. While your pretzel crust bakes, caramelize 1 chopped onion in a little bit of butter. Add the onion to the bottom of the pie crust (once it's cool) and then add fresh sliced tomatoes, a few torn or chopped basil leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Combine 2 cups of shredded cheddar or Swiss cheese with half a cup of cream cheese and layer it onto the pretzel crust pie. Return the whole pie to the oven and bake for another 30-40 minutes or until the cheese mixture is bubbly and brown.
We hope these simple and delicious pretzel pie crust ideas make National Pie Day (or any other day) a bit more fun! Get more pretzel-tastic ideas like this when you sign up for our newsletter.
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