Making your own “from scratch” items not only saves tons of money on your monthly grocery bill, it’s also considerably healthier for your family. Whole grain and packed with omega 3 nutrient rich walnuts, this recipe is the perfect substitute for store-bought graham cracker pie crusts, with the added bonus of being gluten-free as well.
You’ll Need:
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned or quick oats (not instant)
1 cup chopped walnuts
6 Tbs melted unsalted butter
1/3 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
¼ tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the oats in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet until they begin to brown (about 15 minutes). Bake the chopped walnuts on a ungreased cookie sheet until they begin to brown, about 8 minutes. (I recommend using separate cookie sheets as they cook for different lengths of time.
Once they’re browned, transfer them to a food processor, and finely chop, add the butter, sugar and salt. Process until the texture of a graham cracker crust. Press it into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch regular pie pan.
Bake the crust until it’s just barely beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove it from the oven and set it on a rack to cool.
Fill with any preferred filling. We use this in place of graham cracker crusts for a delicious (gluten-free) pie crust!
