Oatmeal Pie Crust

Name: Oatmeal Pie Crust
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats (certified GF if needed; tap Metric above for weight); 3 tablespoons sugar; ½ teaspoon cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, optional (omit if using salted butter); 6 tablespoons vegan butter, melted (see Notes for fat-free option); 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

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Oatmeal pie crust is easy to prepare and makes a great substitute for graham cracker crust. All you need are 6 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time, then simply press it into a pie plate and bake! Ideal for no-bake pie fillings like key lime, chocolate, cheesecake, and cream pies.

This oat pie crust recipe is gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free.

A creamy vanilla pie filling in oatmeal pie crust topped with berries.

Why You'll Love It

This homemade oatmeal pie crust tastes amazing - like oatmeal cookies! - and the crisp-yet-chewy texture is the perfect contrast to creamy pie fillings.

It's lightly sweetened, with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla, and bakes up in just 15 minutes. No rolling pin or pre-chilling involved!

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Why You'll Love It
Ingredients
How to Make Oatmeal Pie Crust
Substitutions
Fat-Free Pie Crust Variation
Frequently Asked Questions
Top Tip
Pie Fillings
Recipe Video
Recipe
More Desserts With Oats
💬 Comments

For years, this vegan gluten-free pie crust has been my go-to. It's not only delicious and ridiculously easy to make, but since it's made from almond flour and contains no extracted oils, it's also healthier than your average pie crust.

In fact, that pie crust has been so popular with my readers I also created a nut-free version: sunflower seed crust.

But recently I wanted to test a new recipe idea for a no-bake cheesecake. A graham cracker crust would have been perfect, but ideally I wanted to keep the dessert both vegan AND gluten-free.

Since vegan gluten-free graham crackers are pretty much impossible to find, I decided a pie crust made with oats would be perfect!

Ingredients

rolled oats - look for regular, old fashioned rolled oats. I suspect quick oats will also work, but I haven't tested that yet.
vegan butter - I used Earth Balance unsalted sticks. If using salted butter, you can omit the salt. If you're one of my regular oil-free readers, I'm happy to report that applesauce can be used instead, though it does affect the texture of the crust. Or try one of these: healthy pie crust, seed pie crust, or nut and date crust.
maple syrup - or agave; this adds just a touch of stickiness and moisture, plus great flavor!
sugar - regular granulated sugar sweetens the crust, adds crispness, and helps it brown.
cinnamon - optional but recommended; since oats don't taste like much on their own, just a touch of cinnamon really takes the flavor up a notch. Bonus: cinnamon tastes lovely with pretty much any pie filling, like chocolate, vanilla, cheesecake, berries, apples, pears, peaches, etc.

See the recipe card below for quantities and complete instructions.

How to Make Oatmeal Pie Crust

Pulsing oats in a food processor to turn into pie crust.

Add the oats and other dry ingredients to a large food processor. Let it run for about 10 seconds, then pulse until the oats are mostly broken down. A few larger pieces are fine.

Adding melted butter to the dry ingredients in the food processor.

Add the melted butter, vanilla, and syrup, then pulse until fully combined.

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Showing the texture of the oat mixture in the food processor before pressing into a pie plate.

The mixture should look moist and lightly stick together when squeezed between your fingers.

Evenly distributing the buttery oat pie crust mixture around a glass pie plate.

Spoon the oat mixture into a glass pie plate, evenly spreading it around the dish.

Using the bottom of a measuring cup to press the oat pie crust into the dish.

Starting in the center and working toward the edges, firmly press the crust mixture into the pie dish using your hands or the flat bottom of a measuring cup or glass.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree (177 C) oven for 16 to 18 minutes or until lightly golden.

Tip: During the last few minutes of baking the crust may begin to puff up slightly. After removing the pie crust from the oven, use the measuring cup or a large spoon to gently press it down.

Substitutions

maple syrup - agave nectar is an easy swap, or use an additional tablespoon of sugar plus 1 tablespoon of water or non-dairy milk.
sugar - regular granulated sugar is the only sweetener I've tested so far. Light brown sugar or coconut sugar should also be fine. I'm not sure whether low-calorie, alternative sweeteners would work.
vegan butter - it's possible other fats could work, such as coconut oil, vegetable shortening, but vegan butter is the only one I've tested so far.
*If you're one of my regular oil-free readers, I've also successfully made the recipe with ½ cup applesauce replacing the vegan butter. Obviously, this changes the texture to be more chewy than crisp, but it's actually quite delicious!
I also have three other crust options that are made without extracted oils: healthy pie crust, seed pie crust, and nut and date crust.
oats - since this is an oatmeal pie crust, obviously oats are an important ingredient. I also tested it once with oat flour, but found it much less forgiving. I love oat flour for baking, but for pie crust, it would have needed other flours and ingredients to get the proper texture.

Fat-Free Pie Crust Variation

Recently while finalizing this tofu cheesecake pie recipe, I tested the oatmeal crust with applesauce instead of vegan butter. It worked surprisingly well!

With applesauce the texture is more chewy than crisp, but that's to be expected. It held to gether perfectly, didn't stick to the pie plate (even without oiling the dish), and tasted great.

So if you're watching your fat intake, or baking a treat for someone who is, this is a great option. Here's how to do it:

replace the vegan butter with ½ cup applesauce
omit the maple syrup
and increase the bake time to 20 minutes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use oat flour instead of oats?

A straight swap doesn't work in this recipe because oat flour absorbs more moisture than the pulsed/chopped oats do. If all you have is oat flour, it's probably best to search online for an oat flour pie crust.

Do I have to use a food processor?

Not necessarily. You could pulse the oats in a blender, then combine with the other ingredients in a bowl. Just be careful not to blend the oats too long - we don't want fine oat flour. It's best when there's some variety in the texture.

Does it work for baked pies?

This oatmeal crust isn't the best option for baked pies, especially ones with longer bake times like pumpkin, because the edges will burn. A pie shield might help, but this vegan gluten-free pie crust is a better option.

Can I make it in advance?

Absolutely! After removing the pie crust from the oven, cool completely then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days before using. It also holds up well for a couple of days once filled. Keep in mind, any type of filling that contain an excessive amount of liquid will affect the texture.

A slice of creamy vegan cheesecake on a plate showing the oatmeal pie crust texture.

Top Tip

Since the pie crust contains no flour or gluten, it tends to be a tad crumbly, sort of like graham cracker crust. Just make sure the oats are well processed and that you firmly press the mixture into the pie dish, and it will hold together beautifully.

Pie Fillings

Pair this oatmeal pie crust with no-bake pie fillings like:

Recipe Video

I hope you enjoy this easy, no-roll oatmeal pie crust. If you try the recipe be sure to comment below and let us know!

Recipe

Side view of a slice of pie on a plate showing the texture of the pulsed oat crust.

Oatmeal Pie Crust

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

This oatmeal pie crust is easy to make and a great sub for graham cracker crust. Only 5 basic ingredients. Just press in and bake! Ideal for no-bake fillings like chocolate, banana cream, key lime, etc. Gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free.

Recipe adapted from MamaGourmand.

5 from 15 votes

Servings: servings

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Chill time: 1

Total Time: 30

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Equipment

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats - certified GF if needed; tap Metric above for weight
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, optional - omit if using salted butter
6 tablespoons vegan butter, melted - see Notes for fat-free option
1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
In the bowl of a large food processor, combine the oats, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, if using. Process for about 10 seconds, then pulse until the oats are mostly broken down but still coarse.
Add the melted butter, syrup, and vanilla. Process again until everything is well combined. The mixture should be moist and easily clump together.
Spoon the oat mixture into a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate, evenly distributing it around the dish. Starting in the center and working out toward the sides, firmly press the mixture into the bottom and sides. I like to use the flat bottom of a glass or measuring cup. Use your hands to make sure the sides are pressed in firmly.
Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until set and lightly golden. During the last few minutes in the oven, the crust may puff up slightly. After removing from the oven, use the measuring cup (or a large spoon) to gently press it down.
Cool completely, then add your favorite no-bake filling. See Notes for tips.

Notes

Don’t sub dairy butter: Note that vegan butter has a higher water content than regular butter, in addition to other differences in the fats. I don't use dairy and have only tested the recipe with vegan butter. According to comments left by others, a straight swap with dairy butter does NOT work in this recipe and creates a crust that is too hard.

Fat-free/oil-free option: If you follow a low-fat diet, you'll be glad to know this crust works beautifully with applesauce instead of vegan butter. Note that the texture ends up softer/chewier, but it holds together perfectly and tastes great! To do it, use ½ cup applesauce, omit the maple syrup, and increase bake time to 20 minutes.

Don't have a food processor? Pulse the oats in a blender, then combine with the other ingredients in a large bowl. Be careful not to blend the oats too long (we don't want fine oat flour). It's best when there's variety in the texture.

Can I use it for baked pies? This isn't the best crust for baked pies, especially ones with longer bake times like pumpkin, because this crust bakes up more quickly. A pie shield may help, but this vegan gluten-free pie crust is a better option.

Use this crust with no-bake fillings like chocolate, key lime, vegan cheesecake, banana cream, etc. It's a great sub for graham cracker crusts.

Storing/Make Ahead: Cool completely then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days before filling. It also holds up well for a couple of days once filled. Keep in mind, any type of filling that contain a lot of moisture will affect the texture.

Estimated Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 192kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 3gFat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 80mgFiber: 3g

Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.

Make the recipe?Leave a comment below to share your feedback!

More Desserts With Oats

And since this blog is basically an outlet for my obsession with oats, I have more favorites for you:

Plus, multiple oat-based ice creams, granola, overnight oats, and oatmeal recipes. If any of that sounds good to you, just use the handy little search magnifying glass to browse by ingredient.