Gingersnap Crumb Crust

Oct 13, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pies tarts Vanilla: Extract Easy

An unfilled, crimped gingersnap crumb crust in a ceramic pie plate on a floured wooden board with a rolling pin beside it

A spiced crumb crust from crisp gingersnaps, for pumpkin, sweet potato, apple butter and lemon fillings and for cheesecake.

Prep 10 min

Cook 10 min

Cooling 30 min

Total 50 min

Yield 8 slices

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

1 ½ cups (180.0 g)gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 30 small cookies)
2.0 tbsp (25.0 g)light brown sugar, packed
¼ tsp (1.5 g)fine sea salt
5.0 tbsp (70.0 g)unsalted butter, melted
1.0 tsp (5.0 ml)pure vanilla extract

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Stir the crumbs, brown sugar and salt together, then stir in the butter and vanilla.
Press over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate.
Bake 10 minutes, cool, then chill 30 minutes before filling.

Tips

Gingersnaps are drier than graham crackers; if the crumbs do not hold together, add butter a teaspoon at a time.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make gingersnap crumb crust?

Plan on 10 minutes of prep and 10 minutes of cooking, plus 30 minutes to chill. The recipe makes one 9-inch crust.

How should I store gingersnap crumb crust?

Cover the crust in its pan and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 1 month.

Can I make gingersnap crumb crust ahead?

Bake up to 3 days ahead and keep covered in the fridge.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (5 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

A spiced crumb crust from crisp gingersnaps, for pumpkin, sweet potato, apple butter and lemon fillings and for cheesecake.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

184 Calories / serving

12.0g Fat

18.0g Carbs

1.2g Protein

11.0g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~1472 cal · 96g fat · 144g carbs · 10g protein · 88g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.