Wheat Crackers Are The Secret To Long-Lasting Crispy Pie Crusts
It's no secret that crackers can make a flaky, buttery pie crust. Considering there's such a thing as pie crust crackers, which are made from leftover pie dough, it's safe to say these two foods go hand in hand. Using a leftover sleeve of graham crackers may be one of the most common ways to enhance your crust's texture, but any sweet or buttery type will do — think shortbread, wafers, ginger snaps, Ritz, and Club crackers. Wheat crackers are one type that remains a well-kept secret but will yield just as delicious as a result.
Wheat Thins are typically the go-to option here, but a variety of other brands, such as Club and Trader Joe's, sell them too. While these may not typically be your first choice, wheat crackers are a standout ingredient in pie crusts because of their texture contributions as well as their surprisingly complementary sweet and savory taste.
Wheat crackers make for a sturdy, tasty pie crust
While sweet crackers are typically used in dessert crusts, salty ones may be even tastier. Hear us out: We know salty-sweet combinations are delicious, as evidenced by maple-cinnamon candied bacon, trail mix, chocolate-covered pretzels, and plain old peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Wheat crackers bring that salty element to an otherwise entirely sweet pie. And they're not picky about who they work with — you can use them for almost any pie you can think of, from apple to chocolate to peach.
But that's not the only benefit of swapping out your graham crackers for wheat ones. If you're making a gooey pie filling — which is usually the case — you'll need a sturdy crust that won't crumble in the face of soupy ingredients. Flakier crackers may fall apart when combined with melted butter, but whole wheat ones will stand strong. This means that you may be able to skip par-baking your crust, and your pie will be done faster.
While wheat crackers will remain crunchy, they're also easier to pulverize than more sugary types, making yet another part of the pie-making process more simple. Once you've discovered the delights of a wheat cracker crust, you may never go back to a traditional one again.