Cracker Pie
Cracker Pie is a simple pie with simple ingredients and it’s easily altered to suit whatever you have on hand. I like to use a can of drained fruit cocktail but it would also be good with a can of drained pineapple. I use saltine crackers but I’ve heard of other folks using Ritz type crackers. Mama always adds a little coconut to hers and you could also add dried fruit instead of canned, without having to alter the recipe. When I got ready to make this today, I found I had everything I needed on hand, which is why old fashioned pies like this have been favorites of home cooks for as long as stoves have been in kitchens.
I’m getting ready for the folks from a food magazine to come spend the day with me tomorrow. We have a full day of photo shoots so I need to get some dishes washed and floors mopped! With that in mind, lets just dive right in!
Recipe Ingredients: A deep dish pie crust, sugar, eggs, vanilla, fruit cocktail, chopped pecans (optional), saltine crackers, and a little bit of baking powder.
Prick your crust a few times with a fork and bake it in a 325 degree oven for ten minutes, or until very lightly browned.
Crush your crackers. ( now you know how cracker pie got it’s name).
I’m crushing them for their own good 🙂
Place egg whites in a mixing bowl.
Beat this with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. You’ll know this has happened when you pull your beater up out of it and a peak of beaten egg white still sticks straight up where your beater was.
These are my stiff egg whites, with my sugar and baking powder dumped on top of them.
Mix this again with an electric mixer until the sugar is well incorporated, about one minute.
Now dump your vanilla, pecans, and cracker crumbs on top…
Then dump your well drained fruit cocktail.
Using a spatula or big spoon or whatever you grab out of the draw first, stir all of that together really well by hand.
Pour into your baked pie crust.
Bake this at 325 for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.
Why did I not take a photo of that? I have no idea. I’m just glad my head is screwed on or I’d surely leave home without it most days.
Like this.
Allow the cracker pie to cool completely before serving. This is wonderful as is or topped with whipped cream and a few chopped pecans.
Have a wonderful day and don’t forget to savor every moment of your life, just as you savor every bit of a piece of pie. That’s what it’s here for.
Ingredients
- 1 deep dish pie shell
- 16 saltine crackers crushed
- 15 ounce can fruit cocktail of your choice well drained
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts optional
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Prick bottom of pie crust several times with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes in a 325 degree oven.
- While crust is baking, place egg whites in mixing bowl and beat until still peaks form. Add sugar and baking powder and beat again until sugar is well incorporated, about one minute more.
- Using a large spoon, gently fold in nuts, drained fruit, cracker crumbs, and vanilla until it is all well combined.
- Pour into baked pie crust. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Nutrition
You may also like these pie recipes:
Peanut Butter Pie Recipe: Made the Old Fashioned Way
Lela’s Fried Peach Pies The Ole Fashioned Way
Water Pie; Recipe from the Great Depression
“I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth. But rather, by some means, excuse the fault I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of everybody.”
~Benjamin Franklin
Hey Christy I just love your site & your recipes!! FYI – the recipe card for this says to beat the egg whites until “still” peaks form. lol!! I know you mean “stiff” but others may not.
Lol! I guess some might think I want em beaten til they can’t move no more! Thanks!
you make me laugh out loud.. 🙂
🙂
My grandmother used to make this without the fruit and using Ritz crackers, she called it fake apple pie! I hadn’t thought of it in a long time, going to give both versions a try and see if g-maw’s is as good as I remember!
There was chain of cafeterias in Texas called Wyatts many years ago and they made this using walnuts and no fruit. It was my favorite desert there. Since I’m not a fruit girl I’m going to try it with nuts.
Robyn, I am not fond of fruit cocktail either but love nuts. How many do you think you would use to substitute for the fruit cocktail? I do truly love fruit, just not can fruit cocktail!
Sorry to jump in here but just wanted to let you know that you don’t have to sub anything for the fruit if you want to leave it out 🙂
Thanks, Christy! Feel free to jump in here anytime you want!
I used to make this all the time from my grandmas recipe called cracker meringue pie. Just nuts sugar egg whites I think and no crust. It is really yummy.
Wyatts cafeteria! Oh my I hadn’t thought of them in years! I grew up in Waco and still live in Texas. As soon as I saw the picture I immediately thought of that pie. You are right, it was so divine! Thanks for reminding me about Wyatts!
Robyn, I’m a native Texan and I was trying to remember what cafetetia served this pie, because it was my favorite too! I vaguely remember Wyatt’s and I believe Picadilly had it too! Thanks for remembering for me!
I do think being Christy’s neighbor would be terrific!! And possibly fattening! Ha!
If there were 7 of us, we could cook one night a week and go to each other’s houses the other 6 nights. Sounds good to me!
Wanda in TX
There is a restaurant called Piccadilly Cafeteria know they’re in Louisiana that has a pie just with egg whites crushed Ritz crackers mixed in and that baby tastes like it’s made with pecans-to die for -give anything to get recipe
That is a Ritz Cracker Pie. It is very good! My Aunt used to make that and I think I may have the recipe for it. This one sounds very good too. Going to look for the Ritz cracker recipe now.
While I may not live right next door to you I am no farther away than the mailbox so just stick some of the projects in the mailbox with my name/address on them and presto! You have a new long distance neighbor to share with! I had a ball with your recipes this weekend. Made Any Time, Any Kind of Muffins, Buttermilk Lime Pound Cake and Ragoli (did I spell that right?) Thoroughly enjoyed everything! Thanks for sharing your recipes, lives and heart with all of us – your devoted fans!
I made this pie and it tasted great but was rock hard. Did I miss something or do I just add some water? I wasn’t sure if I needed a chain saw!
That does not sound right at all. I believe you, of course, but mine has never been hard. It’s a similar texture to a pecan pie, but even softer than that.
You’re right!! I DO have all of those ingredients handy!! I’ve never made ths before, or even heard of it, but now I know what I can make in a pinch!! 😉 Thanks for another great share!! 🙂
Oh my! Does that ever look good! Let me know when one of your neighbors moves out, cause I just might be tempted to move to Alabama and be your neighbor, seeing that you share with your neighbors and all! hehehehehe 🙂 Thank you so much, Christy for all you do!
Oh I would love to have someone convenient to take pies and all of my projects to! Thank YOU Debbie, have a wonderful day!
Did you know, you can make the cracker pie without a pie crust? Just butter your pie pan & pour mixture into pan. It will make it’s own crust. I got the recipe from a family friend years ago and have never had a complant . Never added fruit tho, just pecans
Is that how the to layer crust got onto her pie. It was the the saltine crackers?
I just checked Mom’s recipe box. I found a recipe for Cracker Pie. It has 5 ingredients. It sounds super easy.
I will let you know what I think.
Do you ever post recipes with sugar alternatives like using Splenda in place of sugar? I would like to see some of these too. Thank you for all the great recipes you have! My mouth waters when I see some of these! I do remember how they taste with sugar!
I have a whole slew of them! Check out this link https://southernplatecom.bigscoots-staging.com/2011/01/better-for-your-diet-southern-recipes.html There is also a special listing of recipes that I use Splenda for in my first cookbook as well.
Thank you so much!
Gratefully, Christy
I was going to buy your new cook book as soon as it comes out anyway. Your special listing of recipes that use Splenda just gives me another reason to get it asap. LOL
Vickie, there are quite a few recipes on the Southern Plate site using Splenda, Christy has all bases covered 🙂 Have fun looking at all the yummy recipes 🙂