A simple and sweet Sugar Cookie Crust is the perfect base to pies, cheesecakes, fruit pizzas and dessert bars. Made with simple pantry ingredients, this crust needs just five minutes prep and it’s ready to use in just less than 20!
It’s the perfect sweet crust for all of your desserts!
I love mixing up standard pie crust so I mix up a little something different for my desserts like this Sugar Cookie Crust, a Speculoos Cookie Crust, No Bake Shortbread Crust, Oreo Cookie Crust, Pretzel Crust, Quiche Crust or graham cracker crust to fill.
Whatever you’re making, make it memorable with a pie crust that everyone will be raving about.
Adapting my Better than the Bakery Sugar Cookie recipe, I created this simple and sweet crust that I know you’re going to love!
Delightfully thick, pillowy soft and slightly chewy, it makes a great base for any sweet topping. I frequently use this crust to make Fruit Pizza, which is always a summer favorite.
Sugar Cookie Crust Ingredients
- Butter – Salted or unsalted butter, whatever you have on hand. If you use salted butter, simply decrease the amount of salt added. The butter should be softened before you make the dough.
- Sugar – Use basic white granulated sugar in this sugar cookie crust recipe.
- Eggs – Binds the dry ingredients to form a dough.
- Vanilla – Add a little vanilla extract to add flavor to the crust. It’s easy to make your own vanilla extract at home. Depending on what you are making the crust for, you can substitute vanilla extract for another flavor like almond, orange or lemon.
- Flour – All purpose flour, no need to sift.
- Baking Powder – Helps the crust to rise.
- Salt – A little salt really helps to bring out the sweetness of the crust and brings out all the flavor.
How to Make Sugar Cookie Crust
- Prep – Preheat the oven and grease a baking dish.
- Combine – Cream the butter and sugar together and add the eggs and vanilla until combined. Gradually add in the dry ingredients and press the dough into the dish.
- Bake – Bake until set.
Tips
What’s the best dish to bake the crust in?
You can make Sugar Cookie Pie Crust in a pie dish, tart pan (my favorite), cake pan or in a springform pan for cheesecake. Just make sure that it is ovenproof! Just press the dough in until it is 1/4-1/3″ thick. If you have any leftover dough you can use it to make cookies!
How do you know when the crust is baked?
Sugar Cookie Pie Crust is easy to make and takes just 12 minutes to bake. Like when making sugar cookies, the crust shouldn’t brown, it should remain pale in color. It should be set, not soft and melty. Use a spatula to gently press the edge of the crust to check it’s baked before removing from the oven to cool.
Let the crust cool completely before using it.
To Store
- Room Temperature – Cover the cooled crust with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature 4 to 5 days.
- Refrigerate – Place the covered crust in the fridge and it will keep well for up to 8 or 9 days.
- Freeze – Wrap the crust and pie dish in foil and place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge or at room temperature.
Soon I’m going to try it with my Lemon Meringue Pie – don’t you think that would be a delightful combination?
Sugar Cookie Crust
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter softened
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla until just combined.
- Gradually add flour, baking powder and salt.
- Press into a greased dish and bake 10-12 minutes.
Julie’s Tips
Substitutions
- Butter – Salted or unsalted butter, whatever you have on hand. If you use salted butter, simply decrease the amount of salt added. The butter should be softened before you make the dough.
- Vanilla – Substitute with the extract of your choice including almond, orange or lemon.
To Store
- Room Temperature – Cover the cooled crust with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. It will keep at room temperature 4 to 5 days.
- Refrigerate – Place the covered crust in the fridge and it will keep well for up to 8 or 9 days.
- Freeze – Wrap the crust and pie dish in foil and place in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge or at room temperature.
Tips
- Baking Dish – You can use any cake, pie, tart or pizza dish, just press to 1/4-1/3″ thick and use remaining dough for cookies.
- Cool – Let the cookie crust cool before using it.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Does this work with a 2 crusted pie.Iโm referring to a cherry pie
No, it wouldn’t be suitable for that, sorry
I have used a recipe like this with Lemon Meringue Pie and it was the best. Always put a few drops of vanilla in the lemon pudding as well
Thank you for sharing.
Could I change the sugar to something like Truvia?
I haven’t tested, but if you do, please let us know!
I have a question. If I’m making this for a cheesecake, do I still bake it all of the way first…and then pour the cheescake batter over it and bake the cheesecake as directed? Or is that going to make the crust TOO done?
Hi Sonya,
I’m sorry I’m just now seeing your question! I would actually bake it all together at once if I was using this crust for a cheesecake. I think pre-baking it would make it too crispy.
I hope you enjoy and I apologize for the delay!
Julie
Thanks. I was going to ask the same question!!!