This is a cousin to the famous Luby's "Butternut Brownie Pie". It's called Berry Nutty Pie if you fold strawberries into the topping, or Ritz Cracker Pie if you don't. My early versions were made without the strawberries, but the strawberry variation is much prettier. Here's a new photo that shows the texture. The pie does not have a pastry crust, but holds its shape when cut.
Crackers, Nuts and Chocolate
The pie has a full cup of Ritz cracker crumbs (ground or smashed) and from ½ cup to 1 cup of chopped pecans. My first version had only ½ cup of pecans (I ran out) but was still great. The new version in the new photos has a full cup and lives up to its name of "Berry Nutty". In addition to the crackers and nuts, there's chocolate! I used mini chips for the pie in the photos, but shaved or chopped chocolate should also work well.
Ritz Cracker Pie vs. Berry Nutty Pie
The Berry Nutty Pie is definitely more of a showstopper and makes a nice spring dessert when garnished with whole or sliced berries. I think a drizzle of strawberry sundae sauce wouldn't be bad here either.
I guess the point is whichever version you go with this pie is hard to mess up. And it's nice not having to worry about making a crust. However, you can build the pie in a store bought or homemade graham or pastry crust if you want to give it more structure. I haven't tried it with the Ritz Cracker Pie, but I've done it with the Luby's Butternut Brownie Pie.
Recipe
Ritz Cracker Pie or Berry Nutty Pie Variation
Ingredients
- 3 large egg whites (90-100 grams)
- ¾ cup sugar (150 grams)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅔ cup mini semisweet chocolate chip (114 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract
- 1 cup buttery cracker crumbs (such as Ritz) (35 crackers)
- ½ cup very finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup whipping cream (240 grams)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups strawberries, trimmed and sliced (optional)
- Garnish: More nuts or caramel sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.. Grease a 9 inch pie dish.
- Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Combine baking powder and sugar and gradually add to egg whites, continually beating until peaks are stiff. Beat in vanilla. Fold in chocolate chips, cracker crumbs and pecans. Spread this mixture across bottom of pie plate and bake for 25 minutes. Let cool completely.
- Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar and vanilla and beat to stiff peaks. Spread over cooled pie. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with caramel sauce or more nuts
- Strawberry Variation: Chop enough strawberries to make ¾ cup and fold into the whipped cream topping. Garnish the pie with remaining strawberries.
Ellen says
This pie has been on our Thanksgiving dessert table since the recipe was first published. It's very rich but yummy.
Nancy says
I have been making this pie for years. It was handed down from my sister-in-law's mother who made the Ritz base and froze it. When a pie was called for she'd take it to a friend with a carton of whipping cream and chocolate shavings for them to finish off. We don't use choco chips but double the nuts. Also, the whipped cream topping has no sugar and we top that with Swiss choco curls. Beautiful and yummy!!!
Crystal says
This is the best pie
Lucy says
I got this recipe from a teacher with whom I student taught. Now that I'm a teacher, I had my students prepare it and it has been one of the best recipes for them!! They all loved it. . . I would highly recommend it!
JUNE says
When we lived in Texas, we used to order this pie at Luby's over any other dessert (except perhaps their carrot cake) and absolutely loved it. Although unusual sounding, it's very well worth trying and may become your family's favorite, also. I don't remember Luby's as having chocolate chips, however, and will make it without them at first.
Danielle says
I'm so intrigued by this one. I might just have to give it a try! I'm glad you decided to post it.
Anna says
Alyssa, I'm sorry it took me so long to answer that question. It's more like the meringue in a dacquoise. I guess if you cooked it less on purpose or by accident you wouldn't get the same crispness, but mine was pretty crisp.
alyssa says
hi anna, this pie is very interesting. have to confess i'm not familiar with these types of pie : (
am really curious about the textures... is the meringue base supposed to be crisp like dacquoise or more soft, more like pavlova or something similar?
Randi says
I always liked Luby's( I used to live in Phx, AZ and there was one there), but now when I think of Luby's, I think of that horrible shooting!!
I used to read the ritz cracker box with fascination at the "mock apple pie" when I was a kid.
Barbara says
Hmm, looks quite interesting! Reminds me of that Ritz cracker "apple" pie, where you use crushed ritz crackers instead of apples...I've never tried it myself, but apparently, you can't taste the difference 0-0
bakingblonde says
What a fun pie recipe! haha
Anna says
Hi Martha,
Thanks for the recipe. That's definitely an interesting one.
And speaking of Ritz Crackers, I tried another recipe today using Ritz Crackers, condensed milk and Skor bits. It's some old recipe that came up when I put the ingredients into Google. Sadly, it was horrible. LOL.
The pies are good, though. I'll bet even the mock apple pie is pretty good.
Martha says
My mom made a Mock Pecan Pie.
Mock Pecan Pie (Mom called Rum Pie)
2 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup margarine, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup regular rolled oats
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla (or rum flavoring)
Unbaked 9-inch pie crust
Combine the eggs, margarine, sugar, corn syrup, oats, salt and vanilla. Mix well. Pour into unbaked pie crust and bake in 350° oven for 1 hour.
Sue says
I'm glad that this "highly sophisticated" concoction made the cut. 🙂 It looks great!!
VeggieGirl says
Now THAT'S intriguing!
clumbsycookie says
I was gonna write the same thing as Katrina, witch is almost as funny, ahahah!
Katrina says
..."highly sophisticated, fancy, time consuming affairs, but Todd gave this an unfished-for compliment" ...that struck me as funny.
Looks yummy.