Soda Cracker Pie (Walnut Torte)

Soda Cracker Pie is sweet, crunchy, and light—a nostalgic dessert with a nutty meringue base and a fresh, modern twist that brings it beautifully up to date.

Back in the 70s, my mom introduced us to a vintage dessert called Soda Cracker Pie. The name alone usually gets a raised eyebrow—most people expect something bland or salty. But one bite of this sweet, crunchy pie with its light, chewy meringue texture, and they’re hooked.

Despite its odd name, Soda Cracker Pie quickly became a family favorite—simple, surprising, and seriously delicious. Mention it in any conversation about easy dessert recipes, and you’ll still hear, “Soda Cracker Pie?”—usually with a scrunched-up nose.

Now, years later, I’ve decided to give this underrated classic a little glow-up. The heart of the recipe stays the same, but with a few updates and a modern twist, this humble pie is ready for its spotlight moment.

Ingredients in Soda Cracker Pie-

Soda Crackers- Soda crackers replace the flour and salt in the recipe. The crackers are broken up, so the resulting texture with the other ingredients stays light and airy.

Walnuts- Chopped walnuts are the star in this recipe. The sweet nutty flavor from the walnuts and the great texture from chopping them make the pie irresistible.

Egg whites- Egg whites get whipped with the other ingredients and this provides a very light, meringue like chewy bite.

Sugar- I’ve revamped the amount of sugar in the recipe and reduced it to an amount that isn’t cloyingly sweet, but just right to offset the sweetened whip cream topping.

Whipped Cream Topping- Besides making the Soda Cracker Pie/Walnut Torte very pretty, this simple topping is a delicious fluffy addition.

Coconut oil- I added just a tablespoon of melted coconut oil to the batter and it enhances the walnuts and sugar in addition to adding moisture and helping make a cohesive pie. You can leave it out if you don’t like coconut flavor, though it’s barely noticeable.

How do you bake Soda Cracker Pie?

The traditional Soda Cracker Pie recipe is baked in a tin pie pan which works but switching up to an 8- cake pan, this change became a figure-shaping must, since a pie plate produced a shapeless muffin-top looking spill-over in the original recipe. I present to you the new and improved Soda Cracker Pie that you can call Walnut Torte if you like.

This recipe is sure to be a winner since it comes together in no time with ingredients almost always in the pantry. I’ve also made Soda Cracker Pie with gluten-free table crackers to much success.

Even though Soda Cracker Pie is delicious right after it’s topped with the whipped cream,  I like to put the finished pie in the refrigerator overnight as it gets better and better, even over two or three days. Letting it sit in the fridge for at least an hour (8 hours is perfect) gives the pie time to develop the perfect chewy texture and the vanilla and nutty flavor become more pronounced.

Try this for your next gathering and call it whatever name you like. Your guests will be too busy devouring it to care. That is, until it’s all gone and everyone wants the recipe. Soda Cracker Pie is delicious any time of year which is another reason my family loves it so much.

For other fun and easy desserts, try my Puff Pastry Tart recipe, or No Bake Cheesecake.

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4.75 from 4 votes

Soda Cracker Pie

This updated Soda Cracker Pie is a sweet surprise—crunchy, airy, and loaded with nostalgic charm. Originally popular in the 70s, this simple pie uses crushed soda crackers, egg whites, and sugar to create a meringue-style base that’s both light and chewy. With a fresh, modern makeover, this version keeps all the magic of the original but adds a beautiful presentation that’s totally on trend.

Course Dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Calories 207

Author Sally Humeniuk

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients 

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• 3 egg whites
• ⅔ cup sugar plus extra for whipped cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla plus 1 teaspoon for whipped cream topping
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil optional, melted and cooled
• 16 saltine crackers
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup walnuts chopped
• 1 pint whipping cream
• Fresh fruit for topping optional

Instructions

• Grease an 8" cake pan with butter, place a round of parchment in the bottom and butter that too. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a medium mixing bowl, add egg whites and beat until fluffy, approximately one minute.
• Gradually add sugar and baking powder and stir until batter resembles runny pancake batter.
• Add vanilla and coconut oil, if using, beating until well incorporated.
• Add 16 saltines to a sandwich bag and crush with your hands or the back of a wooden spoon until crackers are about pea-sized pieces.
• Add chopped walnuts and saltines to batter and fold in with a large spoon or spatula.
• Pour batter into the cake pan and spread to edges.
• Place pan in oven and immediately lower temperature to 325F. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until top and edges are slightly golden.
• Remove from oven and immediately run a knife around the edge of pan to help release torte from the edge. Let cool completely on wire cooling rack.
• Have a cake plate ready. Again, run knife around edge of pan. Place cake plate over the cake pan and flip over gently. Remove the parchment from the torte.
• In a stand mixer or in a large bowl, add whipping cream. Add sugar and vanilla to taste and whip to desired stiffness. Taste and add more vanilla and sugar if desired, whipping again to incorporate. Spread whipped cream to edges.
• If time allows, chill at least one hour or even overnight before serving to let whipped cream soften the top of the torte a bit.

Notes

• Soda Cracker Pie can be refrigerated overnight after spreading the whipped cream on top. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or foil before placing in the fridge.
• This dessert gets better over time. Tastes excellent for up to four days after baking when covered well in the fridge.
• For extra decoration, you could toast some sweetened coconut and sprinkle over the top, or fresh fruit. Not necessary for flavor but makes it look fancy.

Nutrition Facts

Soda Cracker Pie

Amount Per Serving (1 slice)

Calories 207 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Sodium 81mg4%

Potassium 118mg3%

Carbohydrates 23g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 26mg3%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.