- March 12, 2021
- Desserts
How To Make A Keto Graham Cracker Crust
Make the perfect gluten free, sugar free graham cracker crust recipe that’s perfect for all your favorite low carb and keto friendly desert recipes! This easy to make, five ingredient recipe is the ideal “back pocket” pie crust you can make again and again.
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Baking a dessert that’s low carb, sugar free (or naturally sweetened), and that can pass as the “real deal” in my book is always when I know I’ve got a real winning recipe on my hands. While I already have a gluten free and low carb almond flour traditional pie crust recipe that’s perfect for my keto pizza quiche or my low carb pumpkin pie, I wanted to create an easier recipe that took little time to prep, but tasted just as good.
In fact, over the past few years I have made a version of this graham cracker inspired crust recipe for a lot of desserts already on this site. Whether it was the base for these easy keto smores bars, this beautifully stunning gluten free and keto key lime tart, or this decadent and wonderful keto French silk pie recipe, having the ideal keto and low carb graham cracker pie crust recipe really comes in handy.
This is also the perfect almond flour crust for cheesecake recipes (like these keto strawberry cheesecake bars) and is a very versatile base for other pies and treats as well. While it can’t 100% replace a truly classic graham cracker flavor, it can go a long way to recreating a very similar flavor and texture that can help transform your favorite treats.
In the post below, I break down everything you need to know about baking with this crust recipe, tips on sweeteners and substitutions and more! Get all the info you need to baking your way to the perfect low carb crust with confidence. Let’s dive in!
“School” Supplies:
- Small Sauté Pan
- Measuring Cups / Spoons
- Mixing Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
- Baking Dish/ Springform Pan
“Class” Notes:
If you have ever made a classic graham cracker crust, then you know how easy it truly is. This version is modeled after it’s carb filled counterpart with a few tweaks and changes to get the best flavor and texture.
Ingredients:
This recipe is only five ingredients and is made up of common pantry staple items, especially if you already follow a gluten free or low carb keto diet.
Almond Flour: I use a fine almond flour in place of classic graham cracker crumbs. If you wanted to substitute with almond meal, you could (or run it through a food processor). Please note that almond meal could potentially be a bit crumblier in the final product.
Can you substitute with coconut flour? Yes, you can! You just need to adjust the butter amount (see more below) because coconut flour is much more absorbent and therefore will need more liquid.
Low Carb Sweeteners: There are several sweeteners out on the market. If you’re here just to make a gluten free crust, use a classic sugar or brown sugar to sweeten the almond flour. If you do want a low carb and keto friendly product, I recommend using Allulose or the Lakanto brand (a combo of erythritol and monk fruit).
Allulose (granulated) is my preferred sweetener for this because it doesn’t have a cooling effect like erythritol does and caramelizes like traditional sugar. I do however personally find it less sweet in comparison (which I actually prefer) so the amount added may need to be adjusted to your liking. At the end of the day, use what you like in this category of products!
Melted Butter: I like to use four tablespoons of melted butter. The liquid from the butter acts as a binder to help “glue” everything together nicely in your pan of choice when baking. Want to add more flavor? Carefully brown your butter in a pan first before adding to the crust or sub for melted coconut oil (as a dairy free option). If you’re using coconut flour, add in two extra tablespoons too!
Vanilla: This is simply to offset the flavors naturally found in the almond flour. While you could omit it, I do like a hint of the vanilla flavor to shine through.
Cinnamon (or other spices): I like to add a small amount of cinnamon to the almond flour to help add some flavor to the final product. You could always add a little bit of nutmeg or another complimentary spice to pair with your filling product for example.
How to form and bake your keto graham cracker crust:
I like to focus on enhancing the flavors of this pie crust recipe while keeping textures in tact for the final product. One way I like to do this is to carefully brown the almond flour before forming it into the crust.
Add your almond flour to a small sauté pan and place on medium low heat. Be extra careful if you’re using coconut flour because it can burn very easily. Once it’s in the pan, have a little patience to cook on lower heat and move it often in the pan with a heat proof rubber spatula.
Once it looks slightly golden brown and smells somewhat fragrant, remove it from the heat and set it aside. Melt your butter and let that cool slightly as well.
Next, just simply combine you toasted almond flour, sweetener of choice, and the cinnamon together into a bowl. Pour the melted butter and then the vanilla over the dry ingredients and fold everything in until the mixture looks like slightly damp sand. You want everything to be fully coated in the butter!
How to form the crust and tips for baking:
Forming the crust really depends on the pan you’re using. This recipe works in tart pans, springform pans, and even in larger pans like a 9×13 inch baking dish. While it’s very versatile there are some tips for creating the perfect crust every time. Here is what you need to know:
- Always place the crust in a pan with a non-stick surface (use a non-stick spray, parchment paper, or foil for example).
- Pour the mixture into your dish and ALWAYS press it down into the pan thoroughly. I like to use the bottom of a smaller measuring cup or a spatula to press and pack it down evenly into the pan.
- Pre-bake your crust before adding your filling, but make sure not to overbake it either.
- If you’re pouring a low carb cheesecake filling over the top or any other kind of mixture, then make sure you really get the crust to seal up against the edges of the pan.
- Always let the crust cool 10-15 minutes before adding your uncooked filling as well.
The possibilities with this crust are truly endless! Have fun applying it or substituting it to use in all your favorite baked goods. Want a savory almond flour crust? Omit the sweetener and use it for other recipes as well!
How To Make A Keto Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Almond Flour
- 1/4 cup Butter melted
- 1/2 cup Allulose or other low carb sweetener
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F. Whatever pan you use, add foil, parchment, and grease your pan that you use.
- Start by adding your almond flour to a sauté pan over low heat. Move it around frequently to let it toast lightly to deepen the flavor.
- Remove from the pan and add to a mixing bowl and let it cool slightly.
- Combine the almond flour, low carb sweetener, salt, and cinnamon together. Then mix in the vanilla and melted butter. Use a rubber spatula to fold the mixture together until the butter is coating all the dry ingredients and looks similar to wet sand.
- Pour into your chosen baking dish. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or spatula and press down to pack the mixture into the pan. If making a cheesecake or pie in a round baking dish, press some of the mixture up against the sides/ edges as needed as well.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes (larger pans I do 6 min and for smaller pans I do about 8 since it’s thicker). Let it cool before adding you filling.
- If you have a no-bake filling, you can eat the crust as is. It also works as a par-baked crust as well and will bake up fine in other desserts.