- November 13, 2018
- Desserts
Keto Almond Flour Pie Crust
This keto gluten free pie crust made with almond flour is the perfect buttery, flaky, pastry style crust you can use for tarts, pies, and savory quiches too.
Updated- 08/09/2021
I’ve been testing and creating gluten free and keto friendly baked goods for over four years now. While I focus largely on flavors, I find that recreating a good authentic texture is equally as important.
What I love about this keto recreation for pie crust is that it truly resembles an authentic pastry style crust you may use on a low carb pumpkin pie, Low carb sweet potato pie bars, as an almond flour quiche crust (like in my keto pepperoni pizza quiche recipe), or even for these adorable keto pumpkin hand pies.
My favorite part? This crust recipe is made with almond flour and doesn’t need to be rolled out (which makes it THAT much easier, don’t you think?). If you love this crust, you may also want to check out my keto graham cracker style crust too!
Follow the steps I’ve outline below and read through the post to help answer any baking questions you have, share ingredient substitutions, and give tips for adding pie fillings and creating the perfect golden brown crust. Let’s dive in!
“School” Supplies:
- Food Processor
- Measuring cups and Spoons
- Pie Plate
- Aluminum foil or pie crust shield
“Class” Notes:
Need to know more about this recipe? Use my culinary notes below to help guide you through. Enjoy!
Almond Flour Pie Crust Ingredients:
- Almond Flour: The base of this recipe is made with almond flour. You cannot substitute with coconut flour with the ratios provided, it will come out very dry and crumbly. You can alternatively use almond meal however.
- Cold Butter: To make this paleo friendly as well, use cold grass fed butter. You can even place your butter in the freezer for 10 minutes or so before dicing into pieces and using to make your crust. Cold butter is what helps make the pie crust flaky. Coconut oil is not a good sub here.
- 1 tsp Xanthan Gum: Do not omit! Xanthan gum acts as a binding agent and helps with the texture of the crust. It prevents the almond flour from getting too crumbly. You can use tapioca flour, arrowroot powder, or cornstarch as a sub (but less keto friendly so adjust accordingly to your needs).
- 1 Egg: Lightly beat the egg before adding to your food processor.
- Optional Low Carb Sweetener: I mostly make this crust as a sugar free one. However, adding a little sweetener helps if you’re making a classic dessert like apple pie or pecan pie for example. I like allulose when I add sweetener, but always use what you prefer the taste of best.
- Salt
Does almond flour crust get crispy?
Almond flour doesn’t necessarily crisp on it’s own, but it does easily brown. Crispy, flaky pie crust actually comes from the cold butter and when moisture in the crust evaporates.
Keep your butter very cold and even let your crust set up in the pie plate in your freezer for 10-15 minutes before baking to ensure it’s cold. As the cold, solid bits of butter melt in the oven, they form little pockets and help create a crispier crust.
How do I prevent the almond flour crust from over browning?
Because almond flour naturally browns quite easily, you will need to cover the edges for most recipes you make. On average if you’re making a pie, tart, or quiche the baking time is roughly 60 minutes. This crust often starts to get fairly golden brown after 30 minutes or so.
So what is the best solution to prevent it from burning or over browning? You can carefully cover the edges with foil half way through the baking process or use a pie crust shield that goes around the outer edge of the top crust that’s exposed.
I like to keep this pie crust guard on hand that is from amazon, only $6 too!
Cooking Instructions:
Recipe Note- I build this recipe using a food processor. I find this works for all kinds of pie crust recipes because it does the best job of cutting the cold and semi-frozen butter into the almond flour.
Can you use a mixer? Yes, it will be harder to incorporate the butter and may need more elbow grease. Additionally you will need to make sure you really chill your crust in the pie plate before baking.
Here is how you can make this flaky keto friendly pie crust at home-
Start by mixing the almond flour, salt, and xanthan gum together to be fully combine in the food processor. Just pulse a few times so all the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.
Next, add the super cold butter into the processor. I like to pop the stick of butter into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to help it get extra cold. Use ice water or cold vodka as well if possible.
Pulse again until the butter is cut fully into the the almond flour mixture and starts to form a rough and crumbly dough.
Lightly beat an egg and add the egg mixture to the food processor and finishing mixing until the dough comes together. At this point you can refrigerate the dough in plastic wrap for up to 5 days or use right away.
I find the easiest way to prepare the crust is to use your fingers to press the dough evenly into the pie plate. You can crimp the dough around the edges with your fingers or use a fork and press down to create a pattered edge (this is a bit more rustic but it works).
Place your prepared pie crust in the freezer to set up. A good 15-20 minutes in the pan is perfect. This gives you time to prepare your pie fillings or quiche filling if needed.
How to pre bake your crust:
The biggest blunder with any pie crust (gluten free / keto or not) is a soggy bottom! NO one likes a soggy bottom people…
Sometimes I find the trick for different pies is to actually partially bake the crust first. This helps the crust set up and get crispy before adding liquid to the center. Here are my tips for this:
- Poke a few holes across the bottom of the crust with a fork to prevent bubbling.
- Par-bake in a hotter oven to get a crispy bottom crust. I usually do this at 400 F for about 10 minutes max.
- Use parchment paper in the base, and cover with pie waits or dried beans to prevent the crust from fully bubbling.
- If you plan on using a no-bake filling start by cooking the crust at 400 F. for 10 minutes then reduced the heat to 325 F. for another 15-20 minutes.
- Cover the edges of the crust with foil or the protector shield (best investment).
Keto Almond Flour Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cup Almond Flour
- 6 tbsp. Cold Butter diced into pieces
- 1 tsp Xanthan gum do not omit
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 Egg
- Options For Sweeter Crust- Add 1/4 cup Low Carb Sweetener and 1/2 tsp Vanilla or Almond Extract
Instructions
- I highly suggest reading through all the tips in the post above before starting!
- In a food processor, combine the dry ingredients. If making a sweet crust also add the vanilla or almond extract. Pulse a few times until the mixture is combined.
- Next, diced the cold butter into chunks (you can even place the butter in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before using) and add it to the dry ingredients. Pulse until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs and no large chunks of butter are present.
- Finally, add in the egg (slightly beaten) and pulse until it forms a ball of dough.
- If not using right away, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- When you are ready to use the crust, lightly grease your pie plate with non-stick spray. Use your hands to press the dough fully into the pie plate and up around the sides.
- To create a decorative edge you can crimp the sides or use the tines of the fork for a rustic look. Place the pie plate with the dough pressed into it, into your freezer for 15-20 minutes before filling or baking.
- If Partially Baking: Poke a few holes across the bottom with a fork. Place parchment paper in the center with pie weights or dried beans and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool slightly before adding a filling.
- If Fully Baking: Follow the same steps for par baking, but reduce the temperature to 325 F. after the 10 minutes. Bake another 15-20 or until the crust is set and golden brown. Let it cool before adding a no-bake filling.