Suuuper flaky, buttery and tasty, this keto pie crust is ideal for anything from pies (think pumpkin and ‘apple’!) to empanadas and quiches.
Gluten Free & Keto Pie Crust
Suuuper Flaky!
Whip it up easily, roll it out, and go make some pie. Or empanadas, sweet hand pies, pop tarts (!!!), roll-ups… pfff! Endless possibilities await.
And did I mention just 2g net carb per serving?!
The Flours
I like a mixture of super fine almond flour and coconut flour best. Add a touch of xanthan gum, and we’re golden.
In terms of brands, for the almond either Anthony’s or WellBees work great. Both are super fine grinds. And for the coconut, I always favor Anthony’s (best taste and texture by a mile!).
And don’t be afraid of the seemingly long list of ingredients, as you’re likely to have most in your cupboard/fridge already.
Just One Rule
You must chill your pastry for 1 hour (at least) before using it. Similar to your good-old wheat flour, the almond and coconut (in particular) need the time to soak up the moisture evenly.
So chill for one hour, and up to 3 days.
On the subject of temperature, make sure that your filling of choice is completely chilled before filling up empanadas (or whatever it is you’re cooking up!). Otherwise you will (quite literally) see the pastry melt before your very eyes.
And remember that, like with any pastry dough, you need to work quickly and over a cool surface. Though do note that if the dough becomes too hard to manage, you can always pop it back in the fridge/freezer for 15 minutes before carrying on!
The Deets
When rolling out you may want to use parchment or wax paper. Given the lack of gluten, the crust is more fragile and it will break easily if not handled with care. So I suggest rolling it out between two sheets of parchment paper (see video).
And talking about lack of gluten, this is the reason why the dough will crack slightly when baked. I’ve noticed that the cracking can be lessened by allowing the dough to rest overnight (probably because moisture is distributed more evenly), though note that taste and texture will be the same.
I also noted that by increasing the xanthan gum you can get a silky smooth crust, but at the cost of losing a bit of flakiness. So I did sacrifice some aesthetics for the sake of taste and texture.
One last thing (promise!). Like with any pastry dough, make sure not to over-process the dough. The mixture ought to resemble coarse breadcrumbs rather than cookie dough. It will make the pastry much more flaky and (perhaps surprisingly) easier to handle.
And… The Video Story!
(The Flakiest!) Keto Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 96 g almond flour
- 40 g coconut flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon or orange zest optional
- 100 g unsalted grass-fed butter cold
- 55 g cream cheese cold
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- egg wash optional (for glossy finish)
Instructions
- Please see recipe video for guidance!
- Add almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, salt and zest (optional) to food processor and pulse until evenly combined.
- Add butter and cream cheese and pulse for just a few seconds until crumbly. Add in egg and vinegar and pulse until the dough just begins to come together (but stop before it forms into a ball). Like with any pastry dough, make sure not to over-process the dough. The mixture ought to resemble coarse breadcrumbs rather than cookie dough.
- Turn out the dough onto cling film (i.e. saran wrap) and pat into a round.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to 3 days. You can, alternatively, freeze the pie crust at this point and thaw out as needed (just as regular pie crust!).
- Roll out the crust between parchment paper. It's more fragile than regular pie crust, so you need to work quickly and in cold conditions. You can patch up any cracks that occur by pinching the dough together. And if at any point the crust becomes unmanageable, simply pop it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before carrying on.
- Once shaped (pie, empanadas, etc), pop it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes prior to baking (as it will help to keep its shape better and come out flakier). Brush with egg wash for a glossy finish (optional, but highly suggested).
- Bake at 390°F/200°C for 10-12 minutes if making something small such as crackers. And up to 30 minutes for empanadas and such. Just keep an eye out for it, as grain free flours have a tendency to brown suddenly rather than gradually.
Hi Paola!
I’ve tried this pie crust with your quiche lorraine recipe (it was *amazing*!!), and now I’m thinking of using it for a meat pie (i.e. doubling the recipe to have a bottom crust and a top crust). I’m not 100% sure about the procedure though: do you think I should blind bake the bottom crust first, then add the (pre-cooked and chilled) meat filling and cover it with the top crust, and then finally bake until the top crust is ready? Or would you recommend I skip the blind bake for the bottom layer, and instead bake the fully-assembled meat pie in one go?
Thanks! 😀
Hi. Did you get a reply? I’m thinking of making a chicken pot pie and doing what you mentioned. Did you have success blind baking the bottom crust first, adding meat filling and then topping with more crust and baking?
THIS LOOKS SO GOOD!.
Can we leave out the vinegar? We didn’t care for the taste or smell… Thanks!
Definitely Sheila! You’re not meant to taste it at all (just makes the crumb more tender) xo!
Can I ask why the addition of ACV? We found it a little overpowering.
Did anyone try frying with this? Like make a meat patty/empanada?
I’m sure it would cook, but in my experience anything with coconut flour absorbs SO much oil while cooking.
Can I use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment? I don’t have a food processor at home.
I would do it by hand then (see videos on you tube on how to cut a pastry dough by hand with a couple knifes). With your kitchen aid you’ll end up beating the butter rather than cutting it in 🙁
We’ve had a long series of keto-recipe-fails here and I’ve got, *ahem* HAD, some unhappy kids. I whipped up this recipe a couple of days ago and its been resting in the fridge. I just rolled out half of it, gave it a generous sprinkle of cinnamon & Swerve, sliced it into 1 inch ribbons and baked it. I wanted to twist them, but I rolled it out too thin and they were too fragile. Served them up to the kids and they are a huge hit. Like a sugar cookie! Can’t wait to use this dough with other recipes.
This is the absolute ONE! I made it the first time with no problems. I didn’t use all the butter required(used 5 tablespoons) because of the warm climate in NC. I had been putting this recipe off for a while and am so GLAD I finally made it…it’s phenomenal! Already ate 1/4 of it with havarti and chantrelle mushrooms in the middle. Now I have some jicama baking in the oven with it…fingers crossed it doesn’t get too dark before the jicama is done.
Can I use lime zest?
Definitely! I adding all kinds of zests here for different dishes 😉
Someone recently suggested this crust recipe for a flakey beef wellington crust. Since the cook time is much longer on that dish, any suggestions as to how well it might hold up and/or ideas on how to make it work right?
Thanks so much!
Hi Paola,
Just recently found your website and I am making EVERYTHING! Love it so much, we already enjoyed the cheesecake dessert, and the vanilla ice cream is in the freezer right now. I have just made this pie crust to refrigerate for a couple of days (I am entertaining later), but I’ve noticed that it smells a LOT like vinegar. I have definitely only added two teaspoons, but honestly it worries me and I’m afraid that it will taste strongly like vinegar. Is this going to resolve itself in the oven?
Thanks!
Awesome to hear Steph! Don’t worry about the tanginess, it works out in the end xo!
Mine did not resolve and the vinegar taste and smell ruined the dish. I will try without next time. Would lemon juice work the same function?
This pie crust is epic! We make it a few times a month for pies, chicken pot pie, empanadas, crackers…! Thank you for all that you share, you’re such a generous soul!
Oh wow thank you Stef, your comment truly means a lot! Just happy to hear you’re enjoying 😉 xo!
I had problems with making Empanadas with the dough being too fragile and breaking up. So the next time I increased the Xanthan Gum to x2 teaspoons and needed the dough in a plastic bag for 1-2 minutes, then popped in the freezer for 20 mins. The great thing is that the dough is much stronger and less likely to break up when trying to fill and make the empanadas. So Yummy, thanks for this recipie!
Is this enough crust for the bottom and top of a pie? Or should I double it?
Double it Crystal! xo
Hi,
Does anyone know how long to blind bake the pie crust and if so on what temp.? I was thinking of making individual chicken pot pies. Or beef stew. I llive alone so I make smaller Boulder of things to freeze.Do I need to bake crust first.? How long would I need to bake them for. I am making a lot of these recipes lol.
Thanks
Hi,
I usualy bake it at 180 dg Celsius for 20-25 minutes until it’s sligtly golden, fill it (with custard) and then bake it at 160 dg Celsius another 20-25 minutes. It turnes a bit darker at the edges, but doesn’t taste burnt.
I don’t have a food processor. Can I mix by hand or pulse in a blender to make the dough?
Hi Linda and yes! Same rules to traditional pie crust apply, and just be sure to not melt the butter with your hands (try running them in cold water before) xo!
You can use two forks to mash together. That’s what I use to do before I bought a pastry blender, it’s a hand held tool designed for the task
Hi Paola!
I just started trying out new keto and gluten free recipes and am a huge fan of your site! I tried to make this dough last night but my kitchen was warm so I think that was an issue with rolling it out successfully – my dough broke as i tried to transfer it and it stuck to the wax paper a bit too. But I am also wondering if for using this crust with a wet filling (like berries since so much of the juices comes out) it would benefit the crust to pre-bake it? Or does it not work at all with wet fillings? Also, is this recipe good for one bottom crust? Like if i wanted to close the pie on the top, would I need to double it? Sorry about all the questions! Thank you 🙂
Going to give your crust a try on the next Greek spinach and feta quiche that I make on other keto recipes for pie crust it calls to pre-bake it before filling it ,is this what you recommend doing
Hi Elizabeth! Yeah you want to blind bake this one as well- check out the quiche Lorraine recipe on the site as that one will give you good pointers 😉 xo
Awesome thanks for the quick reply I guess I’m going to dive in to this keto baking I have just about everything from your list to build my pantry now Amazon’s going to love me
I understand that you can’t advise regarding the addition of a little vital wheat gluten, but I wondered if anyone reading your wonderful page may have tried it
Hi. Has anyone there actually tried adding a little vital wheat gluten? If so, how much and what effect did it have to the taste and texture?
Unfortunately I can’t help you there as I have Celiacs 🙁
I think only one other person mentioned this, but I also have no gluten issues and I’m wondering if anyone has tried adding any vital wheat gluten to make the dough more manageable with a filling. Thanks for such an AWESOME blog – and for your latest book!
It will definitely work, but you’ll also need to be careful with how much you add as part of making pastry is being careful to develop too much gluten. In all honesty I haven’t worked with vital wheat gluten (Celiacs here!) so I can’t guide you with amounts xo and thank you for your comment! So happy you guys are enjoying the book so much already! xo!
Hi Can you use this for a covered crust pie you know bottom and top???
Definitely, just be sure your filling isn’t too wet
Hi Paola, This sounds delicious and flaky and I can’t wait to try it as a pie crust. I wonder if anyone has made it with an egg replacer as I can’t eat eggs?
Hi Patti! In all honesty I haven’t been successful with egg replacers for this one 🙁
Please come up with a dairy-free version of this recipe.Thank you !
Hi Paola,
Happy Friday!
I was wondering if I could pick your brain. I have some rhubarb (tis the season!) and I’m trying to create a low carb version of one of my favorite recipes (linked below for your reference but the tarts in that link look really crumbly and dry. The crust is normally buttery with just the right amount of flaky crispness) – it’s individual rhubarb compote tarts and the crust is made of cornmeal and cornflour. Do you think this cream cheese keto pie crust would work OR do you have another crust on your site that you think would work better, in general and with the rhubarb compote, in particular? As an aside, I’m going to sub sukrin gold for the brown sugar in the compote but otherwise, keep that part the same.
https://thesesaltyoats.com/posts/recipes/first-of-the-season-rhubarb-tarts
Thanks in advance!
Regards,
Linda
I don’t have a food processor, do you think I can make it with my kitchen aid or by hand if I make all the utensils very cold?
Hi Erica! It won’t work in you kitchen aid as you would beat the butter rather than cut it. I would suggest instead that you either use a pastry cutter, or grate some frozen butter into the flours and mix it briefly with your hands until the dough just comes together. xo
Speaking as an experienced pie baker, grating frozen butter or lard is my favourite method. I like a food processor too just second choice. Since cream cheese is included, the food processor is more convenient if you have one.
Superb!! I’m a baker and we were missing all my usual baked treats since I changed my diet. I’ve been enamored by all your delicious looking recipes and finally try to use your crust with my regular quiche. My daughter announced before dinner that it was one of my “strange” recipes, but to all their surprise, there was nothing strange about it. They all thought it was delicious. I can’t wait to try some of your other recipes. I think your blog is beautiful and I was so happy to find that the recipe was equally creative and successful. A few questions about this recipe – you think the quiche would freeze well with this crust? Or how about the dough? I’d like to be able to make a double batch and freeze it.
Hi Karen! I’m sorry I missed your wonderful comment earlier, but so happy you loved this crust so much! Regarding your question, I’ve frozen quiche slices with this dough without a problem. The dough also freezes well unbaked like regular pie crust. Hope this helped! xo!
I made this as a quiche, prebaked the crust to ensure it didn’t get soggy. The crust was delicious, but I couldn’t keep it from over browning. I even covered with foil, but by the time the quiche was set, the crust edges were quite browned and less desirable. I made two, one with my previous go to keto crust (with a 1/4 cup gluten free flour) and yours (to lower the carbs even more).
Is there any suggestions to keeping the crust from browning further? I wonder if I blind baked it with the tinfoil from the beginning, and then kept it on through the quiche cooking. Looking forward to trying again so I can try out the crust as flaky as it’s meant to be!
Did you prebake it until fully golden? That could be the reason for the over-browning. Also keep in mind that grain free flours do brown notoriously quicker. This will also vary from oven to oven and the dish you used (dark pie dishes brown more than light ones etc). Maybe just foil cover the edges next time from the start xo!
Maybe bake lower in the oven to bake the bottom and not the sides as much?
I made it and it was delicious! I added some more seasonings in the dough and it got more flavory! I filled it with all the vegetables, bacon and cheese I had in my fridge and my husband just loved it!! Thank you for the recipe! Saved my lunch!
OH those sound like wonderful additions Mari! Thanks so much for sharing them and so happy you enjoyed 🙂
Hello!
Thank you for your blog, it is fantastic! I love both your pictures and food! Do you think I can use instead of cream cheese a coconut cream (for a dairy-free option). Thank you for your work, it is a pleasure to follow your recipes 🙂
Hi Kristiana! So happy you’re enjoying the recipes! Coconut cream won’t be a good replacement here. What were you thinking of using in place of the butter? Something like Earth Balance? Your best bet would be to sub in with half the amount of butter (or sub). But I’m working on an all-butter pie crust to come out soon!
Also! Check out the instant ‘graham cracker’ crusts from the cheesecakes-for-1. It’s very different, but the butter there is easily substituted by melted coconut oil. Press-on, but seriously amazing for things like fruit tarts etc. xo!
Instead of butter I normally use ghi (as I am not sensitive to ghi) or coconut oil. The only thing I have been struggling on keto is to substitute cream cheese as it seems it is everywhere :D. So do you suggest to try it without and put there more ghi/coconut oil? Thank you!!
Hi Kristiana! Sorry to have missed your comment earlier! In all honesty I’m not sure a straight sub would work here. But I’m working on an all butter pie crust which should do the trick 😉 xo!
Hello
Please can I use psyllium husk in place of xanthan gum?
Hi there! Unfortunately that sub doesn’t work here xo!
Hi. Is there something else that can be used? Chia seeds maybe?