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.
Is there anything you can do if you don’t eat dairy or dairy substitutes?
Sounds wonderful.
I forgot to check off please notify me of comments. Thanks.
Is there anything you can do if you don’t eat dairy or dairy substitutes?
Sounds wonderful.
Hi can arrowroot be used instead of the xanthum gum? And if so how much? I appreciate your help
Can I replace the xantham gum with psyllium husk? If so, does the ratio change?
I’m interested in the answer for this question also.
This was PHENOMENAL. I made it EXACTY as stated. It was a bit too firm when I took it out of the freezer after the rollout so I just let it sit until it was pliable. It was a bit tough to work with so my finished galette was a bit ‘rustic’ hehe but it still looked beautiful and tasted AMAZING. It’s SO flaky. Thank you for another outstanding recipe.
Where the heck is the recipe video? I’ve looked all over this page and cannot find it. I only find copy that says “Recipe Video” without a link. I made the crust and am not crazy about it so I think that I did something wrong.
Thanks!
Click the Blue triangle “play” button in the middle of the video image below “Recipe Video” that is an embedded video.
No there is not… I only see a text that says “VIDEO RECIPE” and the a line.
Let me guess, you’re running an ad blocker?! 😉
I used a Victoria Tortilla maker and it was amazing! I made empanadas – the lemon zest adds a terrific touch. 10/10 Would recommend!
Do you have the recipe for that gorgeous blueberry galette in the photo?
It’s in our Summer Favorites ebook Pan xo!
Is the carb count for the entire piece of dough? Or per serving? If so, how.many servings?
I am struggling with getting the rolled dough off of the parchment. I’ve sprinkled with coconut flour, used a cold wine bottle as a rolling pin and still can’t get it to unstuck. Help!?
Refrigerate it until the butter solidified again and hopefully you’ll be good 😉
Can you substitute cream cheese for vegan cream cheese
Also interested in this question!
Great pie crust. Thank you
My pleasure!
I love your recipes! I made this today, and when I put it into the refrigerator it still had a lot of large visible cream cheese chunks. Is that OK? Normal?
Yup normal! I mean they should be huge, but it’s good that you can see them (thing pea to quarter size and your good!) xo!
Hi Paola,
I made lamb pot pie today with this pie crust recipe. Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.
The crust came out perfect! It was tender and flakey.
My only concern is that I taste the coconut flour. Is there anything I can use instead?
Thanks for all your recipes!
What brand are you using Sandra? Imo Anthony’s barely leaves a trace but Bobs has a very intense aftertaste. Otherwise oat fiber could be a sub (but I hate the taste myself!) 🤷♀️
I’m currently using the brand my grocery store makes. I will try to find the one you’re suggesting.
Thanks again!
Just baked a keto blackberry pie using this crust. Which I doubled for a lattice top crust. Beautiful!
I’m so grateful I found your site! This recipe is a lifesaver for those on Keto. I’ve made quiche, pies, crackers, and pizza crust with this. The original flavor of the finished dough has a slight tang to it that I don’t care for, but it’s easily fixed. For a savory dough I add a Tbls of nutritional yeast and a dash of whatever spices complement my dish. For a sweet dough I add a Tbls of swerve brown sugar. When making the dough, chop your butter and cream cheese into small chunks and chill in the freezer for a few minutes (temp should be really cold but not frozen). I make multiple batches at once, blind bake the crust, and keep in the freezer until I’m ready to use them.
How did you make the crackers
I made this pastry recipe and it was superb. Paola you are a Keto/Low Carb Goddess! Thank you for figuring out these recipes and posting them online. I separated the dough into 2oz balls, chilled overnight and used a tortilla press and parchment paper to press out prefect round disks that I put in muffin tins to make mini beef and mushroom pot pies. My husband was still raving about it days later. I also made your hamburger buns which turned out exactly as the recipe described. The buns are the first bread replacement recipe that has turned out for me and did not taste eggy. After these two successes I purchased your cookbooks and can’t wait to try more. Thanks again!
What did you use to “flour” the surface before you rolled out the dough?
You can use coconut or arrowroot (slightly higher carbs so not worth it unless you’re paleo)… but parchment paper and a well chilled dough will do the trick xo!
Is there a recipe for the blueberry compote shown in these pictures? I am drooling!
How would I alter this for no almond flour? Serious nut allergies.
My question too. I don’t use almond flour 😔
I love your recipes and want to try some of the baking ones. However, I have an allergy to nuts including Almonds. What flour would you suggest that I sub the Almond flour for>
Okay so this was amazing! I actually made some substitutions as I can’t do dairy. I used the Daiya vegan cream cheese and regular butter, yes I can do regular butter. It turned out great. I forgot the ACV and then added some after it was in a ball so it will probably be even better if I add that in the food processor. While I couldn’t roll it out like normal dough, I was able to make several pieces and pat them down and then put them on a chicken pot pie. I LOVE IT great recipe. I made a Paleo Chicken Pot pie and I am so thrilled that I can eat this. It really does taste amazing and my kids loved it too.
Hi! Im sorry if you have already answered this or if it’s a dumb question but,
I dont have a food processor, can I use a blender?
I would like to know the answer to this as well, I don’t have a food processor, only a blender.
I made quiche with this pie crust, it worked great. If you are like me and don’t have the talent to roll this out, you can just press it into the pie tin, worked great. One question for the savory dishes I would rather not use much coconut flour, could I do more almond flour and less coconut and would I need to change the ratio?
Following – I need to know the answer to this too.
hi. need to make without cream cheese. what i substitute with? thanks!
So I gave this a try for mini-fudge tarts. This required me to roll out the dough and cut it into 2.5 inch squares, add a teaspoon of filling and fold the corners up. I quite nervous about how the dough would hold together.
When I first took it out of the fridge and flattened it, I found large chunks of butter, so I worked the dough with my hands quite a bit to get the chunks down. I put it back in the fridge as it softened and then did this once more. Satisfied the butter was better mixed, I rolled it out, pretty thin, enabling me to cut 28 2.5″ squares. I then put it outside as its below freezing where I’m at right now. After fifteen minutes I brought it back in and started adding the filling.
First, the dough was clinging hard to the parchment paper, so I used a butter knife to separate it. As I worked 28 cookies, the dough softened and it presented a bit of challenge, but not too bad. I had a little extra ball of dough that I used to fill in any gaps or large tears. I did notice that the thicker dough was much better than the thin, naturally. I got all of them folded up and set it in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes. Perfection! The crust worked beautifully!
Thank you very much for this recipe! These were my favorite cookies before Keto and now I can enjoy 2 of them and only have 2 net carbs per cookie with 10g of healthy fat. What a treat!
I read through the comments but didn’t see this question answered. Can the dough be made and then frozen for future use, or fitted into an aluminum pie pan and frozen? It looks lovely, can’t wait to try this. Thank you
Yeah def!
Yes it can be frozen.
I accidentally used 2 tbsp cab instead of 2 tsp . Will this have any impact? I currently have it chilling in the fridge
Hi!! Thanks for the recipe, it’s totally what i am looking for!
I want to make individual meat pie for this Christmas; do you know if i can make them and freeze it?
Thank you!
I want to make fudge tarts that are assembled using 2.5 inch square pieces of dough that you then fold the corners together over a “fudge” filling. Will this work for that? I don’t see anything about blind baking it, so I’m hopeful it will work.
I have jars of guar gum on hand. Can I use guar gum in place of xanthan?
I’ve read when using guar gun instead of xanthan gum you would double it. So it would be 1 tsp guar gum instead of half tsp xanthan gum. I also have guar and read its not as stable when used in heating sauces so to add towards the end. I will be using it in this recipe to make a coconut custard pie.