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! I would love to make these, but I don’t have access to baking cream cheese. In our shops, we have cream cheese in a tub, mascarpone, ricotta or gervais. Do you think any of those would work? Thank you!
No worries – cream cheese is just cream cheese.
I did the crust for Canadian Thanksgiving Pumpkin pie ! DELICIOUS. The video link does not seem to be a connecting to anything. I tried it on two browsers …
Thanks for this great recipe. A question…can this pastry be frozen for later use? I know cheese doesn’t freeze well but for a short time possibly ok? Smaller individual pies are better me as my hubby doesn’t eat the same foods as me 🙁 If not freezable what would be the best reduced ingrediant sizes to make smaller batches, just half or quarter it?
Thank you again.
Hey Erica if you check step 5 of the recipe it states, “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!).”
Once baked slice up whole pie, place slices to freeze on a tray and freeze. Once frozen place in a zip lock or container of choice and freeze. Take out one at a time as needed.
Allergic to nuts- what can i substitute for almond flour
Sunflower seed flour xo!
We have been on the Keto diet for months now. Knom-Knom is Crazy delicious. I luv to check out her recipes and make them, yes, to eat, and to take to gatherings. Friends who are not Keto are asking me for the recipes. Thank you, ((Knom-Knom.))
Monica you’re too sweet, happy to hear you’re enjoying so much (and thanks for recommending, that’s always the best!!) xo!
The link to the video is dead. Where can I find the video?
This is by far the best, flakiest pie crust I’ve ever made. I tried using it to make hand pies, but it wasn’t a success as the crust kept splitting when I folded it over. I put it in the freezer several times but it softened so quickly I just couldn’t get it shaped, and it stuck to my empanada crimper like crazy. I’ll still be using it to make regular keto pies anyway!!
Any ideas on how not overcome the problem? I measured/weighed all the ingredients and didn’t over-process the dough.
Someone above suggested using parchment paper in your crimper. Or saran wrap
Is it possible to substitute butter for lard? I’m personally a fan of pie crusts baked with lard (not the vegetable shortening variety), so I’m wondering how Tenderflake would hold up in this as opposed to butter?
Or should I just take the plunge myself and test it? Hehe.
Honestly I haven’t tried… but I will be trying soon a 50/50 lard to butter pie crust (as I’m with you, a bit of lard is always ace!).
But if you do take the plunge (lol!) please report back CinnaMint!
Did you ever try this with lard? My mom makes the world’s best regular pie crust with butter flavored Crisco… I’m in charge of the keto dessert for Thanksgiving😬 So I was thinking of trying Crisco instead of butter… If they even still make it.
Should I pre bake for a filling like quiche?
Yes! Search for the quiche recipe on the blog (upper right corner is the search bar) and you can get all my deets xo!
I have made a double batch. I am going to use it in a chicken pot pie. I’d like to have a top and bottom crust. Though you mention that I cannot put hot ingredients in this. How do you suggest I bake a chicken pot pie, with both top and bottom crust? I plan to prepare the filling ahead of baking and am unsure if 30 minutes will be long enough to get the interior piping hot.
Hi Paola, I have a brand new convection oven and the “Regular to Convection Bake” conversion is to reduce the temp 25 degrees (so 375 would 350), and bake for less time. Have you or anyone else made these using a Convection oven? I don’t want to mess this up!
Thanks for your help,
Shannon
Very excited to find this recipe. Thank you. What could I use instead of Xanthan gum?
Thanks in advance!
Yes. What can be used instead of the xanthum gum? It does not agree with me.
Psyllium Husk works as a sub for xanthum gum.
Can I substitute the Xanthum gum with arrowroot flour?
Can I use all coconut flour for this recipe? I have a family member with severe allergies to almonds, so I don’t use almond flour. Thanks!
Do you know if this recipe can be used in electric mini pie makers? Thanks!
can i substitute tapioca powder or arrowroot for xanthan gum? thanks!
Thanks again! I’ve used this crust now several times. Finally made some savory hand pies. My husband loved them.
I made the most delicious cast iron skillet chicken pot pie with this crust, prepared exactly as written, baked over the top! My non-keto husband LOVED it! Thank you again, Paola, for an extraordinary recipe!!
Hi Brandi…..my husband loves chicken pot pie and I have been searching for a recipe. Can you share it? Thanks!
Brandi, Can you please share your recipe?
Paola..when rolling out is it necessary to also flour the dough even though it is rolled between parchment paper? If so which one.
No need if you keep it nice and chilled. Once in a while though, I’ve found the need to add a touch (and I use coconut). It also depends on the butter you use (and the fat content) xo!
Thank you so much. Trying this today.
Hey Your video for the flaky pie crust doesn’t seem to be working
I can’t get it to work either…..
Can I substitute the dairy ingredients for anything else? I am alergic to the milk protein 🙁
fyi, Daiya makes a dairy-free “cream cheese” that’s decent. I was going to try this. There are also some other brands, but I’m not a big fan of others I’ve tried. In addition, there are recipes on the web for vegan and nut cheese subs for cream cheese. Good luck!
Regarding dairy free cream cheese, I’ve tried both Daiya’s and Trader Joe’s brand and was happy with the results.
what about Tofutti vegan cream cheese?
Making this right now but I guess I over did the dough because mine does look more like cookie dough will that make my empanadas not work? Should I dispose this one and make a new batch or it won’t natter that much? Sorry i am new at cooking.
No worries Yess! Did you watch the video? Pie crust resembles cookie dough quite a bit (maybe you over processed it, but I would still chill it and give it a go!!). I taught myself how to bake and cook in my 20s, and leaned soooo much by following though on my ‘mistakes’ (you’re learning a brand new skill really :)!) big kiss!
Thank you!!!
I am making the empanadas and wanted to know if I could freeze the raw stuffed empanadas?? I cooked to filling but wanted to make them then freeze for baking later
Yes you can Gale!!
Can I substitute coconut flour with another kind of flour (I just cannot stand coconut flour! 😬)
Oat fiber tends to be a good sub, but tbh I haven’t tried it here xo!
Many times when coconut flour is cooked with other flours and flavors the coconut flavor goes away.
That doesn’t apply here. Each person that tried it asked me if there was coconut in it. The taste actually ruined my pie. The crust was otherwise easy to work with, and had a good flake for the type of crust that it is.
I also have the question about the coconut flour. From what I have read, coconut flour absorbs a great deal more moisture than other flours, so a simple substitution may not work well. Sadly, the oat flour would take us into gluten, which many of us are trying to avoid, and it also has a pile of carbs. (I do LOVE this recipe! SO tasty, despite that coconut!)
Oat Fiber is not flour…
I used this pie crust recipe to make a keto coconut cream pie. This crust was a hit! Husband approved & he’s not a keto advocate like myself so I know it was really good! I plan to use your pumpkin pie recipe next! Thank you!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So awesome to hear Veronica!! Hope you guys love the pumpkin pie too 😉 xo!!
Hi, I have made recipe a few time for baked Brie and it was delish. Can I use it as a tart crust as well? What do you suggest to make the tart more stable to be able to take it out of the shell? Thanks
Will i be able to do this by hand?i dont have a food processor
You can use a pastry cutter Gin! I would suggest you check out google videos on how to make pastry crust by hand- it would be the same methodology of trying to get the butter to mix without melting. xo!
I always make mine by hand, it comes out much better. When you add the chopped butter, just rub it into the flours between your fingers.
Great recipe! The dough can be fussy, but I think I’ve gotten the hang of it, and I’m positive that I’ll make this again. Just in case anyone is wondering, this works very nicely for Jamaican beef patties. I visited the island recently and I really wanted to figure out a way to replicate a keto version of the patties. I added 2 tbsp. of Jamaican curry powder with the dry ingredients in this recipe, and then I came up with a keto-friendly filling from the patty recipes already out there. Loved the results.
Sorry if this is a silly question, but would you blind bake this if using for quiche?
How would this work with a pumpkin pie which needs to be baked for 30-45 minutes?
Please search the pumpkin pie recipe on the site! Xo!
If I want to make individual pop-overs, what size circle cutter should I use for 8 servings? Please, in US inches…
Thank you,
Kelly