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.
Didn’t have food processor so I used forks to mix. It’s just like flaky crust. I made zucchini mock apple turnovers they were buttery and flaky just wonderful. Can I freeze extra or do I store the turnovers in fridge. Great recipie.
Yes, you can freeze it.
I made the dough night before last and took a small sample from it yesterday. I rolled it out into a 3″ disc and froze it overnight. Earlier today, I thawed it out and put it, on foil, in a 350 oven for 7 minutes.
PERFECTION!
BTW, there will be little globs of sour cream that do not blend in…look at the photos more closely and you can see them…not to worry…follow the directions and don’t overmix.
You can freeze it.
After refrigerating it overnight, I pinchd of a small piece and rolled it out into a 3″ disc and froze between parchment paper last night. Today, I thawed it out and baked it on a foil sheet at 375F for 7 minutes. Turned out perfectly! Crispy & flakey.
**Moderator – I corrected the typo’s on thi one. Thanks!
You can freeze it.
After refrigerating it overnight, I pinched off a small piece and rolled it out into a 3″ disc. Then I froze between parchment paper last night. Today, I thawed it out and baked it on a foil sheet at 375F for 7 minutes. Turned out perfectly! Crispy & flakey.
Didn’t have food processor so I used forks to mix. It’s just like flaky crust. I made zucchini mock apple turnovers they were buttery and flaky just wonderful. Can I freeze extra and do I store the turnovers in fridge. Great recipient.
I don’t use almond flour. Can I replace almond flour with coconut flour in addition to the coconut flour stated/mentioned in the recipe?
This is a great pie crust and worth the effort. And by “effort” I mean rolling the dough out. It’s a pretty simple recipe especially if you have a food processor. I used this for Kentucky Derby Pie. My husband didn’t even realize it was not a wheat-based pie crust until I remarked how good it was. With the leftovers from trimming the edges prior to baking, I made a pepperoni roll, which was also delish.
Where is the video you referred to in the first step of the recipe instructions? I’ve looked all over the post and cannot find the video link. Did try mixing this without watching but would like to compare my results with the video. Not so sure about this.
I thought I was a foodie….ugh apparently not. I tried to do the empanadas….the crust was very nice tasting but it looked like a drunk two year old made them. It was like using butter to form a pie crust. Also I could not get them to fill more than a tablespoon of filling and had a bunch left over. I think I will give up on the empanadas and leave them to the experts. I can handle the pie. I made a second batch of dough and just used the leftover filling as a pie. They tasted the same so I think I will go that route from now on. I’m sorry to leave the frustrated review but I’m sure I’m not the only one that had difficulty. For those of us who struggled…you are not alone. Also, I do not see the time/instructions for pre-baking the pie crust and could not find the video either even though I clicked on the link that said “jump to video”. I tried to find it on youtube and could not find it either. :(. Signed: Foodie failure
Can you make the crust the day before and leave it in the refrigerator until the next day?
I want to make a quiche. Thanks in advance.
Are we supposed to bake before adding the filling of the pie like we would with a normal low carb crust or can I put the “Faux” apples in right away?
You say to look at video for guidance on making the crust. I “jumped to video,” but there wasn’t any. Also, I tried clicking on video ( under the recipe, ) but it wasn’t a link. Where is the video?
I can’t rate it, ‘cause I haven’t tried it. Waiting for that video!
What happened to the video?? Highfalutin’ low carb featured your crust recently for empandas – I’m ready to make a pie so found this recipe – but the video is missing. :o(
Videos generally get blocked by ad blockers 😉
Made a mixed berry fruit filling, used Bochasweet as the substitute, cooked them in the air fryer for 8 minutes, FYI check them at 7 mine were a little over cooked around the edges, they brown fast. I pressed the dough into silicone cupcake molds so they were small servings, learned to put the dough back in the fridge while forming two at a time, keeping the dough cold is important to the handling, also, I used a tortilla press to make the 4 inch rounds. Fantastic pie crust recipe from gnom gnom!
Thank you for this recipe. I use it ALL the time and keep meaning to comment. I use it for making quiches and always follow it to the letter. I blind bake it for 10 minutes (no need for baking beans as it doesn’t puff up or rise) and then cool it a little before adding my filling.
It can be a little hard to handle, but I find it’s pretty easy to patch up!
Absolutely LOVE it! Thank you!
Can I use a vegan cream cheese like Kite Hill instead of regular cream cheese?
My apple pie usually bakes for an hour. Would that be the same for this crust?
Just tried this recipe for meat pie 🥧.
It worked great! Easy and tastes amazing thank you for giving me a crust I can use and not feel guilty about.
Since I don’t have a gluten intolerance, is it possible to incorporate vital wheat gluten into the recipe, perhaps to help with texture?
The taste is sublime!!! My mom wouldn’t stop mmmmm but it is crumbly for me. Will work on my technique but this is a keeper. Thanks.
Can I use whey protein instead of almond flour due to allergies?
Unfortunately no, but you can sub it with sunflower seed flour (a straight sub for nut allergies in all recipes)
Can I freeze the uncooked dough?
Yes!!
I want to make a lemon meringue pie and the instructions say to blind bake the crust since it is in the oven a very short time with the filling in it. How long does it take to blind bake this? At what temperature?
So delighted to have finally found a GF pie crust that is this good! There are a few extra steps, but once you get the hang of it, it’s quite easy.
My food processor is small, so I used the old “two knives” pastry cutter method, and it turned out great!
Thanks very much and happy holidays!
Thanks for reporting back, I’m sure your comment is encouraging for those who don’t have a food processor 😉
Would love to make this,but not keen on coconut flour and can’t have almond flour. Pumpkin flour hmm. Sesame flour possible
Hi,
Is this recipe enough for a double pie crust or should I double it. I have used it for baked brie and it was amazing.
Thanks
Hello, I ve been trying to watch the video, however I cannot seem to find it.
What am I doing incorrectly?? Is it for certain members? I am signed up for your emails. ( lovely thing! ) Any assist will be appreciated.
Thank you
I used this dough to make a turkey pot pie. I doubled up the recipe and it came out delicious. This will be my go-to pie crust recipe. Tastes just like the real deal. I love all your recipes! 🙂
Can you freeze this?
Yes!
I made this today with Gordon Ramsay’s Quiche recipe – and was not sure if you could “bake this blind” as he recommends. But since you mentioned that the filling should be cold to have it not “melt before your eyes” – I have decided to just fill the raw crust and see how it goes. In the oven now. Or can you make sure the dough is VERY cold and put the pie weights and still cook it blind?
I have a lot of experience with pie crust, so I didn’t find this fiddly at all. Came together great, easy peasy. My problem was that it burnt. I used it for your keto pumpkin pie recipe and followed the baking instructions although only cooked it for 50 min, even turned the heat down to 375. It still burnt. I will make it again and adjust to my oven. Perhaps a lower heat for 5 minutes longer. It was more crumbly than flaky but even burnt still tasted good and all got eaten!
My son is on a kidney and diabetic diet and can’t have almonds. Can it be made without almond flour and use all coconut flour?
This is the best crust recipe I have come across!! Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!
I’m making a pecan pie using this crust, and my question is do I need to par-bake it first?