This almond flour pie crust has been one of my favorite almond flour recipes for years. It’s buttery and flaky, and works well in many kinds of low carb recipes — from sweet keto desserts and to savory meals. So, I was a little surprised myself when I realized I didn’t have it on the site yet, at least not on its own — and it was about time to change that. Introducing… my best low carb keto pie crust recipe! I have used variations of this keto pie crust in several of my favorite recipes, including low carb cheesecake, lemon meringue pie, and Greek spinach pie. Even my keto shortbread cookies have a similar basis. Each of those was a slightly different version, but somehow I’ve never shared the original low carb pie crust recipe that I use most often — until now.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for the best almond flour pie crust, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below. There are several options for this keto almond flour pie crust recipe. The flour, sweetener, salt, add-ins, fat, and even egg are all customizable, up to a point. This is pretty convenient, so you can make it with what you have on hand!
Almond Flour
Super fine blanched almond flour is ideal, but it’s not an absolute must. Almond meal, which is more coarse, will work, but the texture will be more grainy. I recommend Wholesome Yum Super Fine Blanched Almond Flour, which has the finest consistency and will yield the best texture in your low carb pie crust.
Sweetener
You can make almond flour pie crust with or without the sweetener, so it works for low carb dessert recipes as well as for savory pies. If you need to avoid almond flour altogether, I do not recommend using coconut flour in this recipe — it will be extremely dry. Make coconut flour pie crust like this instead. If you are wondering what kinds of sweeteners you can use, any kind you like will work, but it has to be granulated. (Liquid sweeteners will alter the ratio between wet and dry ingredients too much.) Here are my top sweetener picks for keto pie crust:
Besti Monk Fruit Allulose Blend – My top recommendation, because it measures just like sugar, has 0 calories and net carbs, and has no aftertaste. Most important, it helps lock in moisture (unlike other sweeteners), for a flaky keto crust that isn’t dry.Erythritol – I’ve used this one the longest, but it’s no longer my top pick. It’s more drying than Besti and can taste a little gritty. Because erythritol is less sweet than Besti, you’ll need to use 33% more to achieve the same sweetness.Allulose – Similar to Besti above, but without the monk fruit. The results will be similar, but you’ll have to use 33% more, just like erythritol.
For those that prefer a stricter paleo pie crust, coconut sugar is just fine instead. Even for sweet recipes, I’ve varied the amount of sweetener in this crust, depending on how sweet the filling is. If your filling is super-sweet, then 2-3 tablespoons of sweetener in the crust might be enough. On the other hand, if it’s more tart, you may want to use as much as 1/2 cup of sweetener. It will vary depending on your sweet tooth, too. Most often, 1/4 cup will be a good middle-ground amount (if using Besti), so that is what I put in the recipe. See my keto sweeteners guide to help you find other alternatives to use, then use my sweetener conversion calculator to get exact amounts for the recipe.
Salt
Even for sweet crusts, salt helps balance out and bring out the sweetness, so don’t leave it out. I use sea salt for all my recipes, but any kind is fine to use. For a savory gluten-free pie crust with almond flour, omit the sweetener and double the amount of salt, as noted on the recipe card below.
Fat
Fat is important for a keto diet, and also important in baking of any kind. The fat in this almond flour pie crust recipe adds flavor, prevents dryness, ensures the correct wet/dry ingredient ratio, enables browning, and helps in heat movement throughout the crust during baking. You have 3 options here:
Butter – If you’re not sensitive to dairy, almond flour pie crust with butter is the most accessible and delicious option. It’s what I use most often.Ghee – Provides a rich, buttery flavor, but is still fine for most people wanting to be dairy-free, since the lactose is removed.Coconut Oil – If you prefer to avoid dairy altogether (and even ghee is an issue), coconut oil is an easy swap. It does impart a mild coconut flavor, though. If you want to keep that buttery flavor, try butter flavored coconut oil — it’s amazing and still dairy-free.
Egg
The egg provides structure, so that the crust doesn’t fall apart, and is also a component in the right wet/dry ratio. For those that are allergic to eggs, you can replace the egg with one of these options:
More Butter – To make this almond flour pie crust recipe without the egg, just increase the amount of butter (or fat of your choice) by 2 more tablespoons. The crust will be a little more crumbly, but it still tastes great.Flax Egg – I’ve heard of people using flax eggs as a substitute, but haven’t tried it in pie crust yet.
Vanilla Extract (Optional)
This is optional, but highly recommended for a sweet pie crust.
How To Make Almond Flour Pie Crust
This section shows how to make keto pie crust with almond flour, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Almond Flour Pie Crust Add-Ins
Most of the time, almond flour pie crust does not need much added to make it great — it’s a buttery, flaky base for your filling to be the star. But if you want to add a little flavor to the crust itself, you can: It’s a little more cleanup, but makes it easier to incorporate the ingredients well. Plus, it’s less fuss: you basically dump everything in the food processor and spin it together. If you do it by hand, you have to make sure the dry ingredients are mixed well first, then keep pressing and stirring the dough after adding the wet ingredients.
Savory: Throw some spices in there. (If you do, stir them with the dry ingredients first.) Garlic powder or Italian seasoning are common ones that work well.Sweet: Cinnamon can be a nice touch to add. Even something more unique, like maple extract, can taste amazing.
Storage Instructions
You can easily make almond flour pie crust ahead of time. You have 3 options:
Make the almond flour pie dough ahead. Wrap it in plastic and store in a ball in the fridge or freezer.Press the almond pie crust into a pan. You can store the raw crust in a pie pan in the fridge.Pre-bake the crust. Since this almond crust recipe is best pre-baked anyway, you might as well do that in advance. Then, cover and store in the fridge, though it’s fine on the counter after baking for a day or so, too.
Can You Freeze Almond Flour Pie Crust?
Yes, almond flour pie crust can be frozen. You can freeze a ball of dough, raw crust pressed into a pan, or pre-baked crust. Whether or not you can freeze this keto pie crust with filling inside will depend on the specific filling, so I recommend referring to the specific recipe for storage instructions when filled. Like any crust, it can get soggy upon thawing with certain fillings. To thaw the crust, simply place it on the counter, or in the fridge overnight.
Pies To Make With Keto Pie Crust
Keto pie crusts can be used for sweet or savory pies! Try these: Add fillings only after pre-baking. If your fillings will require baking again, you’ll want to parbake the crust for the shorter end of the time spectrum, around 6-8 minutes, and use a pie shield or foil to cover the edges when baking again with filling. Share your recipe picture by tagging @wholesomeyum and hashtag it #wholesomeyum on Instagram, or in our Facebook support group, too – I’d love to see it! Sweetener note: The amount of sweetener that is best will vary based on the filling. Use 1/4 cup for a sweet crust, 3 tablespoons for a very lightly sweet crust (if your filling is super sweet), up to 1/2 cup for a very sweet crust (if you like a sweeter crust or your filling is tart), OR omit sweetener for savory crust.
