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Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowI Use This Almond Flour Pie Crust Recipe For Every Pie
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. I’ve had it here on Wholesome Yum since 2017, but it was actually one of the first healthy baked goods I ever made, long before that. Here’s why I use it for practically every pie I make:
- Buttery, rich, and flaky – I love the texture of this almond flour crust. No, it doesn’t taste quite the same as a white flour version, but it reminds me of a shortbread cookie. You’re going to love it!
- Quick and easy – You need just 5 simple ingredients, plus salt. And it only takes about 15 minutes.
- Healthy and keto friendly – This crust is low carb (just 2g net carbs per serving), grain-free, and gluten-free, with a dairy-free option. It’s also just a healthier choice with clean ingredients and no refined sugar.
- Make it sweet or savory – I’ve used variations of this keto pie crust in so many recipes, from sweet lemon meringue pie and pumpkin pie to savory chicken pot pie and spinach pie. You can use it for any kind of pie! Even my low carb cheesecake has a similar base.
- Option for a top crust – This is often a challenge for almond flour pie crust, but I’ve got top crust instructions below by just adding an extra ingredient.
If you’re looking for a keto pie crust or just want a healthier alternative for your baking, this is it. Make it with me and just add your favorite filling!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best ingredients for my almond flour pie crust recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
Almond Flour:
I recommend Wholesome Yum Super Fine Blanched Almond Flour, which has the finest consistency and will give you the best texture. You can make this pie crust with almond meal, but the texture will be more grainy since it’s more coarse.
I do not recommend using coconut flour in this recipe — it will be extremely dry. Make my coconut flour pie crust instead.
Sweetener:
You only need this for a sweet almond flour pie crust — omit for savory. My keto sweeteners guide covers the differences between alternatives, but here’s a summary of what you can and can’t use for this recipe:
- 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 importantly, it helps lock in moisture (unlike other sweeteners), for a flaky keto crust that isn’t dry.
- Erythritol – I used to make this almond flour crust with it, but no longer recommend it. It’s more drying than Besti and can taste a little gritty and minty. Because erythritol is less sweet than Besti, you’ll need more to achieve the same sweetness.
- Allulose – Similar to Besti above, but less sweet. You have to use more, just like erythritol.
- Coconut Sugar – A paleo option. It’s not keto friendly, but works if it fits your lifestyle.
- Liquid Sweeteners – Avoid these, they make the crust too runny. I’m working on a different recipe for these.
Use my sweetener conversion calculator if you use something other than Besti.
Even for sweet recipes, I’ve varied the amount of sweetener in this keto pie 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.
- If it’s more tart, you may want to use as much as 1/2 cup of sweetener.
- Most often, 1/4 cup of Besti is a good amount, so that’s what I put in the recipe.
Other Ingredients:
- Fat – Fat adds flavor, prevents dryness, ensures the correct wet/dry ingredient ratio, and gives you that golden edge. I use unsalted grass-fed butter most often and it’s delicious! If you need an alternative, you can use ghee (dairy-sensitive) or coconut oil (dairy-free, but imparts a mild coconut flavor). If you want to keep that buttery flavor, I love butter flavored coconut oil.
- Egg – Provides structure and gets you the right wet/dry ratio. If you need a substitute, the easiest is to increase the amount of butter (or other fat) in my almond flour pie crust recipe by 2 more tablespoons. It will be a little more crumbly, but still tastes great. You can also use a flax egg, my go-to egg substitute when I’m recipe testing for my dairy-free readers.
- Salt – Salt brings out the sweetness, so don’t leave it out. For a savory almond flour crust, omit the sweetener and double the amount of salt. I use sea salt for all my recipes, but any kind is fine.
- Vanilla Extract (optional) – I highly recommend it for a sweet crust. I like this brand.
How To Make Almond Flour Pie Crust
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, Besti (if using), and sea salt.
- Add the wet ingredients. Pour in the melted butter (mixed with vanilla, if using) and egg. Stir until well combined. Your almond flour pie dough will be crumbly, which is normal.
- Press into a pie pan. Transfer the dough to a greased or lined pie pan and press in, fluting the edges if you like. Poke holes in the surface with a fork to prevent bubbling.
- Bake until golden. Let your almost flour pie crust cool for at least 10-15 minutes before adding filling.
My Recipe Tips
- Use a food processor for even faster prep. 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. I have this food processor and love it. You can also use a hand mixer, but keep the speed low because the dough tends to go flying.
- Make sure your dough is mixed well. Mix the dry ingredients well to start (if doing it by hand, I like to use a whisk to break up any lumps). Then, mix very well again after adding the wet ingredients.
- The dough consistency can vary a bit. It depends on how you measure, and whether you include the sweetener (for a sweet almond flour pie crust) or not. This recipe is pretty forgiving, so as long as you can press the dough together between your fingers without crumbling apart, you’re good. You can add a little extra melted butter if it seems super dry.
- This almond flour pie crust recipe is for a shallow 9-inch pie pan. I use and love this glass pan. If yours is a different size or material, you might need to adjust the amount of dough and/or oven time.
- Do you still have to pre-bake if your filling is baked? Yes! The crust will get soggy if you don’t. But see my other tips below to avoid burning.
- If your pie filling needs baking, cover the crust edges. Since we blind bake this crust (that means bake it before filling), it will get too dark when you bake your pie if your edges aren’t covered. I usually just cover the edges with foil, but you can also use a non-stick pie shield or a silicone shield.
- Be careful not to over-bake. If the edges get dark golden when you blind bake, they will burn by the time your baked pie is done, even when covered. I aim for just the slightest hint of golden during the blind bake step if I’ll be baking it again, but let it get darker if I’ll be adding a filling that doesn’t need baking.
- Let the crust cool a bit before adding fillings. This helps it set, so that it doesn’t get soggy. It doesn’t have to be completely cool, but do wait at least 10-15 minutes.
- Want extra flavor? This almond flour pie crust is a neutral base that works with just about any filling. You can mix some garlic powder or Italian seasoning with the dry ingredients for a savory crust, or cinnamon (with the dry ingredients) or maple extract (with the wet ingredients) for a sweet crust.
Almond Flour Pie Crust (Keto, 5 Ingredients)
My almond flour pie crust is buttery and flaky, with 5 minutes prep, 5 ingredients, and 2g net carbs. It's a gluten-free, keto pie crust, too.
Instructions
[ See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Line the bottom of a 9 in (23 cm) round pie pan with parchment paper, or grease well.
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In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, Besti (if using), and sea salt.
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Stir in the melted butter and egg, until well combined. (If using vanilla, stir that into the melted butter before adding to the dry ingredients.) The "dough" will be dry and crumbly. Just keep mixing, pressing and stirring, until it's uniform and there is no almond flour powder left. (Alternatively, you can use a food processor to mix it all together.)
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Press the dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. You can flute the edges of desired; if it crumbles when doing this, just press it back together. Carefully poke holes in the surface using a fork to prevent bubbling.
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Bake for 6-12 minutes, until the edges are slightly golden — the time can vary depending on your pan, your oven, and the sweetener you use (or don't use).
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.
Did You Like It?
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Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/12 of entire recipe
- Almond flour note: You can make this pie crust using almond meal, but the texture will be more grainy since it’s more coarse. I recommend Wholesome Yum Super Fine Blanched Almond Flour, which has the finest consistency and will give you the best texture.
- Sweetener note: The amount of sweetener that is best will vary based on the filling. Use 1/4 cup for a sweet crust, 2-3 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.
- Recipe tips: See my tips here! I’ve got a time-saving shortcut, notes on dough consistency and pie pan size, how to ensure your almond flour crust is not too dark or soggy, and add-ins for extra flavor.
- Making a top crust: This almond flour pie crust recipe won’t work for a top crust as written, but you can modify it by adding gelatin powder and water to make it sturdy enough for a top crust. See my top crust instructions.
- Make ahead: You can wrap the dough in plastic, press it into the pan, or pre-bake it ahead. With any of these options, store in the fridge covered in plastic for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 6 months. See more details in the make ahead section above.
- Pie fillings: Try my sweet keto pecan pie, sugar-free pumpkin pie, keto apple pie, keto key lime pie, keto lemon meringue pie, or keto coconut cream pie. You can also make savory chicken pot pie, spinach pie, or keto quiche.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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Almond Flour Pie Crust
How To Make A Top Crust
I get this question a lot, and it’s important to know that you can’t use this almond flour pie dough for a top crust as written. But you can modify it to make a top crust! Here’s how:
- Multiply the crust ingredient amounts by 1.5. I can do this for you if you just update the number of servings on the recipe card above from 12 to 18! Or you can just see the amounts in my keto apple pie recipe.
- Add 1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin powder + 2 tablespoons of water. Mix well. This doesn’t work well mixing by hand (you may end up with lumps of gelatin), so I recommend using either a food processor or hand mixer.
- Blind bake the bottom crust. Press half of the dough into the bottom and sides of the pie dish. (Leave thinner sides than you would if you were fluting an almond flour pie crust without the top.) Bake for 6-8 minutes, until set but not really golden.
- Add the filling and top crust. Fill your pie shell with your favorite filling. Roll out the remaining dough between sheets of parchment paper, flip over onto your pie, then peel off the paper. Seal the edges and cut slits on top to vent.
- Bake your pie. The baking time will depend on your filling, but I usually recommend an oven temperature of 350 degrees F.
Alternatively, check out my gluten-free pie crust, which is also almond flour based but more sturdy for a top crust.
Pie Filling Options
This almond flour pie crust works for all kinds of pies! Here are some of my recipes you can use it with:
- Sweet – I use this keto pie crust for sweet pies most often. It’s the base for my keto pecan pie, sugar-free pumpkin pie, and keto apple pie for Thanksgiving and throughout the fall. You can also use it for my healthy apple pie (as long as you don’t mind not having a lattice top). In the spring and summer, I love it for keto key lime pie, keto lemon meringue pie, and keto coconut cream pie.
- Savory – Try the savory version with my chicken pot pie, spinach pie, or keto quiche.
You can even use this crust for tarts, like my pear tart or tomato tart recipe.
Do you have other pie fillings you like? Let me know in the comments below how you use this almond flour crust!
Make Ahead Options
You can easily make this almond flour pie crust in advance. There are several different ways:
- Just make the dough: Wrap it in plastic and store in a ball in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Press into the pan: Instead of wrapping the ball of dough, you can press it into the pan and cover that in plastic.
- Pre-bake the crust: My go-to option, since this almond flour pie crust is best pre-baked anyway. Cover and store in the fridge. It’s also fine on the counter for a day or so after baking.
- Freeze: You can freeze a ball of dough, raw crust pressed into a pan, or pre-baked crust. It will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. Whether or not you can freeze this keto pie crust with filling inside will depend on the specific filling. Like any crust, it can get soggy upon thawing with certain fillings. You can thaw on the counter or in the fridge overnight.
644 Comments
Janice
0I cannot have xylitol because of our dogs and cat. Do your recipes work as well with erythritol?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Janice, Most recipes on this site use erythritol or allulose. If you happen to find on that uses xylitol, I recommend you substitute with equal amounts of allulose.
Kim Rose
0Wow! An amazing recipe! I used it as a base for a keto pumpkin cheesecake, and my guests had no idea they were eating keto! Thank you so much! I’m a huge fan of your recipes.
Debbie
0have you tried freezing an uncooked pie in this crust?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Debbie, I think an uncooked pie crust would get too dry in the freezer. It may be fine for a couple of days, but any amount of time longer, and I think it would create textural changes in the baked crust.
Debbie
0Thank you so much for your rep
Cheryl Carnevale
0What a fabulous crust this made. I made it with your easy Tamale Pie Casserole dish. Have you ever tried to leverage this for a pizza dough? 🙂
I will definitely make this again. My oven is a little “challenging” so I cooked the crust longer, but it didn’t burn and came out beautifully. Thanks!!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Cheryl, I haven’t tried this as pizza crust. Please let us know how it works out if you decide to try it!
Judith Gray
0Are you familiar with Osgood pie? If not, the filling is like a custard with a touch of vinegar and raisins. As a child it was one of my favorite pies and one my mother would make for my birthday. But pies with traditional crust are so carb heavy and I have cut way back on eating pie. I do miss a good pie. If this almond flour crust that is low carb would work, it would be wonderful.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Judith, I’m not familiar with that pie but this crust should work for any kind. You do need to pre-bake it first, and if your pie filling requires baking, cover the edges of the crust before you put it back in the oven.
Tracey
0Can you please provide a weight or liquid measurement for the ghee? Is 1/4 cup of melted not the same as 1/4 cup solid?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Tracey, You can switch to metric on the recipe card to get weights. I always specify how I measured by volume as it varies slightly.
Terry
0Too salty! Could not eat this crust, had to throw it out. Would be good with less salt.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Terry, This uses a pretty standard amount of salt for a pie crust. Did you change something else about the recipe? Did you by chance use salted butter in it?
gene
0I’m not exactly an expert on baking, so I need to know WHAT temperature to bake this at for 10-12 minutes.
Please and thank you.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Gene, Bake at 350 degrees as listed in the instructions.
Gonzalo
0Worked out great and made a nice crust. Filling was low carb mixture of heart of palm and artichoke hearts.
Susie Wittenauer
0Hi, my daughter and I have to eat gluten free, so your recipe fits the bill. My experience was that the crust got too dark. For my second pie, I covered the crust the whole baking time but got the same results. I used unsalted butter and not ghee and maybe that was the difference. Even though the crust was too dark to be aesthetically pleasing it tasted great! First words out of my 23 year-olds daughter’s were, “You do remember what recipe you used for the crust, don’t you? Because you need to write it down.” If you have any ideas on why so dark in color, let me know. Thank you for the recipe.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Susie, I am sorry your crust turned out darker than expected. Everyone’s ovens are slightly different with holding heat. You could pull it out of the oven a minute or two early to help save the golden color.
Michelle
0Hi,
I would like to make this low carb crust for a peach cobbler. So I would pre-bake it for ten minutes then put the filling and continue to bake it? I usually put a top layer of crust on my peach cobbler, will that be possible to do? If so, how would I accomplish that?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Michelle, Yes, it is best to par-bake this crust before adding a filling to it. Use pie shields (or aluminum foil) to keep the exposed crusts from browning too much. This crust behaves differently from a traditional pie crust, so it would be difficult to make a top crust for it. Maybe a crumble style topping would work better for your low carb version?
i*mTina
0Hi! I’d like to make mini-tarts. Will the pie crust hold together after baked in mini-muffin pans; and if so, do you know if the crust will come out of the pan easily? I’m hoping to serve pecan pie tarts as a GF option at a family gathering. Thanks
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Tina, The pie crusts should be able to hold up fine in a muffin tin. The easiest way to remove them would be to use muffin liners. If you want a cleaner look, then cut out parchment rounds for the bottom of the molds and grease the sides well before adding the pie dough. After they are baked, let them cool completely before attempting to remove from the pan.
Elaine S Nilsson
0That video is so misleading. My crust is super thin. Really annoys me when recipes do this.
Kimberly W
0I would double-check your measurements, perhaps? I just made this and had PLENTY of crust to fill my 10-inch pie dish. I had to make sure to spread it up the sides so it wasn’t too thick because of the ample amount. It’s delicious so definitely worth another try! : )
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Elaine, My videos always show the exact recipe without modifications. Is your pan bigger than 9 inches like the recipe calls for?
Sarah Anderson
0I tried this and I totally messed it up and guess what it still turned out great!!! What I am saying is it is super forgiving and so great. Thank you so much such a great recipe. I did put real butter in it and the flavor was .. Yummm!!
Laura
0I made my Thanksgiving pumpkin pie with this crust and your pie filling. My family never knew they were eating a Keto pumpkin pie! Thank you for making one of the best parts of Thanksgiving delicious!
Kate Mulligan
0Uh, are you aware that ghee is not, in fact, dairy-free? Because it’s 100% dairy. Dairy means milk, and anything made from milk, including cheese, butter, cream, and ghee, which is made from butter.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Kate, Yes ghee is not dairy-free, but it is lactose free. Because of that it is commonly accepted in the Paleo community. If you are uncomfortable using ghee in your recipes, you could substitute with coconut oil.
Phyllis Johnson
0mine did not look as pretty as yours 🙁
Martha
0How much butter is supposed to be used as substitute for the ghee? I’m in the middle of making it and looks very greasy
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Martha, Please use the same amount as written for the ghee.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Phyllis, I’ll bet it was just as delicious! I hope you loved it.
Dori Itenberg
0I’m trying to make this pie for the first time for Thanksgiving, but I don’t have ghee and I would like to use regular butter instead. I’m not sure of the correct measurement. Any suggestions?
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Dori, You can use butter in place of ghee in the same amounts. Enjoy!
Traci
0Hi Maya, I’m trying to decide whether to try walnut oil as a sub because my daughter is allergic to casein (ghee has casein). I see you said that the coconut flavor comes through with coconut oil, but coconut oil is second to butter for making a flaky crust. I’m making a pumpkin pie. Any thoughts?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Traci, You can still use coconut oil if you like the flavor in other baked goods. I haven’t tried it with walnut oil, let me know how that goes if you try it.
Brooke
0I am very excited to try this crust with the full pumpkin pie recipe for Thanksgiving! I am trying to do as much a head of time as possible! Has anyone made the crust a day early? If so how did it turn out, and how did you store it??? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Brooke, Yes you can make this crust a day ahead with no issues. It can be left out at room temp overnight, but should be refrigerated once the pie is complete.