Flakey Almond Flour Pie Crust

A paleo and gluten free almond flour pie crust recipe, perfect for so many fillings! If you’re looking for a gluten free pie crust that tastes like the real deal, this is the best one!

Try this pie crust with a Gluten Free Apple Pie or these adorable Mini Pumpkin Pies.

The Perfect Gluten Free Pie Crust

Almond flour is my favorite gluten free flour to work with. It tastes and looks similar to white flour in baked goods, plus it bakes very similarly.

If you’re wondering, can I use almond flour for a pie crust, the answer is yes! It has different properties than wheat flour, so it needs to be handled differently.

Keep these tips in mind for the best success with your almond flour pie crust!:

• It’s a bit more crumbly than white flour (no gluten to hold things together!), so using things like egg whites, a little coconut flour, and arrowroot flour can help hold almond flour baked goods together.
• Almond flour cooks and browns faster than white flour. Using foil to cover your baked goods for part of the baking time, or lower the baking time, helps prevent it from burning.
• It has a sweeter flavor than wheat flour, meaning less added sugar is needed.

If you don’t have almond flour on hand, read here how to make almond flour

Almond flour is a common baking ingredient in many parts of the world, so find it at Costco, Whole Foods, or even in most major grocery stores.

What You’ll Need

• Almond Flour (use blanched almond flour, not almond meal, for best results)
• Arrowroot (organic corn starch or tapioca flour work here as well)
• Coconut Flour (this can be omitted, but helps it hold together better)
• Butter (chop and freeze this at least 2 hours ahead of time!)
• Sea Salt
• Honey (or maple syrup)
• Egg White

Kitchen Tools that will Help

• Food Processor: You can make a pie crust using a fork (don’t freeze the butter if you plan on breaking up the butter with a fork) or a pastry cutter, but a food processor is the fastest and least tedious way to do it! If you freeze the butter and toss it into a food processor, the butter breaks up into tiny pieces without melting, and creates a flakey almond flour pie crust.
• Parchment Paper: I use parchment paper all the time in my cooking. Here, I use it to roll out the pie crust without flouring my surface and making a mess. It also helps move the crust onto the pie plate without it breaking. It will be very difficult to move the crust onto the pie plate without it being rolled out on parchment.
• Pie Shield: These handy silicone shields are super helpful for pie crusts, especially those made with delicate gluten free flours like almond flour. I always use a shield with almond flour pie crusts.

How to Make an Almond Flour Pie Crust

Step 1: Cut butter in cubes and freeze it for at least 2 hours.

Step 2: Combine the almond flour, arrowroot, coconut flour, and sea salt in a food processor bowl. Pulse to combine the dry ingredients.

Step 3: Add the frozen butter, and pulse until the mixture resembles cornmeal, similar to a traditional pie crust. No large chunks of butter should remain, but you also don’t want to overdo it. The tiny pieces of butter help make this almond flour pie crust light and flakey.

Step 4: Add in the egg white and honey. Pulse to bring it together until parts of the dough begin to clump. When you grab some of the dough between your fingers, it should easily press together into a ball.

Step 5: Place the dough between a large folded sheet of parchment paper. The parchment paper should be large enough to make a 14-inch round when the dough is rolled.

Step 6: Use a rolling pin to roll out the pie crust. I place my pie pan over the top to make sure it’s large enough, with about 1-inch overhanging, to fill the sides. NOTE: Almond Flour burns/browns a lot faster than a traditional pie crust, so you don’t want very much crust around the edges.

Step 7: If the dough has warmed up and feels fragile, place the rolled out crust onto a cookie sheet and freeze for 20-30 minutes prior to pressing it in a pie pan. If it is still cool, pull one side of the parchment off the crust, and invert it over the pie pan. PRESS THE EDGES (rather than pushing down in the center) to gently nudge the crust into the pan. It’s okay if the crust cracks or breaks during this process- just use wet fingers to gently press the crust back together.

Step 8: Cover the edges of the pie with a pie shield. You can also use a strip of foil. This allows the pie crust to be baked longer without the edges becoming overly brown or burning.

If using this crust for an unbaked filling (like a pudding or chocolate pie), bake the crust for 20 minutes. If using a baked filling (like an apple pie), precook the crust for 10 minutes (by itself), then precook your filling before adding it to the pie crust. Once assembled, bake pies at 325º for best results. See directions for making a Gluten Free Apple Pie with an Almond Flour Crust for more tips.

Use this for a Sweet or Savory Almond Flour Pie Crust

Sweet Pie Fillings

• Apple Pie can be made in this almond flour crust! However, the crust can only bake for 30 minutes at 325º F, which is not long enough for the apples to bake in the crust. Read this recipe for Gluten Free Apple pie to see how to precook the filling for the best results!
• Similarly make a berry filling, like a strawberry, blueberry, or peach pie by precooking the filling. Use the Gluten Free Apple Pie post for inspiration on how to pre cook the filling, and use this Blueberry Crisp or Healthy Peach Crisp recipe for ingredients.
• This pie crust works beautifully for almond flour pumpkin pie! Follow this recipe for Mini Pumpkin Pies, that has a no-bake pumpkin pie filling.

Savory Almond Flour Pie Fillings

• Chicken Pot Pie: Make your favorite chicken pot pie filling, then cut out rounds of this almond flour pie crust to cover the top. Precook the filling so the crust only needs to cook between 15-20 minutes for best results. Use this method for almond flour meat pies with beef or pork as well.
• Almond Flour Crust for Quiche: To cook a quiche, the almond flour crust needs to be pressed into a tart pan and not overhang the edges. It is only possible to make a shallow quiche (no more than 1 1/2 of egg mixture in the crust), so using a shallow tart pan is the best option here. Be sure the egg mixture is nearly to the top of the almond flour crust (not much crust should be visible after the quiche is baked). Wrap the quiche in foil prior to baking, and do not bake longer than 30 minutes. Tip: If vegetables are a part of the quiche, be sure to fully cook them prior to adding them to the egg mixture.

Tips for a Perfect Paleo Pie Crust

Plan Ahead: Using frozen butter helps this crust come together quickly in a food process (without the butter melting), and makes a flakey pie crust. Be sure to chop the butter in small chunks and freeze it ahead of time! If you live in a warm climate, also freeze your pie plate, and plan on working quickly to keep the crust cold to make it easier to work with.

Bake it at a Low Temperature: You cannot substitute this almond flour pie crust for a grain-based pie crust and use the same baking instructions. Do not cook this crust at higher than 325º F for longer than 30-40 minutes. It will burn.

Is this Almond Flour Pie Crust Keto? No, this crust is no keto, because of the addition of arrowroot powder and honey. However, it is much lower in carbs than a traditional crust, and will not ruin a keto diet if a keto filling is used. Plan your low carb diet ahead of time to make an allowance for this crust, if desired!

Can I make this crust egg free? Replace the egg white with 2 tablespoons of your favorite egg replacer. The crust will come together, but will be more fragile.

Other Almond Flour Dessert Recipes:

• Almond Flour Cake
• Gluten Free Donuts
• Almond Flour Strawberry Shortcake
• Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

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