The perfect pie deserves the perfect crust. Traditional rolled crusts can be daunting for many, and some simply can’t eat the wheat flour. Whatever the reason, this nutty, cookie-like crust is a breeze to whip up–grain-free with a hearty dose of protein, too.
To make this recipe more similar to a classic pie crust (as opposed to a graham cracker crust) I adapted my original almond crust recipe in several ways. Importantly, I added an egg to mimic the protein in the traditionally-used wheat flour. An egg was the key to success in this pizza crust, so why not in a pie crust? I have also tried this recipe with two egg whites (the crust sticks more to the pie dish this way, but tastes virtually the same) and varying amounts of sugar. For a sweeter crust, you could add another tablespoon or two of sugar. For a savory pie, the sugar should be eliminated.
As an extra note, I’ve also experimented with this crust by substituting a portion of the almond flour with Bob’s Red Mill’s hazelnut flour–which complements pumpkin pie beautifully. There is a crust recipe using all hazelnut flour on the Bob’s Red Mill package, which I tried when I was working on a new pumpkin pie filling. The package recipe tastes amazing but is a bit crumbly when cut. I recommend trying if you aren’t striving for a perfect-looking wedge of pie. Additionally, I once baked the hazelnut crust recipe with coconut oil in place of the butter and coconut milk instead of the cream for a dairy-free guest.
We especially love this crust paired with Maple Pumpkin Pie.
Yield: 1 pie crust
- 2 cups (225 grams) blanched almond flour (almond meal–which often has bits of the dark brown skins in it–works but makes a heartier, more rustic crust)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional; omit for a savory crust)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (chilled briefly to firm up, if necessary; may substitute cold butter)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla (optional; omit for savory crust)
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Grease a 9-inch pie dish very well, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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Place the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a food processor and pulse several times.
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Add the egg and vanilla, and then scatter small pieces of coconut oil over top. Pulse until the mixture forms a ball.
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Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch pie dish, working the dough all the way up the sides. (For added ease, I like to press the dough ball into a flat disc first.)
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With a fork, prick the crust several times over the bottom and sides, and then bake for 8-12 minutes. If you are baking again with a filling, bake the crust until the bottom is just dry. If you are adding a filling that does not require further baking, bake until the crust is lightly golden around the edges.
- When using this crust recipe with a filling that requires a second baking, I recommend a “crust protector” as crusts that include nut flours tend to brown much more quickly than standard all-purpose flour crusts. To fashion your own crust protector, simply fold a 12-inch square of foil into quarters. Cut a 7-inch hole out of the center. Unfold and loosely mold the foil over the edges of the pie. If the foil is too close to the filling, trim so that it does not touch. Keep this on the crust edges for the entire baking time.
This almond flour crust recipe can be pressed into the pie plate instead of rolled out and transferred and will fit a 9-inch pie plate perfectly.
This Maple Pumpkin Pie is pictured in a hazelnut crust, but the filling is equally delightful in the above recipe for Almond Flour Pie Crust.
I have been meaning to make a pumpkin pie in and almond gluten free crust since I bought the flour months ago.
Then I found your pie crust. It was simple and no rolling is required! The crust is delightful and I used butternut squash for the filling.
I’m so happy you enjoyed with the butternut filling (yum!) and appreciate your feedback!
Hi. Can I refrigerate the pie crust in the pie plate for around four hours?
Hi Melanie, That should be fine. Just cover it lightly and let the pan sit at room temperature for a few minutes before you put it in the oven, especially if the plate is made of glass.
Thank you for your help
My pleasure!
I made this with my 2 1/2 yr old granddaughter. It’s so easy to make and handle and she could help press it down in the pan. We ate it straight up after baking as we turned it into cookies by cutting into shapes with cookie cutters and decorating with colored icing. Obviously they were not real sweet cookies until they were topped with icing. The crust/cookies held together well. Next time I may use the cookie cutter shapes as a top pie crust and actually bake a whole pie. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Deborah, I love how creative you were, turning this recipe into cookies. What a fun project to make with your granddaughter. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughtful feedback!
Hi Ann,
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I want to make a french plum tart using this crust. With a regular crust you don’t prebake the crust. Should I prebake the crust and then place the almond filling and fruit in it and bake it again with the edges covered? It bakes in the oven for 45 minutes. Thank you for your help.
Hi Mary, A French plum tart sounds divine, and I think this crust would complement the flavors quite nicely. If your recipe calls for pre-baking (which I’m guessing it does), I would definitely do so. It will make for a crisper crust underneath the filling. I do highly recommend covering the crust once filled, as the downside of nuts is that they brown quickly. If you look at the pumpkin pie that is linked in this recipe post, you can see the final result. For reference, that pie calls for 35-45 minutes in the oven, and my oven bakes on the shorter end of that timeframe. Do also grease the pie plate well, as mentioned, and if you have any other question, feel free to ask!
I used you’re delicious gluten free pie crust after stumbling across in on a google search!! Delicious! Thank you so much for helping me be able to eat pie after being told to remove gluten from my diet.
I’m so happy to read this! I am thrilled that you found the recipe and that it will fill a void. Thank you for letting me know!
Fantastic recipe for a gluten free pie crust! Best that I have ever made. Flakier than the ‘normal flour one.’ Even better than a gluten free pie crust made with all purpose gluten free flour.
Cannot thank you enough for your recipe!
I am so happy this was a hit, Carrie, and appreciate the thoughtful feedback!
Thank you so much!So useful with Thanksgiving coming up!!
My pleasure, Debbie! Enjoy!
Have you tried making this ahead and freezing? Trying to get a jumpstart on Thanksgiving pies.
I haven’t frozen this crust, Nola. I think it would be fine but hate to say for sure, especially when it’s for a holiday meal.
loved it yes
Wonderful! So glad you liked.
What about if I am making a mincemeat pie? Bake first, then add mincemeat, then bake again? Or just do it all at once? The mincemeat has a lot of fat and must be served warm or else the fat congeals and is not tasty.
Hi Annie, I’ve never made a mincemeat pie, but pre-baking firms/crisps the crust under the filling, so it’s often a good idea. The main thing you need to watch out for with a nut-based crust is over-browning, so keep an eye on it and cover the edges if necessary.
Hi Ann,
I’m Kim, I live in Normandy France, but I’m English.
There are many things you simply cannot get in France
and at Christmas I long for the traditional English mince pie!
So I have to make my own, I make them for my husband and
visitors including French who love them.
However I’m gluten free so I need a recipe for GF pastry.
So I’m going to try this one of yours. I’ll grind down to fine
some ground almonds and go from there.
I’ll let you know how they turn out.
I’ve also got a Christmas fruit cake to make and a Christmas
Pudding too.
Do have a look at our website and find out what we do and where
we are. Best wishes for your thanksgiving day!!
Kim
Hi Kim, I hope you enjoy this crust with your traditional English pies and Christmas desserts. I did click on your link and the photos are lovely…I wish I could speak French to read the details!
QUES: I’m making this almond crust and maple pumpkin pie for the first time today. I’ve prebaked the crust for 10 mins as directed. Do I let the crust cool before adding the pumpkin filling?
You don’t have to wait to fill the crust. For best texture, the aim is primarily to dry out the bottom before filling. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
I gave this recipe a go today. I left out the sugar to make it savory and made mini quiches. I was very happy with the result and look forward to trying out a sweet version. Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure, Rosie. I’m delighted you enjoyed!
This is definitely the most disgusting crust I’ve ever tasted in my life. I was excited to try this, and have had lots of success with gf crusts in the past. There is no way this is something you should be proud enough to post on your website. Please make significant changes to this recipe if you plan to continue to flog it to the masses. Shame on you, it’s clear you have no business in the culinary world. It’s disappointing someone would post a recipe like this, I can only assume you did it to gain traffic, very disappointing.
I’m very sorry this didn’t work for you, Kelsey, although I’m not sure what you mean by trying to gain traffic from this recipe. It’s a recipe that’s been in the archives of my site for several years, and I haven’t pinned, posted to social media, etc., since that time. If you give me more information as to what went wrong, I’d be more than happy to help you troubleshoot.
When making this almond flour crust with pecan pie filling, does this crust need to be baked first?
Hi Annette, I’d follow your pecan pie recipe, but generally speaking, both pumpkin and pecan pies can have soggy crusts when they are not pre-baked. Just don’t let the crust get too brown if you blind bake it, and protect the edges with a shield made of foil (or a crust protector if you happen to have one) while your pie bakes with the filling to keep them from becoming too brown.
What if you wanted to do only half the recipe? Than what would the recipe be?
You could just cut everything in half, Elliana, using 2 tablespoons of a beaten egg.
Hi, Ann! Do you think this crust would work well for more moist fruit pies? Or, do you think the juices would deconstruct the crust too much?
Hi Zach, I tend towards fillings in the pumpkin and chocolate categories, but I think it would work well for a fruit pie. That said, I don’t want to steer you wrong as I haven’t used it for an apple or berry pie. If you do try, I’d love to know how you make out!
I use this delicious almond pie crust to make an apple cream tort. I have prebaked the crust for 8 minutes then placed the apples and poured the cream over and it is delicious.
My one question is, if I make the tart 11″ instead of 9″, how should I adjust the almond crust recipe.?
I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying this crust, Lucy. Your apple cream dessert sounds lovely! I just calculated, and the 11″ tart would have one-third more surface area than the 9″ tart. Given that, it probably makes sense to make one and a half times the recipe and expect to have a little leftover. For half an egg, whisk the egg and then use two tablespoons, making one of them just a bit scant.
I greased the pan well as recommended–good suggestion as I never used to do that with “regular” crusts–and followed your directions exactly using your maple pumpkin pie filling. It was divine! Thank you for two wonderful recipes that created one memorable dessert! (Ate a piece for breakfast this morning, by the way!)
So glad it was a success, Terry. Thanks for your thoughtful feedback!
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