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It’s Pi Day, and since I love food (like the rest of the world), I’m also going to stretch this to mean “Pie Day.” In honor of this, I thought I’d trot out this recipe for a keto pie crust!
Anyway, I’ll admit it – I’ve never been able to make a good keto pie crust. I’ve tried (oh, how I’ve tried), but each and every time leaves something to be desired. Well, my friends, that has ended. I finally managed to get it together and actually create an edible keto pie crust. The secret? Butter and eggs. Yeah, I know. Years of watching Julia Child and Martha Stewart probably should have taught me this.
So, armed with my eggs, butter and coconut flour, I set off to make a keto pie crust. There was still trial and error (the first attempt involved salt, which has since been removed – you’re welcome), but we’ve finally arrived at a delicious crust recipe that was crazy easy to make and really, really tasty.
You can use this nut free beauty in both sweet and savory recipes. So, whether you’re in the mood for apple pie and pumpkin peanut butter pie, or you really have a hankering for spinach pie or buffalo cheddar pie… this is the recipe for you!
Some quick notes:
- The butter substitute should be used directly out of the fridge – nice and chilly (it makes the dough easier to work with)
- When smushing the pie crust into the pan, wetting your fingertips will help them to not stick to the dough
- Not all coconut flours are created equal – I really like how Nutiva bakes up (and it’s cheaper than most)
- If the dough becomes too soft, chill it in the fridge for a few minutes
- This is a pastry cutter (but a fork will work, too), and it makes everything so much easier. It’s kind of a unitasker, but if you make enough pies, it’s totally worth it.
- This is how you use a pastry cutter – turn the volume down, there are children screaming in the background!
- Instead of the flax, you could use psyllium husk as a binder, and it will be much prettier. People have also reported good results with egg substitutes (though they’re a little higher in carbs), and also real eggs.
- If you are looking for an almond flour-based recipe, there is an almond flour pie crust in my cookbook with the Keto Pot Pie recipe. 🙂
Okay, on to the keto pie crust recipe!
Three Ingredient Keto Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup coconut flour
- 8 tbsp chilled, salted vegan butter (1/2 cup, 1 stick, 4 ounces)
- 2 flax eggs (1 tablespoon fine ground golden flax + 3tbsp water per flax egg)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, use a pastry cutter (or fork) to blend the coconut flour and butter until the texture is sandy, and there are no giant lumps of butter, or free floating dry bits of coconut flour.
- Add in two eggs, and mix until a thick dough forms and can be formed into a ball.
- If the dough is too dry and crumbly here, add in a tablespoon of cold water and keep gently kneading until the dough comes together.
- Press the dough into a 9" pie pan.
- The crust is ready to be used in a recipe!
Can you recommend a low carb bread?
Hi Janet – I have only tried the Julian Bakery breads. They’re okay, but pretty expensive!
I’ve heard very good things about the breads from Thin Slim Foods, though I have yet to find them near me!!
Thanks so much for the reply. I have tried Samis Bakery multi grain bread – it is great but is $30.00 for three loaves on eBay. Comes from Florida. I really recommend it! I freeze it and it lasts me a long time.
Jan
Thank you for the recommendation! I’ll have to try that out. I’ve been trying to come up with my own recipe, but it is not easy!
This is a late answer, but try looking for spelt flour bread recipes – I made gluten free bread with it that turned out well, and it’s much lower carb than wheat flour.
Go to Sami’s website and order it direct . The bread is $4.50 a loaf plus shipping! We order it from Michigan
there is one on Pinterest, its 1 carb per slice ! try looking under Keto bread recipe ! Mine is in the oven now !
While researching for Keto recipes, I had found this one for Keto Pancakes & Waffles. The reviews were really good for it, and one from someone caught my eye when she said she alters the recipe a little bit and uses for a bread substitute. I decided to give it a try, following the waffle recipe but leaving out the vanilla, cinnamon, maple extract, and almond milk, and using only half the sugar. I can now have sandwiches again!! I make a batch like this every Sunday and usually get between 7 and 8 waffles. I cut one waffle in half and use it as bread to make a sandwich (half fills me up about 90% of the time). Oops, one more thing. I also replace one of the tablespoons of coconut flour with a tablespoon of flax meal. I haven’t tried the recipe the normal way for waffles yet, but I’ll probably do so.
http://www.tryketowith.me/2015/08/01/the-only-keto-pancakewaffle-recipe-i-need/
Thank you so much for sharing this!! It sounds amazing, and I’ve been looking for both a bread and a waffle substitute!!
No problem! I hope you like it. I just got done having a sandwich, yum!! I really am going to need to try the recipe as written one day and make waffles, LOL.
Thinslim bread. It’s only 1g net carbs per slice, and they have all kinds of low carb food. It’s only available through mailorder. I did find a frozen bread at Whole Foods, but it cost twice as much as Thinslim. They have a sampler pack for $19.99 that includes a loaf of bread, pasta, and several other items to try.
Oooh, thank you! This sounds awesome! I’ll have to check it out 🙂
There is a great recipe for a Keto bread I have made. Texture is just like sliced bread. Comes from Ketoconnect.com if you are up for baking your own.
Sara Lee has a 45 calorie bread that’s only 6 net carbs per slice….and it’s soft and delicious!
Oh, awesome! Thanks so much for the recommendation!
These are amazing… I love them and make them often
https://castironketo.net/blog/keto-dinner-rolls
Check out empower products online
Hi there, i have a 90 second microwave keto bread recipe you might like. Its 3 tablespoons almond flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 egg. Mix thoroughly and pour into buttered ramekin or microwave safe mug or bowl. Microwave 90 seconds. It will be thick enough to cut into 2 slices. If you want toast, then toast it in the toaster and spread butter on it. It is super good! Use it for anything you like to have bread with. Sanwiches including breakfast sandwiches, toast, french toast etc. Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as i have.
I also have a keto pizza crust recipe, its 1 head of cauliflower shredded in a food processor until it resembles rice. Then steam the cauliflower for 4 minutes, drain well. Thuroughly mix the cauliflower with 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of almond flour, a pinch of salt and your choice of seasonings in a large bowl.
Transfer to a pizza pan or baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 400°. Hope you enjoy!
Can you replace the eggs with flax? Being Keto but allergic to nuts and eggs is not easy when it comes to baking!
Oh, wow! I’m allergic to nuts, so I can’t imagine adding eggs to that! I thinks a flax egg should be fine 🙂
How long do you cook it?
Hi there, that depends on the recipe! You can either bake it by itself for 20 minutes, and then fill it, or just bake according to whatever time the recipe for a pie you’re using says. That’s usually between 30-45 minutes, depending on the filling. I hope this helped! 🙂
Tried this for a quiche. It’s a little fluffier than I thought it would be, but it was still delicious!!
Thanks for commenting, Lindsey! I’m glad it was still delicious! I’ll make a note in the recipe that it’s fluffier than normal pie crust, so people know what to expect 🙂
HI Liz!
What type of pie do you use with this? Would this work as a cheesecake crust?
Thanks,
Liz
Hi Liz!! You could definitely use this for cheesecake!! I’ve made savory and sweet pies with this. 😀
And I’d love to know how your cheesecake turns out!!!
I’m going to use it for mini cupcake pumpkin mousse dessert. I don’t have a tart press, so I found an alternative. Wasn’t too thrilled with my last effort, so really happy to find this. This, along with laundry, are my to do items today.
Will this hold up as a top crust, too?
Hi Beth – thanks for asking this question! I think if you chill the dough before rolling it out, and do so very carefully, it should hold up as a top crust. I’ve used it as a top crust on mini pies before and it was fine! It won’t be the prettiest, though!
I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it!
I tried this as a top crust just today! I wrapped it in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for a while. Then I unwrapped it and rolled it out between two sheets of parchment paper. It came out looking perfect!
Oh, letting this chill is a great idea, Darcie! I’m so glad it worked out!
Hello! What oven temp would you bake this at on its own?
Hi Minerva! Thanks for commenting! This could be baked on its own at 350F as well, just for less time (try maybe 20 minutes at first and see). 🙂
Could you use this crust for pumpkin pie?
Absolutely! In fact, I do actually use it for a peanut butter pumpkin pie here: https://meatfreeketo.com/mini-low-carb-peanut-butter-pumpkin-pies/
😀
Hi! I can’t digest nut flours, so this looks perfect for me. However, I don’t live in the US so our butter doesn’t come in “sticks”, can you tell me how much a stick of butter weighs? I am really looking forward to trying this!
Hi there! Thanks for the comment 😀
A “stick” of butter is 4 ounces/110 grams. I’ll fix the recipe to say that!
Thank you. I can’t wait to try this.
do you have to spread butter in the pan before you put the dough in it?
You do not! There’s enough fat in the dough that it should pop out without issue (I’ve never had a problem, at least!). If you’re worried, you could always add a teensy bit of butter or oil to the pan, but it’s definitely not necessary!
Can I sub almond flour for coconut and would it be the same amount?
You can certainly sub in almond flour, but it won’t be a 1:1 ratio. Coconut flour absorbs a loooot of moisture, and almond flour does not. So, you’ll at least have to double the amount of almond flour, and then keep adding in a little at a time until the consistency looks right!
Can I sub in chickpea flour?
Oh, I haven’t tried this, but I don’t see why not. Chickpea flour is so versatile! Like with substituting with almond flour, the ratio won’t be 1:1, you’ll likely have to double the amount of flour and go from there.
I’ll try to do a test on this soon, and post the results!
Do you bake this before filling?
Hi Tara, thanks for the good question! You can either bake before adding a filling (like a custard), or bake it with the filling inside (I do this for quiches and such)!
I did this with a non-vegan version of your peanut butter pumpkin pie (I just doubled the filling and put in eggs instead of flax eggs), and it turned out incredibly well!
I actually made the crust in the food processor (processing the flour and butter until broken into pea-size bits, adding the eggs and waiting for a ball to form). Really simple, easy, and quick! Thanks so much.
Hi Alice! Thanks so much for the comment. I’m so glad this turned out well! 😀
And seriously, peanut butter and pumpkin is such a delicious and underrated combination.
How is this pie crust vegan?
Hi Michele! Good question. This recipe doesn’t actually say it’s vegan, as I posted it back when I still ate dairy, but there is a vegan modification mentioned in the notes! Basically, you can just replace the butter with coconut oil and a little salt.
Just what I was looking for! One daughter is vegan, one son us allergic to dairy, and one daughter is allergic to nuts, dairy, and wheat! Baking during the holidays is a challenge!
Could you prebake the crust for a specific period of time, so that it’s more crust like?
Hi Chris, you can definitely pre-cook this for about 20 minutes, so it’s a little crispier before adding in the filling! 🙂
Hi Liz, I tried but the dough was too wet and I only puted one egg.
Hi Paula! This could be due to the brand of coconut flour used, or the size of the eggs. If you find the dough is too wet, you can always add in a little more coconut flour at a time until it reaches the correct texture!
Hi. Im from the UK and a bit co fused as to the measurements of ‘ 1 stick’ of butter. Can you pleasr share what that weighs in grams or ounces please! Tia…keep up the good work
Hi! Sorry about this – I should just change this since a “stick” is really only understood if you are a) American and b) bake frequently. A stick is 8 tablespoons, or a quarter pound. However, 100g is pretty darned close to this!
I was wondering abut the msmt of butter when i saw this recipe and searched these comments hoping to find a post like this… so this recipe should actually say 4 oz butter instead of 8 oz butter?
Yes! So sorry! It should have read 8 tbsp (4 ounces). It’s fixed now – thank you so much for catching this!
Hi, I want to try this crust, but I usually use unsalted butter. Do you have any idea how much salt I should add if I don’t want to get salted butter just for one recipe?
Hi there, that’s a great question! You can usually add around a 1/4 tsp of salt to every stick of unsalted butter for similar results. 🙂
Can you combine all ingredients in a food processor? This is home I make regular pie crust.
Good question, Jenn! You can definitely do this, though the texture is a bit different from a regular pie crust.
Thank you. I will give it a try. Just starting on this low carb journey.
My pleasure! Good luck with your journey and let me know of you have any other questions!
How long and at what temp do you bake this (for a pie that’s just filled but not baked again). It’s in the oven right now so I’m guessing 335 for about 15-20! 🙂
Hi Tamera! I really depends on the filling, but if you’re just heating it and not cooking anything, then your temp and time looks right on!
I did it at 425 for 10 mins! I had already popped it in the oven before I remembered the temp was high for a different recipe. It turned out really nice though. Just the right amount of light browning on the edges. And yes, it did hold up to the no-bake pumpkin cheesecake filling I dumped in it! It was really thick on the bottom though, so I might remove a bit of dough before putting it in the pie pan next time. Maybe use it for another crust for the extra filling I ended up with. And I think I’ll add a pinch of salt next time too.
No complaints from the peanut gallery on this one though! Thanks!
Hi Jessica, thanks for the comment and feedback! It’s always nice to know different baking times and temps for things, especially around times when the oven is pretty full!! 🙂
I know this maybe be a strange question, but how much almond flour would you use in place of coconut flour. I’m not a fan of coconut. I want to try this pie crust with sugar free cherry filling Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi Debi, this isn’t a strange question at all! Unfortunately because almond flour and coconut flour have such different fat, protein and fiber profiles, it would be difficult to sub one for another. A sugar free cherry pie sounds delicious, though!
I can give you my best guess, and that would be to use about a cup and a half of almond flour, and reduce the butter to 2 tbsp!
i just put a zucchini quiche with your crust in the oven. I’m doing a low carb diet.
I hope you enjoy it, Nancy! Zucchini quiche sounds delicious!
Can this recipe be substitute for Almond flour to replace the Coconut flour as I have a allergy to Coconut?
Thanks
I used this recipe for our Thanksgiving pumpkin pie. I was skeptical that it would hold together with only three ingredients but it was great. I have arthritis in my hands so used my food processor to mix the butter with the coconut flour and it worked perfectly. Since you don’t roll it out be sure to take the time to press it evenly into the pie pan. Everyone said it was the best low-carb pie crust they had eaten. Couldn’t believe it was actually low-carb.
Just made this for keto chicken pot pie! Fantastic crust and so easy! Thank you!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
Hi I’ve been on low carb eating for over a year and I’m only allowed 20-25 carbs daily. I can’t afford to loose any more weight but have to stay in low carb. I’m starting to try recipes and I’m having trouble with some of the terminology. I feel ignorant but what are flax eggs? Can I use real eggs? Thank you for your recipes they sound fantastic.
Hi Ronda, good question! You could definiely use regular eggs instead! Flax eggs are just 1 tbsp of ground flax seeds whisked with 3-4 tbsp of water to make a vegan egg replacer. 🙂
I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never had three Ingredient keto pie crust! This recipe looks great though so hopefully that will change! Thanks for posting it, Liz!
I hope you get a chance to make it!! 😀