Since I always love a good culinary challenge, I decided to wing it and just make one up based on some of the grain-free baking I’ve done so far. My first attempt was good but not amazing.
My family was pretty gracious about it and everyone had Pumpkin Pie on Thanksgiving but I couldn’t leave it alone. I had an idea of what could make the both the crust and pie filling recipe amazing and kept making both all weekend until I got it perfect!
I am so excited to share this crust with you. It is light and flaky, holds together beautifully, doesn’t crack when cut and tastes like a traditional pie crust.
I’ll share the Pumpkin Pie filling next week but until then, use this crust in your favorite pie recipes, just keep the oven no higher than 350F so it doesn’t burn!
NOTES:
- Almond meal (ground raw almonds with their skins on) and blanched almond flour (finely ground blanched and skinless almonds) are different. This Pie Crust used blanched almond flour and will not work with almond meal. I have tried it with both Bob’s Red Mill Almond Flour/Meal (why do they all it that when it’s really blanched almond flour – so confusing!) and Honeyville Finely Ground Blanched Almond Flour and both came out fantastic.
- I usually use Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour and have good results. I have heard that some tapioca flours can have a strong or bitter taste. This crust shouldn’t have any off-taste, if it does, I would look at the brand of tapioca flour.
- The only brand I can find that makes Organic Palm Shortening is Spectrum. It’s a bit pricey but I usually try to stock up when it’s on sale.
- Since every filling is different, I can’t say for sure how this crust will hold up to every pie but with the Pumpkin Pie, it stayed light, crisp, firm and flaky after cooking for an additional hour at 350F, cooling, being refrigerated and even later that night. It wasn’t until about 24 hours later that I noticed the crust had gotten soggy.
Yields 8
Makes 1 Pie Crust for a 9" Pie Pan
5 minPrep Time
12 minCook Time
17 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 1/3 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup tapioca flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup organic palm shortening
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extrac
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Combine almond flour, tapioca flour and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor (or blender). Pulse a couple of times to get out any lumps.
- Add egg, palm shortening and vanilla extract.
- Pulse until dough starts to come together and move together in the processor. It won't form a ball, you will have to scrape it together to get it out. It should look like this.
- Scrap all of the dough out, making sure that all of the egg and shortening were incorporated thoroughly. Place into a pie pan and begin the press the dough with your fingers from the middle out.
- Keep pressing until the center is thin enough that you can see a shadow of the pan but the dough is not ripping or breaking. You need to be gentle and press slowly in short strokes.
- As you press the dough from the center and up the sides, you should begin to have a bit extra come up the sides and over the top. Use your finger to scrap this off (Note: The dough is still too thick on the sides here as I took this in the beginning of extra dough coming up the side).
- Keep pressing until dough has a pretty even thickness all around. Take special care to flatten the "seam" or crease of the pan so you don't wind up with a thick doughy bite at the seam.
- Use a fork to poke several holes on the bottom and to gently indent the rim of the crust.
- Place on a baking sheet and into the oven on the center rack for 12 minutes. Remove and place pie pan on a wire cooling rack.
- Allow to cool and use in your favorite pie recipe!
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