Pie is an honorable recipe in the household of modern Americans. There are varieties of pie recipes prepared in the winter and fall seasons. It is one of the main recipes for Thanksgiving and Christmas events.
Despite unique differences, all the pies recipes have one common thing that is pie crust. Without having buttery, flaky crust for fillings base, pie would be sadly the main attraction of your dessert table.
According to the origin of modern pie crust, the dessert world has served it in funerals more than festivities. Initially, the crust of the pie was not edible.
Let’s go back in time to know how the pie crust became edible. The ancient Greeks prepared pastry shells using a simple mixture of flour and water to wrap the food. Later, the fruit pie arrived after the 16th century. The victorious Romans found the pie very delicious and spread it throughout Europe. Possibly the well-known of this recipe was pastry of wheat flour layered with ricotta, honey, and bay leaves to reminiscent lasagna.
Low carb pie crust recipe: Different Varieties
Table of Contents
LOW CARB ALMOND FLOUR PIE CRUST RECIPE
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Cup
Almond flour
(blanched) - 1/3 Cup Erythritol
(or any sweetener)
- 1/4 tsp
Sea salt
- 1/4 Cup Ghee
(measured solid, & then melted)
- 1 Large Egg
(or 2 tbsp extra ghee)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
(optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). Place the base of a 9 in (23 cm) round pie skillet with parchment paper or grease it.
- Take a large bowl, combine the almond flour, erythritol (if utilizing), and sea salt.
- Mix in the liquefied ghee and egg, until all get mixed. (In the case of utilizing vanilla, mix that into the dissolved ghee before adding to the dry ingredient.) The "dough" will be crumbly and dry. Continue blending, squeezing and mixing, until it's uniform, and there is no almond flour powder left. (On the other hand, you can utilize a nourishment processor to combine everything.)
- Press the mixture into the base of the readied skillet. You can shape the edges of as you desire; if it breaks, then press back together. Cautiously make holes in the base using a fork to avoid forestall foaming.
- Bake it for 10-12 minutes, until the pie crust gets slightly golden. (Add fillings simply after baking.)
Notes
The quantity of sweetener that is most suitable will change based on the filling. Add 1/3 cup for a sweet crust, 1/4 cup for a rather mildly sweet crust (if you want to super-sweet filling).
Add 1/2 cup for a sweeter crust (if you like a sweeter crust) OR drop sweetener for the delicious crust.
Serving size: 1 slice, or 1/12 of the whole recipe.
NUTRITION Details PER SERVING
Nutrition Facts:
Value per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.
Calories: 180
Fat: 17g
Protein: 6g
Total Carbs: 5g
Net Carbs: 2g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 1g
Paleo Sweetener And Low Carb Options
If you choose sweet, cinnamon can be best to add the sweet touch in your pie crust. You can use something extra unique such as maple extract. Regarding sweeteners, anything you wish can be good, but it should be granulated. Using liquid sweeteners cause to alter the ratio between dry and wet ingredients more unless you add a little.
Erythritol is another best natural sweetener. People who prefer to skip stricter coconut sugar, paleo pie crust is a fine alternative. If you wish to use another sweetener, make sure to check the low carb natural sweetener info chart to help how much you need.
Even for using sweet recipes, you can try sweetener in the pie crust depending on the filling and sweetness requirement.
If you use super sweet, then use only 1/4 cup of sweetener in the pie crust. On the other hand, if there is more tart, try using more than 1/2 cup of sweetener. It will be different and depend on your sweet tooth also. Often, 1/3 cup will be fine middle-ground quantity.
Low Carb Pie Crust Substitutions For Dairy Or Eggs
People with eggs allergy can also make almond pie crust without eggs. In place of eggs, you can add more ghee by 2-tbsp more. Adding more ghee helps create a crumblier pie crust but still provide delicious taste. Many people use flax eggs as one of the substitutes but did not try the pie crust yet.
Ghee is all-time favorite fat of pie crust. It gives buttery, rich flavor, and it is dairy-free. You can also directly use the butter.
Coconut oil is another substitute for rich flavor and taste.
Mixing Dough Of Almond Flour Pie Crust Vs Mixing In A Food Processor
The instructions of almond pie crust say that to mix the ingredients but using a food processor in an option. If you have, then you can use it or try a natural way. It is totally up to you. Using a food processor work cleaner and easier to mix all ingredients. It can also fuss-free because you will add all ingredients and spin it in the food processor. Mixing ingredients with hand require to check if the dry ingredients are well mixed or not. Keep mixing and stirring till the dough form crusty texture.
Almond Flour Pie Crust: Tools
Food processor or use hand mixer for an easier alternative for mixing with hand.
Pan with 9 inches is good for making pier. Using a pie pan can be more helpful. If you are using a different size, then please adjust with oven or amount.
Non-stick shield for pie crust. Using a non-stick shield helps to protect the pie crust edges and prevent burning. You can choose a silicone shield.
Blanched almond flour: Use a finely blanched almond flour to get the nice texture or pie crust.
How Almond Flour Benefits Your Low Carb Diet?
Almond flour is one of the healthy alternatives for gluten-free or paleo baking and cooking. Almond flour is another nut flour or also called nut meal, which used for cakes. As almond contains rich oils, it helps to flavor baking the goods and create a good base. It is an excellent and handy ingredient for a gluten-free and soy-free diet. Almond flour is popular for combining in baked goods.
Almond Flour Nutrition
Almond flour is the healthy and best alternative for a gluten-free diet. This flour contains high protein, vitamin E, manganese, low carbohydrates, fiber, and monounsaturated fats. However, there is a risk of this flour, which has allergies of nuts.
Here is the nutrient information from USDA for 1/4 cup of almond flour.
- 150 calories
- 3 grams of fiber
- 6 grams of protein
- 11 grams of fat
- 6 grams of carbohydrates
- 60 mg of calcium
- 1 gram of sugar
- 2 mg of iron
Baking and Cooking with Almond Flour
Nut flours are descent type of flours. They have a high chance of burning quickly.
Baking:
Since the almond flour is gluten-free, it is difficult to bake for rising 100% like wheat flour. Some baker recommends using almond flour as one part of the mix with other ingredients.
Using almond flour alone may make the products dense because of oils and proteins. Typically, it is a mix of 25% substitute for wheat flour with almond flour that does not affect the texture. You can mix the coconut or arrowroot flour, which provides starch and soak up the moisture to create good structure.
People who are baking pure nut flour with eggs are more relied on the structure for baking well.
Make sure to ground the flour as much as possible. Having coarse flour varieties will not give shape.
It is also said that nut oils are not heated enduring. It is a true form of oil but available in polyunsaturated fats, which are more flame stable as a part of whole food.
Cooking:
The meal or ground flour can be utilized as coating/breading for seafood such as fish, shrimp, chicken, and vegetables. Dip the product in egg and pour the flour and then fry in oil. The ground nuts also used for crunchy topping or fragrant as bread crumbs for mac, casseroles, vegetables, or cheese.
Storage:
Nut flour is critical to the store. You can keep in a tight container and refrigerator. If it is getting outer air, then it will get moisty. Therefore, store the flour in a tightly sealed container.
Almond flour has 4-6 months of shelf life if refrigerated. After this time, do not use this almond flour and go for a fresh batch. However, storing almond flour in the freezer helps to keep it fresh till one year. Frozen almond flour require to bring to room temperature before use.
Health Benefits of Almond Flour
Control Diabetes
Almond flour contains the low glycemic index in contrast to other flours like wheat and maida. It works slow for releasing sugar into the bloodstream and provides sustainable energy instead of a sudden spike. It helps to manage better insulin and lower the dependency of outer medication.
Cure Cancer
Almond flour pie crust best suitable for cancer patients. It helps to prevent cancer cells from its content of anti-oxidants and lower the cell damage that occurred by oxidation. Studies tell that almond flour helps to lower the colon cancer symptoms.
Benefits Heart Health
Almond flour provides rich vitamin E, which is a fat-soluble antioxidant. It helps to prevent the damages of the free radicals, which can be harmful to the heart and skin. It also lowers cancer and heart disease risk. Almond flour also helps to reduce cholesterol and heart blockages. Therefore, the almond flour pie crust is suitable for a low carb diet.
Promote Energy Levels
Almond pie crust also helps to increase energy. It is not like white flour, which causes to increase your glucose levels instantly. Whereas almond flour helps in slow sugar release and provide constant energy all time. It will keep you energetic.
Benefits Digestion
Almond flour provides a high amount of dietary fiber, which helps in good digestion and promotes bowel movements. Eating almond pie crust is good for people with constipation to having easy bowels and pain-free digestive health. It also lowers the heaviness and bloating.
Good Bone Health
Almond flour contains a good amount of calcium, which is beneficial for healthy bones. One cup of almond flour is made from 90 almonds. Using regular almond flour helps to promote calcium in the body and strengthen your bones. The presence of rich vitamin E also helpful for good bone.
Manage Blood Pressure
Almond flour pie crust is also suitable for the diet of people with high blood pressure. The LDL cholesterol and a good amount of magnesium present in almond help regulate the blood pressure. Almond flour reduces the cholesterol that accumulates in arteries.
Prevent Cell Damage
As almond flour contains rich vitamin E, it provides fat-soluble anti-oxidants. It helps to prevent oxidative stress in your cells and prevent free radical damage.
Gluten-Free
Wheat flour contains a specific protein called gluten. This gluten makes the dough stretchy and catches the air during baking, which makes it rise and fluffy.
People with gluten intolerance or celiac disease cannot eat gluten food as their immune system mistakes it as not good for them. These people often have an autoimmune response to eliminate the gluten from their body. This immune response cause to damage the gut lining and leads to diarrhea, bloating, skin rashes, weight loss, and tiredness.
Luckily, you can substitute gluten food with almond flour goods like pie crust.
LOW CARB COCONUT FLOUR PIE CRUST
carb diets. It is grain-free, gluten-free, and perfect for people with nut allergies.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Coconut flour
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Butter (cold cubes)
- 1 tbsp Olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract (eliminate for savory)
- 1/4 cup Swerve sweetener (eliminate for savory)
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven at 400 degrees F.
- Whisk eggs, vanilla extract, and oil using a food processor.
- Take another bowl and whisk the other ingredients and combine well.
- Add the wet and dry mixture into the food processor. Include the cubed butter.
- Process all the ingredients until it becomes crumbles.
- Spray the pie plate using cooking spray and add crumbles into the pie plate.
- Press it using your hands to form a dough-like texture in the pie pan.
- Subsequently, you can try to roll out the dough between 2-pieces of parchment paper and flip on 9-inches of the pie plate.
- Use a fork randomly and make holes in the bottom of the pie crust. Bake this crust for 10 minutes till it gets golden.
- Coat the crust edges using aluminum foil if you are using sweet pie or savory, which require to bake again, otherwise, it may burn.
- Once the oven gets cool, add the filling.
Notes
Net Carbs: 2g
Use only coconut flour to make the perfect crust.
If you wish to make savory pie crust, then remove swerve sweetener and vanilla extract.
You can also use soft butter in place of cold butter. The food processor and cold butter method work well and provide less crumbly batter.
Nutrition Facts: Amount Per Course (1 12th)
Calories 129 (Calories from Fat 90)
Fat 10g DV-15%
Saturated Fat 5g DV-31%
Cholesterol 47mg DV-16%
Sodium 146mg DV-6%
Potassium 10mg DV-0%
Carbohydrates 5g DV-2%
Fiber 3g DV-13%
Protein 2g DV-4%
Vitamin A 275IU DV-6%
Calcium 6mg DV-1%
Iron 0.1mg DV-1%
Benefits of Coconut Flour
High Fiber
Coconut flour contains 75% of the fiber in its composition. Fiber is essential for the digestion process. It helps to cleanse and detoxify your digestive system by removing the parasite.
Rich Minerals
Most of the whole grain like wheat, soy, and corn are mass-harvested and genetically altered but the coconut flour is natural and contributes trace minerals. Unlike different grains, coconut flour also includes phytic acid, which is the common toxin of plants that act as anti-nutrients. Therefore, coconut flour works efficiently for the absorption of the minerals.
Low Carbohydrates
Most of the refined flours are combine with simple carbohydrates, which are quickly metabolized and leads to spike blood sugar fluctuations in the body. Whether they are obtained from other grains or wheat causes to create a stress response in the body. It will lead to hormonal dysregulation, weight gain, and inflammation in the destructive consequences. Whereas the coconut flour has less impact on glycaemic effects because it contains low carbs and high fiber. It will not interfere with your blood sugar and suitable for a low carb diet.
Hypoallergenic and Gluten-Free
Intolerance and allergies are reactions of the immune system from certain products. Coconut flour is gluten-free, which makes it the best substitute for refined flours. Avoiding certain foods due to allergies cause nutrition deficiencies, but coconut flour provides complete nutrition.
Heart-Healthy
According to the study of 2006 Innovative-Food-Science-&-Emerging-Technologies, discovered that fiber present in coconut flour works effectively for reducing cholesterol and risk of chronic ailments like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Regulate Blood Sugar
Coconut flour contains rich fiber with a low glycemic index because they provide better control of blood sugar levels. According to a study of 2003 issued in The-British-Journal-of-Nutrition discovered that using high amounts of coconut flour in baked products helps to reduce the glycemic index of foods.
Where To Purchase Coconut Flour
Coconut flour is getting more popularity because of its gluten-free content. It is the best replacement for gluten foods. You can buy coconut flour in the supermarket, online store, or health food stores.
Light Texture
Coconut flour contains fluffy and light texture that creates tenderness in the baked goods. The coconut flour may vary according to brands, but you can have good results. You can get crumbly and dense coconut flour for baking goods. Make sure to measure the coconut flour and stir with a fork and dip the flour in fluffed flour. Level the flour with a knife back.
Nourishing Fats
Every two tbsp coconut flour contains 4gm of healing saturated fats. It contains an extremely high and medium-chain of triglycerides for boosting metabolism. Additionally, it contains fats and protein that lower the glycaemic amount of baked produce containing sweetener.
Coconut Flour Doesn’t Need Soaking
Most of the grain flour consists of phytic acid. It is a harmful substance, which binds with minerals and prevents them from absorption in the body. It is the reason that traditional culture uses soaked and fermented grains before consuming, but coconut flour does not contain phytic acids.
Coconut flour: How to store?
You can store coconut flour in a sealed box or container. The fats content of coconut flour has saturated fats, which is softer to light and heat. In comparison to other seed/nut flours, it can be stored carefully to avoid rancidity of sensitive polyunsaturated fats.
You can also keep in the freezer for a longer time. Make sure to bring it to normal temperature before using it.
I hope you understand the recipes of low carb pie crust and how healthy they are. Almond and coconut flour pie crust is healthies options for a low carb diet. There are also other recipes to try. Try and write your experience of making almond or coconut flour pie crust. Do remember all the baking instructions to have the perfect result.
Sources
https://www.wholesomeyum.com/recipes/almond-flour-pie-crust-recipe-paleo-low-carb-gluten-free/