Keto Apple Pie
Published October 15, 2021 • Updated February 24, 2026
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I use chayote squash (or zucchini) and a flaky almond flour crust that actually rolls out. The filling cooks down with cinnamon, allspice, and apple flavoring, and it honestly tastes like real apple pie.
I spent a solid month getting this recipe right. The problem with most low-carb pies isn’t the filling (you can fake almost any fruit with the right squash and flavoring). It’s the crust. Every almond flour crust I’d tried before crumbled apart or had to be pressed into the pan like a graham cracker base. I wanted one that rolled out, held its shape, and actually flaked.
This crust does all three. Cold butter, cream cheese, and a quick pulse in the food processor give you a dough that rolls between parchment paper and bakes up golden with visible layers. I freeze my butter for a full 30 minutes before starting. If the dough gets soft while you’re working with it, slide it back into the fridge for 10-15 minutes. That one step saves the whole pie.
For the filling, I use chayote squash or zucchini. I’ve made this with both, probably a dozen times each at this point. Chayote holds its shape better and has that slight crispness when you bite in, closer to a Granny Smith. Zucchini softens more but is easier to find and cheaper, so I grab that when my store doesn’t have chayote. Both absorb the cinnamon, allspice, and apple flavoring beautifully. Once the filling cooks down 10-15 minutes in the skillet, nobody can tell there aren’t real apples in the pan.
Two dropperfuls of concentrated apple extract is all it takes. Even without it, the cinnamon and allspice alone give you those warm fall flavors. The extract just closes the gap between ‘spiced squash pie’ and the real thing.
This is the pie I bring to holiday dinners now. Thanksgiving, Christmas, doesn’t matter. I’ve served it to tables where half the guests weren’t keto, and the reaction is always the same: they go back for seconds before asking what’s in it. One reader, Lana, said it was ‘way better than I expected and as close as we can get.’ That sums it up.
If you’re building a holiday spread, this pairs well with my pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake. For warmer months, try the strawberry pie or coconut cream pie. I rotate through these depending on the season, and the techniques carry over between them.
Each slice is 4.8g net carbs, which leaves room for a scoop of sugar free ice cream on top. I usually add whipped cream and caramel sauce too, but this pie stands on its own.
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Keto Pie Crust Ingredients
2 cups almond flour -
6 tablespoons coconut flour
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2 teaspoons xanthan gum
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1 teaspoon salt
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1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
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2 ounces cream cheese, softened
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2 eggs
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1 tablespoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
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egg wash (1 egg beaten + 1 tablespoon water)
Keto Apple Pie Filling Ingredients
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2 tablespoons butter
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2 pounds zucchini or chayote, peeled and diced
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3/4 cup sugar-free sweetener
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1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon allspice
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
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1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
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1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
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2 dropperfuls apple flavoring drops or 1 teaspoon apple extract
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Cut butter into dry ingredients for pie crust
To a food processor, add almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum and salt. Give a quick pulse to combine. Add chilled cubed butter and cream cheese. For the flakiest pie crust, freeze the butter for 30 minutes before use. Pulse until coarse crumbles form.
- Almond flour
- Coconut flour
- Xanthan gum
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Cream cheese
Add remaining pie crust ingredients
Add egg and vinegar to crumbled pie dough. Pulse until combined and a dough ball forms. Don’t over mix or the butter may melt. Divide dough into two balls (one ball using 2/3 of the dough for the bottom layer, one ball using 1/3 of the dough for the top). Wrap pie crust dough in plastic wrap, flatten into a disc shape and refrigerate for one hour or freeze for 10 minutes. This helps to keep the butter flecks from melting while we roll out the pie dough.
- Egg
- Vinegar
Roll out bottom pie dough
Place the larger chilled pie dough in between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out dough to a flat circle. Start rolling from the center and work your way out in all directions. If the parchment paper crumbles beneath the dough, either carefully stretch the paper out or flip the parchment paper sandwich and stretch out the paper. Continue rolling until dough is 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and your circle is at least an inch wider on all edges than the pie pan you want to use. Add pie dough to your pie plate and flute the edges. Place pie crust in freezer or refrigerator while you work on the apple pie filling.
Cook the 'apples'
To a large skillet over medium-high heat, add butter and zucchini or chayote slices.
- Butter
- Zucchini
- Chayote
Cinnamon spice and everything sweet
Sprinkle in sugar free sweetener, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Continue to cook until squash has softened (10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your squash).
- Sugar-free sweetener
- Cinnamon
- Allspice
- Salt
Thicken the pie filling
Sprinkle in arrowroot powder and xanthan gum. Cook for 2-3 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat. Stir in apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice) and apple flavoring. Set aside and let cool.
- Arrowroot powder
- Xanthan Gum
Assemble sugar-free apple pie
Add the apple pie filling to your pie pan on top of the bottom crust.
Top filling with pie crust
Roll out the second layer of pie crust similar to step 3. Place on top of pie filling or cut out lattice strips and drape on top. Brush top crust with egg wash. If covering pie with whole layer of pie crust, cut slits in the top crust to allow for steam to vent.
- Egg wash
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
How many carbs per slice?
A traditional version would hit 40+ grams of carbs per slice between the apples, sugar, and wheat crust. My keto apple pie comes in at 9.7g total carbs and 4.8g net carbs per slice (12 servings per pie). I've tracked this across multiple batches and it's consistent as long as you stick to the ingredient amounts.
Where can I buy chayote squash?
I buy mine at Walmart, and I've seen it at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods too. If your local stores don't carry it, Amazon does ship chayote. That said, zucchini works just as well in this recipe. I keep both on hand, but when chayote isn't available, I just grab zucchini and the filling still turns out great.
Are apples keto?
No. A medium apple has over 20g of net carbs, which is nearly an entire day's allowance on keto. I figured out early on that a few slices in a pie would wreck the macros, so I started testing squash alternatives. Chayote and zucchini with apple flavoring get you that same taste and texture without the carb hit.
Can I freeze this pie?
I've frozen both the unbaked pie and the finished baked pie. For unbaked, I assemble everything, wrap tightly in plastic wrap then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Bake straight from frozen at 350 degrees, adding 15-20 extra minutes. For a baked pie, let it cool completely first, then wrap and freeze. I thaw mine overnight in the fridge and warm it at 250 degrees for about 20 minutes. The crust holds up well either way.
How do I make a lattice top with this dough?
I roll out the smaller dough ball between parchment paper (same as the bottom crust), then use a pizza cutter to slice even strips. Here's my trick: I freeze the strips for about 15 minutes before weaving them. This dough softens faster than wheat dough, and cold strips are so much easier to handle. Weave them over and under on top of the filling, press the edges into the bottom crust, and brush with egg wash.
What's the best sweetener for the filling?
I use Lakanto Classic (monk fruit and erythritol blend) for the filling because it dissolves cleanly and doesn't crystallize as the pie cools. Truvia Sweet Complete works well too. I've tried pure erythritol on its own and it can get a little gritty once the pie sits in the fridge overnight. Whatever you use, make sure it's a granulated blend designed for baking, not a concentrated sweetener where a little goes a long way.
Can I substitute xanthan gum in the filling?
I use xanthan gum in the filling to thicken the juices. You can swap it for an extra 1/2 teaspoon of arrowroot powder if you don't have xanthan gum on hand. I've tested both and the thickening is similar. Just know that xanthan gum can make some dishes a little slimy if you overdo it, but the small amount in this recipe (1/2 teaspoon) isn't enough to cause that.
What if my dough is too soft to roll?
This happens when the butter melts from your hands warming the dough. I deal with it constantly, especially in summer. Slide the whole thing (parchment paper and all) back into the fridge for 10-15 minutes. The butter re-solidifies and the dough firms right up. I sometimes do this 2-3 times during assembly. Keep your work surface cool and don't fight soft dough. Chill it, then try again.
Doubled the apple flavoring in the chayote filling and it smells so aggressively like Thanksgiving coming out of the oven. Never going back.
This baked up beautifully and for the most part, tasted pretty good. My husband and I just have an aversion to almond flour. I keep trying, hoping we will like a recipe using it. But, unfortunately, this didn’t do it for us.
Dont be put off trying this one though. It really was a nice crust and it tasted ok for what it was. If you like other almond flour recipes then you will most likely love this. And it’s not so bad to us that we won’t finish the apple pie! Thanks for your recipes Annie. And if you have one without almond flour, let me know please.
Sunflower seed flour is the closest swap I've seen, and it goes 1:1 for almond flour. Slightly different flavor but same texture. I don't have a nut-free crust version yet, but it's on my list.
I cooked the pie filling first, because I was skeptical, and it was delicious. I will now venture into pie crust territory.
Good call starting with the filling. The crust rolls out better than you'd expect once you know to work it between two sheets of parchment paper. Keep the dough cold if it starts getting sticky.
I made this pie and it was delicious. I didn't blend the butter and cream cheese well enough so when it bakes it left holes, but I was able to catch it in time and smooth them out. I used chayote squash and a little extra spice and while I'm not gonna say it was just like traditional apple pie, it was still wonderful, as close as we can get on keto and way better than I expected. This will be my go to apple pie recipe from now on, crust and filling. Thank you so much for creating such an amazing recipe and sharing it with us.
Your video above is so confuing. In the video you say the website recipe will be for one pie crust but it's actually two pie crusts in the recipe above. I think you meant the recipe for the pie crust alone which is half of the pie crust listed above. You may want to clarify that in the description above.
The card has the full amount for both crusts, top and bottom. I was probably talking about rolling one crust out at a time in the video, not halving the recipe. You need the whole thing for a complete pie.
Ok, great to know that there's an option for an apple pie, there is hope in my life now lol. BUT! I made the crust and it's so greasy and crumbly it falls apart and there's no way to roll it and lift it. I had to patch it in the pan. Also, there's not enough for a top crust, only the bottom. Plus, I wouldn't know how to create a top if I cannot work with the dough. Any suggestions?
(I used 1 egg white in addition to the whole egg, to substitute the xanthan gum that I couldn't find).
Three things. 1) Your dough got too soft and warm. When this happens where it can't roll, peel or lift without sticking to the parchment paper, you need to put it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to firm up. Then you should be able to manipulate it. I updated the directions to reflect this. 2) It could be the addition of the egg white added too much liquid to the recipe making it too wet to manipulate. 3) Since you said the dough was greasy, I suspect that the butter melted into the crust. Which is why it also was too soft and sticking to the paper. It's important to keep those chunks of butter whole and not over manipulate the dough.
Is there a substitute I could use for arrowroot powder .Possibly add more Xanthan gum?
You can use xanthan gum instead. Sometimes xanthan gum can make a dish slimey but I don't think it will matter with this recipe.
Amazing crust and yummy pie! I served with homemade keto carmel and no sugar vanilla ice cream. My daughter's boyfriend hates veggies and asked me to bring more over the day after Christmas. Thank you!
Ha, he had no idea there were veggies in it. That's basically the best review a squash-based pie can get.
Hi Annie :) Thank you so much for all of your deliciously amazing recipes! 2 questions, pretty please...which sugar free sweetener would you recommend for this recipe and also for the apple flavoring; when you say 2 dropfulls...do you mean 2 single drops or fill the whole dropper twice?
I'm glad you like the recipes! My go-to sweeteners are Lakanto Classic Sweetener and Truvia Sweet Complete All-Purpose. As for the apple flavoring. I used concentrated drops from One-on-one flavorings. You need two dropperfuls (so fill the dropper twice), or you can use a standard (non-concentrated) apple flavoring and using about 1 teaspoon.