Easy Keto Pie Crust
Published June 20, 2020 • Updated February 26, 2026
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I press this shortbread-style keto pie crust directly into the pan, no rolling required. Almond flour and coconut flour, 1g net carbs per slice, and it's ready for the oven in 15 minutes.
I developed this as the easy, no-roll alternative to my flaky keto pie crust. Instead of rolling dough between parchment and transferring it to a plate, you press this one directly into the pan with your fingers. The texture is more like a shortbread cookie than a traditional flaky crust, which means it holds together on its own and slices cleanly every time.
The base combines almond flour and coconut flour. Almond flour gives it richness and that buttery shortbread flavor. Coconut flour absorbs moisture and adds structure so the crust doesn’t turn greasy or fall apart. I’ve made dozens of versions with almond flour alone, and the texture is never right without coconut flour in the mix. A quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum acts as the gluten replacement, binding everything without making it gummy or chewy.
The whole thing comes together in a food processor in about 5 minutes. Pulse the dry ingredients, add cold butter and vanilla, pulse until coarse crumbs form. Press those crumbs into a 9-inch pie plate, bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 10 minutes, and you have a golden crust ready for filling. No chill time, no rolling, no patching tears in delicate dough.
I reach for this anytime I’m building a cream pie or a no-bake filling. It pairs well with my keto peanut butter pie and works as the base for sugar free banana pudding layered right in the crust. The shortbread base holds against wet fillings without turning soggy, which is the main reason I keep coming back to it over other low carb options I’ve tried.
At only 1g net carbs and 74 calories per slice, this barely registers in the overall macros of whatever you build on top of it. I’ve been using this as my default crust since 2018, and it’s the one I come back to when I want something sturdy, forgiving, and ready before the filling is even done.
How to Make This Shortbread Crust
- Pulse the dry ingredients. Add almond flour, coconut flour, monk fruit sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt to a food processor. Pulse 3 to 4 times until combined.
- Cut in the butter. Add cold butter (cubed) and vanilla extract. Pulse in short bursts until the mixture looks like coarse sand with a few pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Do not over-process into a paste.
- Press into the pie plate. Transfer the crumb mixture to a 9-inch pie plate. Press evenly across the bottom and up the sides, about 1/4 inch thick. I use the flat bottom of a measuring cup for the base, then my fingers for the sides. Pack it firmly so it holds after baking.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 10 minutes. The crust is done when the edges just start turning golden. Let it cool completely in the pan before adding any filling.
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Ingredients
1 1/4 cups almond flour -
3 tablespoons coconut flour
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1/4 cup golden monk fruit
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1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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3 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Add & process it
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse it
Pulse until coarse crumbles form. If you don’t have a food processor, you can add all ingredients to a bowl, except the vanilla and butter. Mix to combine. Then cut the butter and vanilla in with a fork or a pastry blender until coarse crumbles form.
Form in pie plate
Press crust into a greased pie plate or sponge form pan if making cheesecake.
Bake it
Bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 10 minutes or until crust is starting to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
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
Can I use a different type of flour instead of almond flour?
Sunflower seed flour is the best nut-free swap I've found. Use the same 3/4 cup measurement. The crust will have a slightly earthier flavor and a greenish tint from the sunflower seeds reacting with the baking powder, but the texture holds up well. I'd increase the coconut flour by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the extra moisture. Oat fiber is another option I've tested, though it makes a drier, more crumbly result.
What can I use instead of golden monk fruit sweetener?
Any granulated keto sweetener works. I use Lakanto Golden, but regular erythritol, allulose, or Swerve granular are all fine at a 1:1 ratio. Stick with granulated rather than powdered so the sweetener adds a bit of texture to the crust. If you go with allulose, check the crust at the 8-minute mark because it browns faster than erythritol-based sweeteners.
Can I make this without a food processor?
I've made it both ways. Add the dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine, then cut the cold butter in with a fork or pastry blender until you get coarse crumbs. It takes a few more minutes of hand mixing, but the result is the same. The food processor just speeds things up. I actually think the hand method gives you slightly more control over the crumb size, which is useful if you tend to over-process.
What happens if I skip the xanthan gum?
I've made dozens of versions without it, and the texture is never the same. Xanthan gum is the gluten replacement here. It binds the almond flour and coconut flour together so the crust holds its shape when you slice. Without it, the crust crumbles the second you try to lift a piece out of the pie plate. If you don't have xanthan gum on hand, psyllium husk powder (1/2 teaspoon) is the closest substitute I've tested.
Can I make this dairy-free?
I've tested it with coconut oil and with Miyoko's dairy-free butter. Both work. If you use coconut oil, chill it in the fridge until solid first, then cube it like you would butter. The coconut oil version has a slightly different flavor and a more crumbly texture, but it holds together well after baking. I prefer Miyoko's for a closer match to the butter version.
Do I need to blind bake this crust?
For cream pies, no-bake pies, and cheesecakes, yes. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 10 minutes, then let it cool completely before adding filling. For pies that bake with their filling (like pumpkin or berry), you can skip blind baking and pour the filling directly into the unbaked pressed crust. The filling's bake time is enough to cook the crust through. I do this for pumpkin pie and it works well.
Why does my crust crumble and fall apart?
Three things I check every time: butter amount, pressing firmness, and cooling time. Make sure you use the full 3 tablespoons of cold butter. When pressing into the pie plate, pack it down firmly. I use the flat bottom of a measuring cup for the base and my fingers for the sides. And always let it cool completely in the pan before slicing or adding filling. If you cut into it warm, it will crumble no matter how well you made it.
Can I add an egg for more structure?
You can, but I don't. An egg changes the texture from shortbread to something closer to a dense low carb cookie (chewier, less crumbly). The xanthan gum already provides the binding this crust needs. I tested the egg version early on and went back to eggless because the shortbread texture is what makes this different from every other almond flour crust out there. If you do add an egg, use just the yolk and reduce the butter by 1 tablespoon.
If you’re craving pie, you need a crust that actually tastes good. This shortbread-style crust tastes like an unsweetened butter cookie and complements pies, quiches, tarts, and cheesecakes perfectly. It’s incredibly easy to make, and you probably already have everything in your pantry.
This is a press-in crust, so there’s no rolling out dough. You can throw a pie together on a whim without wrestling a rolling pin.
My favorite tool for this shortbread crumb crust is a food processor. It breaks down the chilled butter into tiny pieces and combines everything into a fine crumb you can press into a pie plate with ease. I use a 
Brought a cheesecake made with this to a spring dinner and two people asked what brand of crust I used. Press-in, no rolling, holds a clean slice.
Ha, 'what brand is that' is the goal. No one thinks press-in can look that clean until they see it.
Brought a cheesecake to a spring potluck using this as the base, and my aunt (who bakes from scratch, won't touch a shortcut) asked where I got the crust because it reminded her of the shortbread ones she makes herself. I told her almond flour and coconut flour. She genuinely did not believe me. The press-in method is so forgiving once you do it, and it held up firm after a few hours on the table, which I was honestly worried about.
Coconut flour is what does it. It tightens the crumb in a way almond flour alone can't, which is why it lands so close to shortbread. Your aunt would not believe it takes 15 minutes.
Tip if your food processor runs small: I cube the butter and freeze it for about 10 minutes before I start (it's already chilled per the recipe but mine always softens before I get organized) and the crumbles form with barely any scraping down the sides. I've also been making this with almond extract instead of vanilla when I use it as a cheesecake base, and the almond pairs with the coconut flour in a way the vanilla doesn't, this subtle toasty edge that actually tastes more like a bakery crust. Small swap, noticeable difference.
Almond extract with coconut flour, I should have thought of that. Vanilla floats right over the nuttiness in the crust but almond actually meets it. Trying this on the next cheesecake base.
Made this probably six or seven times now, it's the one I always come back to for cheesecake base. Press-in method alone is worth it. Only knock: still haven't nailed the bake time on my oven. Nine minutes, perfect. Ten minutes, too firm.
Nine minutes for cheesecake base is right. The margin really is that narrow with coconut flour in there. I pull it the second the edges go golden, even if the center still looks a little pale.
Tip if you're making this for cheesecake: use the bottom of a flat measuring cup to press the crumbles instead of your fingers. Way more even, clean edges. Stumbled onto it by accident and never went back.
That's my method too. The measuring cup bottom gets it way more even than fingers, especially up the sides where it tends to thin out.
First time making any kind of keto pie crust and honestly I didn't expect the texture to actually work (I've torched enough almond flour experiments to be skeptical). The food processor made the crumbles so even, and at 9 minutes it had this golden, slightly sandy snap I wasn't ready for. Using it as a cheesecake base next weekend. Do you blind bake it longer when the filling is cold-set rather than baked?
Nine minutes is right. Just make sure it's completely cool before the filling goes in , warm crust softens the bottom on a cold-set.
Made this last weekend for a spring cheesecake and was honestly so impressed by the press-in method (I've always been intimidated by rolling out pie crust). When I sliced it though, the crust crumbled instead of coming out cleanly. I pulsed to coarse crumbles like the recipe says and pressed it in before baking. Is there a trick to get it to hold together better when slicing? Like pressing harder, going thinner on the sides, or does a longer bake help it firm up? Making this for Easter and want it to actually look nice when I serve it.
Cooling time is usually it. Let it cool completely after blind baking before adding the filling, then refrigerate once everything is assembled. I use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to press it down, gets better pressure on the sides than fingers.
Browned the butter first, chilled it back down, and the flavor difference is insane. Still presses clean, still holds up, but there's this nutty depth that makes the crust taste intentional in a way I can't explain.
I've done brown butter in cookies but never thought to try it here. That it still presses clean is the part I didn't expect. Trying this on my next batch.
Wasn't sold on the coconut flour being in here (usually go straight almond flour for everything keto-baked), but the ratio is doing something because this pressed into the pie plate like actual dough, no sandy crumbling, no patching. Nine minutes exactly and the edges were golden in a way that made me just look at it for a second. Made four or five keto crusts over the years and this is the first one where the texture made me stop mid-bite.
Nine minutes exactly, yeah. The xanthan gum is doing more in this than most people notice. I've made dozens of versions without it and the texture is never the same.
I've made at least three other keto pie crusts and they all either cracked when I pressed them in or came out gummy, almost wet in a way I couldn't get past. This one pressed in cleanly, baked golden in about ten minutes, and actually held together when I sliced it. Coconut flour must be the difference. My other attempts were all almond flour and the texture was never right. Not quite five stars (I wish the edges stayed crispier once it cooled), but it's way ahead of anything else I've tried.
Yeah, coconut flour binds in a way almond flour just can't.
No fix for the edges. Crispiest right out of the oven. I fill mine at the last minute.