Nut Pie Crusts (Grain- & Gluten-Free)

Almonds

by Cat (photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

Includes: 1. Walnut Pie Crust; 2. Pecan Pie Crust; 3. Almond Pie Crust

See also: 1. Almond Meal & Coconut Flour Pie Crust; 2. Mama’s Gluten Free Mix with Almond Meal Pie Crust

If you are looking for gluten-free and grain-free pie crusts, you might give these a try. However, I’ve not yet tested them. They all call for sugar, which I believe is needed to help hold the crust together as the sugar caramelizes. I don’t think a sugar substitute would work, so as long as I’m avoiding sugar, I can’t try these. Instead, I use my Almond Meal & Coconut Flour Pie Crust.

Walnut Pie Crust

This recipe, adapted from All Recipes.com (2) uses only walnuts, sugar and butter. I’ve adapted this to use crispy walnuts (soaked and dried or toasted), for increased availability of nutrients. If you plan to soak and dry your nuts, start at least 2 days before baking the pie.

This recipe uses a minimal sugar, so I have not adapted this for stevia. Makes single crust for 9” pie pan. See below for adaptation for 9×13 Kuchen pan. I have not yet tested this recipe. 

Ingredients & Equipment

• 1 ½ cups ground walnuts
• 2 Tbsp Rapadura sugar
• 3 Tbsp butter

Equipment

• medium bowl
• dehydrator tray or stainless steel baking sheet
• dehydrator or other space that can be kept at 95 -100 degrees F; OR oven at lowest setting
• pastry fork
• 9” pie pan

Method:

Pre-Soak (start 2 days before baking pie):

1. Chop nuts coarsely, then cover with enough water to cover, keeping track of how much water you add. Stir in yogurt, whey or lemon juice, using 1 Tbsp for each cup of water.
2. Cover bowl and let sit on counter overnight.

Next day, dehydration: 

1. Drain and rinse through strainer.
2. Spread the soaked nuts on a dehydrator tray and dry at 95 – 100⁰ F until crispy and dry. OR spread on a stainless steel baking sheet and place in a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12-24 hours, turning occasionally, until completely dry and crisp.

Prepare crust: 

1. Preheat oven to 325⁰ F, with rack in middle of oven.
2. Grind the dried nuts, enough to make 1 ½ cups. Add sweetener and mix in butter.
3. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of pie pan. Chill about 30 – 45 minutes (optional).
4. Place pan on a cookie sheet and place in oven to bake about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. WATCH it carefully as it will burn easily (they don’t have to turn black to taste burnt). Cool completely before filling.
5. Bake crust 10 minutes (you may wish to fill with dried beans to keep the crust from bubbling up). Remove from oven and cool before adding filling.

Ingredients for 9 x 13 baking pan (for Kuchen)

pre-soak & dehydration

• 3 – 4 cups chopped walnuts (or 2 ½ cups ground walnuts if you don’t plan to presoak)
• filtered water to cover
• yogurt or whey: 1 Tbsp for each cup soaking water

crust

• ¼ cup Rapadura or date sugar (or ⅛ tsp stevia extract powder plus 2 Tbsp sugar)
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, soft

Pecan Pie Crust

This recipe, adapted from All Recipes.com (3) uses only walnuts, sugar and butter. I’ve adapted this to use crispy walnuts (soaked and dried or toasted), for increased availability of nutrients.

This recipe uses a fair amount of sugar, for which I will need to find a workable substitute.

If you plan to soak and dry your nuts, start at least 2 days before baking the pie.

It is helpful to put the nuts in the freezer after grinding, to chill, before mixing in the butter. Otherwise, the warmth of the freshly ground nuts would melt the butter and you would not be able to shape the crust.

Makes one 9” deep dish single-crust pie. Not yet tested by me.

Ingredients & Equipment: 

pre-soak & dehydration

• 3 – 4 cups chopped pecans (or 2 ½ cups ground pecans if you don’t plan to presoak)
• filtered water to cover
• yogurt or whey: 1 Tbsp for each cup soaking water

crust

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅓ cup Rapadura
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

equipment

• medium bowl
• dehydrator tray or stainless steel baking sheet
• dehydrator or other space that can be kept at 95 -100 degrees F; OR oven at lowest setting
• pastry fork
• 9″ deep-dish pie pan, or 10” tart or quiche pan

Method:

Pre-Soak (start 2 days before baking pie):

1. Chop nuts coarsely, then cover with enough water to cover, keeping track of how much water you add. Stir in yogurt, whey or lemon juice, using 1 Tbsp for each cup of water.
2. Cover bowl and let sit on counter overnight.

Next day, dehydration: 

1. Drain and rinse through strainer.
2. Spread the soaked nuts on a dehydrator tray and dry at 95 – 100⁰ F until crispy and dry. OR spread on a stainless steel baking sheet and place in a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12-24 hours, turning occasionally, until completely dry and crisp.

Prepare crust: 

1. Preheat oven to 350⁰ F, with rack in middle of oven.
2. Gently melt the butter.
3. Grind the dried nuts, enough to make 2 1/2 cups. Add sweetener and cinnamon. Mix in melted butter.
4. Press mixture into bottom and up sides of pie pan. Chill in freezerabout 30 – 45 minutes.
5. Place pan on a cookie sheet and place in oven to bake 12 – 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. WATCH it carefully as it will burn easily (they don’t have to turn black to taste burnt). Cool completely before filling.
6. Bake crust 10 minutes (you may wish to fill with dried beans to keep the crust from bubbling up). Remove from oven and cool a bit before adding filling.

Almond Flour Pie Crust

This recipe, adapted from Paleo Food.com (4) (which is reprinted from the Mennonite Community Cookbook). Almond flour can be presoaked then dried, but I”m not sure how to do this, to for my first test, I will used it unsoaked.

Makes enough pastry for a double-crust pie, although the original instructions describe a single-crust pie.

See also: Mama’s Gluten Free Mix with Almond Meal Pie Crust

Ingredients & Equipment: 

• 2 ½ cups almond flour/meal
• ⅔ cup lard, butter or coconut oil
• ¼ tsp unrefined sea salt
• about ⅓ cup water

Equipment

• medium bowl
• dehydrator tray or stainless steel baking sheet
• dehydrator or other space that can be kept at 95 -100 degrees F; OR oven at lowest setting
• pastry fork
• 9″ deep-dish pie pan, or 10” tart or quiche pan

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450⁰ F, with rack in middle of oven.
2. Combine flour and salt in bowl. Cut in lard, butter or coconut oil (or a mix of any of these) to the size of peas. don’t overmix.
3. Add water gradually by sprinkling a little at a time over the mixture, using only enough to hold the pastry together (too much and it will be tough).
4. Roll between 2 sheets of waxed paper or parchment for easy transfer), to ⅛” thick and 1” larger than diameter of top of pie pan. Trim and crimp. Prick with a fork.
5. Alternately, press into bottom of pan and up sides. Prick here and there with fork.
6. Bake in preheated oven 12 – 15 minutes.
7. Cool before filling.

References:

1. Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon with Mary G. Enig Ph.D.
2. All Recipes.com walnut crust recipe: allrecipes.com/recipe/walnut-pie-crust
3. All Recipes.com, Pecan crust recipe: allrecipes.com/recipe/pecan-nut-crust
4. Paleo Food.com recipe: paleofood.com/pies.htm