Pie is one of my favorite desserts, but pie crust is one of my least favorite things to make. It’s a lot of very time and temperature sensitive work. And it takes a while. Sometimes you just don’t have time to make your pie crust and sometimes you simply yearn for a great shortcut. Which is why I now present my 5 minute coconut flour pie crust! It’s perfect for when you want dessert during the big game, but don’t have the time to make it!
How is it different from a normal pie crust?
The prime difference between this pie crust and a traditional pie crust made from wheat flour is the lack of gluten. Like we’ve talked about before, gluten is what makes it so easy to handle wheat flour and shape it any which way you like. Coconut flour has no gluten, so the only way to shape the crust is to push it gently into the pie pan. You’ll need a delicate touch, but it’s a lot easier than the normal craze of making pie crust.
Does it taste the same?
No. Both coconut sugar and flour have a darker and nuttier sweetness than you might expect from a traditional pie crust. The unique combination gives you something a little less sugary sweet and a bit more darkly sweet with a small amount of bitter. Pair it with a pie filling that goes well with coconut and is particularly sweet and you’ll have quite the dessert with less than half the effort! I love it.
- 1 cup coconut flour
- ½ cup coconut sugar -- if you're careful, you can make this honey or maple syrup
- ½ cup butter, melted (you may need slightly more or less depending on the humidity where you live)
- 1 tsp salt
- Combine all dry ingredients and then mix with the butter. The product should be pliable, but not sticky. If sticky, add more flour or sugar, depending on the taste.
- Push into pie tin.
- Bake for 5 minutes at 325.
- Fill with pie filling and proceed as normal!
This is a baked crust, so I’m thinking cream fillings. Could you also use this crust for baked pies? Would you still pre-bake it before adding the filling, or just fill the unbaked crust and bake as usual?
I use it for baked pies, yes. And normally I pre-bake it to make sure that the whole thing turns out well. Caution does need to be exercised to make sure that everything bakes properly, but it still works!
Can a savory version be made by omitting the sugar?
Yes it can! The sugar here doesn’t play a role in the structure of the crust, so omit at will and use as a savory crust!
Looks great!
Thanks!
I’m used to baking with coconut flour, but it usually needs lots of eggs for the structure and moisture. Are you sure it doesn’t need eggs to bind the crust (since you’re using a large amount of coconut flour)? Also, what is the texture of this crust? Is it flaky and crispy or softer/cakier (usually what I’m used to with coconut flour recipes)? Thanks.
The crust is definitely softer as opposed to flaky. In terms of structure, the flour would need a lot of eggs for other applications, but for making a crust where by design you can push it down and let the pie tin do the work of providing pre-heat structure for you, it’s just not necessary. The eggs will, once exposed to the heat of the oven, hold everything together just fine.
Will this crust work well with pecan pie? Need to bake it 50-60 min.
It will! I would just skip the parbake and it should be fine! 🙂
Would this work well with Pumpkin pie? And if so, how do we use honey/or sugar instead of coconut sugar? Just trying to save on money. Also wondering if this pie has a coconut flavour…?
It might well have a different taste than you’re used to, but it should work, yes. It’s a much darker and nuttier flavor than standard pie crust. You can use sugar if you like, though the hygroscopic nature of honey might screw things up a bit.