This is another very easy crust, since it requires absolutely no baking. You can use up to half of each nut flour, also known as meal, or all almond flour. Kate’s tip: As long as you’ve got a total of 2 cups, you can use any combination of nut flour you like.
On-Demand: Listen to Faith’s conversation with Kate McDermott about this recipe as well as several other Thanksgiving recipes (Cranberry Pie, anyone?). This gluten-free crust was one of Faith’s favorites (her mind immediately went to Key Lime Pie). If you have guests who eat gluten free—or even if you don’t—this makes a delicious crust for your holiday pies.
Need more holiday recipes? Check out our page devoted to Our Best Thanksgiving Recipes.
Excerpted from Art of the Pie: A Practical Guide to Homemade Crusts, Fillings, and Life by Kate McDermott. Published by The Countryman Press • A division of W.W. Norton & Company. Copyright © 2016 by Kathleen L. McDermott, Photographs Copyright © 2015 by Andrew Scrivani.
- 1 cup (112 grams) almond meal (also known as almond flour)
- 1 cup (89 grams) hazelnut meal (also known as hazelnut flour)
- 2 tablespoons (24 grams) sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (a pinch)
- 5 tablespoons (70 grams) butter (salted or unsalted), melted
- Place all the dry ingredients in a bowl and add the melted butter.
- Mix together with clean hands or a fork until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into a pie pan, spread out evenly, and press firmly into place.
- Chill for 2 hours before using.
This recipe says no bake- can it also be baked with a fruit filling? If so, suggestion for an oven temperature so it does not get too brown/ burned
Hi Jeanne. Looking through the book, I do not see any fruit fillings in Kate’s no-bake crust or her similar pressed-cookie crust. Those crusts always feature a cream-based or pudding filling. Faith likes this gluten-free pie crust from Saveur; it’ll work with any filling.
I’m on keto and I’m going to make small individual servings with peanut butter and keto mousse on top of the base
This. Was. Awesome!
I pulsed a package of pecans in the food processor, then added enough almond flour (maybe 1/4 cup?) to make 2 cups total. I also added a bit of cinnamon and a few drops of almond extract just to punch the flavor up a bit. Used for a chocolate pudding pie that I topped with whipped cream stabilized with white-chocolate instant pudding (for travel purposes, but will do anyway from now on because YUM!) and decorated the edge with 3 dozen reserved pecan halves.
Simple, delicious, and sliced better than any other unbaked crust I’ve ever tried. Next time, I may try melted coconut oil instead of butter, depending on the filling.
Sounds awesome!
Could coconut oil replace butter to make this vegan?
Selma Miriam from Bloodroot in Bridgeport makes the most amazing vegan pie and tart crusts using coconut oil, so I’d say, yes! Curious bakers can watch Selma make it at Bloodroot, if they like (she doesn’t mind).