WeekNight Bite: Healthy, Easy, and Delicious Recipes

Why does homemade pie crust seem so intimidating? Maybe because with a regular pie crust you have to worry about the cold butter and refrigerating the dough and rolling it out, etc. etc. That's what has kept me from attempting a homemade crust for so long, but with a paleo crust, none of that is a factor and you can whip it up in a matter of minutes! No rolling required, no refrigerating, no intimidation necessary — you just mix a couple simple ingredients together and press it into a pie dish with your hands. It's truly as easy as... pie!? ;) Seriously though, it's so simple and the perfect crust for any pie or quiche recipe that your heart desires (I strongly recommend trying it out with my Paleo Pesto & Veggie Quiche)!

A few notes...

If you want to make this recipe extra easy breezy, I'd suggest making the dough in a food processor. It's so quick and does all the work for you in seconds. If you don't have one, you can also mix it by hand — I've done it before and it works just as well, you just get a little bonus arm workout in the process!

About the dough, it won't form into a perfect dough ball in the food processor and may still look a little crumbly — that's ok! You'll just transfer it into to your pie dish and push the dough flat and even across the bottom of the dish and then keep pressing it to work it's way up the sides. It will all come together as you do this. You just want to make sure it's an even thickness all around. Last step is to poke some holes in the crust with a fork — this will let some steam escape while the crust bakes so it doesn't puff up in the oven.

Last thing... if you're making the crust for a dessert recipe like a pie, you'll definitely want to skip the garlic powder! You don't need to add sugar to the crust, but if you want a little extra sweetness, it doesn't hurt to add 1 tsp coconut sugar. If you're making something savory like a quiche, the garlic powder is a good addition!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups almond flour
½ cup tapioca flour
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
Optional for savory recipes: ½ tsp garlic powder
Optional for sweet recipes: 1 tsp coconut sugar

Makes one 9-inch pie crust.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch pie dish (I use this one w/ a removable bottom so it’s easy to remove after baking.).
Place almond flour, tapioca flour & salt in a food processor. (If making a savory recipe, you'll also add the 1/2 tsp garlic powder at the same time. If you're making something sweet, trade the garlic powder for 1 tsp coconut sugar). Pulse to mix.
Add the rest of the crust ingredients & pulse until well combined. It won’t form a perfect dough ball & will still be a little crumbly - don't worry, it will all come together! (If you don’t have a food processor, mix by hand in a large bowl.)
Press the dough into the center of the pie dish & work it towards the outside of the dish & up the sides. Use a fork to poke some holes in the bottom & sides of the crust.
Now your crust is ready for any recipe!

If making a quiche (like this one), no need to cook the crust beforehand. Just add your filling / eggs and bake per the recipe instructions.
If a recipe requires you to fully bake it before adding filling, bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. For par-baking, bake for 6-8 minutes at 350°F.