Whenever my mom would ask me to make “Sullivan’s Apple Pie” for a holiday meal, my least favorite part was making the crust. Not because it wasn’t easy, because it was (we had a super-easy recipe from the Women’s Guild in my hometown). I was simply never a fan of crust However, this recipe changed all that for me. The crunch of the pecans and the slight bit of sweet make this crust delicious. The only drawback I’ve seen with some of these nut flour–based crusts is that they aren’t as flakey as you’d get with a standard flour-based crust, and they are a little more fragile, but since they won’t upset your tummy for days, I think it’s a great compromise.
1 cup (150 g) almond flour
½ cup (60 g) pecans, roughly chopped
~ pinch sea salt
¼ cup (65 mL) coconut oil (melted) or butter (softened)
2 tablespoons honey (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Combine the almond flour, pecans and pinch of salt in a large bowl.
- In another bowl, combine the oil (or butter), honey, and vanilla extract.
- Stir the wet ingredients into to the dry until completely combined. Using your fingers, press the dough into a 9½-inch (24 cm) pie pan.
- Bake for 12–14 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
- Remove and set on baking rack to cool, making certain to let it cool completely before filling.
Variations—You can use Steve’s Paleo Krunch (www.stevesclub.org) in place of the pecans, which is super tasty. Just pulse the Krunch a few times in the food processor to eliminate any super-big chunks. Just about any nuts would be wonderful in this crust.
Do Ahead—You can always make this crust a day or two in advance before you make your pie.
