Italian Almond Pie Crust

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This rich and subtly sweet Italian almond pie crust is made with a blend of almond flour and all-purpose flour, butter, sugar and enriched with egg. It’s perfect for crostata, mini tarts, frangipane fruit tarts, pies and more!

While I am no stranger to pasta frolla which is an Italian pie crust, and even have this decadent Italian chocolate pie crust, making a pasta frolla di mandorle, or Italian almond pie crust is one that I have not shared yet!

This pie dough is flavored partly with almond flour and is great to use when making my Italian lemon crostata or Italian apple pie or even my new almond roll!

It differs from homemade pie dough that cuts cold butter into the dough and is made using the classic method for making Italian pie dough. Combine ingredients in a stand mixer, move dough to a floured surface, knead into a ball and chill. It’s easy and I will walk you through the steps.

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Why You’ll Love This Pie Crust

Simple ingredients: This almond pie crust is made with only a few simple pantry ingredients and fridge staples.
Make ahead: Great for the holidays or to always have crust on hand, you can easily make this ahead and freeze it for holiday baking and more.
Versatile: Customize the flavor to the Italian dessert you are using it for! Use it in pies, crostata or with all types of fillings.

Pasta Frolla di Mandorle Ingredients

Flour: You will need both all-purpose flour and almond flour for this recipe.
Butter: I use salted butter that has been cubed and brought to room temperature.
Sugar: White granulated sugar or any fine white sugar adds a sweet taste.
Salt: If you are using unsalted butter, you will need ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Eggs: You will need one large egg and one large egg yolk.
Vanilla extract: Adds rich flavor to the pie dough.
Baking powder: This helps the crust achieve a tenderness that makes it flaky.

Substitutions and Variations

Citrus zest: Add some lemon zest or orange zest to the crust to add flavor.
Warm spices: You can add a pinch of cinnamon, ginger or other warm spice to the dough, not more than ½ teaspoon though.
Extract: Use almond extract for a more pronounced almond flavor.
Confectioners sugar: For a more tender crust, use powdered sugar. This works well for small tart dough that is pressed into a pan.

How to Make Italian Almond Pie Crust

To start, in a large bowl, stand mixer or food processor whisk together the flours, sugar, salt and baking powder.

The dry ingredients whisked in a silver bowl.

Next, to the mixture add the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla and room temperature butter. Mix until the dough is almost combined.

The wet ingredients included and almost combined.

Move dough to a lightly floured flat surface and gently knead to form a soft dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate before using.

Expert Tips

Using equipment: Using a food processor or stand mixer will help bring the dough together more quickly. Be careful not to overwork the dough though and use only quick pulses otherwise the crust will be tough.
Work quickly: When working with any pie dough, keeping the ingredients cold or at room temperature is best. If the dough starts to get too warm, place it in the refrigerator.
Cold hands: Warm hands will warm up the dough! Run your hands under cold water before working with the dough.
Too crumbly: If your pastry dough is too crumbly, then add a small amount of water or even more butter. Place in the fridge to chill.
Resting the dough: Do not skip resting the dough! To roll out properly, as with must crusts, the dough needs to ‘relax’ so it will roll out without shrinking. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes.
Rolling the dough: When using the almond pie crust dough, either dust your counter with flour or place dough between two sheets of parchment paper.

Ways to Use Italian Almond Pasta Frolla

There are many ways to use an almond pie crust! Here are a few favorites:

Recipe FAQs

Why did my crust shrink in the oven?

Shrinking crusts are often due to overworking the pastry dough and increasing the gluten in the dough. For a tender pastry, avoid over kneading the dough.
When you are rolling the dough, if you find that it is shrinking, cover it with a towel, let it rest and then try again. Baking your tarts and pies from the cold can also help with shrinkage!

Do I need to blind bake this crust when I use it?

If you are using a watery filling such as fruit, blind baking the shortcrust is recommended. To blind bake the crust, place parchment paper over the dough followed by baking beads or dried beans and then bake for 10-15 minutes before adding the filling.

How to make homemade almond flour?

In a blender or food processor add blanched almonds blend or pulse until a fine, powdery flour is achieved.

How to store this Italian shortbread crust?

Any pie dough is great to make in advance! Store wrapped in plastic wrap or rolled out in the pie or tart pan covered with plastic wrap for up to a day. Do not add filling to the crust until ready to bake.

Can I freeze this shortcut pastry?

Yes! Store well wrapped dough in the freeze for up to two months. You can also freeze pre-baked crusts wrapped for a month or two. Thaw wrapped at room temperature.

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