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If there’s one comfort food I’ve missed from home, it’s a proper Aussie meat pie with tomato sauce. These keto cheese and bacon pies scratch that itch—same cozy vibe, just without the carbs.
I bake them as mini pies in a muffin pan — oversized or regular both work. You’ll get 6 pies in an oversized muffin pan, or 10–12 smaller pies in a regular pan. They’re great for meal prep, lunchboxes, or a quick dinner with a simple salad. If you’re doing OMAD/TMAD or a higher-protein fasting approach, these fit right in: filling, portable, and easy to track. (You can learn more about that style of eating in our Fast Keto plan.)
I don’t know how much I will get to enjoy these mini meat pies though, as I have two hungry contractors in the house who have already requested them for their lunch tomorrow. I’m guessing that they have missed pies too!
What I Love About These Keto Mini Meat Pies
- Classic flavor, low-carb twist – All the comfort of an Australian meat pie, just without the pastry carbs.
- Rich and cheesy filling – Bacon, ground beef, and cheddar make every bite satisfying.
- Golden, grain-free crust – Fathead-style dough that actually holds together and tastes buttery.
- Meal-prep friendly – They keep well, reheat beautifully, and freeze like a dream.
- Versatile size – Make them bite-sized for snacks or larger for a full meal.
- Crowd-pleaser – Even non-keto friends and family ask for seconds.
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Ingredients & Swaps
- Ground beef – Use regular or lean mince. Ground pork, lamb, or turkey will also work if you want to switch it up.
- Bacon – You can use pancetta or smoked streaky bacon for extra flavor.
- Onion – A small brown or white onion will work; spring onions or shallots are your next best choice.
- Coconut aminos – A soy-free alternative that gives umami flavor. Tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) is a good swap.
- Tomato sauce or passata – Brings in that classic pie flavor. You can even use sugar-free ketchup instead. Here's a healthy homemade ketchup recipe.
- Beef stock or bone broth – Keeps the filling moist and flavorful.
- Xanthan gum – Thickens the filling so it’s rich, not runny. Glucomannan or arrowroot powder (non-strict keto) can be used instead. If you don't want to use any thinckeners, simply cook longer to reduce the sauce.
- Mozzarella & Edam cheese – These form the grain-free “fathead” crust. Use low-moisture part-skim mozzarella (essential for stretch and structure; don’t swap it). Edam adds flavor and can be replaced with Gouda or mild cheddar.
- Cream cheese – Binds the fathead dough and makes it pliable.
- Almond flour – Keeps the crust crunchy.
- Eggs – Help the dough hold together and give structure.
- Onion powder – Adds flavor to the crust.
- Cheddar chunks – A small piece in the center of each pie makes it gooey and cheesy when baked.
Can I make these meat pies without almond flour?
Yes, but you’ll need to adjust the amounts since coconut flour absorbs far more moisture. For this recipe, use 1/2 cup (60 g/ 2.1 oz) coconut flour, plus 1 extra egg and 1 heaped tablespoon of cream cheese to help the dough hold together. The texture will be slightly firmer and less elastic than the almond flour version but still works well for a nut-free option. Alternatively, you can use 1 1/2 cups (150 g/5.3 oz) of ground sunflower seeds (works as a 1:1 swap for almond flour).
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Little Tricks So These Pies Don’t Fall Apart
- Cool the filling first – Hot, steamy filling will make the crust soggy and hard to seal.
- Cook it down – Simmer until thick (xanthan helps). You want a spoonable, not saucy, mixture.
- Grease the pan well – Or line with strips of parchment to lift pies out cleanly.
- Oil your hands – Fathead dough may be sticky; a little olive oil on your fingers makes shaping easy.
- Press the dough up the sides – Leave a slight overhang; it shrinks as it bakes and you’ll need edge to seal the lid.
- Par-bake the shells – That 10-minute blind bake keeps bottoms crisp.
- Don’t overfill – Add filling, a cheddar cube, then more filling—but leave room to seal.
- Vent the lids – Two small slits release steam and prevent splitting.
- Seal firmly – Pinch all around, then smooth the seam so it doesn’t open in the oven.
- Watch the color, not the clock – Bake until deep golden; cover loosely if browning too fast.
Storage & Serving
These keto mini meat pies keep really well, making them perfect for meal prep or grab-and-go lunches.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze for up to 2 months — just wrap each pie tightly to prevent freezer burn.
To reheat, place in the oven at 180 °C / 350 °F for 10–12 minutes until hot and the crust is crisp again. Avoid microwaving if you can — it softens the crust.
Serve warm with sugar-free ketchup (or try your own Sugar-Free Ketchup), mustard, or add a side of greens for an easy low-carb meal.
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Hands-on Overall
Serving size meat pie
Nutritional values (per meat pie)
Net carbs7.3 grams
Protein44.1 grams
Fat59.3 grams
Calories737 kcal
Calories from carbs 4%, protein 24%, fat 72%
Total carbs10.3 gramsFiber3 gramsSugars3.8 gramsSaturated fat23.1 gramsSodium915 mg(40% RDA)Magnesium130 mg(33% RDA)Potassium703 mg(35% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 6 meat pies)
Filling:
- 500 g ground beef (1.1 lb)
- 4 large slices bacon, chopped (120 g/ 4.2 oz)
- 1 small brown onion, chopped (70 g/ 2.5 oz)
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos (15 ml)
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce/passata (30 ml)
- 1 cup beef stock or bone broth (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
Pie crust:
- 2 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (250 g/ 8.8 oz)
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp shredded edam cheese (125 g/ 4.4 oz)
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp full-fat cream cheese (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour (150 g/ 5.3 oz)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 6 small chunks of sharp cheddar (66 g/ 2.3 oz)
Instructions
- Cook the filling. Add bacon, onion, and ground beef to a skillet. Cook over medium heat until just browned. If there’s a lot of fat in the pan, spoon off the excess so the filling isn’t greasy.
- Season and thicken. Stir in coconut aminos, tomato passata, beef stock, and xanthan gum. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer ~30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and spoonable.
- Cool the filling. Remove from heat and let cool to warm (not hot)—hot filling will soften the crust and make sealing difficult.
- Preheat the oven. 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan-assisted) or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). Adjust rack to the middle.
- Melt the cheeses for the dough. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add mozzarella, Edam, and cream cheese. Microwave 1 minute, stir, then 30-second bursts, stirring between, until melted and smooth.
Note: No microwave? Melt gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often.
- Make the dough. Add almond flour, onion powder, and eggs to the melted cheese. Mix until a soft, cohesive dough forms.
- Make and pre-bake the shells. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Reserve 1 portion for the lids. Halve each of the remaining 3 portions to make 6 base rounds. Grease a 6-hole jumbo/oversized muffin pan well, or line each cup with parchment strips for easy lift-out. Press each base round into a muffin cup, pushing the dough up the sides with a slight overhang (it shrinks as it bakes). Par-bake 10 minutes until just set.
- Fill the pies. Spoon some cooled filling into each shell, press a cheddar chunk into the center.
- Add final meat layer. Add more filling—leave a little room at the top so you can seal the lid.
- Add lids and seal. Divide the reserved dough into 6 pieces and flatten into lids. Place on top, press edges firmly to seal all around, and cut 2 small steam vents in each lid.
- Bake. Return to the oven and bake 10–15 minutes until the tops are deep golden. If browning too fast, tent loosely with foil.
- Serve & store. Let pies sit 5 minutes, then lift out and serve warm (great with sugar-free ketchup—you can even make your own ketchup). Store leftovers in the fridge up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat at 180 °C / 350 °F for 10–12 minutes to re-crisp the crust (avoid the microwave if possible).
Cheese & Bacon Stuffed Meat Pies
Step by Step
Ingredients
Filling:
- 500 g ground beef (1.1 lb)
- 4 large slices bacon, chopped (120 g/ 4.2 oz)
- 1 small brown onion, chopped (70 g/ 2.5 oz)
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos (15 ml)
- 2 tbsp tomato sauce/passata (30 ml)
- 1 cup beef stock or bone broth (240 ml/ 8 fl oz)
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
Pie crust:
- 2 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (250 g/ 8.8 oz)
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp shredded edam cheese (125 g/ 4.4 oz)
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp full-fat cream cheese (100 g/ 3.5 oz)
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour (150 g/ 5.3 oz)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 6 small chunks of sharp cheddar (66 g/ 2.3 oz)
Instructions
- Cook the filling. Add bacon, onion, and ground beef to a skillet. Cook over medium heat until just browned. If there’s a lot of fat in the pan, spoon off the excess so the filling isn’t greasy.
- Season and thicken. Stir in coconut aminos, tomato passata, beef stock, and xanthan gum. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer ~30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and spoonable.
- Cool the filling. Remove from heat and let cool to warm (not hot)—hot filling will soften the crust and make sealing difficult.
- Preheat the oven. 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan-assisted) or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). Adjust rack to the middle.
- Melt the cheeses for the dough. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add mozzarella, Edam, and cream cheese. Microwave 1 minute, stir, then 30-second bursts, stirring between, until melted and smooth.
Note: No microwave? Melt gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring often. - Make the dough. Add almond flour, onion powder, and eggs to the melted cheese. Mix until a soft, cohesive dough forms.
- Make and pre-bake the shells. Divide the dough into 4 equal portions. Reserve 1 portion for the lids. Halve each of the remaining 3 portions to make 6 base rounds. Grease a 6-hole jumbo/oversized muffin pan well, or line each cup with parchment strips for easy lift-out. Press each base round into a muffin cup, pushing the dough up the sides with a slight overhang (it shrinks as it bakes). Par-bake 10 minutes until just set.
- Fill the pies. Spoon some cooled filling into each shell, press a cheddar chunk into the center.
- Add final meat layer. Add more filling—leave a little room at the top so you can seal the lid.
- Add lids and seal. Divide the reserved dough into 6 pieces and flatten into lids. Place on top, press edges firmly to seal all around, and cut 2 small steam vents in each lid.
- Bake. Return to the oven and bake 10–15 minutes until the tops are deep golden. If browning too fast, tent loosely with foil.
- Serve & store. Let pies sit 5 minutes, then lift out and serve warm (great with sugar-free ketchup—you can even make your own ketchup). Store leftovers in the fridge up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat at 180 °C / 350 °F for 10–12 minutes to re-crisp the crust (avoid the microwave if possible).
Nutrition (per meat pie)
Calories737kcal
Net Carbs7.3g
Carbohydrates10.3g
Protein44.1g
Fat59.3g
Saturated Fat23.1g
Fiber3g
Sugar3.8g
Sodium915mg
Magnesium130mg
Potassium703mg
Detailed nutritional breakdown (per meat pie)
| Total per meat pie |
| 7.3 g | 44.1 g | 59.3 g | 737 kcal |
| Mozzarella cheese (low moisture, for pizza) |
| 2.3 g | 9.9 g | 8.2 g | 123 kcal |
| Cheese, edam |
| 0.3 g | 5.2 g | 5.8 g | 74 kcal |
| Cream cheese, soft (full-fat) |
| 0.5 g | 1.2 g | 4.7 g | 41 kcal |
| Almond flour (blanched ground almonds, almond meal) |
| 2.2 g | 5.4 g | 13.1 g | 148 kcal |
| Egg, whole, fresh, raw (free-range or organic eggs) |
| 0.1 g | 2.1 g | 1.6 g | 24 kcal |
| Onion powder, spices |
| 0.3 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Cheddar cheese |
| 0.3 g | 2.5 g | 3.7 g | 44 kcal |
| Beef, minced (ground), raw, grass-fed |
| 0 g | 14.3 g | 16.7 g | 212 kcal |
| Bacon, streaky (high fat content), organic |
| 0 g | 2.7 g | 5 g | 56 kcal |
| Onion, brown (yellow), raw |
| 0.7 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 4 kcal |
| Coconut aminos (substitute to soy sauce) |
| 0.2 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Tomato sauce (passata), unsweetened |
| 0.2 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Beef bone broth, beef stock |
| 0.1 g | 0.6 g | 0.5 g | 7 kcal |
| Xanthan gum, thickening agent |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
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