How To Make An Easy Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe (Dairy-Free) (2024)

How To Make An Easy Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe (Dairy-Free) (1)

Easy Gluten-Free Pie Crust

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  • Author: Robin Brookshire
  • Yield: 1 pie crust 1x
  • Category: Desserts
  • Diet: Gluten Free
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Description

This gluten-free pie crust recipe is easy to make and roll out. It turns out so tasty and flaky. This makes the perfect crust for dessert pies and savory pies

Ingredients

Scale

  • ½ cup dairy-free butter, chopped and frozen for 30 minutes
  • 1 ¼ cup gluten-free flour mix
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons of ice water

Instructions

Making the pie dough

Take the dairy-free butter and spread it out in small chunks on a freezer-safe plate. Then, place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.

In afood processor, put in the gluten-free flour, frozen dairy-free butter chunks, and salt and pulse until crumbly. Mix in one tablespoon of ice water (water only) and pulse. Add one more tablespoon of ice water and pulse until it forms into a ball.

If you don’t have a food processor, use two forks or a pastry cutter to cut in the dairy-free butter into the flour and salt. Cut in until crumbly. Mix in one tablespoon of ice water and mix. Add a second tablespoon of ice water and mix until it forms a ball.

Rolling it out

Take the ball of pie dough and any stray pieces of dough and place them on a piece of parchment paper that is on top of a pastry mat. Pat out into a round patty.

Place another piece of parchment paper over the pie dough and use a rolling pin to roll out to the pie crust to the size you need. Roll away from the center in different directions to evenly spread it out into a circle. Grab the parchment paper on the corners and turn the whole pie dough and both parchment papers over several times while rolling out.

Tip for using a pastry mat:

Using a pastry mat is really helpful in that it shows the measurements of the pie pan so that you know how big to roll it. If you don’t have something like that, turn your pie pan over on top to see how big you need it to be. You’ll want it a little larger than your pie pan.

And even though I use a pastry mat, I still put parchment paper down. Gluten-free pie dough is a bit stickier and more fragile than regular pie dough. Another great thing about the pastry mat is that it keeps the parchment paper from slipping, so it makes it easier to roll the dough out.

Putting the dough into the pie pan

Carefully pull off the top parchment paper, and then, holding the bottom layer of parchment paper, turn your pie crust over onto your pie pan and then slowly let it form to the inside of your pie pan.

Remove the parchment paper slowly. You may need to tear it in strips to get it off. Repair any tears that might happen by pushing the dough together with your fingers and then gently smooth out.

Trim the dough around the top edge of the pie pan to about a 1/2″ past the rim. Save any pieces that you trim off in case you need to repair any areas. Use your fingers to press a decorative design around the edge of the crust, or use a fork to press a design along the edge.

Now that you have it in the pie pan and the edge has been decorated, put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill. After it’s chilled, take it out, fill it with your pie filling, and bake it according to directions. I find that it bakes best on the lowest oven rack.

Make The Top Crust

Make the second pie crust.Roll out the second pie crust the same as before.

Place on top of the pie and cut off excess about an inch away from the edge, then fold over the edge of the bottom crust’s edge and seal, then crimp. Cut a few slits in the top crust to allow the steam to escape.

Making a Lattice Design

If you want to do a lattice design, use a pizza cutter or decorative pastry cutter to cut the dough into strips.

Place the strips across the pie like a basket weave. If the strips tear, the dough is very easy to pinch back together. Seal the edges of the pie crust and decorate the edge using your fingers or use a fork along the top edge.

Bake according to your pie recipe.

Notes

Gluten-Free Flour:My favorite gluten-free & dairy-free flour blends to use areBetter BatterandPamela’s Artisan Blend. I’ve been using them both with great results.They are both a 1-1 substitute. If you use another gluten-free flour blend, be sure that it contains xanthan gum. If it doesn’t have it, add 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup of gluten-free flour.

Dairy-Free Butter:Suggested brands are Country Crock Plant Based with Avocado Oil, Smart Balance, or Earth Balance.

How To Make An Easy Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe (Dairy-Free) (2024)

FAQs

Does adding vinegar to pie crust stop gluten? ›

What does that vinegar do? The most common answer — that it affects gluten development — isn't actually that useful. If you had a mass spectrometer at home, you could measure the teensy difference vinegar makes in the tensile strength of gluten strands in the dough, which in theory makes it a bit more tender.

What reduces gluten formation in pie crust? ›

He explains a number of tweaks that will all pump the brakes on gluten formation: adding vinegar (which would also reduce the pH of the flour), adding sugar, pre-chilling the ingredients, and chilling the dough.

Can you substitute water for milk in pie crust? ›

You can certainly use ice water instead of milk, but I like the richness of the whole milk. You can even experiment with half and half or buttermilk – I've used both. Don't be tempted to add more liquid than the recipe calls for. The dough should be just moist enough to hold together.

What is gluten free pie crust made from? ›

To make the gluten free pie dough:

Whisk together the dry ingredients: gluten free flour blend, xanthan gum, sugar and salt. Add the cold cubed butter (ideally it should be straight out of the fridge). Toss the butter pieces in the flour so that they're all evenly coated.

Why use apple cider vinegar in gluten-free baking? ›

Apple cider vinegar or another acid lightens up the dough. You can add up to 4 Tbsp of acid for 500 g gluten-free flour. Don't worry, you won't be able to taste it afterwards. To lighten up a yeast dough even more, you can add a packet of baking powder or cream of tartar baking powder to 500 g flour.

What is one thing you should not do when making pie crust? ›

Mistake to Avoid No.

Adding more flour is always an option, but add too much flour and your dough will end up like a cracker—not a pie crust. Remember: The more you mix your pie dough, the tougher it becomes. To keep the mixing to a minimum, try rolling out your dough between two pieces of parchment paper.

What is the number 2 most important thing when making pie crust? ›

#2—Add cold water

Before you start making the dough, fill a glass with ice and water. Add the ice water gradually to the dough, about one tablespoon or so at a time, and stop when the dough is just moist enough to hold together when a handful is squeezed.

Is egg wash or milk better for pie crust? ›

About this method: Dairy is a classic pastry wash. The natural lactose sugars gild the crust with a golden hue, and the more fat the milk has the deeper the color you'll get. What you won't get is as high a shine as egg washes give you. As with oil, this wash is easy to apply, but also easy to over-apply.

What is the best flour to use for pie crust? ›

What kind of flour makes the best pie crust? Well, not high-protein bread flour! Use that for your chewy bagels. What you want for pie is flour that yields a tender, flaky crust, which means medium-protein all-purpose flour or low-protein pastry flour.

Why is my gluten free pie crust so hard? ›

Too much water makes pie crusts tough, ESPECIALLY gluten-free crusts. An extra tablespoon or two can make your crust rock hard. Try to use the least amount of water listed.

What is Papa John's gluten-free crust made of? ›

Crafted from never-frozen dough and ancient grains, including Sorghum, Teff, Amaranth, and Quinoa, our Gluten-Free Crust is thin and crispy with a uniquely delicious flavor.

Is Cool Whip gluten-free? ›

YES, Cool Whip is gluten-free!

Although it does not carry a gluten-free certification on the label, Cool Whip doesn't contain any sources of gluten. In addition, Kraft Heinz states that cross-contamination with gluten has not occurred during the manufacturing of Cool Whip products.

Does vinegar get rid of gluten? ›

Most vinegars are gluten-free. Most varieties are distilled and made from inherently gluten-free ingredients such as grapes. The only vinegar that needs to be avoided is malt vinegar. Malt vinegar is not distilled, and malt is derived from barley, a grain that is not gluten-free.

What is the purpose of adding vinegar to pie crust? ›

One ingredient that you can add to a pie crust that is a little more unusual is vinegar. Vinegar helps tenderize pie dough because it slightly inhibits gluten development, leading to a crust that is flakier and easier to work with.

How do you reduce gluten in dough? ›

When you mix batter made with cake flour rather than all-purpose, less protein is present; as a result, the batter will develop less gluten. Bread flour, on the other hand, has a protein percentage of 12.7%. Because there's more protein present, the dough is capable of developing more gluten.

What does white vinegar do to dough? ›

Vinegar helps with creating a tender and moist crumb

This is because the acidity of vinegar interferes with gluten development. Gluten is a protein that can make our baked goods tough when overworked, which is why you'll often hear me talking about not overmixing your batter.

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