This homemade gluten-free pie crust is extra flaky and tender. No one will ever guess this recipe is both gluten free and dairy free!
This gluten and dairy free pie crust recipe is adapted from my single crust pie crust recipe. It’s wonderfully flaky and tender, has a rich buttery taste (despite not having any butter in it), and is easy to work with. It’s both gluten and dairy free, but best of all, no one will be able to tell.
Many pie fillings are gluten-free, or relatively easy to make gluten free - it's the crust, that makes baking a good gluten-free pie tricky. With this recipe, you can easily make many classic pie recipes gluten free.
Try it in my gluten-free apple pie recipe!
Ingredients
- gluten-free flour, all-purpose blend
- almond flour
- salt
- granulated sugar
- baking powder
- vegetable shortening
- vegetable or canola oil
- egg
- apple cider vinegar
- cold water
See the recipe card for quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend: Use a blend that contains xanthan gum, so the pastry has enough structure and stability. Make sure your blend doesn’t contain any ingredients with strong flavours, such as bean flour. For pastry, I prefer to use a blend with a higher starch content. Refer to baking with gluten-free flour for more information.
Almond flour: The addition of almond flour helps to keep the crust tender and also adds a richness in flavour.
Granulated sugar: A little bit of sugar help balance the overall flavour.
Vegetable shortening: Using vegetable shortening, such as Crisco, keeps the crust dairy free and also makes the dough easy to handle. The combination of other ingredients in this recipe all come together to create a nice, rich flavour, so don’t worry, you won’t miss the butter. Is Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening Gluten Free? Yes, it's gluten free in both Canada and the United States.
Apple cider vinegar: A splash of vinegar keeps the crust tender. You might notice the amount of vinegar in this recipe is slightly more than in traditional pie crust recipes, that’s because most all-purpose wheat flour is slightly acidic, whereas most gluten-free blends (depending on the blend’s ingredients) are closer to pH neutral. The additional vinegar helps to balance the flavour and keep the taste closer to what you expect with wheat-based pastry, but don’t worry, you won’t taste the vinegar.
Baking powder: A bit of baking powder adds a lightness to the dough, helping it expand and add flakiness.
Vegetable oil: Gluten-free pastry is a little more delicate than traditional wheat-based versions because of the lack of gluten, which is what creates that elasticity in wheat-based doughs. The addition of a little vegetable oil makes the dough more pliable and easier to work with. If the dough cracks, you can just pinch and seal it to patch it up.
Instructions
- In large bowl, stir the gluten-free flour, almond flour, salt, sugar and baking powder until blended.
- Cut the shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or fork until shortening pieces are the size of peas.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, vinegar, oil and water together.
- Gradually add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture, stirring the mixture together until it comes together and forms a ball of dough. Do not over mix, you should still be able to see specks of shortening in the dough.
- Split the dough into 2 equal portions. Flatten each portion of dough into a ½ inch thick disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour or up to 2 days. Roll and bake according to pie recipe directions. If baking unfilled, follow the directions per my single crust pie crust recipe.
Top Tips for A Perfect Gluten-Free Pie Crust
- Don't over mix – to ensure a flaky crust, don’t over mix. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture, just until the shortening pieces are pea size. Don’t work the shortening into the flour so much that it becomes a solid mass. After adding the liquid mixture, just stir until the dough holds together. Again, don’t over mix, should still be able to see small flecks of shortening in your dough.
- Don't stress about cracks – gluten-free dough is more delicate and not as elastic as compared to a traditional wheat-based version. When removing the wax paper or transferring to the pie plate, it might stick, and cracks might happen, but if they do, don’t stress. This dough is rather pliable, just pinch and seal to patch up any cracks and no one will be the wiser.
- Roll out between wax paper – the dough is a little wetter/sticker than traditional wheat-based pastry. I find it easiest to roll it out between two pieces of wax paper to prevent sticking. It also makes it easier to transfer the dough into the pie plate. Once rolled out, remove the top piece of wax paper and then flip it into the pie plate, remove the second piece of wax paper and then gently press the dough down into the pie plate.
Storage
Unbaked: Keep the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days before using. Ensure tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
Freezer friendly: The dough can be frozen and kept up to 2 months. Ensure well wrapped. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
Recipe Card
Gluten-Free Pie Crust, Double Crust (Dairy Free)
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free flour, all-purpose blend (see note)
- ½ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup vegetable shortening
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup cold water
Instructions
- In large bowl, stir the gluten-free flour, almond flour, salt, sugar and baking powder until blended.
- Cut the shortening into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or fork until shortening pieces are the size of peas.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, vinegar, oil and water together.
- Gradually add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture, stirring the mixture together until it comes together forms a ball of dough. Do not over mix, you should still be able to see specks of shortening in the dough.
- Split the dough into 2 equal portions. Flatten each portion of dough into a ½ inch thick disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour or up to 2 days. Roll and bake according to pie recipe directions. If baking unfilled, follow the directions per my single crust pie crust recipe.
Notes
- Don’t over mix – to ensure a flaky crust, don’t over mix. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture, just until the shortening pieces are pea size. Don’t work the shortening into the flour so much that it becomes a solid mass. After adding the liquid mixture, just stir until the dough holds together. Again, don’t over mix, should still be able to see small flecks of shortening in your dough.
- Don’t stress about cracks – gluten-free dough is more delicate and not as elastic as compared to a traditional wheat-based version. When removing the wax paper or transferring to the pie plate, it might stick, and cracks might happen, but if they do, don’t stress. This dough is rather pliable, just pinch and seal to patch up any cracks and no one will be the wiser.
- Roll out between wax paper – the dough is a little wetter/sticker than traditional wheat-based pastry. I find it easiest to roll it out between two pieces of wax paper to prevent sticking. It also makes it easier to transfer the dough into the pie plate. Once rolled out, remove the top piece of wax paper and then flip it into the pie plate, remove the second piece of wax paper and then gently press the dough down into the pie plate.
- Unbaked: Keep the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days before using. Ensure tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
- Freezer friendly: The dough can be frozen and kept up to 2 months. Ensure well wrapped. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
Nutrition
Nutritional information shown is an estimate only.
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