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    Home » Pies & Tarts

    Best Gluten Free Vegan Pie Crust

    Published: Nov 26, 2021 · Modified: Apr 20, 2023 by Tiffany · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment.

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    Being gluten free, dairy free or even vegan doesn’t mean you have to live without delicious pie. With this amazing gluten free vegan pie crust recipe, you’ll happily say goodbye to pies of the past and start dreaming of all of your future pies. Plus, I am including step by step instructions so even beginning bakers can make pie crust.  

    This recipe makes a single pie crust. If you need a double crust, see the notes at the bottom of the recipe.

    An unbaked gluten free pie crust in a pie tin.

    Make sure to check out a few of my favorite pie recipes to fill your gluten free pie crust: german chocolate pecan pie, gluten free dutch apple pie and gluten free derby pie.

    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe
    • Equipment Needed
    • Ingredient List
    • Substitutions & Variations
    • How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust
    • Baking Tip
    • How to Make Extra Flaky Gluten-Free Pie Crust
    • How to make a lattice pie crust
    • Baking Tip
    • How to Store Pie Crust
    • Try these gluten free pie ideas:
    • Recipe

    Why You'll Love This Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe

    • It’s so flaky, it almost shatters in your mouth.
    • It uses simple ingredients.
    • It’s gluten free & vegan (and so delicious)
    • It handles almost as easily as a traditional pie crust.
    • It can be used for sweet pies or savory pies
    A slice of pecan pie on a white plate served with a cup of coffee.

    Equipment Needed

    For a basic pie crust, you will need:

    • a pie plate or pie dish (either metal, glass or ceramic)
    • a rolling pin
    • plastic wrap or parchment paper
    A chart comparing metal, glass and ceramic pie plates.

    Additionally, for some recipes you may need pie weights for par-baking. A bench scraper and a food scale also come in handy, but are not required.

    Ingredient List

    Ingredients for gluten free vegan pie crust on a wooden table.
    • Gluten Free 1:1 Flour – I use Bob’s Red Mill for my recipe. I have also tested it with King Arthur Measure for Measure flour with success.  If you use another gluten-free flour blend make sure it contains xanthan gum or you will need to add it.
    • Arrowroot Powder (or Cornstarch) – This helps reduce the protein in the gluten free flour blend, making it more like pastry flour.
    • Salt – Just a little for flavor
    • Sugar – A small amount of sugar helps the crust to brown and be crispy. It does not make the crust taste sweet, so do not omit.
    • Vegan Butter – I use either Miyoko’s Plant Butter or Country Crock Plant Butter for my crust. Both work well. One thing to note when working with vegan butters is they melt quicker than dairy butter, so you must take care to keep the dough cold. Regular butter can also be used in this recipe if you’re not vegan or dairy free. Do not substitute margarine or other butter replacement products.
    • Water – Ice water to keep the dough extra cold.

    Substitutions & Variations

    • Flour substitutions - In place of 1 cup of Bob's Red Mill, use the following:
      • 1 ¼ Cup King Arthur Measure for Measure
      • 1 Cup + 2 tablespoon Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour
      • ¾ C + 3 tablespoon Great Value GF All Purpose Flour
      • 1 Cup + 1 tablespoon Pillsbury All-Purpose GF Flour Blend
      • For any other flour blends, use 148 grams of weighed flour
    • To make a savory crust, add ¼ teaspoon black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon paprika, ⅛ teaspoon thyme per single pie crust recipe.  It's great for pot pies and savory galettes!
    A sliced gluten free apple cranberry pie on a white table.

    How to Make a Homemade Pie Crust

    Cut the butter into cubes about ½″ wide and place into the freezer at least 15 minutes before you begin.

    Measure your water and place it in the freezer while you measure and mix the remaining ingredients.

    Frozen cubes of butter being added to the mixed dry ingredients.

    STEP 1: Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Add the frozen butter cubes.

    A hand holding flour coated small pieces of butter.

    STEP 2: Working as quickly as possible, squish the butter cubes between your thumb and first two fingers making it into flat discs about the size of a quarter. Make sure all of the butter is coated with flour.

    Water being poured into partially mixed pastry dough.

    STEP 3: Add about half of the cold water and gently toss together to hydrate. Add another half of the remaining water and continue working. Stop when your dough holds together. You may not need all of the water.

    A circle of pie dough wrapped in plastic wrap.

    STEP 4: Form your dough into a round patty about 1: thick. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours (up to overnight).

    Here’s a video showing how I mix dough by hand

    Remove your chilled dough from the refrigerator. There are two methods for rolling out the dough.

    Method 1: Using plastic wrap to roll out dough sheets

    A circle of pie dough in between two sheets of plastic wrap.

    STEP 1: Place the chilled dough disc between two sheets of plastic wrap (like a sandwich).

    A sheet of pie dough between two pieces of plastic wrap.

    STEP 2: Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is 1" larger than the diameter of your pie pan.

    Method 2: Using flour to roll out dough sheets

    A disc of pie dough on a floured piece of parchment paper.

    STEP 1: Place a sheet of parchment paper on your counter and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of gluten free flour. Place the dough on top of the flour.

    A sheet of pie dough being rolled out on a floured surface.

    STEP 2: Sprinkle another tablespoon of flour on top of the pie dough and the rolling pin and roll directly on the dough.

    Whichever method you choose, once your dough is rolled into a sheet. Place it on a baking sheet and refrigerate for another hour.

    A piece of pie dough being trimmed to the size of the pan.

    STEP 3: Remove the chilled dough sheet from the refrigerator. Flip the pan over and use it as a guide to trim the edges of the dough leaving a ½" overhang.

    Pie dough being shaped into a pie tin.

    STEP 4: Flip the dough and pan over. Gently work the dough into the shape of the pan, taking care not to press it in because it will stick.

    Place pie shell in the freezer while you make your favorite filling. If it will be frozen for more than 30 minutes, make sure to cover it well with plastic wrap to prevent drying out.

    Baking Tip

    Patch any holes in your crust with the trimmed pieces of dough. Pie filling can leak through holes in the crust and make the pie stick to the pan.

    You can also make this dough using a food processor. Simply combine all the dry ingredients in your food processor and add the cold butter . Pulse a few times until the butter is about the size of small peas. Dump the flour mixture into a bowl and add the water as listed above, mixing by hand. A food processor makes things much quicker but the end result will be a little less flaky because the butter pieces are smaller.

    A slice of pumpkin pecan pie topped with whipped cream.

    How to Make Extra Flaky Gluten-Free Pie Crust

    There are a few things that contribute to the flaky texture of pie crust.

    1. Keep your butter extra cold - When the dough starts to set as the butter melts in the oven, little pockets of steam form which make the flaky airy texture in pie crust. If your butter is too warm when it enters the oven, it will melt out before the crust sets leaving a greasy pool and a crunchier, more cracker like crust.
    2. Size of the butter pieces in the dough - Many recipes call for pea sized butter, which is ideal for lattice work and designs, but for flakiness you want large pieces of butter.
    3. Create layers in your crust - You will need to use the flour dusted method described above to do this. Once you roll your dough into a large sheet, carefully fold the dough in half right to left. Then fold it in half again top to bottom. Then re-roll out the dough to the size of your pie pan. You’ve now added several extra layers into your flaky pie crust.
    A closeup photo showing two different pie doughs with the butter chunk size indicated.

    How to make a lattice pie crust

    Once you've mastered making pie dough, making designs with your pie crust is a fun way to dress up your pie.

    A sheet of pie dough being cut into strips.

    STEP 1: Roll out a sheet of gluten free pie dough. Cut it into strips.

    A strip of pie dough being placed over the top of an unbaked apple cranberry pie.

    STEP 2: Using every other strip from the sheet of dough, place all of the lines going one direction.

    A lattice grid being placed on top of an unbaked pie.

    STEP 3: Fold back every other strip of dough and place the perpendicular piece of dough across. Then fold the pieces up and repeat with the alternating strips.

    A lattice topped pie being trimmed at the edges.

    STEP 4: Once the lattice is complete, trim the edges off and crimp with your favorite design.

    Baking Tip

    The only limit to what can be done with pie crust is your imagination. See some examples below.

    A criss cross lattice work pie crust.
    Strawberry apple pie ready to be baked.

    How to Store Pie Crust

    You can stop during any of the natural breaks in the recipe preparation and store the pie dough. 

    • At the patty stage, where your dough is wrapped in plastic wrap, you can store in the refrigerator up to 2 days before rolling out. 
    • You can also transfer the wrapped dough to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 6 months. To use frozen dough, just thaw overnight in the refrigerator and roll out as directed above.
    • You can also freeze your completed pie shells.  I usually make a few at a time so I don't have to go through all the steps every time we want a pie.  Prepare your dough, roll it out and line your pan.  Disposable pie plates work great for this.  Once it's done, place your pie shell in the freezer for about 30 minutes until it's frozen solid.  Then remove it and wrap it in at least 3 layers of plastic wrap, making sure there are no openings.  Store in a freezer bag or airtight container in the freezer up to 6 months.  No need to thaw before using.

    Try these gluten free pie ideas:

    • Gluten free Oreo pie crust in a metal pie tin.
      Gluten Free Oreo Pie Crust
    • A slice of german chocolate pecan pie on a white plate.
      German Chocolate Pecan Pie (Gluten Free)
    • A slice of peanut butter pie topped with chocolate ganache and peanut butter cups.
      Gluten Free Peanut Butter Pie
    • A gluten free graham cracker crust in a white pie plate.
      Gluten Free Graham Cracker Crust

    If you try this recipe, please leave a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the comments below.

    Recipe

    An unbaked pie crust in a pie tin.

    Best Gluten Free Vegan Pie Crust

    Indulge in delicious homemade pies with our gluten-free vegan pie crust. Made with wholesome, plant-based ingredients, this crust is perfect for those with dietary restrictions.
    Author: Tiffany
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
    Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 172kcal

    Ingredients

    • 1 Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend I use Bob's Red Mill, see notes
    • 1 Tablespoon Arrowroot Powder
    • ½ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
    • 9 Tablespoon Vegan Butter Vegan or Regular
    • ½ Cup Water

    Instructions

    • Cut the butter into cubes about ½" in size. Place into the freezer for at least 15 minutes prior to mixing.
    • Measure the water and place into the freezer while you mix the remaining ingredients.
    • In a large bowl, combine the flour, arrowroot powder, salt and sugar. Stir well to ensure it's evenly mixed.
      1 Cup Gluten Free 1-to-1 Flour Blend, 1 Tablespoon Arrowroot Powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, 1 Tablespoon Sugar
    • Add the frozen butter cubes to the flour mixture. Toss the butter around to make sure it is completely coated with flour. Working as quickly as possible, use your thumb and first two fingers to squish the butter cubes into discs about the size of a quarter.
      9 Tablespoon Vegan Butter
    • Once all the butter has been worked into the flour, add half of the cold water. Toss the ingredients together to hydrate the flour. If any large clumps forms, break them apart. Continue to add the water a little at a time and toss it together until the dough forms into a rough ball. You may not need all of the water, but you should need most of it.
      ½ Cup Water
    • Form your dough ball into a circular patty about 1 inch thick and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight.
    • Place a large piece of parchment paper on your counter and dust with 1 tablespoon of gluten free flour. Place your dough patty on the floured surface. Dust the top of the dough and your rolling pin with another bit of flour. You don't want a lot of flour, just enough to keep the rolling pin from sticking to the dough.
    • Roll out your dough working from the middle and rotating the dough as you go to make sure you're working evenly. Roll until the dough measures 1 inch larger in diameter than the pie pan.
    • Place the dough sheet onto a baking sheet and put into the refrigerator for 1 hour.
    • Once the dough sheet has chilled, remove it from the refrigerator and flip it over into the pie pan. Work the dough gently into the pan, taking care not to press the dough in as it will stick. If you make any holes in the dough, patch them with leftover dough.
    • Trim the dough about ½" outside of the edge of the pie pan. Fold the edge under and crimp however you'd like. Place finished pie shell in the freezer until ready to use. If you will freeze more than 30 minutes, make sure to cover with plastic wrap.

    Notes

    This recipe makes a single pie crust.  For double pie crust recipes, double all ingredients except the water.  You will only need a little about ⅔ Cup of water for a double crust.
    Not Vegan: Use dairy butter in the same measure.
    Flour substitutions: In place of 1 cup of Bob's Red Mill, use the following:
    • 1 ¼ Cup King Arthur Measure for Measure
    • 1 Cup + 2 tablespoon Cup4Cup Multipurpose Flour
    • ¾ C + 3 tablespoon Great Value GF All Purpose Flour
    • 1 Cup + 1 tablespoon Pillsbury All-Purpose GF Flour Blend
    • For any other flour blends, use 148 grams of weighed flour
    Storage: Unrolled pie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
     
    Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 259mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 394IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @wellfedbaker or tag #wellfedbaker!
    Tiffany

    Tiffany is the recipe developer, stylist and food photographer behind Well Fed Baker. As a lifelong baker who had to go gluten free and dairy free in 2016, Tiffany strives to share allergen friendly recipes that never feel like they are free from anything.

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    Hi, I'm Tiffany. I strive to make gluten free dishes that are not just good enough, but better than their gluten counterparts. Living without gluten doesn't need to mean living without yum. You'll find all sorts of recipes from easy complex and something to soothe every sweet tooth.

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