Gluten-Free Vegan Pie Crust
Make your favourite vegan pie recipe gluten-free with this easy gluten-free vegan pie crust! You only need 4 simple ingredients for the perfect, flaky pie crust.
If you’ve ever made a traditional pie crust before, you can make this gluten-free vegan pie crust. But if you haven’t made a pie crust before? Well, you can still make this gluten-free vegan pie crust. What I’m getting at is this: it’s easy.
The same little tricks that apply to a traditional pie crust apply to this vegan and gluten-free version. You want to start with very cold (vegan) butter and ice water; this will help you get that lovely flaky texture we all want in a pie crust. Mix everything together, roll it out to flatten all those bits of vegan butter (that’s how you get the flakiness!), and add all your favourite pie fillings.
Yep, we’re talking vegan pumpkin pie, vegan apple pie, and even vegan pecan pie. Basically, any pie filling you’d like, you can use with this homemade vegan gluten-free pie crust. Follow the recipe instructions regarding the crust prep—for example, some recipes may have you par-bake the crust before filling it, while others will have you simply fill the crust and then bake.
With this pie crust recipe, you can finally make a dessert that everyone can enjoy, whether they’re gluten-free, vegan, or have no dietary restrictions at all and just want to eat a delicious slice of pie!
Notes on Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- All-purpose gluten-free flour – You want to use a measure-for-measure gluten-free flour blend, not a single flour like almond or coconut. Gluten-free baking blends are formulated to work exactly like all-purpose flour in a recipe, which is important here.
- Sea salt
- Vegan butter – Use store-bought or homemade vegan butter.
- Ice cold water
Do I really need to use ice cold water when I make pie dough—can’t I just get it from the tap?
Yes, using ice cold water is important, and the cold water you get from the tap just won’t cut it. Ice cold water helps ensure that the vegan butter remains in small pieces and doesn’t melt completely into the mixture while you’re making your dough. This will help create a flaky crust!
To make ice water, measure out your tap water first and then put it in the freezer for 10 minutes to get it cold. Alternatively, you can place some ice cubes in a glass of water, let it sit for 5 minutes or so, then measure out the amount of water you’ll need.
How to Make Gluten-Free Vegan Pie Crust
Although this gluten-free vegan pie crust recipe is easy, do note that you’ll need to plan for two hours of chilling time. Give yourself enough time to make the crust and your pie recipe to make sure your pie is done when you need it!
Mix the first 3 ingredients. Place the flour, salt, and butter in a large bowl. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands to blend everything together to form a course dough; you want little bits of vegan butter to remain in the mixture, rather than blending everything smooth.
Add the water. Start with 4 tablespoons and mix the water in with a wooden spoon. If the dough is too dry, add more water a tablespoon at a time, until the dough holds together but isn’t sticky.
Chill. Turn out the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and pat it into a disk. Wrap it and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
Roll out the crust. Let the dough sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, unwrap the dough and set it on a piece of parchment paper lightly dusted with gluten-free flour. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12-inch circle.
Form the crust. Lightly flour a pie dish, then use the parchment paper to transfer the crust into the pan by inverting it into the dish. (If it doesn’t fall perfectly, just reform it with your fingers.)
Pre-bake, if needed. If your recipe calls for pre-baking the crust, prick the bottom with a fork, then drape the parchment paper over the crust and add pie weights. Bake according to the recipe instructions.
Tips for Success
With simple recipes like this gluten-free vegan pie crust, it’s all about technique. Here are some tips to help you get it right.
- Ensure all of your ingredients are cold. If needed, you can even place the vegan butter in the freezer for 10 to 20 minutes to make sure it’s cold enough that it won’t blend into the rest of the crust ingredients.
- Add more flour if needed. When you’re forming the dough into a disk, you can add a sprinkle of additional flour if it feels sticky. You can also add more water, but I recommend avoiding that if at all possible—only if the crust is very dry should you add more water.
- Roll it out on parchment paper. Seriously, this is so much easier than rolling the dough on a board and trying to pick it up to transfer it to the pie plate. Even after 3 years of owning a baking company, I still always use this method.
- Weigh down the parchment paper. Since the paper is likely to move as you roll the crust it, it may help to add some weight to the edges—cans of beans, thick cookbooks, things like that!
More Ways to Use Gluten-Free Vegan Pie Crust
You already know that you can use this recipe for all kinds of sweet pies, but don’t forget that it works for savoury pies too! Try it with my vegan pot pies.
You can also roll this gluten-free vegan pie crust into a rectangle, cut it into small pieces (either with a knife or cookie cutters) and make your own gluten-free vegan Pop-Tarts. Try filling them with your favourite jam.
How to Store
This gluten-free vegan pie crust can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 days before you use it.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
Yes! This gluten-free vegan pie crust can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. To freeze, wrap the disk of dough tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge and then follow the recipe instructions to roll it out and form the crust.
More Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes
- Gluten-Free Vegan Puff Pastry
- Strawberry Banana Bread (Gluten Free + Vegan)
- Gluten Free Brownies (Vegan)
- Easy Vegan Almond Flour Pizza Crust (Gluten Free & Low Carb)
P.S. Here are some of the items I used to make this recipe if you’d like to use them too:
| WHAT YOU’LL NEED // SHOP MY FAVORITE INGREDIENTS & PREP PRODUCTS |
Enjoy friends! If you make this gluten-free vegan pie crust, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Gluten-Free Vegan Pie Crust
Ingredients
Gluten Free Vegan Pie Crust
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose GF flour, 6.5 oz/185g
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 8 tablespoons vegan butter, solid and cold
- 4-6 tablespoons ice cold water
Instructions
Gluten Free Vegan Pie Crust
- Ensure all your ingredients are very cold. You want almost frozen butter that is hard.
- Add all the ingredients (you can mix the salt with the flour first) to a large bowl and using a pastry cutter, blend it all together. You could also use a fork or even your hands. You want everything blended together to form a coarse dough, where you can still see bits of butter that look like little pieces of coarse sand. Don't overwork.
- Add the water slowly. Start at 4 tablespoons and mix with a wooden spoon. If the dough is too dry, add a tablespoon at a time until it's a bit more pliable. The dough should come together and not be sticky.
- Shape the dough into a disk. Pay attention to see if it needs a bit more flour (a sprinkling) or water and add accordingly. I do not recommend adding more water than above.
- Wrap with saran wrap, and place in the fridge for two hours up to two days.
- When ready to use, set on the counter for about 5 to 10 minutes before rolling out.
- Set down some parchment paper, dust it lightly with GF flour, and begin to roll out crust. Since the parchment paper moves a lot, it may help to add some weight to the edges. Roll out into a 12 inch circle.
- Lightly flour your pie dish. Move the parchment paper with pie dough over the pie dish and begin to invert it into the dish. If it doesn’t fall perfectly, just reform with your fingers. Smooth out the bottom and edges. Ensure the pie is covering all of the pie dish, especially the bottom.
- Prick the bottom with a fork lightly, then add pie weights into a parchment paper onto pie crust. IF pre-baking, bake according to recipe’s instructions. Enjoy!
Notes
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Hello,
Can I use wheat flour instead of GF?
Thank you!
Hi Maria, we haven’t tested that swap yet but it should be able to work.
Can I add apples and bake the pie crust with the apples together or do you need to still prebake the crust?
Hi Sandra thanks so much for reading. We haven’t actually tested doing that so we aren’t able to answer that.
WONDERFUL RECIPE THAT CAN BE USED FOR MANY DISHES! SINCE MY CELIAC DIAGNOSIS I HAVE SEARCHED FOR THE PERFECT PIE CRUST, AND PUMPKIN PIE. BEAUTIFUL, EXQUISITE! MY FAMILY OF 5 CHILDREN LOVE THIS RECIPE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GLUTEN FREE AND VEGAN ADVENTURES IN COOKING.
Thank you so much Linda! We’re beyond happy that we were able to help!
This is absolutely genius! I have made this crust easily over five times and my family loves it! Me and my sister are vegan and gluten free, so this was a treat! 10/10, hands down one of the best g f and vegan crusts!!
We’re so happy to read this Lili! Thank you so much.