Easy Gluten Free Pie Crust {Dairy Free}

This tender, flaky gluten free pie crust is reminiscent of the gluten pie crust - perfectly simple and incredibly tasty - and one of those things that's the backbone of any pie. Literally! And this easy recipe is dairy free too!

Does the thought of making your own pie crust make you immediately go 'No way!' I used to be in that exact same camp - but then the holidays rolled around and I couldn't stand one more year of no pumpkin pie! So this delicious, buttery EASY gluten free pie crust is proudly making it's debut.

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Why this recipe is the best!

Few things are as tasty as a big slice of pie after a delicious meal. Heck, pie even makes for a delicious breakfast too. Add a dollop of whipped cream and you have an incredibly tasty treat for any time of day. This crust also boasts:

• Dairy free
• Quick to mix (like these strawberry cake mix cookies!)
• Light flavor
• Easy to handle

I'll share some tips for mixing and handling it below, but if you've been hesitant to make a pie crust in the past, this is a seriously easy recipe.

Pie crust making pro tips

For the best pie crust, follow these tips:

1. Weigh ingredients

Like other gluten free baked goods, these dinner rolls and this brown bread especially come to mind... accuracy is incredibly important in gluten free baking. In fact, it's the difference between a light and fluffy roll and a dense gummy bread. The same is true for this pie crust.

Use a digital scale like this one to ensure that your flour, starch and sugar are measured correctly. Even a Tablespoon more or less will alter the consistency of the crust.

2. Use a food processor

A food processor isn't exactly a necessity for this recipe, but it sure does make mixing the crust easier. If you opt to use one, make sure it's one like this larger, 8 cup model, otherwise the ingredients won't get mixed properly. Another option is a Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

3. Use cold butter

You're probably thinking, cold, really? Yes, I know it sounds crazy, especially considering how much I stress 'use room temperature ingredients' here in this baking guide and my baking class. But for pie crust, you definitely want cold butter. Instead of being nice and creamy and well blended, like in this yummy cookie batter, you want those large pieces of butter. It makes for a flaky pie crust!

How to make this recipe

Ingredients & substitutions

The ingredients list is super short for this recipe. Below are the ingredients I use and recommend and then an equivalent substitution if there is one (which there isn't always an equally delicious substitute!).

Brown rice flour - I use and recommend the one from Nuts.com. Their products are excellent quality, free or low cost shipping and great prices. White rice flour would be the only other alternative flour I'd recommend for the brown rice flour. Keep in mind, the texture may be different than if you use the brown rice flour.

Cornstarch - I purchase my cornstarch from Nuts.com but I've found even the brands in the grocery store work quite well. If you want to substitute the cornstarch, reach for tapioca starch. Potato starch tends to give an overpowering potato taste.

Xanthan gum - I've found xanthan gum is pretty uniform with different brands. As long as it is pure xanthan gum, it will work fine. I don't recommend substituting it in this recipe. Other recipes, like this white bread, can use an alternative but not in this recipe.

Salt - Morton salt never disappoints me or sticks together so that's the one I recommend. I would not advise substituting the salt or leaving it out of this recipe.

Vegan butter - I used the Country Crock vegan butter sticks in this recipe and they work wonderfully. The Melt brand or Earth Balance brand work well too.

Egg - I was fortunate enough to acquire some fresh eggs from a friend so I used a fresh-from-the-hen egg in this recipe. Any type of large, fresh egg will work well though. If you must substitute the egg, use something like JUST EGG. It needs the texture that only an egg can provide.

Mixing

With the right tools, mixing this pie crust is super simple! First, mix the flour and dry ingredients in a food processor for 30 seconds (image 1 above). Then add the cubed cold butter and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (image 2). Next add the egg and 2 Tablespoons of water and process again (image 3).

At this point I removed the crust and placed it in a bowl and then added 2 more Tablespoons of water (image 4). The crust is a nice firm ball and doesn't crumble. Then separate the crust into two halves - each one should weigh roughly 359 grams (image 5). Then form each into a disk (image 6). If not using right away, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Rolling the crust

This pie crust doesn't need time to refrigerate - so when you're ready to roll it out simply place it on a piece of lightly floured wax paper (image 1 above) and dust lightly with flour. Use a rolling pin and gently roll the crust (sprinkling with a few drop of water if needed as in image 2). Top it with a piece of wax paper to make rolling easier (image 3). Roll until the circle is 12 inches in diameter (image 4).

Then carefully flip the circle over and remove the wax paper from one side and carefully center the crust in the pie plate (image 5). Peel the wax paper off and trim the edges (image 6). Now it's ready to fill! Here's the pumpkin pie recipe for a super easy filling.

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