Can you make pie dough without a food processor?

Yes, you can make it by hand using a mixing bowl, a pastry cutter, and a fork. Once your dry ingredients are mixed together, add the butter and cut it in with the pastry cutter until the butter is pea-sized. Stir in the yogurt with a fork until the dough comes together and continue the recipe as directed.

Can I use almond flour instead?

No. The best flour for this gluten free pie crust is gluten free baking flour with xanthan gum added, which adds structure to the dough and absorbs moisture better than almond flour. I’m afraid the dough won't come together if you use almond flour.

What’s the secret to flaky pie crust?

It’s extra cold, fairly large pieces of vegan butter. Because the butter is so cold, it melts slowly as the pie crust bakes, giving it a luscious buttery flavor and the signature flakey texture.

Vegan Gluten Free Pie Crust

Description

This is the best Vegan Gluten Free Pie Crust because it’s flaky, buttery, and rolls out like a dream. No one will even notice it's vegan and gluten free! Freezer-friendly and perfect for sweet and savory pies.

Ingredients

Scale

1 and 1/2 cups gluten free flour, I use Bob’s 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour (see notes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 to 3 teaspoons sugar (more for sweet less for savory pies)
3/4 cup vegan butter, cold and cubed (use sticks not spreadable butter in the plastic container)
1/4 cup unsweetened vegan yogurt

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Instructions

Add gluten free flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder to the food processor pulse a few times to mix. Evenly drop cold cubed vegan butter over the flour. Pulse until the butter is the size of peas or a little bigger.
Remove the lid and dollop the yogurt evenly over the top. Pulse until dough starts to come together. I pulse around 10-15 times. Should hold together when squeezed with your fingers. If not, add a tablespoon or two of water.
Dump dough on the counter, bring it all together and form into a disk. Place dough on a large piece of parchment paper, Place another piece of parchment paper on top and roll out with a rolling pin to 12-13 inches in diameter (a couple inches bigger than your pie plate).
Gently flip dough into the pie plate and remove parchment. Gently mold into the pie plate fixing any holes with extra dough from edges if needed. Trim edges with a knife or kitchen scissors leaving a 1/2 to 1 inch or so overhang. Tuck and fold excess dough edges under dough. Flute or crimp edges for a more decorative effect if you like.
Chill unbaked pie shell uncovered in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until needed (up to 3 days- covered). Now your pie crust is ready for your recipe whether that's baked with a filling or blind baked without a filling. Double recipe for top and bottom crust. Enjoy! To blind bake shell see notes*. For step by step photos see above post.
To make dough by hand (without a food processor): whisk together flour, salt, sugar, baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Drop cubed butter over the top and cut in with a pastry cutter or fork. Dollop the yogurt evenly over top. Stir with a fork until the dough comes together. Continue from step 3.

Notes

Gluten free flour: I always use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour if using a different brand make sure there is xanthan gum in the ingredients. If not add 3/4 teaspoon to the recipe (mix with the dry ingredients) - I can’t guarantee the results if using a different gluten free flour blend.

To store and freeze: Wrap the dough disk in plastic wrap and then a freezer bag or freeze the unbaked pie shell for up to 3 months, wrapped well.

To fully blind bake pie shell: Preheat oven to 425° dock the bottoms and sides of chilled pie shell. Line with a piece of parchment paper or tin foil, make sure it's big enough to go up the sides. Fill with pie weights or dried beans or dried rice. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350° and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the crust is golden brown. This also will work without the parchment and weights, just make sure the dough is chilled and docked. The pie shell is now ready to fill with your ready made pie filling (after cooling)

To partial blind bake shell (par bake shell): Preheat oven to 375° dock the bottoms and sides of chilled pie shell. Bake for 7-8 minutes (with or without parchment and pie weights) and then add pie filing and return to oven and bake according to recipe instructions.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Category: Desserts, Gluten free
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American. Canadian

Keywords: vegan gluten free pie crust