This easy to work with gluten free pie crust recipe is nice and flaky, perfect for sweet and savory pies. There is a dairy-free and vegan option as well for this homemade gf pie crust!
Updated photos added October 2018
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Gluten Free Pie Crust Recipe
This recipe for gluten free pie crust has been a long time in the making. Honestly, I had always sucked at pie crusts. It was just such a challenge for me.
I didn’t start making my first gf pie crust until I was well into my 20’s. My mom always made the best ever pie crust so I never really had to make my own. She was the pie lady.
Practice and good technique makes perfect homemade pie crust!
Making a pie crust is really an art. It’s not something that just happens perfectly the first time you make it. You have to really get a feel for what the dough is supposed to look like, how thin you can roll it without it falling apart when you try to transfer it, etc. Too wet? Too dry? You’ll learn as you go.
Making a perfect pie crust results from many, many, many times making it. It’s truly a practice makes perfect kind of thing.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
I’m not going to say my recipe for this pie crust is perfect (but it is pretty damn close 😉). I still have quite a bit of work to do in order to get it to look pretty. I’m far from a Martha Stewart type so those gorgeous, show stopping too-pretty-to-eat pie crusts are not something that comes easy to me and I may never, ever get them to look stunning.
Although I must say, after several pie crusts that I’ve practiced on, they have gotten a liiiittle bit prettier. But pie art is definitely on my list of things I’d like to learn!
Key Ingredients for this Simple & Easy Pie Crust Recipe
- White rice flour
- Brown rice flour
- Tapioca flour/starch
- Xanthan gum
Equipment Needed
How to make an Easy Gluten Free Pie Crust that is flaky: (see photos below)
Step 1. First, whisk together all of the dry ingredients.
Step 2. Second, use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter.
Step 3. Third, add in 6 tablespoons of water.
Step 4. Then, mix with a spoon to start to form a dough ball.
Step 5. Next, form a dough ball with your hands.
Step 6. Split the dough in half and gently form each half of the dough into the shape of a disk.
You’re halfway there to a delicious pie crust!
Step 7. Wrap each dough disk in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 min.
*Note: Only one half of the dough is needed for this recipe. Feel free to refrigerate the other half for up to 3 days.
Step 8. Line your work space with 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Take out one dough disk and place in center of plastic. Sprinkle a bit of flour on top.
Step 9. Cover with 2 additional pieces of plastic wrap.
Step 10. Begin to roll out the pie dough to about 12 inches in diameter (enough to fit in a 9 inch pie plate).
Step 11. Gently remove the top layer of plastic wrap.
Step 12. Finally, use the bottom layer of plastic wrap to carefully flip some of the dough over the rolling pin. Very carefully, lift and pull the dough into the pie plate and press to fit. Crimp, fill, and begin baking the crust as desired.
Pro Tips for easy gluten-free pie crust:
1. Use COLD ingredients! (not room temperature!) COLD shortening or butter, ICE COLD water, you can even put your flours in the fridge for a bit if your house is on the warm side.
2. Don’t over work your dough. Try to handle it as little as possible to avoid melting the butter shortening, you want decent sized chunks of it in the dough when you roll it out. You can see in the pictures that there are some larger specs of fat.
3. Don’t use too much water! This is a really important tip. Too much water will make your dough tough and chewy – the opposite of what you want. In order to get a flaky gluten free pie crust you want to use as little water as possible to get the flours to come together. You may think your dough is too dry, but if you can pinch it together and it will hold, you have enough.
5. If it doesn’t work out perfectly for you the first time, don’t fret. Working with pie crust is tricky and the more you work with it, the better feel for it you’ll get and you’ll understand how to work with the dough more. If the dough breaks apart when you try to transfer it, you can always use your fingers to press it in. This dough is pretty easy to work with so you should be able to transfer it to the pie plate without it breaking, depending on your skill level.
More secrets to the perfect homemade pie crust recipe
1. Don’t skip on the chilling time!
2. Use a space big enough to roll out the dough large enough.
3. Roll the gluten free pie dough in between sheets of plastic wrap. Don’t use wax paper or parchment, they’re not as flexible and have a tendency to stick to the crust more.
4. Once you’ve rolled out your gluten free crust, remove the top layer of plastic wrap. Then use the bottom layer of plastic wrap to help drape the crust over your rolling pin (hold it low so it doesn’t stretch as much!). Move your pie dish close and then use the rolling pin to gently help transfer the crust into the dish. Once the crust is in place, remove the plastic wrap. This is exactly how I get my crust into the pie plate in one piece!
5. If you choose to blind bake this pie crust for your pie recipe, I recommend using these Pie Weights!
FAQs
What is the best gluten free flour blend for pie crust?
While there are plenty of flour blends out there, including all purpose gluten free flour, I highly recommend you follow my specific blend for this recipe. (see the recipe card below). It has the perfect ratio of white rice flour, brown rice flour, and tapioca flour/starch. I’ve experimented quite a bit and this blend won’t disappoint!
How do you recommend measuring your gluten-free flour mix?
I highly recommend you follow and sign up for this free guide on how to properly measure your flour blends. It’s extremely important to measure your flour so that it is consistent. By following my guide, it will increase the quality of the recipes that you are baking!
Can the dough be made ahead of time?
You can certainly make this simple, flaky pie crust ahead of time! It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days while wrapped in plastic wrap stored inside of a gallon bag or air tight container.
You can also freeze this pie crust after you made it. Since it makes two pie crusts, you can save the second one (or both!) in the freezer wrapped in plastic wrap stored inside of a freezer-safe gallon bag or air tight container. Talk about super convenient for later on!
Can this pie crust recipe be made dairy-free and vegan?
Yes and yes! All you have to do is substitute shortening for the butter. Or, you can try Miyoko’s European Style Cultured Vegan Butter. Either option would work out well and let me know in the comments how it worked out for you!
What are some other ways to use this versatile gluten free pie dough?
This homemade recipe makes 2 crusts (for two single crust gluten free pies or one double crust gluten free pie) and would be a great base for my Coconut Cream Pie, Fudge Pecan Pie, Bacon and Swiss Quiche or my Ham and Cheese Quiche. You could even use it to make my pie fries!
If savory pie is more your thing, this crust is absolutely perfect for a double crust gluten free chicken pot pie. This crust is great for savory pies because this gluten free pie crust recipe only calls for 1 tablespoon of sugar, which can easily be omitted for a savory pie.
Easy, flaky Gluten Free Pie Crust
Although it took me an embarrassingly long time to get my this pie crust recipe right, I’m so happy with the result and this just might be the best gluten free pie crust recipe ever. It’s a dream to work with (as long as you don’t roll it out too thin!) and it’s also perfect for any type of sweet or savory pie you want to make. Enjoy!
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Gluten Free Pie Crust Recipe
This easy to work with gluten free pie crust recipe is perfect for sweet and savory pies. This recipe makes two 9-inch pie crusts so you can make one double crust pie or two single crust pies.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white rice flour
- 1 cup brown rice flour
- 2/3 cup tapioca flour/starch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup butter or shortening, cubed and very cold
- 6-12 Tablespoons ice water
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, optional (omit for savory pies)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the white rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, and salt.
- Use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter or shortening until the pieces are a little smaller than the size of peas. Add in 6 tablespoons of the water and mix with a spoon. If the dough is too dry, mix more water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough starts to form a ball and all the flour is incorporated. You can use your hands to help bring the dough together. You should not need more than 10-12 tablespoons total.
- Split the dough in half and gently form each half of the dough into the shape of a disk. Wrap each dough disk in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. *Chill for a minimum of 1 hour if it's a warm or humid day.
- When the dough is ready to roll out, line your work space with 2 pieces of plastic wrap arranged in a square. You need a big enough surface area to roll the dough out into at least a 12 inch diameter. Sprinkle the plastic wrap with the gf flour so the dough won't stick.
- Place one disk of the dough in the center of your prepared space. Top with a little sprinkle of flour and two additional pieces of plastic wrap. Roll the dough out into a 12 inch diameter to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Gently remove the top layer of plastic wrap and use the bottom layer of plastic wrap to carefully flip some of the dough over the rolling pin. Very carefully, lift and pull the dough into the pie plate and press to fit. Crimp, fill, and bake as desired.
- If you're making a double crust pie, add the filling to the bottom crust. Then roll the top crust just as you rolled the bottom and transfer to the pie. Crimp the crust and bake accordingly to your recipe directions.
- Click here for blind baking instructions.
Notes
- Prep time does not include chilling time. You can keep the dough in the refrigerator up to 3 days or you can freeze it up to 3 months.
- If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating!
- Click here to pin this recipe for later.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10Amount Per Serving: Calories: 248
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Did you make this recipe? Leave a star rating and let me know in the comments! You can also leave a photo/comment on this pin for others to see.
Sue
Monday 10th of April 2023
I got a small wooden roller attached to a handle and put the dough in the pie plate and roll it out right in the pie plate. Works like a dream! If I need to roll out a piece for the top I roll it out on my biggest plate, use a spatula to loosen it and slide it right off the plate onto the top of the pie. Then pinch together the 2 pieces of pastry dough.
Shay
Monday 17th of April 2023
Sounds like a great tool!
Ginny
Wednesday 12th of October 2022
I am definitely trying this pastry. Daughter is Ceoliac and she wants me to try the flour blend as she is intolerant to potato starch and cornflour. Can I use this flour blend as a straight swap for store bought gluten free flour when making cakes etc
Shay
Wednesday 12th of October 2022
Hi Ginny! This is the flour blend you'll want to use for cakes, cupcakes, muffins, quick breads, cookies, etc. - https://www.whattheforkfoodblog.com/2016/01/14/nightshade-free-gluten-free-flour-mix/
There's no potato starch in it and it's my preferred blend for baking most recipes.
Gabriela Martinez
Friday 11th of October 2019
Very good recipe. Thanks. I used Crisco butter flavored shoetening and was amazing
Shay
Saturday 12th of October 2019
Thank you, Gabriela! Great idea using butter flavored shortening!
Millican Pecan
Tuesday 25th of June 2019
It is nice to see you are offering a gluten-free recipe. We have a daughter who is gluten intolerant so this is right up our alley. Also, depending on the pie, we have had great success with also using pecan meal/flour as an all-purpose flour substitute. Just say'n. Thank you for sharing.
Lynn
Saturday 26th of January 2019
Does this recipe work in a food processor?
Sharon
Wednesday 13th of February 2019
You could but I prefer mixing my pie crust dough by hand so I don't over-work it.