An Extra Flaky and Easy Gluten Free Pie Crust Recipe
Look no further for the perfect pie crust, that just so happens to be a gluten-free crust! This recipe yields a perfectly flaky and deliciously buttery dough made with simple ingredients, it will quickly become your go-to recipe!
It has taken me a long time, like YEARS, to fine tune my gluten-free flaky pie crust recipe! This recipe will give you that quintessential flaky crust you expect when biting into a delicious apple pie or pumpkin pie or pecan pie, while also giving you that beautiful golden brown color when baked. It’s perfect for sweet seasonal pies or savory dishes like quiche or chicken pot pie! It makes the perfect homemade gluten-free pie crust that no one will know is gluten-free, and truly is the BEST gluten-free pie crust recipe I have ever had!
Every Christmas, my mom would make the most delicious chocolate pie, a recipe found in a vintage cookbook (the best kind). Paired with the peppermint cookies she would make, it was a duo we all looked forward to at Christmas time. When I could no longer eat gluten, she would always pour a serving of the pie filling into a ramekin, so I could still enjoy it 🙂 BUT there is just something about the rich, decadent chocolate filling, paired with a light and flaky and buttery crust that just elevates the cuisine experience, and just feels like Christmas.
In the summer, like the end of the July and early August, when it’s almost too hot to breathe, my mom would take us peach picking. We would gather some peaches, although we detoured often to gather as many cicada exoskeletons as we could find in the bark of the peach trees. A major incentive to continue gathering peaches, was the peach cream pie my mom would make. It had a vanilla cream custard filling, nestled in a perfectly baked crust, topped with sugar tossed, fresh picked peaches and of course, topped with homemade whipped cream – HEAVEN!
Needless to say, there was a serious drive to recreate these childhood favorites, and the first step was in the homemade pie crust! Nostalgia at it’s finest!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- it yields a flaky crust every time
- it is not overly complicated
- it can easily be doubled for holidays
- it uses simple ingredients you have in your pantry and refrigerator
- prefect for sweet pies or savory pies like quiche
Helpful Hints
- use COLD butter (I always cube the butter then pop it into the freezer for 15 minutes)
- unlike most of my recipes, for best results the ingredients of this recipe need to be COLD
- have plastic wrap on hand or I LOVE this pie crust bag to keep the dough from sticking to your work surface
- the dough can be made in batches, formed into a dough ball, and stored in the freezer in ziplock bags
- you can EASILY double crust pie
- store completed pie in the refrigerator, covered in plastic wrap
Step By Step
Before you begin any of the steps, cube the cold butter into one inch pieces of butter, then pop into the freezer. A lot of recipes call for cold UNSALTED butter, but me, I am a salted butter gal no matter the occasion.
This step is SO critical in creating that beautiful texture! It’s an extra step compared to traditional pie recipes, but it ensures a beautiful flaky crust when using gluten-free flour blends. In a small bowl you will combine ice water, sour cream and apple cider vinegar. Whisk together until smooth and no clumps remain.
In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment combine the flour, salt and butter from the freezer. On a medium/low speed combine the ingredients until it resembles a sandy texture.
Using a tablespoon, add the wet ingredients to the stand mixer. Keep the speed at a medium/low speed so nothing flies out! Keep adding tablespoons (about 3-4) the liquid until the dough starts to come together and starts to pull away from the bowl. DO NOT OVER MIX.
For this next step you can either use: plastic wrap, parchment paper or my personal favorite, a pie crust bag (these beauties make it so easy to roll out gluten free dough, and transfer the dough to the pie pan. To begin lay a piece of material onto the count, lightly sprinkle with flour. Form the pie dough into a dough disc shape before placing onto the floured surface. Then sprinkle a bit more flour onto the top of the disc before placing another piece of material on top of the dough. If you doubled the recipe, you will want to complete this step twice after splitting the dough into two.
Then, using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough until it is about 1/4″ to 1/2″ in thickness. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Then transfer the pie crust to the pie by holding the crust from the bottom and flipping the crust into/onto the pie plate. Gently press the dough into the bottom of the dish, followed by the bottom corners of the pie dish, then up the sides.
Very carefully, remove the plastic wrap or parchment paper from the crust. (I love this part!) Using kitchen scissors, cut away the dough that is hanging over the edges of the pie pan, leaving enough to “pinch” into a decorative edge.
Using your pointer finger and thumb of one hand, place them on the inside of the crust. Using the pointer finger of the other hand, place it on the outside of the crust, and in between your thumb and pointer finger. Then slowly “pinch” the sides together to create a traditional edge.
Pop into the refrigerator for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
After 15 minutes, bake the pie crust for 25 minutes or until golden brown. For a partially baked pie crust, remove the pie pan after baking for only 12 minutes.
For best enjoyment, make this recipe only a day or two in advance. You can make the dough several days in advance, just roll out and bake as above.
I have made this pie crust in bigger batches, divided the dough and stored in the freezer, so I had them on hand. This worked great! When ready to use, remove the pie dough from the freezer and let it thaw 1-2 hours before rolling out.
To store leftover pie, cover it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Consume within 3 days.
Side note:
I have baked this pie recipe with several gluten-free all purpose flour blends (Bob’s Red Mill, King Arthur’s, and Arrowhead Mills). I have also tried it with my own flour blend that doesn’t have xanthan gum in it. This effects the structure, but not the texture, so you still get that beautiful flaky result. I am really trying to move away from xanthan gum and rice flours because when you dive into the research of those, you find a lot of controversial material regarding health (rice flours yielding higher amounts of arsenic, and xanthan gum being intolerant by many). Logically, if the goal is to replace wheat flour which is NOT man-made and full of good health benefits, then true gluten-free baking and cooking should minic that as well. Xanthan gum truly is the “easy button” in replicating structure, but to me it’s not worth the health risks. SO you will see a lot of my recipes call for all purpose gluten free flour – if they have xanthan gum the recipe will work just fine. But I also include if your blend doesn’t have xanthan gum, how much to add of it OR the alternative binder I choose to use whether psyllium husk or beef gelatin.
Check out the recipe card below for exact measurements! And happy baking!
Flaky and Easy Gluten Free Pie Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups gluten-free all purpose flour
- 8 tablespoons salted butter cold
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons ice water
- ½ tablespoon sour cream
- 1½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Before you begin any of the steps, cube the cold butter into one inch pieces of butter, then pop into the freezer. A lot of recipes call for cold UNSALTED butter, but me, I am a salted butter gal no matter the occasion.
- This step is SO critical in creating that beautiful texture! It’s an extra step compared to traditional pie recipes, but it ensures a beautiful flaky crust when using gluten-free flour blends. In a small bowl you will combine ice water, sour cream and apple cider vinegar. Whisk together until smooth and no clumps remain.
- In a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment combine the flour, salt and butter from the freezer. On a medium/low speed combine the ingredients until it resembles a sandy texture.
- Using a tablespoon, add the wet ingredients to the stand mixer. Keep the speed at a medium/low speed so nothing flies out! Keep adding tablespoons (about 3-4) the liquid until the dough starts to come together and starts to pull away from the bowl. DO NOT OVER MIX.
- For this next step you can either use: plastic wrap, parchment paper or my personal favorite, a pie crust bag (these beauties make it so easy to roll out gluten free dough, and transfer the dough to the pie pan. To begin lay a piece of material onto the count, lightly sprinkle with flour. Form the pie dough into a dough disc shape before placing onto the floured surface. Then sprinkle a bit more flour onto the top of the disc before placing another piece of material on top of the dough. If you doubled the recipe, you will want to complete this step twice after splitting the dough into two.
- Then, using a rolling pin, gently roll the dough until it is about 1/4″ to 1/2″ in thickness. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Then transfer the pie crust to the pie by holding the crust from the bottom and flipping the crust into/onto the pie plate. Gently press the dough into the bottom of the dish, followed by the bottom corners of the pie dish, then up the sides.
- Very carefully, remove the plastic wrap or parchment paper from the crust. (I love this part!) Using kitchen scissors, cut away the dough that is hanging over the edges of the pie pan, leaving enough to “pinch” into a decorative edge.
- Using your pointer finger and thumb of one hand, place them on the inside of the crust. Using the pointer finger of the other hand, place it on the outside of the crust, and in between your thumb and pointer finger. Then slowly “pinch” the sides together to create a traditional edge.
- Pop into the refrigerator for 15 minutes and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- After 15 minutes, bake the pie crust for 25 minutes or until golden brown. For a partially baked pie crust, remove the pie pan after baking for only 12 minutes.
It has taken me a long time, like YEARS, to fine tune my gluten-free flaky pie crust recipe! This recipe yields the quintessential flaky crust you expect when biting into a delicious apple pie or pumpkin pie or pecan pie, while giving you that beautiful golden brown color when baked. It’s perfect for sweet pies or savory dishes like quiche! It makes the perfect homemade gluten-free pie crust that no one will know is gluten-free! It is the BEST gluten-free pie crust recipe I have ever had!
Every Christmas, my mom would make the most delicious chocolate pie, a recipe found in a vintage cookbook (the best kind). Paired with the peppermint cookies she would make, it was a duo we all looked forward to at Christmas time. When I could no longer eat gluten, she would always pour a serving of the pie filling into a ramekin, so I could still enjoy it 🙂 BUT there is just something about the rich, decadent chocolate filling, paired with a light and flaky and buttery crust that just elevates the cuisine experience, and just feels like Christmas.
In the summer, like the end of the July and early August, when it’s almost too hot to breathe, my mom would take us peach picking. We would gather some peaches, although we detoured often to gather as many cicada exoskeletons as we could find in the bark of the peach trees. A major incentive to continue gathering peaches, was the peach cream pie my mom would make. It had a vanilla cream custard filling, nestled in a perfectly baked crust, topped with sugar tossed, fresh picked peaches and of course, topped with homemade whipped cream – HEAVEN!
Needless to say, there was a serious drive to recreate these childhood favorites, and the first step was in the homemade pie crust!
