Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (2024)

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Making a homemade gluten-free pie crust can be tricky, but with this flaky, no-fail recipe and some helpful tips and tricks, you will be well on your way to a delicious pie crust! Use it in all of your favorite pie recipes!

Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (1)
Jump to:
  • Why this Recipe Works
  • Uses
  • Ingredients
  • Making Gluten-free Pie Dough
  • Options for Baking
  • Trousbleshooting
  • References
  • Recipe
  • Comments and Ratings

Why this Recipe Works

I've been trying to master a gluten-free pie crust for years now. Suffice it to say, I've gone through an embarrassing amount of gluten-free flour and butter in the process! And as you know, those ingredients are not cheap!

In the quest for a gluten-free pie dough that worked, I tried everything from converting old recipes to trying just about every recipe on the internet, but for some reason, I was still struggling! I was about to give up, forget pie forever, and sulk in gluten-free self-pity. Then I thought to myself, not today, pie. Not today. And I kept on trying!

What I've learned through all of my trials over the past couple of years is that making a successful gluten-free pie lies more in the technique than the recipe itself. Using good quality flour and keeping everything nice and cold, goes a long way to achieving success. In this article, I'll walk you through making the dough step-by-step plus I will give you many helpful tips that I've learned along the way!

Uses

You can use this gluten-free pie crust for any of your favorite pie recipes, like gluten-free apple pie with a pre-cooked apple pie filling, gluten-free pumpkin pie, gluten-free pecan pie, or even custard pies!

If you're converting an old recipe to gluten-free, make sure to substitute any flour in the filling for an appropriate gluten-free substitute, such as cornstarch.

This recipe will also work for savory pies, like a quiche or chicken pot pie, in which case you can omit the sugar, if desired.

Need a graham cracker crust? Check out this gluten-free graham cracker crust recipe!

Ingredients

Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (2)
  • Cup4Cup Gluten-free Flour: Cup4Cup is my ultimate recommendation for this recipe. It is truly amazing the difference in result and ease of handling the dough with that flour blend. If for whatever reason you don't want to use it, I have successfully used Pamela's All-purpose Gluten-Free Flourand Namaste Perfect Blend. Others also recommend King Arthur Flour Gluten-free Blend.
  • Butter: Make sure it is very cold! I cube the butter and then pop it in the freezer for about 15 minutes before I get started.
  • Dairy-free: Substitute Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks (or your preferred butter substitute for baking) Use a fat that is solid at room temperature. (I would not recommend coconut oil.) Treat the sticks just like butter, cube it and get it very cold before you begin. Also note, Cup4Cup is not dairy-free, so you will need to use an alternate flour as well.
  • Egg Yolks: These help with structure but can be omitted if you are egg-free. You will need additional water if you omit the egg yolks.
  • Sugar & Salt:Both add flavor. The sugar aids in browning although, you can omit the sugar if you're making a savory pie.
  • Ice Cold Water: the colder the better!

Making Gluten-free Pie Dough

Now, I will walk you through the steps to achieve a perfect pie crust! It's really not hard but there are techniques that will help you be successful!

You can use a stand mixer to make this dough or you can do this by hand. Either works great, so don't worry if you don't have a stand mixer. I wouldn't recommend a food processor because it tends to overmix the dough.

Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (3)
  • First, gather your ingredients and get them icy cold.
  • Whisk the egg yolks with half of the water and pop it back in the fridge.
  • Cube the butter and put it in the freezer for at least 15 minutes but not long enough to freeze solid. You just want it to be very cold.
  • Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together. Pop it in the freezer for a few minutes, along with the bowl and paddle attachment.
  • Place the flour mixture in your bowl, then toss the butter cubes with the flour.

If using a stand mixer, turn the mixer to low and mix until the butter is flattened leaving some larger chunks about the size of walnut halves.

If you're doing this by hand, grab each cube of flour-coated butter and squish/rub it between your fingers and thumb to flatten it. Then, drop it back in the flour. Keep doing this until the flour mixture has some larger walnut-halve sized chunks and some smaller pieces. (See picture below.)

Pro-tip! Those chunks of butter are important! The larger chunks of butter are what create a flaky pie crust! The smaller your pieces of butter, the less flaky the crust will be.

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  • Once your mixture looks like the picture above, it's time to blend in the wet ingredients. Pour in your egg/ice water mixture and toss to combine with the flour.
  • Add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the flour looks to be just moistened enough to hold together. You can do this by hand or with the help of the stand mixer.
  • As soon as the mixture comes together, or looks just moistened enough to hold together, stop mixing and press the dough into a ball. Don't over-mix the dough here!
Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (5)

Pro-tip! The dough should not be overly wet or sticky. There also should not be any visibly dry patches of flour. Add the water slowly, 1 tablespoon at a time, and stop when the mixture is just right! It should look moistened yet crumbly until you press it together into a ball.

Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (6)
  • Divide the dough into two balls.
  • Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before you continue.
Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (7)
  • After the dough has chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper.
  • As you roll it out, be sure to move the dough around to ensure it isn't sticking to the parchment.
  • Add a little more flour as needed if it starts to stick.

Pro-tip! Working on parchment is like an insurance plan! (If you have a silicone mat, that would work as well.) If the dough starts to stick, you will be able to lift the parchment, peel it back, and sprinkle more flour underneath. You can also pop the whole thing back in the fridge right on the parchment paper if things start to get too warm. Otherwise, you may end up with a doughy mess stuck right to your counter.

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  • When the dough is large enough to fit in your pan, fold it into quarters and place it in your pie dish.
  • Gently unfold the dough and press into the bottom ensuring there are no air pockets in the corners.
  • Trim the edges of the crust to about 1-inch of overhang around the edge of the pie plate.

If you're making a double-crust pie:

  • Fill the pie.
  • Roll out the top half and place it on top.
  • Then continue with the next steps.

For a single-crust pie, continue to the next steps.

Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (9)
  • To finish the pie, fold the edges under to be even with the edge of the pie plate.
  • Then, crimp the edges however you would like! See the picture above for a standard crimping method.

Pro-tip! Tightly-wrapped dough can be refrigerated overnight or frozen for later use.

Options for Baking

You can follow the baking instructions in your specific pie recipe, but here are some general guidelines for baking pie crust.

Par-bake (partially bake) the crust:

You par-bake a crust when you will be further baking the pie after you've filled it. It's good to par-bake a pie crust when the filling may cook faster than the pie crust.

  • Poke holes in the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork.
  • Place parchment paper on top of the crust and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Fill all the way up the sides of the crust.
  • Bake at 425, on the lowest rack of the oven, for 10-15 minutes, or until very light golden brown.
  • Remove the pie weights and parchment paper.
  • Return to the oven for a few more minutes and bake until the bottom, where the pie weights were, appears dry.
  • Fill with filling and bake according to your recipe.

Blind bake (fully bake) the crust:

You blind bake a pie crust when you want to fully bake the crust for a pie in which the filling does not need to be baked, a good example is a custard or cream pie.

  • Follow the steps above to bake with pie weights.
  • After removing the pie weights and parchment paper, bake the crust an additional 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cooked through.

Filled Pie

For a filled pie, such as a fruit pie,you do not bake the crust before-hand.

  • Fill and crimp the pie.
  • Bake the filled pie at 425°F for 15 minutes.
  • Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 45-60 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling, the fruit is tender, and the crust is a deep golden brown.

Pro-tip! Cover the pie with foil as soon as the crust has set and appears light golden brown. It will continue to brown the longer it cooks and the foil will help prevent over-browning.

Trousbleshooting

Problem: Dough is hard to work with.

  • Make sure the dough isn't too wet or too dry.
    • If the dough is too dry, it will crack when you try to roll it out. Add a few sprinkles of water to the dough and roll it in.
    • If it's too wet, it will be very sticky. Work with extra flour on your surface.
  • Keep everything COLD! If you ever find yourself struggling, STOP. Put everything in the fridge until it's cold again, about 15-30 min. This is the number one reason the dough becomes hard to roll out or work with.
  • Try a different flour. If your dough keeps falling apart, try a different flour the next time. I have found that Cup4Cup is the most reliable and easiest to work with for this recipe.
  • Avoid sticking. If the dough sticks to your surface or your rolling pin, that's when problems start! Make sure to keep the surface and pin lightly floured while you're rolling out the dough. Check frequently that your dough isn't sticking, add another sprinkle of flour if it is. Working on a piece of parchment paper also helps.

Problem: Dough crumbles and falls apart when transferring to the pie dish.

  • Be quick, nimble, and gentle to get the dough in the pan. If it cracks, don't be afraid to patch those areas.
  • Start over. If your dough completely falls apart when trying to put it into the pan, it was probably too warm.
    • Gather everything up back into a ball, wrap it up, and pop it back in the fridge. Try again when it is cold.
  • Embrace the more rustic look. If it doesn't turn out as perfectly as you imagined... it's ok! It will still taste great! Gluten-free pie dough is still a tad trickier to work with than regular dough, so embrace the fact that it may not always be perfect.
  • Try a different flour: Again, some gluten-free flours work better than others.

Problem: Crust isn't flaky.

  • It's all in the butter! If your crust isn't flaky, the butter was either too warm or it was worked into the four too much.
  • Start with icy cold butter. Cube the butter and pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes before you make the dough.
  • If you're going for the traditional pea-sized chunks of butter or coarse crumbs appearance, you've gone too far. There should be some walnut-halve sized pieces of butter left in the flour before you add the wet ingredients.
  • Again, keep everything very cold throughout the process, from mixing the dough, rolling it out, and even chill the pie before you bake it. All of this helps achieve a flaky crust because those chunks of butter release steam in the oven, which is what creates the flaky texture.

More Troubleshooting Advice

  • Practice. If you're making pie for a special event, make a practice pie ahead of time. This will ensure your gluten-free flour works well and you'll be able to work out any kinks!
  • Try different types of crusts using either nuts or cookie crumbs. Instead of a double-crust, try a crumb topping.
  • There is no shame in buying a pre-made crust if you're just not into it! Listen, I love to bake but sometimes I get frustrated, too. In those times, I buy premade! Check the freezer section at your local grocery store or Trader Joe's. I've used the Wholly Made brand found at my local Kroger and it was just fine!
  • Cover with foil.Cover the edges with foil as soon as the crust is set and light golden brown to prevent the crust from becoming too brown. If you wait until the pie is "browned to your liking" to cover it, it may still end up getting too brown in the end.
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Now for the recipe! I hope you found this post helpful and informative! See below the recipe card for more references and links to helpful pie content. If you have any questions or comments, drop them in the comments section below and I'll do my best to help you out. Happy Baking! ♡

References

I have found many helpful pie references that all culminated in this perfect gluten-free pie dough recipe. Here they are in case you'd like to dive even deeper into pie crust making!

Recipe

Gluten-free Pie Crust

Katie Olesen

This gluten-free pie dough is flaky, easy to make, and can be used to make any of your favorite pies!

5 from 40 votes

Pin Recipe Print Recipe Save

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Chill Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Dessert

Diet Gluten Free

Servings 2 9-inch crusts

Calories 77 kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Cup4Cup Gluten-free Multipurpose Flour Blend, other flour blends will work but Cup4Cup is best, use a blend with xanthan gum included. (Note: Cup4Cup is not dairy-free)
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon table salt
  • 1 cup cold butter, cold shortening for dairy-free
  • 2 egg yolks, omit for egg-free, will need extra water.
  • cup ice water, divided

Instructions

  • Cube the butter and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes before starting. (The butter should be very cold but not frozen.)

  • Whisk the egg yolks with 3 tablespoons of the ice-cold water. Place in the fridge until ready.

  • Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together.

  • Add the cubed butter into the flour and toss to coat.

  • Blend on low speed with a stand mixer or use your hands to squish the butter cubes into the flour, making sure to keep the butter coated in flour while you work it in.

  • Keep working until butter resembles large chunks mixed with smaller pieces. The large chunks should be about the size of walnut halves.

  • Take the egg yolk/water mixture out of the fridge. Pour into the flour mixture.

  • Stir together on low speed or with a spatula until just combined.

  • Add 1 Tablespoon more of ice water at a time and mix just until the mixture holds together or looks like it could. The dough should be just moistened, without visibly dry parts of flour. It should also not be overly wet or sticky.

  • Cut the mixture in half and form into two balls. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Rolling out the Dough

  • Place a piece of parchment paper on your work surface and sprinkle with flour. Also flour the rolling pin.

  • Take one ball of dough out of the fridge and roll it out. Move the dough around to ensure it isn't sticking to the parchment while you're rolling. If it starts to stick, sprinkle a little more flour underneath.

  • Continue to roll the dough until it is large enough to fit your pie plate with at least 1-inch of overhang.

  • Fold the dough in half and then in half again. Gently place the dough with the corner in the center of your pie plate.

  • Carefully unfold the dough and gently press it into the corners of the pan ensuring there are no air pockets.

  • Patch any areas that may need to be patched. Trim the excess off the edges so there is about 1-inch overhang.

Single Crust Pie

  • Fold the edges of the crust under to be even with the edge of the pie plate.

  • Crimp the edges as desired.

Double-crust Pie

  • Fill the pie. Roll out the other half of the dough and place on top.

  • Fold the edges of the crust under to be even with the edge of the pie plate. Crimp the edges as desired.

To Par-bake the Crust

  • Poke holes in the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork.

  • Place parchment paper on top of the crust and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Fill all the way up the sides of the crust.

  • Bake at 425, on the lowest rack of the oven, for 10-15 minutes, or until very light golden brown.

  • Remove the pie weights and parchment paper.

  • Return to the oven for a few more minutes and bake until the bottom, where the pie weights were, appears dry.

  • Fill with filling and bake according to your recipe.

To Blind (Fully) Bake the Crust

  • Follow the steps above to bake with pie weights.

  • After removing the pie weights and parchment paper, bake the crust an additional 5-10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cooked through.

Baking a Filled Pie

  • Bake the filled pie at 425°F for 15 minutes.

  • Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 45-60 minutes, or until the filling is bubbling, the fruit is tender, and the crust is a deep golden brown.

Video

Notes

  • The recipe can be halved for a single-crust pie.
  • Tightly wrapped dough can be refrigerated 1-3 days or frozen for later use.
  • Keep everything extra COLD at all times fromblending ingredients all the way through the rolling process. Chill the pie before baking if the dough gets warm.
  • If you ever find yourself struggling, STOP. Put everything in the fridge until it's cold again, about 15-30 min. This is the number one reason the dough becomes hard to roll out or work with.
  • Avoid sticking. Make sure to keep the surface floured while you're rolling out the dough. Check frequently that your dough isn't sticking, add another sprinkle of flour if it is.
  • If your dough completely falls apart when trying to put it into the pan, it was probably too warm. Gather everything up back into a ball. Wrap it up and pop it back in the fridge for 30 minutes. Try again when it is cold.
  • Cover with foil. Cover the edges with foil as soon as the crust is set and light golden brown to prevent the crust from becoming too brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 77kcal

Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and star rating below!

More Gluten-free Pie Recipes

  • Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust for Cheesecake or Pie
  • The Best Gluten-Free Pumpkin Desserts for Thanksgiving
  • Pre-Cooked Apple Pie Filling Recipe (Gluten-Free)
  • Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie: Inspired By Libby's Recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

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  1. Beth

    Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (16)
    I have tried several recipes but this one worked the best. I used Bob's Redmill 1:1 for the flour. Made small tart shells for lemon curd fruit tarts. Blind baked them and they have turned out great. The dough handled great. Thanks so much! This recipe is a keeper for sure.

    Reply

  2. Kathy

    Did a one crust and baked it fully. There were puddles of butter in the crust, were my butter pieces too large??

    Reply

    • Katie Olesen

      Yes. Go for a bit smaller next time. Also make sure everything is cold throughout the process.

      Reply

      • Kathy

        Thank you!

        Reply

    • Alex

      I’m prepping the crust a few days ahead. Should I wrap the dough when it’s still in a ball or after rolling it out?

      Reply

      • Katie Olesen

        I always leave mine wrapped in a flattened disc.

        Reply

  3. Jade

    Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (17)
    This pie crust was so yummy! But sadly mine was so flaky and would not stick together. So it ended up more like a crumble. I don’t really know what I did wrong but at least it was yummy!

    Reply

    • Katie Olesen

      It was crumbly after baking? If that's the case, maybe your butter chunks were just a bit too large. I would mix the butter in just a bit more the next time. If you were struggling to keep it together when rolling out the dough, try to keep it more cold during the process. It is so much easier to work with when everything is cold. I would also ask which flour blend you used, as Cup4Cup tends to be the easiest to work with and holds together the best. But as we know, the lack of gluten does tend to make our pastries a bit more crumbly than regular dough, no matter what we do with it.

      Reply

  4. Patsy Turney

    Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (18)
    This is the best GF pie crust. I made 1 1/2 recipe for a 9x13 raspberry and blackberry cobbler. My son in law said it was the best GF dessert that he’s ever had. I used a silicone pastry mat to roll it out on and then rolled it onto the rolling pin to roll out onto the pan. I have tried several recipes but this is a keeper. Thank you for this great recipe.

    Reply

  5. Tammy

    Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (19)
    This is an excellent gluten free pie crust recipe. So very easy and the dough was very workable. That said, it’s my first attempt at scratch made pie crust. I’ve made it twice now and it turned out perfect both times. Thank you so much for this!

    Reply

  6. Annabelle

    Can you use coconut oil in place of butter?

    Reply

  7. Erin

    I need help I just made this for a chicken pot pie and the crust is so soft after baking for 50 minutes, it didn’t get hard at all what did I do wrong. Thank you.

    Reply

  8. Diane T.

    OMG just made an apple pie for my FIL for Father’s Day. Last time we made a pie crust it was like shoe leather. This was light and flaky and AWESOME!! Tytyty!

    Reply

    • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

      So glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

  9. dani

    This looks amazing. Can I double the crust and freeze a batch of dough to use for later? Will the dough last in the fridge a few days if I make it in advance? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

      Yes the dough will last in the fridge 2 days. I haven't tried freezing it yet!

      Reply

  10. Charity

    Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (20)
    Loved this! Best gluten free apple pie I’ve ever made. Crust was flaky and crispy on top. A huge hit all around, even all the non gluten free people loved it!

    Reply

    • Beverly

      Gluten-free Pie Crust | Easy, no-fail recipe! Extra flaky! (21)
      Used this crust for a pumpkin pie and it was delicious. I’m gluten free and the rest of the family doesn’t like gf foods yet with this recipe no one knew it was gf and several commented on how good the crust was! Winner!! Just be aware that it’s a bit time consuming but well worth it! Thank you for sharing this recipe❣️

      Reply

  11. Laurel

    If you used this for a quiche, what would the cooking method be? Do I need to pre-cook the crust, then fill with the egg mixture? Or just have it made, but uncooked? Thanks!

    Reply

  12. Brenda Bishop

    This is the best recipe I've found, I am making a pie as I type...it's so easy and the dough is amazing..thank you very much

    Reply

    • Katie | Wheat by the Wayside

      This is great to hear! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply

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