Am I the only one who had a very hard time finding a flaky gluten free pie crust recipe online? I have become spoiled over the years being able to find everything I want through google and this was one of the first times that I was drawing a blank.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Gluten Free Pie Crust
I wanted a pie crust that was flaky and rich. Delicious and also simple to make. And that wouldn’t fall apart when I roll it out. For the record, I am not a master pastry chef here. I’m just a girl with a bunch of animals all crowded into my kitchen as I learn to make things from scratch.
No lies, when I made this for the first time I just rolled it out on a cookie sheet and cut into bite-sizes squares; unwilling to waste more pie filling on yet another pastry disaster. It took me completely by surprise when it came out just like “real” pie crust. I immediately ran into the livingroom and made jonny taste some (like 5 times). “Omg its just like real pastry right?!?” “This is like REAL pie crust”. I smeared jams and apple butter all over the squares and we ate it all.
Then I lost the recipe…
Weeks Months went by and I couldn’t find the recipe anywhere. It was on a little hand written note scriblled with weights and measurements and… lost.
So back I went to trying to find the original recipe that I had begun from. Thinking if I found it, maybe I could remember all the changes I made and recreate my masterpiece. I never found the original.
Just last week I was cleaning up my recipes in MyFitnessPal (my calorie counter) and wouldn’t you know that I had logged in the recipe the day Jonny and I ate the whole pie crust. There is was! Found again!! The whole time it was stored on a site I use every…single…day. Hiding in view. I am frustrated but also just very excited I found it. So simple, so perfect.
So before I go ahead and lose it, condemning myself to eating flat, chewy gluten free pie crust for another year I am posting it!
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do and please let me know if you change up the recipe/flour at all, how it works out! Take a look at my Guide to the Perfect Pie Crust too. it is not a gluten free guide but has some interesting points about how to choose which fat to use and how to handle your crust for a desired end texture.
The ball of pie dough – holds together perfect just like regular pie dough
Gluten Free Pie Crust Rolled Out
BTMR pie dough in dish
Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Gluten Free Pie Crust
It takes a village to make a gluten free pie crust! So please share your experiences and thoughts. But for the record, I love it just the way it is 🙂
This recipe makes one single crust. Double for a top and bottom crust.
- ⅔ cup white rice flour
- 3.5 Tbsp potato starch
- 2 Tbsp tapioca flour
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, shortening or lard
- 1 large egg
- Combine all the dry ingredients
- Cut the cold butter into cubes and add to the flour tossing to coat
- Use your hands to break apart the butter into flat disk-like pieces
- Add the egg and lightly knead until just combined
- Pat into a disk, wrap and put in freezer for 15 minutes
- Roll out the dough and use as your recipe calls for
- I like to put in the freezer for another 10+ minutes right before putting it in the oven
You can also make the pie crust and freeze before baking
PS Yes, i used my own homemade pumpkin puree to make my pumpkin pie. Click here to learn how to make your own homemade pumpkin puree from scratch.
This post can also be see on: Full Plate Thursday, Homestead Barn Hop, 2014 Harvest Hop Linkup, Tuesdays with a Twist, Gluten Free Wednesday
This post was one of the top clicked posts on Gluten Free Wednesday. To see the other top posts that week click here.
April Musgrove says
Thanks for sharing this gluten free pie crust recipe, my nephew was just married and his beautiful wife cannot have gluten, I will have to pin this so I can add it to my list of gluten free ideas for the holiday meals to come. I would like to invite you to share your fall themed posts at my 2014 Harvest Hop linky party. http://www.aprilshomemaking.com/2014/10/2014-harvest-hop-link-up.html
Sandy says
Oh I am definitely going to try this!! thank you for posting and that pie looks delicious! I can’t wait!
Miz Helen says
Hope you are having a fantastic week and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Karissa says
Have you tried making this egg free by chance? Idea on the best egg substitute?
Andrea Mabee says
no unfortunately I haven’t. We have laying hens so we are always looking for recipes that use more eggs. Does anyone else have advice on subbing out the eggs?
Shirley @ gfe & All Gluten-Free Desserts says
I had to chuckle a bit at the lost recipe because that is SOOO me. I’ve got quite a few lost recipes somewhere in my kitchen. I figure they’ll turn up eventually. 😉 Happy that you found it because it sounds like an absolute winner! 🙂 I admit I don’t often make crusts myself (I have a press-in no-roll crust that I love and otherwise appreciate crustless pies), but I am certain that this recipe will be ideal and welcomed for many! Thanks so much for sharing it on Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Andrea.
Shirley
Andrea Mabee says
isn’t it such a nightmare? lol! I have to say, I am also a fan of press-in crusts! It is one of my favorite things about being gluten free is not having to roll crusts and knead bread! lol
Dianne says
Just wondering. Did you you butter or some other shortening when you made the recipe?
Andrea Mabee says
This time I used butter. I like to use half butter and half shortening or lard but most of the time butter is what I have on hand and it always turns out great.
Crystal says
Does anybody by change know how many crusts this makes?
Andrea Mabee says
This make a single crust 🙂 As in a bottom. Double the recipe for top and bottom crusts.
Mandy says
Thank you so much for this. The internet is full of gluten free pie crusts recipes that I would swear nobody tested. Your is light and flaky. Thank you thank you thank you!
Andrea Mabee says
You are so welcome! I also tried recipe after recipe trying to find a gluten free pie crust that was edible and easy to roll. I ate a lot of terrible tasting pie. So many that I started blind baking them so if the crust was awful I wouldn’t waste the filling! lol. I am always working on a newer better pie crust but I love this combination and have put away my notes on this one for now 🙂
Gwen says
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, this GF pie crust recipe. It is the best ever, and I have tried many. I get many compliments on it and no one has a clue it is GF. I use it for chicken pot pie and add a little ground thyme to the dry ingredients for that comforting flavor. It works wonderful for quiche too. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Andrea Mabee says
I am so happy to hear it Gwen!! Ohhh, quiche! I can’t believe I haven’t made one yet having egg layers in my back yard!! Thank you so much for your comment and rating this recipe. It means so much to me to hear back 🙂
Jerry says
Do you have instructions for baking time and temperature to pre-bake for a pre-cooked filling e.g. lemon or chocolate?
Andrea Mabee says
Oh of course! I will add it up top too but I bake at 375F for about 15 minutes or until the edges just start to brown. If you are blind baking it you always want to poke it a few times with a fork and bake it with some dried beans or pastry weights inside.
Melany says
Just made an apple pie with your recipe- no one could tell it was gluten free and just thought it was an amazing crust! This is recipe 5 or 6 for pie crust that I have tried – no longer looking for a recipe as this is perfect! Thank you for figuring this out.
Andrea Mabee says
I am so glad it worked out for you. I have been playing around with different pie crust recipes but always come back to this one when I need one I know will turn out every time!
Lacey Loughmiller says
I have a bakery out of my home and have been asked to provide gluten free items. I am not that familiar with baking gluten free and have purchased a Gluten Free Flour Blend instead of purchasing each individual item. Do you know how I would make the blend work for this recipe?
Andrea Mabee says
Every gluten free mix is different. I don’t tend to bake with mixes that have bean flour because I find them too heavy and bitter. It’s hard for me to guess without knowing what mix you are using.
Give the recipe a try with your mix and it might work out great. Or you could always google pie crust recipes using your gf flour. Sorry I can’t be more help 🙁
Judith says
I have a dumb question:
Did you mix this all up in your food processor? I’m about to tackle this recipe and I am a wee bit scared (I’m a terrible pastry maker at the best of times) that I am going to do it wrong.
Thanks!
Judith de Haan says
I mixed it all up in the food processor and rolled it out with a press and seal type of saran wrap on top of the pastry and it turned out perfectly. I doubled the recipe and made the apple pie. This is a seriously good pastry recipe and my gluten intolerant guests were clamouring for your terrific recipe! Thank you!
Susan says
I tried this recipe and the crust was so wet. I reread, tried again and same results. I have been baking gluten free for years. The second time was the same result. I have read and went over this recipe and then had my grandson do the same. Any ideas? I read the reviews and it must be something I am misreading. I did the freezer piece after mixing as well as before I placed it in the oven.
Laura says
Thank you so much for this! To quote one of your other commenters, the Internet is full of recipes I swear no on taste-tested. Or, to take it a step further, full of GF pie crust recipes that no non-GF pastry person would allow in their kitchen. This was light and easy to work with, rolled out well and held together, and blind baked like a treat! The texture was a teeny bit “sandy” due to the flours, but I plan to experiment with a bit of xanthan gum, and/or a touch of alternate flours (almond, coconut) depending on the intended filling.
I wonder if I can use it for savories (like pot pie or beef wellington) that wouldn’t tolerate a blind bake? Hmmmm….
But thanks, again! You’ve taken one of the dreads out of pie baking for my GF family members!