If you’re looking for a flaky, tender gluten-free pie dough (or pastry dough) that is fabulously easy to roll out, look no further. Not only is this the best tasting gluten-free pie crust, this detailed guide is also full of tips and tricks to help you make perfect GF crust at home. The secret? A tablespoon of sour cream! It tenderizes the gluten-free pastry dough.
Easy Gluten-Free pie dough – flaky crust
I’ve always loved to bake, but the first time I tried making gluten-free pie dough I was in tears. What used to be so easy (pre-GF years), was now horribly frustrating with dismal results.
I had found other GF crust recipes to fill the void, such as oatmeal pie crust and almond flour pie crust, which don’t require rolling or chilling. But I was missing the perfect homemade gluten-free pie dough recipe to recreate the classics I grew up with.
Then a cookbook called America’s Test Kitchen: The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook came along. Its revolutionary tips and tricks not only help me create the beginner’s guide to gluten-free baking, but inspired me to write a gluten-free cookbook of my own!
I learned making a gluten-free pie crust with sour cream was the essential ingredient I had been missing! It tenderizes the pastry dough by coating the starches, making a homemade GF pie crust that is light and flaky instead of dense and chewy.
Pie-making and I gladly reunited, and inspired me to create a whole collection of gluten-free pie recipes I thought I would never enjoy again!
Not only is this crust the best tasting, but I also include many tips, hacks, the best flour to use, recommended equipment, how to make the dough using a food processor or by hand, and rolling tips. I’ll teach you have to make the best gluten-free pie dough with consistent results every time!
Ingredient Notes
The recipe is for a single crust pies, but if need a double crust pie recipe, simply double the amounts. I do not included xanthan gum in the ingredients because most flour blends include it. If yours does not, add 1/2 teaspoon.
- All purpose gluten-free flour – I use and highly recommend for this recipe Cup4Cup gluten-free flour blend. However, I include more notes on different flours below.
- Sugar – A slight flavor boosts and helps make the crust more tender.
- Ice water – The colder the better!
- Sour Cream – Tenderizes the pastry dough by coating the starches. For a vegan or dairy-free recipe, I recommend substituting non-dairy greek yogurt.
- Vinegar – Makes a flaky texture. I prefer the taste of apple cider vinegar, but any will do.
- Unsalted Butter – Cubed and frozen for 10 minutes so it is very cold. Dairy-free, vegan butter sticks or shortening may also be substituted, but will affect the taste and flakiness.
Recommended equipment
Technically it doesn’t require much to make pastry crust. The basic requirements would be a bowl, fork, and rolling pin, so don’t the lack of “fancy” kitchen gadgets stand in your way!
However, if you have been frustrated with gluten-free pie crust recipes and are looking for consistent, easy results, some kitchen equipment can be a game changer! Below I explain why I recommend it for you to decide what is necessary, based on problems you run into.
- Food Processor – If you find making homemade dough to be intimidating, laborious, inconsistent, or complicated, using a food processor makes it extremely quick, easy and with foolproof results. From start to finish, it takes about 10 minutes and the blade does a much better job working the butter into the dry ingredients than a fork or pastry blender would.
- Silicone Dough Bag – If you struggle with rolling out dough, than this affordable tool is a must! I used to roll out between two sheets of parchment or plastic, but it would consistently crease and the dough would get stuck in the ridges. (See rolling tips for how to fix this!) But, this bag makes it easy to roll, size correctly, and transfer to the pie plate.
- Pie Shield – Covering the crust edges is essential when baking pies. Since the edges are exposed, they brown a lot faster than bottom crust or before the filling is baked through. The cheap fix is using aluminum foil, but I find it not to stay in place and hard to move the pie around to check on things.
- Metal Pie Pans – A common problem with GF pies is a soggy bottom crust. Fats have a harder time absorbing in GF starches, which often leads to a lack of flakiness or a soft bottom crust. Baking a gluten-free pie crust in a metal pan conducts the heat better and faster, which guarantees the best results!
- Pie Weight – If you need to blind bake a pie (bake the crust without a filling first) or partially bake a pie (helpful for fillings with a lot of moisture, like apple or pecan), something has to be placed in the crust to hold it down as it bakes. The cheap option is to place a piece of parchment on the bottom and fill with dried beans. However, I really like this pie weight because it doesn’t require parchment and it has holes so the heat can circulate to the bottom crust. Just put it on and bake.
How To Make Gluten-Free Pie Dough (Food Processor method)
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
STEP 1 – PREP:
First, place the cubed butter in the freezer for 10 minutes. Mix together the cold water, sour cream, and vinegar in a small bowl. Place the liquids bowl in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
STEP 2 – MIX:
Then, pulse together gluten-free flour, sugar and salt. Tip: Weighing flour with a food scale gives the most consistent results, especially with interchanging different gluten free flour brands. If you can’t weigh it, use a spoon to gently scoop it into measuring cup, then level off.
STEP 3 – BUTTER:
Add the cubed very cold butter. Process the butter into the flour mixture until well incorporated, evenly dispersed, and without large chunks.
STEP 4 – LIQUIDS:
Finally, add the liquids to the food processor and pulse until the flour becomes moistened and small dough clumps appear.
Tip: To check if you have enough liquid, clump and flatten a small bit of dough. If it doesn’t stick together, is crumbly, or breaks apart easily, add a small dash of ice water. Pulse a few times and recheck. If the dough is too wet or sticky, add a dash of flour. Pulse a few times and recheck.
STEP 4 – CHILL:
Now it’s time to chill the dough before rolling. Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter and pour the gluten-free pie dough onto it. Shape into a disc, about 1 inch thick.
Wrap the plastic wrap tightly around the pastry dough and refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes.
Tip: Wrapped pie crust dough may be refrigerate for 1-2 days. If storing longer, place the wrapped disc in a freezer ziplock bag and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.
How to make gluten-free pie dough (By Hand Method)
- First, mix together the cold water, sour cream, and vinegar in a small bowl. Freeze the butter for 10 minutes until very cold.
- In a large bowl whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar and salt.
- Use a pastry blender, fork, or fingers to cut and knead butter into the dough until it is well incorporated throughout.
- Add half the liquids and knead with fingers or a fork. Pour in the remaining liquids. Knead until the dough starts to come together and the liquids are well mixed with flour.
Tips for Rolling gluten-free Pie Crust
- I find rolling in a silicone pie bag works best because the dough doesn’t stick, no additional flour is needed, and it’s easy to shape. If you don’t have one, use two large pieces of parchment paper. Plastic wrap may be used, but it has a tendency to stick to the dough more.
- If the dough is too cold it will be hard to roll and break apart. Let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes and try again.
- When you are rolling, press down in the middle and push the dough out from center. This will ensure the middle not being too thick, while edges are too thin.
- Rotate the pie dough as you are rolling so it forms a perfect circle. If one side is bigger than the other, cut some dough off and add it to the smaller side of the circle.
- While rolling, the dough may warm, which causes the parchment paper to stick. If this happens, place rolled pie crust, with parchment still on, in the refrigerator for 5 minutes so butter re-solidifies and releases from the paper.
- Once the dough is turned over in the pie dish use kitchen scissors to trim off excess dough around edges. If some edges need more dough to fold under, press on some of the clipped-off pie dough.
- Use two fingers to flute into a decorative. For a shiny crust brush the exposed edges with an egg wash before adding filling.
Methods for baking
Once the dough is rolled out and shaped in your pie pan, move the dish to the freezer for 15 minutes or up to 1 hour. When the dough is chilled and firm, add the pie filling and bake according to the recipe.
Double Crust or Lattice Crust
This recipe yields enough for single crust pies. If your recipe calls for a double crust or lattice top, double the ingredients and divide pastry dough in two discs to refrigerate.
Here is a great tutorial on how to make a lattice top with this easy gluten-free apple pie recipe. For a double crust, invert the top crust over the filling and trim edges, if necessary. Seal the top and bottom edges together, tucking under, and then use your finger and thumb to make a decorative edge.
Partially-Baked Pie Crust
For recipes that call for a partially baked bottom of the crust, before filling, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Place a pie weight on the bottom of a chilled crust. Alternatively, line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper and top with dried beans.
Bake on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through.
Fully Baked or blind baked Pie Crust
Some recipes require a fully baked pie shell, such as cream pies. Follow directions for partially-baked pie crust, adding 5-10 minutes to cooking time, and removing the liner with the beans for last 10-15 minutes. Bake until the bottom crust is golden brown.
Tip: I highly recommend using this silicone adjustable pie shield when baking pies. It will keep the crust golden brown instead of burnt before the filling is ready.
Dairy-free modification or using shortening
If you prefer using shortening in pie crusts you may replace the butter with an equal amount.
If you are wondering if shortening is gluten-free, it does not contain any ingredients that have wheat or gluten. Crisco does state their products are made in a shared environment, so those with particularly sensitive allergies should be careful.
For a gluten-free dairy-free or vegan pie dough plant-based butter sticks or shortening may be substituted, but will affect the taste and flakiness. I also recommend cutting the salt by half if using plant-based butter. Replace the sour cream with a dairy-free substitute.
Make-ahead tips
Gluten-free pie dough with sour cream can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use. If you require the crust further in advance, you have a couple options.
Either wrap the dough disc securely in plastic wrap and then transfer to a ziplock freezer bag. Freeze up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling out.
The dough may also be rolled out and placed in a pie pan. Wrap the unbaked crust securely with plastic wrap and freeze up to 1 month. When ready to bake, fill the frozen crust and bake as directed.
Note About Gluten-Free Flours
I’ve tried this recipe with three different store-bought gluten-free flour blends. Below are my pie crust making and tasting notes using three popular flours, but go to this article for a complete guide on the best gluten-free flour.
- Recommended: Cup 4 Cup Gluten Free Flour – I’m a huge fan of this flour for gf pie crusts and all baking. It rolls out well and yields a flaky, tender texture. Plus, the taste is so much like regular flour, no one suspects it’s gluten free.
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour – This flour was very easy to work with and rolled out well. However, the texture was a bit more chewy, not as flaky, and slightly more dense than Cup4Cup. The flavor had an off-putting aftertaste.
- King Arthur Measure-for-Measure Gluten-Free Flour – I had the hardest time with this one. The dough was dry so I had to add more liquid to get it to bind together. The baked texture was chewy and dense, probably from the starch to liquid ratio being off.
gluten-free pie fillings
Now that you have a dependable gluten free pie dough recipe, there are plenty of options for fillings. Below are some of my favorite pies to make!
- Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie
- Southern Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pie
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Gluten-Free Pecan Pie
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How to Make Gluten-Free Pie Dough (Best Results)
Listen to Recipe Audio
Equipment Needed
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoon (113 g) unsalted butter cut into small cubes and frozen for 10 minutes
- 2 ½ tablespoons ice water
- 1 ½ tablespoons sour cream
- 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¾ PLUS ⅔ cup (194 g) gluten-free flour I highly recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Food Processor Method:
- Place the cubed butter in the freezer for 10 minutes. Mix together the cold water, sour cream, and vinegar in a small bowl. Place the liquids bowl in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.8 tablespoon (113 g) unsalted butter,2 ½ tablespoons ice water,1 ½ tablespoons sour cream,1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt together until mixed.¾ PLUS ⅔ cup (194 g) gluten-free flour,1 ½ teaspoon granulated sugar,½ teaspoon salt
- Process the butter into the flour mixture until well incorporated, evenly dispersed, and without large chunks.
- Add the liquids to the food processor and pulse until the flour becomes moistened and small dough clumps appear. Tip: To check if you have enough liquid, clump and flatten a small bit of dough. If it doesn’t stick together, is crumbly, or breaks apart easily, add a small dash of ice water. Pulse a few times and recheck. If the dough is too wet or sticky, add a dash of flour. Pulse a few times and recheck.
- Turn the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a thick 1" disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes. Before rolling out, let sit on counter 5 minutes so it is easier to work with.
By Hand Method:
- Mix together the cold water, sour cream, and vinegar in a small bowl and place in the fridge until ready to use. Freeze the butter for 10 minutes until very cold.
- In a large bowl whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar and salt.
- Use a pastry blender, fork, or fingers to cut and knead butter into the dough until it is well incorporated throughout.
- Add half the liquids and knead with fingers or a fork. Pour in the remaining liquids. Knead until the dough starts to come together and the liquids are well mixed with flour.
- Turn the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a thick 1" disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes. Before rolling out, let sit on counter 5 minutes so it is easier to work with.
How To Roll Out Crust:
- I find rolling in a silicone pie bag works best because the dough doesn’t stick, no additional flour is needed, and it’s easy to shape. If you don’t have one, use two large pieces of parchment paper. Plastic wrap may be used, but it has a tendency to stick to the dough more.
- Place the unwrapped dough disc in middle. Use a rolling pin to press and spread the dough from the middle out. Roll into a circle slightly larger than your pie dish. (See tips in recipe notes for rolling out crust)
- Remove the top paper, and invert into the pie plate. Remove the second paper. Tip: If the dough has warmed while rolling, it may be trickier to take the paper off. If this happens, leave the paper on, and stick the whole thing in the fridge for 5 minutes. Once the crust is chilled again it's much easier to pull off the paper. If the dough is too cold and the crust breaks, let it sit on the counter for a minute first before trying again.
- Trim off excess dough around the edges. If some edges need more dough to fold under, press on some of the clipped off pie dough. Tuck the overhang dough under to meet edge of pie dish. Using both forefingers, flute edges by pressing one down and one up next to each other.
- Wrap loosely with plastic wrap and place in freezer 15 minutes, or up to an hour, until chilled. Fill and bake according to recipe directions, or see recipe notes for a partially or fully baked crust.
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Recipe Notes
Double Crust or Lattice Crust
This recipe yields enough for single crust pies. If your recipe calls for a double crust or lattice top, double the ingredients and divide pastry dough in two discs to refrigerate. Here is a great tutorial on how to make a lattice top with this easy gluten-free apple pie recipe. For a double crust, invert the top crust over the filling and trim edges, if necessary. Seal the top and bottom edges together, tucking under, and then use your finger and thumb to make a decorative edge.Best tips For Rolling Out Crust
- If the dough is too cold it will be hard to roll and break apart. Let it sit on the counter for 5 minutes and try again.
- When you are rolling, press down in the middle and push the dough out from center. This will ensure the middle not being too thick, while edges are too thin.
- Rotate the pie dough as you are rolling so it forms a perfect circle. If one side is bigger than the other, cut some dough off and add it to the smaller side of the circle.
- While rolling, the dough may warm, which causes the parchment paper to stick. If this happens, place rolled pie crust, with parchment still on, in the refrigerator for 5 minutes so butter re-solidifies and releases from the paper.
- Once the dough is turned over in the pie dish use kitchen scissors to trim off excess dough around edges. If some edges need more dough to fold under, press on some of the clipped-off pie dough.
- Use two fingers to flute into a decorative. For a shiny crust brush the exposed edges with an egg wash before adding filling.
Baking Methods
Partially-Baked Crust: For recipes that call for a partially baked bottom of the crust, before filling, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Place a pie weight on the bottom of a chilled crust. Alternatively, line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper and top with dried beans. Bake on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through. Fully Baked (Blind Baked) Crust Some recipes require a fully baked pie shell, such as cream pies. Follow directions for partially-baked pie crust, adding 5-10 minutes to cooking time, and removing the liner with the beans for last 10-15 minutes. Bake until the bottom crust is golden brown. Tip: I highly recommend using this silicone adjustable pie shield when baking pies. It will keep the crust golden brown instead of burnt before the filling is ready.Storing / Freezing
Wrapped dough may be refrigerated up to 1 day. Longer than that, place the wrapped disc in a freezer ziplock bag to freeze for 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen: The How Can It Be Gluten Free Cookbook.Nutrition
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