Making a gluten-free pie crust is easier than it looks. You only need three ingredients and a little know-how to get the job done. You may even find it easier to make a gluten-free crust than a traditional pie crust.
1/2cupsalted buttercold, grated with a cheese grater
1/4cupwatercold
Instructions
Combine the flour and grated butter in a large bowl. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to mix everything together for about 30 seconds.
Add the cold water to the flour mixture. Work the dough by hand until it comes together in a large dough ball, about 3-4 minutes. The dough will appear very dry at first, and you may even question if this will work, but it will. Keep kneading the flour together with your hands. The butter will soften with and absorb the flour slowly but surely. If you feel the ball of dough won't come together after a few minutes, add 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time until it does. Use extra water sparingly, only enough to make the dough hold together. Form the dough into a large dough ball.
Place the dough in the center of your 9" pie dish and use the palm of your hand and fingers to spread it out to cover the bottom and sides of the pie dish. You could use a flat spatula to help you flatten the dough as evenly as possible (optional). Don't worry about it looking perfect. The pie filling is going to cover up the flaws. Just spread the dough so that it covers the pie dish as evenly as possible.
Fill your pie crust with your choice filling - like a pumpkin or apple pie filling - and bake it according to your recipe's instructions.
Notes
Nutrition value is for crust only (12 slices).Use for Sweet and Savory Pies: The pie crust contains no sugar, so it can easily be used for sweet and savory pies. I use it when making gluten-free quiche, and you could also use it to make chicken pot pie. If you want to make the crust a tad sweeter, add 1 tsp of sugar to the pastry dough mixture.Baking the Crust Ahead of Time: If you want to bake the pie before adding the filling (in case you have a pre-made canned pie filling of sorts), simply add a few fork indentions to the bottom of the pie crust to allow steam to escape, then bake it in a 400º F oven for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack.Dairy-Free Option: You can make the pie crust dairy-free by using shortening instead of butter. I recommend sustainable palm shortening over Crisco, although either will work. Butter, however, gives it a buttery flavor, so use real butter if you can. You can also use vegan butter for a similar buttery flavor.Make-Ahead Instructions: Make this pie crust dough well before baking it. It will last 3-4 days in the fridge covered with plastic wrap or up to three months in your freezer.Double Crust Recipe? Need two crusts for one pie, like my apple pie recipe? Double the recipe, divide the dough, and proceed as instructed in the recipe.Don't Feel Like Making a Homemade Gluten-Free Pie Crust? You can buy a ready-made gluten-free pie crust from Wholly Gluten Free. I've seen them at Sprouts and Trader Joe's. The pie crusts are shallower, so you may need to adjust the amount of filling you add.