I love pie. In fact, although I like cake, I LOVE pie. Love. Adore. Cherish. Prize. Hold dear. You get the idea!
So when my husband went gluten free we struggled for years to find the right pie crust. Back in the day you had to concoct your own flour mixtures and it felt like a science experiment at times. While cooking and baking are in fact quite scientific, I enjoy it far more when it’s made easier with amazing ingredients and products like gluten free measure for measure flour!
I have used several recipes over the years, but never truly loved any of them. Then during out homeschool curriculum reading, I happened upon a recipe in one of my children’s story books!
Have you ever read, How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World, by Marjorie Priceman? So first of all, it is an adorable little story that’s very creative, educational, and has great illustrations. It really had my children’s attention and had them thinking about where ingredients actually do come from.
Then at the end of the book is a sweet little recipe for apple pie! There’s also a great recipe for pie crust! I have adapted this pie crust recipe for what we believe is the perfect gluten free, vegan and top 8 free allergen friendly pie crust!
If you use this recipe tell me what pie you make with it! We’ve made apple, pumpkin and chocolate! Below I will include my pumpkin pie recipe since it’s the one that is also pictured. It’s my husbands favorite pie, and mine too!
One final note before diving into this yummy goodness! Traditionally this and other pie crust recipes call for a thinner crust using this amount of ingredients to form either a top and bottom of a pie, or two pie shells. I have a personal preference for a thicker pie crust. So I like to use this entire pie dough for one crust, and then all the extra after shaping the edges, I put on a baking sheet, sprinkle cinnamon & sugar on it, and bake what we call pie crust crisps.
I lie. My other final note. The final, final, note. If for some reason you have other allergens that keep you from making this pie crust, what we did for many years before gluten free measure for measure flours came about, we made all our pie fillings and baked them in small ramekins! It is yummy and delicious! If you haven’t tried it, do – you just might like it!
Pie Crust | Gluten Free, Vegan & Allergy Friendly Top 8 Free
Adapted from Marjorie Priceman’s “How to Make an Apple Pie and See The World” Apple Pie recipe.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 2 cups all-purpose, or gluten free measure for measure flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup cold butter, or vegan butter substitute
- 1/2 cup ice cold water
Vegan “Egg Wash”
- 1 T maple syrup
- 2 T milk, or dairy alternative
Pumpkin Pie Filling for One Pie
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 2 eggs
- 1 15 oz canned pumpkin pureé
- 1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
Instructions
Pie Crust
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Spoon the flour into your measuring cup, do not scoop the flour out of the container with the measuring scoop. Whisk in the salt. Using a knife or a pastry blender, cut in the cold butter, working quickly while butter remains as cold as possible. Mix the flour and butter with your hands until the largest bits are no larger than pea-sized. Add 1 T ice cold water at a time, just until the dough comes together and is moist. Stir with a fork until the dough forms a loose ball.
Split the dough in two equal parts. Place each ball of dough between two lightly floured pieces of wax paper. Sprinkle a bit of flour on the bottom piece, place the dough, sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the ball, place the top piece of wax paper, and roll the dough out into a 12″ circle. Repeat with the second ball of dough.
Peel off the top piece of wax paper turning into your pie pan. Remove the wax paper, and trim around the edge. You can use the other pie crust for a top crust as with an apple pie, or you can use it for a second pie as with pumpkin pie. Refrigerate both until ready to use.
If you are making a pie that calls for an “egg wash”, simply whisk together the maple syrup and dairy (or dairy sub), and then brush it onto the crust. You can also optionally, sprinkle a little sugar onto the wash.
Pumpkin Pie
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Whisk together the sugar and spices. Whisk the eggs in a separate bowl. Using an electric mixer, mix in the milk and pumpkin with the eggs. Slowly add the sugar and spices mixture to the pumpkin mixture, until smooth and well combined. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, and then reduce heat to 350, and bake an additional 40-50 minutes, or until pie is set and knife comes out clean. Take the pie crust protector off the last 10 minutes. Cool pie on a wire rack for a couple hours. Serve immediately, or refrigerate.
Recipe Notes
Traditionally pie crust recipes call for a thin pie crust with this recipe being used for a top and bottom pie crust, or two separate pie shells. Personally, I like a thicker crust, and I use the entire recipe for one pie shell, and any extra pieces after I’ve shaped the edges, I bake on a cookie sheet, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
