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Empty baked gluten-free pie crust cooling in a pan.

Easy Gluten-Free Pie Crust Recipe

This recipe makes enough dough for one 9-inch double crust pie or two 9-inch single crust pies.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Chill time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 2 single crusts

Ingredients

  • 3 cups gluten-free flour (10 ½ ounces; 300 grams)
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 sticks cold butter or 1 cup cold shortening, cut into small pieces (8 ounces; 226 grams)
  • ½ cup cold water, plus more as needed (4 ounces; 113 grams)

Instructions

  1. If this is your first time making a gluten-free pie crust, read the post included with this recipe. It contains in-depth information and tips to help you succeed.

By Hand Directions

  1. Whisk the gluten-free flour, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Make sure the bowl is large enough that you can place your hands or a pastry cutter into it as you make the dough.

  2. Add the butter or shortening. Stir it gently to coat it with gluten-free flour. Don’t mix it into the flour yet. Just coat each piece.
    Butter cubes on gluten-free flour for a pie crust recipe
  3. Work the butter into the flour. To do this, use your fingertips, a pastry cutter, or a large fork. Mix until the pieces of butter are somewhere between a walnut-half and pea size.
    Flour and butter for gluten-free pie crust.
  4. Drizzle the cold water over the mixture. Mix, either with your hands or a wooden spoon, until the dough comes together. Test the dough by giving it a squeeze. If it holds together, move to the next step. If not, add an additional tablespoon of cold water.
    Gluten-free pie dough in a pan.
  5. Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead it once or twice to bring it together. Cut the dough in half. Pat each half into a flat disk. Chill for at least one hour.

Food Processor Directions

  1. Combine the gluten-free flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse three or four times to combine.

    Butter cut into gluten-free flour for pie crust in the bowl of a food processor
  2. Add the butter or shortening. Pulse the food processor in 3-second bursts until the pieces of butter are between the size of walnut-halves and peas. This takes about 10 to 15 pulses.
  3. Remove the lid and drizzle the water over the flour-butter mixture. Pulse the processor in about four or five short, three second bursts. The mixture will look crumbly. Do not mix until a dough comes together.
    Gluten-free pie dough in a food processor. The mixture is pea-sized.

  4. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl. Squeeze a handful. If it holds together, mix with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. If the handful falls apart, stir in an additional tablespoon of water until the dough forms.

    Squeezing gluten-free pie dough to test the consistency. It holds a shape which means it contains enough water.
  5. Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Knead it once or twice to bring it together. Cut the dough in half. Pat each half into a flat disk. Chill for at least one hour.
    Gluten-free pie dough on the counter.
  6. Use and bake the dough as directed in your favorite pie recipe.

Recipe Notes

Notes
For detailed information on each step, see the full blog post that accompanies this recipe.

The recipe was tested with Bob’s Red Mill and Cup4Cup Flour. Other gluten-free flour blends might not work as well.

Use a blend of half butter and half shortening for a flavorful and flaky gluten-free crust.

Be sure to use very cold water.