Learn how to make an easy and healthy pie crust that uses no oil or butter. This naturally vegan and oil-free pie crust is really easy to handle with no chilling required. It won't melt when you're working with it and won't shrink when you bake it. Use it to make sweet or savoury pies with cooked or no-cook fillings, tarts, quiches and galettes.
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Pie crust with no shortening, oil, butter, or even vegan butter? Is this for real?
Yes! And this healthy pie crust is completely fuss-free too. Because it is an oil-free pie crust recipe you don't need to worry about it melting if it's hot in your kitchen, or if you handle it with warm hands and it won't shrink while it bakes either. It's virtually foolproof!
My healthy pie crust recipe is well worth mastering because it can be used again and again for all of your favourite savoury or sweet pies and tart crusts, whether they have cooked or uncooked fillings. We're talking anything from pumpkin pie to butter tarts and vegan quiche. You can even use it to make pastries, pasties and galettes.
This healthy pastry recipe makes one pie crust suitable for a top or bottom. If you want to make a double-crusted pie, simply double the recipe.
Ingredients
This healthy pie crust is made with just 4 ingredients:
- Flour - You can use all-purpose flour (plain flour in the UK), wholewheat flour or a good all-purpose gluten-free flour containing xanthan gum, like Bob's Red Mill 1 for 1 Baking Flour. I haven't tried it, but I'm 99% sure spelt flour will also work.
- Almond flour - This healthy pie crust is made without shortening, butter, vegan butter or oil. For pastry to work though it needs a source of fat and in this recipe, our fat is coming from almond flour, just like it does in my healthy oil-free biscuits and many other almond flour recipes. Almond meal isn't as soft or as fine as almond flour and won't work as well in this recipe. Please also note that leftover almond pulp from making almond milk will not work in this recipe because much of the fat will have leached out into the milk and won't be present in great quantities in the pulp. Use any leftover almond flour to make my vegan parmesan cheese!
- Salt - For flavour. Use fine salt not coarse salt, so it disperses evenly throughout the dough.
- Unflavoured & unsweetened milk of choice - Milk gives a much better result than water in this recipe. Use any variety of non-dairy milk but steer clear of those with vanilla flavouring or any sugar added. Be sure to check the ingredients. It must be plain or it will affect the flavour of the pastry dough, particularly if you are making a savoury pie. The amount of milk needed varies every time. Use just enough so the dough holds its shape and is easily rollable.
OPTIONAL Sugar - Add some unrefined cane sugar (or white sugar) only if the recipe you are making calls for a sweet crust.
Please note that each ingredient has a very specific job, so when making this vegan pie pastry it is important to not make any subs and to be precise with your measurements. I highly recommend the use of a digital scale for measuring flour and butter. Cups are not accurate enough for the best and most consistent results when baking.
If you're wondering what else you can make with almond flour find more almond flour recipes here.
How to make healthy pie crust
Vegan oil-free pie crust is really quick and easy to make with just a bowl and a spoon. Here's how:
1 - Mix everything together in a large bowl, adding the milk gradually and mixing between each addition. Use just enough so the dough holds its shape when you squeeze it together in your hand, feels supple and will be easily rollable.
2 - Use your hands to form the dough into a ball.
3 - You can either roll out the pie crust and drape it over the dish, or just press it in gently with your hands if you don't mind it looking a little "rustic".
4 - Press it into the dish tightly and gently with your hands, then crimp or trim the edges.
5 - Pierce the bottom all over with a fork.
6 - Line with scrunched-up parchment paper, then fill with baking beans, dried rice or dried beans and blind bake or fully bake.
If the pie recipe you are following calls for a fully baked pie crust, you need to fully bake this healthy pie crust recipe. If it calls for a blind-baked or par-baked shell then you need to blind-bake (par-bake) it.
As a general rule though, recipes where the filling going into the pie is wet and has a tendency to make the bottom soggy, like pumpkin pie or quiche, or recipes where the filling needs a shorter bake time than the crust, require a blind-baked pie crust. By blind-baking, you get a nice crisp crust and reduce the chances of a soggy bottom.
When the pie is being filled with a no-cook filling it is essential to fully bake the pie crust and cool it completely before adding the filling. For pies that will go back in the oven, like quiche or pumpkin pie, the crust can still be warm when you add the filling.
Instructions are included in this recipe for both methods.
Success tips
- Prevent crumbly pastry by making sure you use enough milk when mixing the dough. Too little and your dough will be difficult to work with and will be prone to cracks.
- Roll the dough so it is a bigger circle than the diametre of your pie dish. You can hold the dish over the rolled pastry to see if it is big enough. It should be at least 2 or 3 inches wider all around so there is plenty to cover it and go up and over the sides.
- When lining the pie crust with parchment paper, cut a piece the size you need then screw it up in your hands really tightly like you are going to throw it in the trash, then straighten it out and push it gently over and into the pie crust. It makes it much easier to fit it in there without damaging the pastry.
- Preheat a large metal baking tray in your oven and place the pie crust on it to bake. The heat from the metal on the bottom of the crust helps ensure it becomes crisp and won't get soggy when you add the filling. This is a great thing to do anytime you are cooking something with a pastry crust.
- Prevent a tough pie crust. This can be caused by not using enough fat in the crust (be sure to weigh the flour and almond flour accurately with a digital scale so the ratio is correct). Cup measurements are not accurate when measuring flour or flour-like substances.
Making in advance & freezing
Here is how to make healthy pie crust pastry in advance:
- Uncooked and unrolled pastry dough - Make the healthy vegan pie dough up to 3 days ahead. Place in a tightly sealed freezer bag, airtight container or wrap tightly and thoroughly in cling wrap and place in the fridge until needed. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge. You might need to leave it out at room temperature for a few minutes to warm and soften very slightly before rolling it.
- Rolled, lined and uncooked - After lining the pie dish you can carefully store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to cover it tightly so it doesn't dry out and be very careful it doesn't get knocked while in the fridge or freezer. Blind-bake or cook it completely straight from the fridge or freezer. Add an extra minute onto the bake time if it's coming from the freezer.
- Blind-baked or completely baked - Stored in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 4 days.
Recipe
Healthy Pie Crust
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
Makes 1 pie crust. Double the recipe for a double-crusted pie.
- 1½ cups (140 grams) almond flour (in the UK ground almonds)
- ¾ cup (94 grams) all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour containing xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 7 to 8 tablespoons dairy-free milk, unsweetened and unflavoured
OPTIONAL (for a sweet crust)
- 2 tablespoons cane sugar, or white sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- To a bowl, add the almond flour, all purpose flour and salt. Whisk them together to combine.
- Gradually add the milk, stirring as you go. You might not need it all. You might need a tiny bit more. It varies a little everytime. Once it starts looking clumpy, get a clean hand in there and feel it. You need to use just enough milk so the dough holds its shape when you squeeze it together in your hand, feels supple and will be easily rollable. Bring the dough together into a ball.
- At this stage you can either roll out the pastry with a rolling pin or just press it into your dish or pan with your hands. Unlike regular pastry dough, because there is no solid fat in this recipe, it doesn't matter if you handle it a bit.
- If rolling it out, transfer to a clean, floured surface. If you have a silicone baking mat, they work really well for rolling pastry dough out
- Roll it out to 2 or 3 inches larger than your pie/quiche/tart dish. Sprinkle with flour as needed to stop any sticking.
- Lift carefully by partially rolling the rolled-out dough around the rolling pin, and gently lower into the dish. Press into the dish gently, then trim around the edges with a sharp knife or crimp if you are lining a pie dish. If making a double- crusted pie, fill, then cover with the top crust, brush the edges with milk, press together to seal, then crimp the edges.
- If making a double-crusted pie, fill the pie crust, then cover with the top crust, brush the edges with milk, press together to seal, then crimp the edges and bake as per your recipe.
To blind-bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175 °C) with a metal baking sheet or tray big enough to fit your pie dish on in there as it preheats.
- Use a fork to pierce small holes evenly over the bottom of the crust. Line with parchment paper. Cut a piece the size you need, then screw it up in your hands really tightly like you are going to throw it in the trash. Then straighten it out and push it gently over and into the pie crust. It makes it much easier to nestle it in there.
- Fill with baking beans, dried beans or uncooked rice and put on the preheated tray in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges of the crust are dry and just beginning to show a hint of colour.
- Remove from the oven and gently lift out the parchment paper along with the baking beans/rice. Then return to the oven and bake for another couple of minutes until the bottom of the crust looks dry.
To fully bake
- Follow the blind-baking instructions but when you remove the parchment paper and baking beans/rice and return it to the oven, bake for 15 minutes or until the bottom crust and sides are light golden brown.
NOTES
- Uncooked and unrolled pastry dough - Make the healthy vegan pie dough up to 3 days ahead. Place in a tightly sealed freezer bag, airtight container or wrap tightly and thoroughly in cling wrap and place in the fridge until needed. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge. You might need to leave it out at room temperature for a few minutes to warm and soften very slightly before rolling it.
- Rolled, lined and uncooked - After lining the pie dish you can carefully store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to cover it tightly so it doesn't dry out and be very careful it doesn't get knocked while in the fridge or freezer. Blind-bake or cook it completely straight from the fridge or freezer. Add an extra minute onto the bake time if it's coming from the freezer.
- Blind-baked or completely baked - Stored in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 4 days.
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Annette Vinall says
Amazing! Tasty & so easy to work with.
Bernadette says
I wonder if I could use oat flour along with the almond flour ?
Melanie McDonald says
Instead of the all purpose/gluten-free flour? Possibly. I've never tried it though. If you do try it I'd love to know how it turns out!
Mor says
Easy to make- it’s not pie dough consistency BUT it does the trick if you’re on a low fat diet. My husband really liked it, but it was a little chewy to me.
Pearl says
How would I make a lattice top crust?
Melanie McDonald says
You will need to double the recipe as this as written only makes enough for the base. Use the buttons next to the ingredients in the recipe card and it will calculate it automatically for you. Then roll it out, cut it into strips (I use a pizza cutter), lay it on top of the filling in your chosen pattern and pinch the excess dough that lays over the edges into the bottom pie crust to seal. Brush with your choice of "egg" wash, sprinkle with granulated sugar if it's a sweet pie, and bake. Enjoy!
Chanterelle says
Any idea if this recipe could be used to make cutout shortbread-ish cookies?
Melanie McDonald says
Definitely not. This is pie crust and tastes like pie crust. It wouldn't make nice cookies. I've got a great cut out sugar cookie recipe here: https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-sugar-cookies/
Mrs Sarah Braithwaite says
hi
would sunflower seeds flour work instead of almond flour? I have to find nut free recipes...
thank you
Melanie McDonald says
I’ve never tried it. They have a similar fat content though so as long as you grind them superfine it should technically work. The crust won’t have the same buttery flavor that almond flour specifically gives it though. Hope that helps!
Sven Sverdling says
No oil or butter or lard doesn’t mean no fat. It just means the author likes misleading headlines.
Melanie McDonald says
Hi Sven, it is not misleading in the slightest. Nowhere does it claim the recipe is fat-free. It very clearly says it is oil-free. There is a difference. Nutritional information is also very clearly provided showing the fat content of the recipe.
Lots of people don't like to or can't consume processed oils or butter and prefer their fats to come from a whole food source like almonds. The almonds provide the fat here which makes the recipe oil-free and suitable for those people. I hope that clears things up for you.
Linda says
Can the recipe work just as well with all almond flour instead of almond and whole wheat flour?
Melanie McDonald says
No. It needs the flour too or it won't hold together. You can use gluten-free all-purpose 1 to 1 baking flour though instead of wheat flour.
Linda says
Thank you for responding. I did use the organic whole wheat flour along with the almond flour, but my gluten-free grand-daughter couldn't eat the crust, only the pie filling. Knowing what is done to white flour......gluten-free or not.... I can't in good conscience serve it to family or friends.
Pat White says
Do I need to blind-bake my crust before using a pumpkin pie filling or a frozen berry pie filling?
Melanie McDonald says
You should be whatever the recipe you are using calls for. Pumpkin pie usually requires blind-baking though (my recipe does) and pies with a top crust like apple/berry pie don't usually require blind baking. Hope that helps.
Diane Malpass says
I used this recipe today to make mini mincepies. I was really impressed with this pastry recipe and will be using it again in the future. I found it far easier to make than conventional pastry.
Bonnie says
Thank you for this recipe - it puts pie back on the menu at our house! I made a blueberry pie with a sweet crust (using brown sugar) and did a blind bake per your instructions, using a silicone pan. For the bottom crust I used the almond flour with a mixture of all-purpose and whole wheat artisan bread flour, and for the "stars" on top I used almond flour and the artisan bread flour. I substituted one tablespoon of pea powder (for more protein) for one tablespoon of bread flour. I covered the pie rim with foil, as the blueberry interior took more time than expected. Again, thanks so much!
Jennifer Ritz says
Can I make this with milk rather than non-dairy milk? Don't usually have any non-diary milk in the pantry.
Melanie McDonald says
Any milk will technically work.
Greg says
900 calories for a pie crust? you gotta be kidding me. that much almond flour is NOT good for you.
Melanie McDonald says
Good grief Greg, no-one eats an entire pie crust!😆 But also all pie crusts have a lot of calories. Pillsbury or Tenderflake pie crusts from the store also contain about 900 calories and they are made with flour and butter/lard. Pie crusts are just fat and flour at the end of the day so are always high in calories.
geneva says
Greg, You should be more concerned about the SATURATED FAT content than overal fat content as Almond flour is very low in SATURATED FAT with only 1 gram per 28 g. Butter, by comparison has 7 grams per 14 grams.
Roger says
Hello,
After 50+ years of cooking/baking I never thought I would use a vegan pastry recipe. It was brilliant and did exactly what you said it would do. I am lucky to live in a country with hot summers and this pastry doesn't have the problems associated with traditional pastry recipes. I'm sold and never going back.
Thank you. Roger
Melanie McDonald says
I love to hear this Roger. Thank you for giving it a try and I'm glad to have won you over!
E says
When making an apple pie, do you prebake the pie crust beforehand or with the apples?
Thank you
Nina says
Merry Christmas from the UK and big thanks for the pastry recipe…in the ingredients list it states for UK use ground almonds but then in a question in the comments later it states to use almond flour. So do I use regular ground almonds or flour there is quite a difference in the texture. I want to use the pastry for mince pies - your thoughts on this… many thanks.
Melanie McDonald says
I'm not sure what comment you are referring to as there are hundreds, but follow the recipe as written. It is correct and has been tested with UK ingredients as well as North American.
In the UK you need to use ground almonds such as Tesco or Sainsbury's ground almonds. Almond flour in North America is made from blanched, peeled almonds that have had their skins removed. That is exactly what UK stores like Sainsbury's and Tesco sell as “ground almonds” and theirs is really finely ground so fine for this recipe. Hope that helps.
RWReynolds says
What is the nutrition information for a 9" pie with 2 crusts??
Melanie McDonald says
The nutritional info is included with all of my recipes under the recipe card. This recipe is for one 9inch crust so you'd just need to double it for 2.
JS says
Hi there! Great recipe! However NEED you to suggest another flour other than almond that would still turn out well. Almond flour is ridiculously expensive where I am. Can you just use another basic flour...not a nut flour. I'll be keeping an eye on my comment in hopes you will get back soon as I need to bake a pie super soon. LOL. Many thanks!
Melanie McDonald says
You need almond flour for this recipe or it won't work. There is no alternative. If you don't want to use almond flour just make a regular pie crust recipe. I have a recipe for one: https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-pie-crust/
Nancy says
I’m wondering if Tigernut flour might work? I believe it’s a tuber, not a nut, and have been told it can be used interchangeably for almond flour with similar results:)
Melanie McDonald says
Tigernut flour won't work well in this recipe because its fat content is half that of almond flour. The reason almond flour is used is because of it's high fat content. The right amount of fat is essential for this recipe to work which is why it cannot be substituted for other flours.
Paige Stageman says
I made your recipe. I reserved 1T of almond flour to sprinkle on top of pie before cooking.
Then added 1T Truvia brown sugar and with unsweetened almond milk using just enough to have crumblie dough and pressed it into my pie plate. I used fresh apples using zero sugar that I precooked to soft stage and poured directly into uncooked crust. Baked 400f degrees for 20 minutes. I served it warm with dollop of fat free whipped cream. It was the yummiest and healthiest apple pie I've ever had.
Cane says
This made a fabulous fruit pie and the flavor of the crust really complemented the filling. We love that it’s oil-free and that we can have pie again!
Patricia G says
Hi again;
I made a traditional apple pie with two crusts. The dough was great to work with, but when I baked it, (375 for 45 minutes) it was somewhat hard - did I bake it too long or too high?
Patricia