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. 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.
PREP TIME: 10 minutesminutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutesminutes
Servings: 8Will make one 9 or 10 inch pie crust
Ingredients
Makes 1 pie crust. Double the recipe for a double crusted pie.
1 ½ cups / (140grams)almond flour, (in the UK ground almonds)
¾ cup / ( 94grams)all purpose flour or wholewheat flour, or gluten free all purpose flour
½teaspoonsalt
7 to 8tablespoonsnon-dairy milk of choice, unsweetened and unflavoured
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 lot.
If rolling it out, transfer to a clean, well-floured surface. If you have a silicone baking mat they work really well for rolling pastry dough out on.
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 pastry 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.
Prick all over the bottom of the crust with a fork
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.
Line 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 nestle it in there nicely.
Fill with baking beans, dried beans or dried 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
To store:
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.