Prep: 10 You’ll only need 5 simple ingredients to make this easy Vegan Pie Crust recipe! I’ve been making this dairy-free pie crust for YEARS and with over 80+ 5-star reviews, I can honestly say it’s truly the best. In this post, I’ll share my secret to making PERFECTLY flaky, buttery Vegan Pie Crust every single time!
Growing up, my job at Thanksgiving every year was to make the pies. And when my mom developed a dairy allergy, I knew I need to create the perfect pie crust for our holidays together!
Fast forward to today, two of my kiddos can’t eat dairy and they absolutely LOVE this vegan pie crust. The secret to making the best, most perfectly flaky pie crust? Keep the butter cold! Yes, even for vegan pie crust! This no-fuss recipe is incredibly easy to make and perfect for sweet pies, holiday pies, savory pies, and more.
**You’ll Also Love: **Vegan Pizza Dough
Vegan Pie Crust Ingredients
This recipe only requires 5 simple ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
Flour – All-purpose flour works best in this recipe. However, you could also use a mix of almond flour and all-purpose!
Sugar – A tiny bit of granulated sugar sweetness this pie crust to perfection.
Salt – A dash of salt brings balance and depth to the crust. If you prefer a saltier pie crust, feel free to add 1/4 teaspoon more salt to the recipe!
Vegan Butter – The star of this vegan pie crust recipe is vegan butter! Vegan butter sticks (opens in a new tab) work best, but a vegan butter spread like Earth Balance (opens in a new tab) also works.
Cold Water – The cold water (or almond milk) softens the dough and brings it together. I used 4 Tablespoons, but 3 Tablespoons will create an ever-so-slightly drier dough if that’s preferred.
How to Make Vegan Pie Crust (5 Easy Steps)
Making this Vegan Pie Crust is SO easy! Here’s how to whip it up in no time at all:
- Mix the dry ingredients.
- Add in cold, chopped vegan butter and mix until coated evenly.
- Slowly add in cold water until dough is evenly crumbly.
- Roll into a ball, refrigerate, and flatten with a rolling pin.
- Press into a pie pan and refrigerate for later or bake!
Vegan Pie Dough variations
Making a Gluten-Free Vegan Pie Crust
This Vegan Pie Crust is already dairy free, but it can easily also be made gluten free. Using a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour (opens in a new tab) is the best option! Another option is to use almond flour instead of all-purpose, although the results tend to be a bit drier rather than flaky. Here’s a great article for how to substitute almond flour for all-purpose flour (opens in a new tab) in baking recipes!
Making Vegan Pie Crust With Coconut Oil
Another option is to use coconut oil (opens in a new tab) in vegan pie crust rather than vegan butter. While vegan butter adds that delicious buttery taste, coconut oil is a great alternative!
The key to making coconut oil work in a pie crust is to make sure that it is VERY cold throughout the entire process before baking. This is a little trickier with coconut oil vs vegan butter, but is definitely possible. Simply make sure that you start with cold, solid coconut oil and continue to place the dough in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes throughout the process!
Dairy Free Pie Crust Recipe Tips
Keep the Butter Cold
From the time you start the recipe to right before you bake it, it’s important to keep the butter as cold as possible in the dough. This is what makes that delicious flaky crust we’re going for!
A few ways to do this is to wash your hands with cold water before starting, cut the butter on a cutting board that’s been in the refrigerator, and place the dough in the fridge for a few minutes throughout the process if it seems like it’s warming up too much.
Use a Food Processor
Another option is to use a food processor (opens in a new tab) for making the dough! This can be really helpful for keeping the butter cold (as working with your hands will warm it up quicker). Simply pulse the food processor to chop up the butter, then add in the mixed dry ingredients and continue to pulse. Add in the cold water 1 Tablespoon at a time, pulsing until the dough is crumbly but begins sticking together!
Transfer Pie Crust With a Rolling Pin
Once you’ve flattened the vegan pie dough into a disk, use a very lightly floured rolling pin to wrap the dough over. Then simply unroll it over the pie dish, guiding it as you unroll.
Form the Edges
No one is saying your pie crust has to be pretty. But bonus points if it is! You can use a fork to form ridges around the edges of the pie crust (super quick and easy). Another method is to use your index finger to flute the edges, gently wrapping the dough around your finger to create the flute!
Blind Bake with Weights
Whether you’re fully pre-baking the pie crust (for no-bake pie filling) or partially baking the pie crust, it does help to blind bake with pie weights! (opens in a new tab) However, it’s not a requirement and/or you can use a fork to poke a few holes in the bottom to keep it from rising in the oven.
Wrap Edges with Foil
After 15 minutes of baking the pie crust, it’s import to wrap the edges with foil or a pie shield (opens in a new tab) to keep them from burning!
Make the Pie Crust Ahead of Time
To make your vegan pie crust ahead of time, simply wrap the pie dough in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe airtight container. Refrigerate or freeze!
Vegan Pie Dough Variations
- Whole Wheat Vegan Pie Dough: Swap out half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour for a healthier option. This variation adds extra fiber and works beautifully with savory pies like vegan pot pie or vegetable quiche!
- Gluten-Free Vegan Pie Crust: Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (opens in a new tab) in place of regular flour to easily make this pie crust gluten-free.
- Almond Flour Vegan Pie Crust: Substitute half of the all-purpose flour with almond flour to create a slightly sweet and nutty crust. This variation pairs wonderfully with fruit pies and adds a rich texture to your desserts!
- Coconut Oil Vegan Pie Dough: Feel free to replace the vegan butter with solid coconut oil for another dairy-free crust option.
How to Store Vegan Pie Crust
There are many ways to store vegan pie crust! Here’s how to store it and how long it will last:
Pre-Baked Crust – A pre-baked crust can be lightly wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Refrigerator – Vegan pie dough can be wrapped and placed in an airtight container to keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezer – To store vegan pie dough, wrap tightly and place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then move to the freezer and store for up to 6 months!
The best fillings for this Easy Vegan Pie Crust
Want to know what to fill your delicious vegan pie crust with? Here are a few ideas for the best pie fillings for this type of crust!
- Pumpkin Pie
- Pecan Pie
- Chocolate Hazelnut Pie
- Apple Pie
- Blueberry Pie
More Vegan Recipes You’ll Love
- Healthy Apple Crisp Recipe
- The BEST Vegan Caramel Sauce
- Easy Fluffy Pecan Pie Pancakes
- Vegan Cranberry Ginger Crumble Fruit Bake
- Vegan Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to give it a rating below and tag your photos @jar.of.lemons! (opens in a new tab)
Easy Vegan Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup vegan butter (opens in a new tab) (8 Tablespoons, cold)
- 3-4 Tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Mix the flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Keeping the butter as cold as possible, cut it into small 1/4-1/2 inch pieces.
- Mix the butter into the dry ingredients until evenly coated and distributed.
- Mix in the cold water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, until the dough is crumbly but begins to stick together.
- Form the dough into two balls (for two pie crusts), wrap, and refrigerate for 10-15 minute (or more, if possible).
- Use a rolling pin to flatten each pie crust one at a time, creating a 11-12 inch disk.
- Gently transfer the pie crust to a 9-inch pie pan and press down.
- Use a knife to cut the excess crust around the edges and form the edges to desired shape.
- Refrigerate until ready to fill with pie filling and bake (according to pie recipe directions)!
Pre-Baked Pie Crust
- For a pie recipe that calls for a pre-baked crust, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Line the pie crust with parchment paper and add pie weights or dry beans.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from oven and carefully wrap the edges with foil.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Bake for another 40-45 minutes.
- Fill with no-bake pie filling and enjoy!
Notes
Tips for Success:
- Keep butter cold
- Use a food processor
- Transfer pie crust with rolling pin
- Use pie weights and a pie shield if necessary
How to Store:
- Pre-Baked Crust – A pre-baked crust can be lightly wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator – Vegan pie dough can be wrapped and placed in an airtight container to keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer – To store vegan pie dough, wrap tightly and place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 1 hour, then move to the freezer and store for up to 6 months!
Nutrition
Did you make this? I’d love to see!
Tag me on socials at @JarOfLemons (opens in a new tab) or #JarOfLemons (opens in a new tab)
Super simple and easy to make. Perfect if you’re in a pinch too!
Thanks, Willow! 🙂
I love this recipe! I’ve used it a couple times now and it’s great for both sweet and savory vegan pies. I usually use cold almond milk instead of water and it turns out wonderful. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed this! Thanks for making it!
Love how easy this is!
This vegan pie crust is amazing! They cant believe its vegan.