Easy Vegan Pie Crust

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The best tender, buttery, and flaky vegan pie crust recipe. Easy to make and works for both sweet and savory pies. Instructions for a single-crust and a double-crust are included!

Jump to:

• 🥧 Ingredients
• 📋 Instructions
• 💭 Top Tip
• 🥧 Blind Baking
• ⏲️ Make Ahead
• ❄️ Freezing
• Recipe
• Comments

Once you learn how to make your own vegan pie crust, you'll never buy storebought again! This recipe is super easy, can be made ahead of time and frozen, and is so melt-in-your-mouth flaky and tender.

You may even be here because you can't find a storebought pie crust without lard or dairy-free. There are a few out there, but honestly...I haven't found any that I like.

It only takes about 10 minutes to make homemade pie crust, and with my top tip on how to easily roll out the dough, you will be set up for success! You can use this pie crust for savory recipes like pot pie, or sweet ones like apple pie, pumpkin pie, and vegan pecan pie.

For a gluten-free crust, try the almond flour crust I used in this tart recipe.

🥧 Ingredients

Simple ingredients for the most delicious vegan pie crust! The full recipe with ingredient amounts is in the recipe card below.

• Flour: All-purpose.
• Baking powder: Adds a little lift to the crust for extra flakiness.
• Sugar and salt: Depth and flavor.
• Vegan butter: Cold and cut into slices or cubes! I like Earth Balance Buttery Sticks because it's easy to cut into cubes. Cold butter is crucial for a flakey crust.
• Ice water: Add water and ice to a little bowl or cup. Super cold water is crucial to keep the vegan butter marbled into the pie crust, and not melted.

📋 Instructions

I like to make pie crust in a food processor because it's a lot quicker and easier. If you do not have a food processor, you can use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut the butter in. Printable instructions are in the recipe card below.

1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
2. Pulse in the chunks of vegan butter until it forms a sandy texture.
3. Pulse in water, adding more as needed until it can form into a ball. To prevent it from being too sticky, add in a tablespoon of water at a time. If still dry and crumbly, add a bit more ice water.
4. Split the dough into two halves, roll each into a ball, and press into discs.
5. Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper.
6. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. You can leave it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months. If you chill the crust for longer than an hour, let it sit out at room temperature for about 10 or 15 minutes before rolling out.
7. Roll out the dough on a floured surface to fit the size of your pie dish. Place in the pie dish, then cut off the excess crust and crimp the edges. (See some different ways to crimp!)
8. Bake per your pie recipe instructions (this may vary depending on the type of pie.) See below for instructions on blind baking a pie crust.

💭 Top Tip

It can be SO frustrating when the pie crust sticks to the surface you are rolling it out on. To make life easier, roll the crust between two pieces of wax paper. (Don't forget to sprinkle flour on top of the paper and the dough!) Carefully peel the top piece of wax paper off, then take the wax paper the crust is still sitting on, and flip it over top of your pie pan. Peel off that paper, then press the pie crust into the pan. Magic!

Trying to go vegan? Sign up for our (FREE) Vegan Beginner's Guide!

🥧 Blind Baking

A recipe may call for either fully or partially baking a pie crust without the filling.

Par-baked: Par-baking is useful when the pie filling bakes faster than the crust does.

Fully baked: A recipe will call for fully baking a pie crust when you're making a no-bake pie, like chocolate pie.

1. The first step for either a par-baked or fully baked pie crust is to refrigerate the crust for about 30 minutes after adding it to the pan and getting the edges how you like them. This helps prevent the pie crust from shrinking.
2. Second, dock the dough. Simply take a fork and poke some holes in the bottom. This allows steam to escape and reduces your chances of an air bubble forming under the crust.
3. Next, add weight. Line the dough with parchment paper, then add in pie weights. If you don't have pie weights, dried beans will work perfectly. This will help prevent any puffing up of the crust as it bakes.
4. For a par-baked crust, bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until the edges have begun to brown. Remove the parchment paper and weights after 10 minutes.
5. For a fully-baked crust, follow the same instructions, but bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the bottom is golden brown.

⏲️ Make Ahead

You absolutely can make the dough ahead of time! Store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. See below for freezing instructions.

If you want to make extra pie dough, don't overload the food processor. Make no more than a double crust at a time.

❄️ Freezing

Freezing pie dough is a great way to batch cook and prepare for the holidays!

After forming the dough into discs, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store in a freezer bag or an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe