How to make easy vegan pie crust in the food processor (or by hand) in 15 minutes or less! This pie crust is flaky, tender and delicious. No one would guess it’s free of animal products!
Don’t be intimidated by pie crust! I’ll show you how to make homemade vegan pie crust from scratch in no time at all.
This is a classic pie crust recipe, vegan and perfect for all your baking needs! I’ve made the process easier by utilizing the food processor, but you can make it by hand if you prefer.
How do you make vegan pie crust in the food processor?
It couldn’t be easier! First off, you must measure 1/4 cup (or 4 tablespoons) of vegan butter and vegetable shortening. Refrigerate it ahead of time, at least 30 minutes, so that it is very cold when you’re ready to begin. The cold fat is very important to achieving a tender, flaky pie crust, so don’t skip this part!
- First, add the flour, sugar and salt to the food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Add the cold cubed vegan butter and pieces of vegetable shortening.
- Process about 10 seconds, until it looks like a coarse meal.
- While the processor is running, add a few tablespoons of ice water, until it begins to clump together.
On a lightly floured surface, work the dough into a ball, but don’t use your hands too long or it will warm up the fat, which you don’t want.
Roll it out to about 12 inches in diameter.
Transfer the dough to pie plate. I do this by wrapping the dough around my rolling pin, and then quickly and carefully transferring it.
Don’t worry if it’s not perfect! Mine usually looks something like the photo below, kind of a mess. Simply push it into the pie plate, gently. Trim off any excess, and replace any broken areas.
Flute the edges or make another special edge. This tutorial is so helpful!
My Best Tips for a delicious vegan pie crust:
- Make sure everything is very cold when you start. You can even put the pieces of the food processor that will touch the dough in the fridge for awhile before you begin. The cold fat is essential to a delicious pie crust!
- Use a combination of vegan butter and vegetable shortening – The vegan butter gives a buttery flavor, while the shortening helps the structure of the crust. I recommend Earth Balance brand of vegan butter, it has the best flavor.
- Don’t use your hands too much at all! Again, you don’t want to warm things up. And don’t over mix.
- Use just enough ice water to where it comes together, not too much or you will have a mess. When you can squeeze it in your hand it’s done, though it will look a bit crumbly.
That’s it! For a gluten free crust, check out my Gluten Free Pie Crust made with almond flour.
Use this pie crust for Vegan Pumpkin Pie.
Easy Vegan Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vegan butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold and into a few pieces
- 3-4 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Make sure your vegan butter and shortening are very cold before starting. Refrigerate along with the shortening for at least 30 minutes.
- Add flour, sugar and salt to food processor with the "S" blade. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Add cold vegan butter and shortening. Process for about 10 seconds, until it looks like a coarse meal (see photos above for reference).
- Now while the food processor is running, drizzle in 3 tablespoons of ice cold water. When it begins to clump together, stop. You may need to add 1 more tablespoon ice water for it to come together.
- Dump the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a ball. Don't use your hands too much or it will warm the dough, which will make your pie crust less flaky and light.
- Roll the dough with a rolling pin to about a 12 inch circle, and transfer to a pie plate. I usually wrap it gently around my rolling pin and then carefully transfer it. Don't panic if it's not perfect, you can fix it in the pie plate!
- Gently push the pie crust all around the dish, trimming off any excess and replacing any spots that need repair. See this tutorial for fluting the edges and making other special pie edges.
- It's now ready to use immediately, or refrigerate until you are ready to use. Simply double the recipe for 2 pie crusts (top and bottom).
To make by hand:
- If you don't want to use a food processor, you can make the pie crust by hand. Simply whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add the cold butter and shortening. Use a pastry cutter or fork to cut it in, then drizzle in the ice water and stir until the dough comes together.
How to pre-bake a pie crust
- For a recipe that calls for a pre-baked pie crust, follow these instructions. If possible, freeze the pie crust lined in the pie plate for 30 minutes. This will help it not shrink down when it bakes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the crust has been frozen for 30 minutes, line it with aluminum foil or parchment paper (foil is easier to work with). Fill the crust to the top with sugar, or dried beans, pie weights or rice.
- Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes for a pie that will cook further in the oven. For no-bake filling pies, bake for 60-70 minutes. Cool before filling.
- Instructions for baking pie crust will depend on the pie's specific recipe, but these are general instructions for pre-baking pie crust.
Notes
- Nutrition information is for 1/8th of the crust.
- Make ahead - After making the dough, roll into a ball or shape into a patty and wrap well in plastic wrap or other food wrap. Refrigerate for up to 3 days or place in the freezer for up to 3 months (if going in the freezer, also place in a freezer bag or container). Make sure to let the dough come to room temperature before rolling out so that it doesn't crumble.
Thank you Nora for these wonderful recipes! I had no idea there were so many super everyday dishes that can be done the vegan way!
Keep up the good work.
You are welcome! Thanks for using my recipes! I appreciate you taking time to share your review!
amazing!!!!! Everyone loves them. Thank you for this great recipe ?
I’m so glad you are loving the pie crust! Thank you for sharing your fantastic review!
Thank you, very clear instructions.
Should I bake it before adding the apples, if so, for how long?
Hi Will. No need to pre-bake the crust. I use this crust in my apple pie recipe. Hope this helps!
Do you have a cookbook Nora?
I don’t have a hardcover cookbook yet, but I have a couple of ebooks. 🙂
Did I somewhere miss the time and temp fir baking?
Hi Bridget. If you would like to pre-bake the crust, bake it at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes, but I would use pie weights so the edges don’t shrink and fall. I hope this helps!
I cant find vegetable shortening. Is there anything else I could use instead
More vegan butter works just fine.
Hi Nora! Can I make this crust recipe ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for say about 3-4 days?
That should be fine, yes. You could also make it and freeze it if it will be more than a few days. Thanks!
I had basically given up on pie crust since my husband made the switch to vegan eating. I was consistently frustrated with tough, pale crusts. This crust is it! It’s perfect and easy.
Hi Kmbarre. I”m glad the crust worked out well for you! Thank you!
What brand of vegetable shortening do you recommend? Thank you so much. It looks like a winner!
I like Spectrum brand the best, but I have used others and they all work the same. Thanks!
How many mini pies do you think one batch of this crust would cover?
I’m aiming for 24 in total (tops and bottoms to use for your vegan pot pie recipe!)
I haven’t tried it, but I’m going to guess you will need to make a double batch for 24 mini pies. Not 100% sure though! That sounds super fun and yummy, hope you love it. You could always make two, and freeze whatever you don’t use for another day.
Will this work for a Just Egg based quiche? And will I need to blind bake before adding my filling? Thanks
Yes, I would blind bake the crust, if you don’t it will be a bit mushy on the bottom. I just made a Just Egg quiche and it was so good! Enjoy.
Delicious and flakey! I had never made a pie crust (vegan or not) and this was so easy to make and tasted so good for my pecan pie!
Hi Brit. So glad the pie crust worked well for you! Thank you!
Fabulous!!!!! Works every time!
Thanks Lynne. I’m glad the pie crust recipe is working well for you!
Fantastic recipe. So easy to work with. Thank you Nora!
You’re welcome!
Is it possible to substitute coconut sugar for the sugar without compromising taste? I made this recipe and the pumpkin filling for thanksgiving and it’s amazing!!
Oh yes, that would be totally fine! I’m so glad to hear that!
Wow, just lovely and pulls together nice and quickly! I used Miyoko’s brand vegan butter (cashew based, I believe) and no shortening but it was not an issue. Light, flaky and gorgeous! This is my first ever pie crust and I’m already making a double batch to freeze and have on hand when the mood calls. Thanks, Nora!
Wonderful Autumn! I haven’t tried it with Miyoko’s yet but I’ll have to, I love that vegan butter. Thank you!
Made this for a pot pie, it is flaky and delicious!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. It’s so flaky. 🙂
Perfect and easy to follow Recipe. I will likely add a little extra sugar for sweet pies and keep the recipe as-is for savory pies. Loved it!
Every year I try a new recipe that works with my food allergies and this was the year’s pick. No more searching for the perfect recipe because this is it! Flaky and delicious it complimented the pie filling perfectly. Thank you Nora!
Can I use this for apple pie?
Yes, I use it in my apple pie recipe.
can I use a blender if I do not have a food processor?
It won’t work in a blender (too thick) but you can follow the instructions and do it by hand.
Can I blind bake this at 350? With pie weights and foil, how long would I blind bake this?
Yes, you can. Blind bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees for pies with no bake fillings.
Is this for deep dish? For the vegan pumpkin pie recipe?
No, it’s just for a regular 9 inch pie dish.
can i use double earth balance if i dont have shortening
Yes.
I modified a bit – gluten-free flour blend and a bit of apple sauce
How much applesauce did you use? I would like to make this gluten-free and may also try the almond flour recipe.