Description

This flaky vegan pie crust recipe delivers a tender, buttery crust without any dairy or eggs, ideal for both sweet and savory pies. Made with chilled vegan butter and a touch of vegan buttermilk, it achieves a perfect flaky texture and can be prepared with either a food processor or by hand. The crust can be blind-baked or baked with fillings, making it versatile for various pie recipes.

Ingredients

Scale

Vegan Buttermilk

80 ml non-dairy milk (chilled)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Pie Crust

320 g plain flour
235 g vegan block butter (chilled, cut into cubes)
1 teaspoon sea salt

For Glazing and Optional

2 tablespoons vegan butter (for glazing)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)

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Instructions

Prepare Vegan Buttermilk: Combine chilled non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar in a bowl. Place the bowl in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until the mixture is icy cold to mimic traditional buttermilk.
Prepare Pie Tin: Lightly grease a 9-inch pie tin with oil or vegan butter. Dust with flour and gently tap out any excess, leaving a light coating. Optionally, add a parchment round to the base.
Make Dough Using Food Processor: Add flour and sea salt to the food processor and pulse for about a minute until mixed. Add cold vegan butter cubes and pulse until the mixture is roughly combined, about 20 seconds. Slowly pour in the icy vegan buttermilk while pulsing, incorporating the liquid in 5-10 seconds without overmixing.
Make Dough by Hand: In a large bowl, combine flour and sea salt. Add cold vegan butter cubes and rub in with fingertips using the rubbing-in method until mixture is crumbly but with some lumps. Gradually add vegan buttermilk in two parts, bringing the dough together carefully with hands. If the dough feels too wet, add a few tablespoons more flour. Shape dough into two discs for double crust or one disc for single. Wrap discs in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Preheat Oven: Set your oven to fan 190°C (374°F) or conventional 210°C (410°F). Preheat an aluminum baking tray or sheet inside.
Roll Out Dough: Remove dough from fridge and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. For double crust, divide dough into two portions, reserving the larger part for the bottom. On a floured surface, roll dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Fold dough over and roll again 4 times, dusting with flour as needed, then roll out once final time to a circumference larger than the pie tin.
Place Dough in Pie Tin: Carefully lift rolled dough onto the pie tin using your rolling pin. Gently press dough into the base and sides without stretching. Trim excess dough around edges with scissors. Crimp edges by pressing with a fork. Pierce holes in the base with a fork.
Add Filling and Top Crust (if applicable): For baked fillings, roll out second dough disc. Add your pie filling (e.g., apple or cherry), place top crust over filling, trim edges, and crimp to seal. Melt vegan butter and brush over top crust. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Blind-Bake Crust (if needed): For unbaked fillings, cut parchment paper circle slightly larger than pie tin and scrunch it. Place parchment on dough, fill with pie weights or dried pulses. Place pie on preheated baking tray and par-bake for 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights, then continue baking 15-20 minutes until golden. Cool completely before removing from tin.
Storage: Freeze uncooked dough in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before use. Alternatively, wrap dough tightly and refrigerate up to 3 days prior to baking.

Notes

This recipe makes enough for a 9-inch double pie crust. For a single bottom crust, make ¾ of the recipe.
Do not overmix dough to maintain flakiness; leaving lumps of butter is beneficial.
Rolling and folding the dough multiple times improves texture and layering.
Blind-baking is essential for pies with unbaked fillings to prevent soggy crusts.
Use vegan butter to keep the crust entirely plant-based.