Healthy gluten-free pie crust recipe using wheat-free, whole food ingredients and nourishing fats for a pastry shell that perfectly complements any filling.
While there a few decent pie crusts available to buy pre-made these days, I have yet to find a gluten-free one that I would feel comfortable serving my family or guests.
Thus, if you want a healthy pie crust that is also free of gluten, you are going to need to make it yourself.
It’s not as difficult as you might think. In fact, it’s quite easy!
Mine turns out perfectly using egg custard as the pie filling. Fruit fillings also work very well.
My secret weapon for the most digestible gluten-free pastry is to use gelatin as the binder.
This makes for a 100% healthy crust that is much easier on the stomach compared to commercial gluten-free pastries that use hard-to-digest gums like xanthan.
Gelatin is so much easier on the tummy and adds a bit of extra protein to boot!
Love this gluten-free pie crust? Try these other pie crust recipes I use in my home as well!
Healthy Gluten-free Pie Crust
Healthy gluten-free pie crust recipe using only whole food ingredients and nourishing fats for a pastry shell that complements any filling.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups sprouted gluten-free flour
- 6 Tbl butter cold
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 Tbl cane sugar preferably organic
- 1 tsp unflavored gelatin
- 4 tsp hot filtered water
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Equipment
Instructions
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Whisk together the flour, sugar, and sea salt.
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Cut each tablespoon of cold butter into small, 1/4" squares, then work or "cut" the butter into the flour mixture (all the butter at the same time) until it's crumbly. A few larger, pea-sized chunks of butter will still remain when you are finished. This is a helpful video on how to do this. You can use either your fingers, two knives, or a handheld pastry blender (easiest and fastest method).
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Dissolve the gelatin in the hot water in a small bowl. Stir until thoroughly blended.
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Whisk the beaten egg and gelatin mixture together until very foamy. Blend into the dry ingredients and mix until a thickened dough forms. I like to use lightly oiled hands to do this.
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Shape the dough into a ball and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or up to overnight.
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Remove dough from refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling it out.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F/ 190°C
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Lightly grease 9" pie pan.
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Roll out dough to about 1/8" (4 mm) thickness on a piece of unbleached parchment paper sprinkled with gluten free flour. Carefully invert the crust into the greased pie pan (I actually prefer to press out the crust with my hands directly in the greased glass pie pan).
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Pre-bake pie crust for 12-15 minutes or until the crust begins to toast slightly to a golden brown around the edges.
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Cool the crust until you can touch it comfortably before pouring in filling of choice and baking the pie as directed.
I have sprouted oats and sprouted brown rice, would one of those or a combination work for the crust?
Here’s how to blend https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/how-to-mix-and-use-gluten-free-flour/
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’ve never heard of gelatin in a crust recipe. Curious what the gelatin does to the crust?
Thank you!
Gelatin helps hold it together much like gluten does for wheat.
Not all crusts should be prebaked! Does this work when baked with the filling?
I think it works better pre-baked, but use it however you like.
This looks like the exact same recipe I use for apple pie. Only never thought of using the gelatin, so my pie tends to crumble a bit. I do use gelatin for my glutenfree pancakes, which works very well. So defenitely going to try this pie crust recipe with gelatin. Thank you Sarah!