Easy Vegan Pie Crust

This is the absolute best easy vegan pie crust recipe. Full disclosure, I cannot take all of the credit for this recipe. My Grandma Pauline is the one who created it, and I have made only a few adjustments over the years. 

Making homemade pie crust sounds intimidating, but I promise you it’s not! This recipe proves that you can make the perfect flaky crust for any pie from scratch in under an hour.

This flaky pie crust is VERSATILE. It can be used for fruit pies like this Pumpkin Pie recipe, tarts like my Vegan Lemon Bars or savory pies like my Vegetable Pot Pie. This crust is also perfect for my Vegan Quiche recipe

For more easy and delicious vegan desserts try these Apple Pie Crumble Bars, Vegan Snickerdoodles, or Vegan Banana Walnut Cake. 

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Simple ingredients – This easy pie crust comes together with just 4 basic ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry. So much tastier than store-bought crust and no need for hard-to-find ingredients.
• Versatile – This easy recipe can be used for desserts like apple pie or main dishes like my vegetable pot pie.
• Perfectly flaky – This recipe comes out light and flaky every time!

 Ingredients

• Flour – I prefer all-purpose flour. Grandma’s recipe calls for sifting the flour, but I skip this step.
• Vegetable Shortening – I use Crisco, but any vegetable shortening works. You can swap for vegan butter, but make sure it is COLD butter.
• White sugar – Reduce the amount if you want a less-sweet-tasting crust, but I don’t find the sweetness to be overbearing at all as is.
• Ice water – COLD water. I don’t know why this makes a difference, but it does. I usually throw a few ice cubes into the measuring cup with the water.
• Salt – Just a pinch is needed for this recipe!

Helpful Equipment

In addition to measuring cups and spoons, the following equipment is helpful for this recipe:

• Rolling pin
• Large mixing bowl (optional)
• Silicone baking mat (optional)
• 9-inch pie dish

How to Make Easy Vegan Pie Crust

​This is a detailed step-by-step guide on how to make this recipe, including photographs. For the quick version, skip ahead to the recipe card below!

Prep Your Work Surface

Start by prepping your work surface. I like to use a silicone baking mat for easy clean-up, but if you don’t have one, parchment paper taped to the counter works just as well. Or, if you are brave enough for the clean-up, work right on the counter. 

Mix the Dry Ingredients

Pour the flour onto a clean work surface and make a small well in the center. Add the salt and sugar and mix. Add the vegetable shortening and mix with your hands until the ingredients form a cohesive texture. The dough will still be very dry at this point.

 Add the Water

Now add the cold water a few splashes at a time, kneading throughout until the dough is consistent. This can take up to 5 minutes. If you have accidentally added too much water, no worries – just sprinkle a little flour and continue mixing until the right consistency is reached. 

Work the Dough

Continue working the dough to form a ball with the dough. Then, lightly flour the rolling pin and the working surface beneath the dough. Roll the dough flat to a uniform thickness of about 1/4 inch. You want to make sure the thickness is even to avoid uneven cooking.

Cut and Shape

Next, cut the dough to the appropriate diameter for your pie tin. I find a 12” diameter fits into my pie tin the best. At this size, I usually get either 4 bottom layers of crust (for a single crust pie like pumpkin or lemon tarts) or 2 bottom layers and 2 top layers (for double crust pies like pot pies).

Grease your pie pan with some shortening, then lay the rolled dough onto your pie plate and trim the excess dough.

Time to Bake

Bake the pie crust at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes or until golden brown, covering it with aluminum foil for the last few minutes to prevent the edges of the pie crust from burning.

Feel free to brush the top of the dough with melted vegan butter.

How to Store

• Fridge: If you don’t plan to bake the pie right away, you can store the dough in plastic wrap for up to 24 hours in the fridge.
• Freezer: You can also store it in an air-tight, freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Just make sure to thaw for 24 hours in the fridge before attempting to work the dough.

More Tips

• Not Vegan? Replace the vegetable shortening with butter at a 1:1 ratio.
• Gluten-Free? I’ve never tried this with a gluten-free flour blend, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Just be aware that you may need to adjust the amount of water used to achieve the right consistency.

FAQ