Vegetarian Gluten Free Flaky Pie Crust
A truly flaky, buttery pie crust has long felt out of reach for anyone avoiding gluten, but this recipe closes that gap in a serious way. The combination of white rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch creates a tender, layered base, while xanthan gum holds everything together so the dough rolls out cleanly without falling apart. Frozen butter cut into coarse crumbs is the real secret here — those small, cold pockets of fat are what produce those coveted flaky layers once the crust hits the oven. A cold egg and a splash of apple cider vinegar round out the liquid mixture, giving the dough just enough structure and a subtle depth of flavor. Rolling the chilled disk between two sheets of parchment makes the whole process far less stressful than you'd expect, and any cracked edges are easy to press back together as you go. The result is a crisp, golden shell that holds its shape beautifully and tastes like the real thing — because for all practical purposes, it is.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
For the crust
- 1 cup white rice flour
- ½ cup tapioca starch
- ¼ cup potato starch
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ¾ tsp fine salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and frozen for 15 minutes
- 1 large egg, cold
- 2–3 tbsp ice water
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- 1
Whisk together the white rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, xanthan gum, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl until evenly combined.
- 2
Add the frozen butter cubes to the flour mixture and cut them in with a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter pieces still visible throughout.
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