Pie crust is one of those recipes that a lot of people are intimidated to make from scratch. I get it! But trust me this is so easy, you don’t need to buy a frozen pie crust every time you want to make a pie. Besides… have you ever stopped to read the ingredients in store bought pie crusts? Eeek!
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Ingredients Breakdown
•Coconut oil: This recipe uses coconut oil to make it dairy free, and I recommend using a refined coconut oil as it had no distinct coconut taste. Although whichever fat you choose to use is the reason your crust gets tender and flaky! Pieces of fat combined with the flour mixture begin to release moisture when the pie goes into the oven. This creates steam, and this steam forms air pockets in the crust, creating a flaky final product.
•Apple cider vinegar: using vinegar provides a bit of insurance against overworking the dough. And if you choose to make your dough ahead of time, that splash of vinegar will keep your dough from oxidizing and turning gray.
•Salt & Sugar: The salt and sugar help add flavor to the pie crust. Salt is a crucial ingredient when it comes to making your own homemade pie crust, so don’t leave it out!
•Cold water: Don’t just use cold water straight from the tap. Simply add water to a glass with ice cubes and let sit for a minute. Since you start with cold fat, the ice-cold temperature of the water prevents the fat from warming and melting into the flour.
Add flour, salt, & sugar to a bowl or food processor. Add your cold solid coconut oil to your flour mixture and cut into the flour, using pastry cutter or fork, or quickly pulse in food processor. Do not over mix! You want a crumbly dough with pea sized clumps.
Add your apple cider vinegar & start adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time, you may not need it all. At this point, the crust should not be sticky at all but should easily gather together when pressed together. Mix any loose flour in lightly with your hands.
Gently form dough into a round disk, do not knead, just press it together. Evenly divide in half, form into balls and flatten into discs. Wrap each dough in plastic wrap or parchment paper and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before using.
Lightly flour your dough, as well as a rolling pin, and gently roll into a circle slightly larger than your pie pan, about 1/8-inch thick. Add more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Pie dough is fairly forgiving, if it cracks, just patch it up with slightly wet fingers. Place in pie plate and flute your pie edge, bake your pie crust according to the recipe you are using.
Notes:
Make sure your coconut oil is cold and solid. Store in the fridge or freezer before using.
Make sure your coconut oil is scoopable (in the state it typically is when you buy it at the store), not liquid. If it’s too liquidy and pourable, this will not work for the crust. To fix, set in refrigerator to fix. I recommend using refined coconut oil as it has no distinct coconut taste.
Having an ice cold bowl and pasty cutter can help keep everything cold while you mix
Always bake pie crust when it’s chilled to prevent shrinkage. I recommend rolling it out, adding your filling, and chilling for 10 minutes before baking.
To freeze, wrap dough in several layers of plastic wrap followed by foil or a freezer plastic bag. Pie dough may be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for a couple days, allow to come to room temperature before rolling it out.