Seriously guys, this pie crust is pretty great. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but it’s the real freaking deal. Except that it’s not. Because it has no gluten, grains, dairy, eggs, nuts, or weird gums or additives. I’ve made this countless times now (more than I’d care to admit) in order to get the recipe just right and it has never failed me. And that would be saying a lot for a regular ol’ wheat filled pie crust. But this one is Autoimmune Protocol friendly!
This delicious crust is the same crust I use for my Pumpkin Pie, my Turkey Pot Pie, and my Cherry Vanilla Hand Pies. However, I think I’ve perfected the technique now. Because while this crust is delicious and has never failed me, it doesn’t act exactly like gluten-filled crust. It can get a little crumbly and is a bit more delicate so you have to be a little gentle with it.
Most traditional pie crust recipes will have you chill the butter or shortening before cutting it into the dough. And they will have you chill the dough before rolling it out as well. Apparently it has something to do with the fat not melting until it gets into the oven so that it creates air pockets which makes it all flaky and junk. I believe I talked about this in my original Pumpkin Pie post. However, I’ve found that the dough is almost impossible to work with when it’s chilled and that it doesn’t really make a difference either way as far as the flakiness of the crust.
- 1½ cups tapioca flour
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 Tbs gelatin
- ¾ cup plus 2 Tbs palm shortening
- 2 Tbs applesauce
- 2 Tbs water
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Combine flour, salt and gelatin in a mixing bowl
- Cut shortening into flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until it is the size of peas
- Add applesauce, water and vinegar and mix with a spoon until combined
- Roll out dough between two pieces of parchment
- To place in pie pan, remove top layer of parchment, place the pan upside down in the center of the dough and then carefully flip the pan over holding on to the dough
- Remove the remaining layer of parchment paper and gently press the dough into the pan, repairing any cracks as necessary
- Trim excess dough from around the pan and shape the edges as desired
- Using a fork, poke holes in the bottom of the crust
- Bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes (note: it will not brown as much as a traditional pie crust)
So scratch the chilling part and just get on with your pie-crust-making endeavors. That way you can get to your pie-eating endeavors that much sooner! Sounds like a win to me!
In vibrant health,
Kiersten
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m wanting to use it for pumpkin pie. Two questions: is lard the same thing as shortening? I have lard…and, can I use mashed banana in place of the applesauce? Thank you!!!
Lard is not the same as shortening. The shortening I use is from palm oil and is not made from hydrogenated oils. However, I would think lard would also work since it is similar in texture but I’ve never tried it. Same with the mashed banana… I’ve never tried it but I would imagine it would work. Let me know if you try those changes!
There isn’t enough hyperbole in the world for me to describe how much I love this crust. Thank you!!! I’m AIP to heal from a TBI, and I’ve longed for chicken pot pie worth eating. This crust is amazing.
Thank you so much! I’m SO glad you love it! I think that’s so wonderful that you’re using AIP to heal from a TBI. It’s amazing how powerful food is in the healing process and so many people just don’t get that.
I can’t wait to try this! I want to make a persimmon pie. Would I bake for the 18-22 minutes then fill with the filling and bake more, or would I add the filling when uncooked and put it in the oven assembled from the start? Thanks!
I would add the filling when uncooked and then bake it all together. Otherwise you may end up with burned upper crust and no one wants that! Let me know how it goes.. I’ve never had a persimmon before so I can’t even imagine what this would be like.
Thank you so much for this recipe. I was dubious at first, but found the ‘pastry’ quite easy to work with. I used it to make mini christmas fruit mince pies & they’re fantastic. Hold together well and taste buttery just like my mum used to make. An AIP Christmas success…
I’ve never had a mince pie before but it sounds wonderful! So glad you had success with it 🙂
I’ve never made homemade pie crust, but I wanted one for a paleo chocolate pecan pie I was making for Christmas. This was PERFECT with it. Thank you!
Mmmmm that chocolate pecan pie sounds heavenly! So glad the crust worked well for you 🙂
Can I cut out the coconut flour?( Allergic to it)
Unfortunately the coconut flour is necessary for the crust. If you need a coconut free AIP pie crust I recommend checking out thepaleomom.com!
Can I use coconut oil in place of the palm oil? I have that at home now but do not have palm oil.
I haven’t tried it so I can’t guarantee the texture will be the same, but I’d imagine it would work okay.
For making fruit pies, like cherry or blueberry, would you recommend precooking the crust then adding the filling? I am wanting to make sure the crust wouldn’t be gooey if cooked all together.
When I’ve made fruit pies I haven’t precooked the crust and it worked out fine (see my Cherry Hand Pies recipe. But let me know how it works for you!
I love this recipe. I have made it probably close to 100 times. Recently, even though I have not altered the recipe at all, it is coming out tough and chewy instead of flaky. I use spectrum shortening, Bob’s tapioca, Arrowhead coconut flour, Vital Proteins gelatin, 365 applesauce and Bragg’s ACV. Have you ever had this experience or heard of it happening to other people? I am wondering if it is something to do with the method. The last batch was a triple batch, so I wonder if the liquids are clumping in one place? The dough seems the same though.
I did try one time making a gelatin egg with the gelatin and boiling water and the crust was so crumbly it completely fell apart, although compared to tough and chewy I would prefer that outcome.
I should also mention that I make the crust into crackers by baking flat and scored on parchment on a heavy non-stick baking sheet. I bake for about 11 minutes at 350*.
These are my staple source of carbs and I eat them with cooked apples or pate or soup or just plain. I really want them to be flaky again!
Can collagen powder be used instead of gelatin powder? If not, is there anything else I could use instead?
Collagen wouldn’t work the same as gelatin. I’ve heard from other people who’ve made the recipe that you can leave out the gelatin though. Let me know how it works!
Did I roll it out too thin!:( it stuck to the parchment paper and wouldn’t come off unless scraped.
Rolling it thin does seem to make it stick more. But you can also sprinkle the parchment with tapioca flour to help it not stick too. And if you use wet hands to handle the dough, that helps as well.
I took out the gelatin and they are much better. Not sure why you never moderated my comment or replied to it, but I figured it out myself.
Sorry, it’s a busy time of year. I’m glad you figured it out!
Any thoughts on a sub for the palm shortening? Coconut butter or oil maybe? I don’t have any and hoping to make this for dinner tomorrow night 🙂
I’ve used both coconut oil and butter before. Neither works as good as palm shortening, but both work okay.