Gluten-Free Pie Crust for the Freezer
Are you looking for a way to get ahead on Thanksgiving prep this fall? This gluten-free pie crust for the freezer is exactly what you need!
This fall, I have one big focus: Make Thanksgiving easy without compromising quality.
The main way to do that? Plan ahead. It’s just as true for Thanksgiving as it is for everything else, like meal planning.
That’s why I’m freezing pumpkin pie filling and, now, gluten-free pie crust.
Why not just buy pre-made pie crust?
That would be easy if only it were that easy.
While you can buy rolled-up, refrigerated pie crust at nearly any grocery store, finding good, pre-made gluten-free pie crust isn’t that easy.
I’m sure there are grocery stores out there that carry good varieties, but not in our area.
The one I did find once tasted terrible and fell apart even while it was still frozen.
Remember, this isn’t just about making Thanksgiving easy; it’s about doing it without compromising quality.
So here we are, making gluten-free pie crust for the freezer.
Fortunately, it’s an easy recipe – especially if you have a food processor.
How to Make Freezer-Friendly Gluten-Free Pie Crust
As you can tell from the video below, putting it together is simple, but there are a few caveats.
- We use the food processor to cut in the butter because, unlike with gluten-containing flour, the method of butter cutting doesn’t have much effect on the flakiness of the crust. This is nice actually because the food processor makes it easy!
- In the video, I used King Arthur gluten-free baking mix to prove it could be done since it’s widely available at grocery stores. However, it’s not ideal. Ideally, you would sub 1/3 cup of the baking mix or homemade gluten-free flour mix for sweet rice flour. The sweet rice flour will add viscosity to your pie crust and nearly eliminate the cracking you see in the video when the thawed pie crust is unrolled.
- But even with the cracking, the dough “squishes” back together easily, so I didn’t find it to be detrimental to the recipe.
- It’s important to use only enough flour and not too much. You’ll notice that as we roll the pie crust out, we sprinkle a little flour on in order to keep the rolling pin from sticking to the dough, but you don’t want to use too much because a drier dough is much more likely to crack and break.
- You can, of course, use this pie crust right away instead of freezing it. No biggie! Although I tend to use this quick and easy pie crust recipe if I’m using it as soon as I make it because it allows me to avoid the rolling pin.
- We’ve used this recipe to make classic pumpkin pie, pecan pie, lemon meringue pie, and last week, Dutch Apple Pie, and so many more – oh! I almost forgot – it’s great for chicken pot pie as well! Pie crust is for more than dessert, after all.
If you’re new to gluten-free baking, you will definitely find this different from using wheat, but luckily, you’re starting with a very simple recipe, and the video should help you with any troubleshooting you may encounter.
Happy pie crust freezing!
Gluten-Free Pie Crust for the Freezer
Here is a great way to get ahead- make your own gluten free pie crust and freeze it for the next time you need a pie!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free flour – I used King Arthur Gluten-free flour mix, and if I have it, sub 1/3 cup of that with sweet rice flour.
- 3/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 cup butter (one stick)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 11” wide parchment paper pieces (this is the size you need for a 9” pie plate)
Instructions
- Add flour and salt to a food processor or bowl
- Add butter by the tablespoon
- Pulse to cut in butter until it looks like crumbs, or use a pastry blender or fork to achieve the same
- Add eggs and milk and mix, or pulse until a dough ball forms
- Remove dough from bowl and divide in half
- Sprinkle parchment with additional flour
- Add dough and roll out to an 11” circle, sprinkling with flour as necessary to avoid dough sticking to utensils
- Gently roll up dough, place in a zip-top baggie, and freeze
- I put mine in box to make sure the dough doesn’t get squished until it’s frozen solid
To use:
- Let dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator if possible, then bring to room temperature, still wrapped up, on your countertop.
- Remember that your dough will be much easier to work with, and less likely to break if it’s warm rather than cold. That cold butter makes it stiff!
- If you’re in a hurry and/or forgot to thaw it in the fridge overnight, let it thaw completely on the counter top for a few hours.
- Unroll, and flip into a pie plate, trim and crimp edges, and use with your favorite pie recipe
- Enjoy!
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