Homemade Vegan Pie Crust

1. Stage

Cube and chill the plant butter: Cut the plant butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Place on a small plate and pop it in the freezer so it stays as cold as possible while you finish your prep. Put a large sheet of plastic wrap out on the counter so it’s ready for wrapping your disk of dough. That way you don’t have to wrangle around for plastic wrap later with sticky pie dough hands.

2. Stage

Prepare the ice water: If you don’t have ice, measure out the 6 tablespoons of water and chill it so it’s as cold as possible. Leave the tablespoon in the cup; you’ll use it later.

3. Stage

Combine the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.

4. Stage

Work in the fat: Get the plant butter out of the freezer and dump it into the bowl. Toss the pieces to coat in the flour mixture so they are not clumped together.  Using your fingertips, smoosh the fat into flakes and small pieces. If you’d rather not use your hands, use a pastry cutter. Don’t rush through this step. You are aiming to have flakes or pieces of butter no larger than the size of a pea. It’ll look like a crumbly mess, which is exactly as it should be.

5. Stage

Drizzle in the ice water: One tablespoon at a time, drizzle in the cold water and toss gently with your hands as if tossing a salad. You will not need all of the liquid.   Keep adding liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing and pressing together, until the dough resembles a rough, shaggy mass and keeps its shape when you squeeze a ball of it in your fist.  You’re not kneading the dough, per se; you’re just getting the water distributed so there are no dry, floury patches. Err on the side of slightly sticky rather than floury.

6. Stage

Lightly knead, then wrap in plastic: Lightly knead the dough just a few times so it forms a cohesive ball (I do this right in the bowl rather than on the counter). Then transfer it to the center of the plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk about 6 inches across, and wrap tightly.

7. Stage

Chill 30 minutes before rolling: The dough is often easier to handle once it’s rested for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

8. Stage

Roll out the dough: This is best done in a cool kitchen, which keeps the dough from breaking down and becoming fragile and greasy. If your kitchen is hot, consider working early in the morning, when it’s coolest. Generously flour a clean counter or pastry cloth. Dust the rolling pin and the dough itself on both sides well with flour. If the dough has been in the fridge for more than a few hours, let it sit out for 10 minutes before rolling it out. Working from the center of the dough, roll away from you and then toward you, rotating the disk of dough bit by bit as you roll. This helps keep it from sticking. Dust the dough and/or the counter with more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. To line a 9-inch pie dish, you’ll want a circle of dough at least 14 inches across. Brush the excess flour off the dough with a clean, dry pastry brush or your hand. Lift the rolled-out dough into the dish by rolling it up on the pin and letting it drape over the center of the dish. Some plant butters are more prone to making the dough crack or tear than others. If your dough seems brittle, just keep going and don’t worry about perfection. You can patch cracks with excess dough. Avoid pinching or mushing the patches together, as that can make the crust tough.

9. Stage

Shape the crust: Trim the excess from the sides of the pan. If you’d like to create a folded and pinched edge, leave about 1 inch of overhang. If the dough is too brittle to easily fold without it cracking, just trim it so the crust is even with the rim of the pan. To make a pinched crust, fold the overhang under the rim of the pan. Then use your thumb and forefinger to flute the edges.  To blind bake the crust (fully bake the crust without any filling), proceed as you would with any other pie dough. Love the recipe? Leave us stars below!