Flaky Vegan Pie Crust

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Chill time: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 pie crust

This is an easy vegan pie crust recipe made with margarine and oil, instead of Crisco or solid shortening. And since it has just a tiny touch of sugar, this pie crust is indeed perfect for both savory pies and sweet dessert pies. Store-bought pie crusts are not all vegan-friendly, so making a homemade one ensures you're getting what you want—a vegan pie crust. This recipe is so simple it's practically fool-proof, and, chances are, you probably already have all the necessary ingredients sitting at home in your cupboard. 

Six ingredients are all it takes to make this easy vegan pie crust, but make sure to chill it in the refrigerator for easier rolling. You can even make it ahead of time with our tips below. Fill it with your favorite fruit, or whatever filling strikes your fancy.  

Along with this basic homemade vegan pie crust recipe, you might also want to try a simple vegan granola pie crust.

Vegan Pie Crust
The Spruce

"If you are looking for a vegan or dairy-free pie crust, you have come to the right place. Swapping vegan butter/margarine, plus adding vegetable oil is really helpful. This recipe can work well for a sweet or savory pie base, making it perfect for a "beet" Wellington, pumpkin pie, strawberry hand pie or galette!" —Tracy Wilk

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegan margarine

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 3 tablespoons water, cold

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients for vegan pie crust
     The Spruce
  2. Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

    Butter, sugar and vegan margarine
     The Spruce
  3. Cut in the vegan margarine, mixing until crumbly.

    Cut in the vegan margarine, mixing until crumbly
     The Spruce
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil and water.

    whisk together the vegetable oil and water
     The Spruce
  5. Then add to the flour and sugar mixture, mixing just until dough forms. You may want to use your (clean) hands at this stage, in order to make sure all the flour gets incorporated well. 

    Vegan pie crust dough ball
     The Spruce
  6. Once the dough pulls together and there's no extra flour, cover the dough with plastic wrap, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

    Wrapped vegan pie crust dough ready to chill in fridge
     The Spruce
  7. After 30 minutes, remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out onto a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness.

    Rolled vegan pie crust dough
     The Spruce
  8. Once your dough is rolled out, gently press it into a pie tin, trimming any extra bits along the edges.

    Uncooked vegan pie crust
     The Spruce
  9. Your perfect flaky vegan pie crust is now ready to be filled up with whatever amazing ingredients you have planned. Enjoy!

    Homemade vegan pie crust
     The Spruce

Tip

  • Don't be tempted to skip the step of chilling the dough. This step not only allows the fat from the butter to become more firm, making rolling out your dough easier, it also creates an environment for the fast melting of the fat when you put the dough in the oven, which in turn results in the flaky crust for this pie.
  • For a make-ahead option, keep the dough in the refrigerator for longer than 30 minutes and even overnight. Remove it and use it when you are ready to fill and bake. If you roll out the dough and fill it, don't store it unbaked. The dough will become soggy and you'll lose that crispy crust.
  • To bake the unfilled crust, preheat the oven to 375 F and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

Recipe Variation

  • Use coconut oil in place of the butter, at a one to one ratio.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
280 Calories
18g Fat
26g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 280
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 133mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 5mg 0%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 37mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)