By Erin Jeanne McDowell
- Total Time
- 30 minutes, plus chilling
- Rating
- 4(255)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Shortening replaces butter in this vegan version of traditional pie dough. Because shortening has a higher melting temperature than butter, you can prepare the dough without any sticky disasters. It also bakes into a beautifully tender and not-at-all-soggy crust. When shopping for a shortening, look for one made with coconut oil, palm oil or a combination of the two.
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Ingredients
Yield:One (9-inch) pie crust
- 1¼cups/160 grams all-purpose flour
- ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½cup/115 grams shortening, roughly cut into ½-inch cubes, chilled (see Tip 1)
- 3 to 4tablespoons ice water, plus more as needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 servings)
1599 calories; 117 grams fat; 29 grams saturated fat; 15 grams trans fat; 48 grams monounsaturated fat; 33 grams polyunsaturated fat; 122 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 17 grams protein; 591 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and salt to combine. Add the cold, cubed shortening and toss with your hands to evenly coat each piece in flour.
Step
2
Use a pastry cutter or your hands to cut the butter into the flour until the pieces are the size of peas. If the shortening feels sticky at any point, refrigerate for 10 minutes before proceeding (see Tip 2).
Step
3
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and gently toss with the flour to combine. (Gentle tossing encourages moisture incorporation without allowing for too much gluten formation.)
Step
4
Continue to add ice water 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time until the dough begins to come together. Once it comes together, fold it over itself a few times to make sure it’s fully combined. The dough should hold together without noticeable cracks (a sign of underhydration), but it should not be wet or tacky to the touch (a sign of overhydration).
Step
5
Form the dough into a disk about 1-inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using, and up to 2 days. (It can also be frozen for up to 3 months, then thawed overnight in the refrigerator before using.)
Step
6
When ready to roll out the dough, lightly flour the dough, and roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper to your desired size. (The crumbly shortening has a tendency to stick to a counter or work surface and parchment helps.) Continue to flour the dough as needed while you work. To do this, peel the top parchment back, sprinkle the surface of the dough with flour, then place the parchment back down. Holding the two pieces of parchment together, flip dough so that the side that was the bottom is now on top. Peel back this piece of parchment, and flour the surface of the dough as needed. Replace the parchment and continue to roll.
Step
7
Transfer the prepared pie dough to a pie plate, trim away excess dough, and crimp as desired. The pie is now ready to be par-baked, blind-baked or filled and baked as directed.
Tips
- Tip 1: It can be difficult to scoop cold shortening from a container or jar, so scoop the shortening at room temperature, then refrigerate or freeze until well chilled (firm/solid to the touch).
- Tip 2: If using a food processor, pulse the shortening into the flour and salt until the size of peas as directed in Step 2, then transfer to a bowl to add the water and finish the dough by hand. (Water tends to get trapped under the food processor blade, making it difficult to evenly and properly hydrate the dough.)
Ratings
4
out of 5
255
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Cooking Notes
Prudence Gallagher
Please choose a shortening that does NOT contain Palm Oil - or, if it does, please check its origin and how it is harvested. Much of the world's pal moil production comes from Borneo, where producers are decimating rainforests and destroying the habitat of the orang utan, and endangering the species itself.
Shauna
I recommend using a mix of Miyoko's Vegan Cultured Butter and Spectrum Shortening.
hannah
Agreed, and I try not to use palm oil for the same reasons. Could you substitute coconut oil for shortening?
Lksmith
This is similar to my family’s recipe also but we use Wesson Corn Oil, not solid shortening or the other oils listed. Flour, salt, oil and ice water. I recently tried all butter,Pillsbury, butter/oil combined and won’t bother experimenting again. This one is hands down simply the best...taste, flakiness, texture, ease, speed, and equally good for sweet or savory.
GiGi
The jury is still out on the healthfulness of coconut oil for people with cardiac issues.
Dee
These days, measuring shortening is easy because we can buy shortening in sticks and cut off as much as we need. If you buy shortening in cans, here's a measuring method my mother used back in the day (and was probably from "Hints from Heloise"): Fill the measuring cup with water, pour out the water, and shake the measuring cup but don't wipe it. The remaining drops of water help the shortening to release and don't affect the liquid you use in your recipe.
Frances Leftwich
Funny how the pie crust I've been making for over 50 years is called Vegan. I didn't know how fancy it was.
Jasmine
I’ve used almond milk or any kind of milk substitute. I used it mainly as an adherence for a sugar topping. Not sure that it gave the same effect as eggs do though, but worth a try!
Kalah
The volume and weight calculations for the shortening appear to be incorrect. I have a half cup of shortening on the scale right now that comes in at 96 grams and I have no idea what to do!
Ingrid
DO NOT USE THE WEIGHT MEASUREMENTS LISTED IN THIS RECIPE! I followed the weight measurements to the gram and the ratio of fat to flour was all wrong. Way too much shortening so the dough did not bake correctly and the crust after baking just disintegrated :(
Susan
I have made it with vegan sticks (Miyoko) mixed with shortening. I thought it was softer and flakier.
kksails
Has anyone tried making this with Earth Balance sticks as the shortening?
Laura
Not impressed by this recipe (used the weight measurements). Even after thoroughly chilling my shortening with coconut oil it still felt sticky immediately after adding it to the flour mixture. The dough was already hydrated enough after adding the two tbsps of water, so I didn’t add any extra. Not sure how well tested this recipe is, or if I should be using a different shortening, but a recommendation for which shortening to use would be a start. I used the Crisco sticks
Ingrid
DO NOT USE THE WEIGHT MEASUREMENTS LISTED IN THIS RECIPE! I followed the weight measurements to the gram and the ratio of fat to flour was all wrong. Way too much shortening so the dough did not bake correctly and the crust after baking just disintegrated :(
Amanda
Doh! Wish I'd read this earlier. I use weight and I was like, I followed this, but clearly WAY too much shortening. You're spot on!
Kalah
The volume and weight calculations for the shortening appear to be incorrect. I have a half cup of shortening on the scale right now that comes in at 96 grams and I have no idea what to do!
Bolbi
I used my shortening straight from the freezer, but fridge probably would have been better and easier to work into the dough. I washed with a soy milk, melted vegan butter, and agave mix and it got very brown and crispy. This is a great dough!
Gale S
I have always made my pie crusts “vegan”, that is with Crisco. Call it uncool, but that’s how my mother made her crusts since the 50’s. They were always flakey, tender and delicious.
Jess Chat
What temp do I bake this at?
Emrie
Shortening is evil. This thing stuck to parchment paper and everything. I think next time I might try half vegan butter half Crisco...
gwen
I’ve used olive oil frozen in ice cube trays working quickly with cold flour and had good results. I imagine other oil could be used similarly.
Linda
I made this with Crisco, mostly out of curiosity. I worked really fast because the dough softened and got moist quickly but I got it into discs and into the freezer then defrosted in fridge night before needed. Again, working fast and using rice flour to rollout, I liberally dusted every top and bottom and still, the dough didn’t easily peel off the paper. But it baked up beautifully, has flaky layers and is tender. I crimped the edges - they separated during baking but came together cooling.
Austin Zentz
This doesn't have much flavor when using Crisco as the shortening, which isn't exactly surprising -- it's Crisco and flour, after all! But I'd probably save the hassle and go with Pillsbury next time I need a dairy-free pie crust.
virginia
Can these be made ahead?
Frances Leftwich
Funny how the pie crust I've been making for over 50 years is called Vegan. I didn't know how fancy it was.
Kathy Rosenthal
This is the recipe I’ve been making foreverAs did my mother and grandmother
Anne
My favorite vegetable lard is Atora. I use it in doughs, toss some into veggie burgers, and my favorite, in steamed British puds. Atora is easily available.
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