This 3-ingredient pie crust is the BEST basic crust recipe for any sweet or savory pie recipe! It is ultra flaky, buttery, easy + quick (15 min hands-on!), can be made using a food processor or by hand and it swaps butter for coconut oil for a vegan pie recipe (that's also slightly healthier).
Here is the only pie crust recipe you need to know! It is so quick and easy to whip up together, whether you use a food processor or not, and is perfect for both sweet and savory pie recipes. Plus, it is made using coconut oil for a super flaky result, which also makes this pie crust completely vegan!
I used this 3-ingredient pie crust recipe recently to make a classic vegan blackberry pie, which was by the way amazing. And now I cannot wait to use it for making hand pies, tartlets, quiches, galettes (such as this yummy vegan apple galette) and much more.
And this recipe is so incredibly easy! Simply follow my simple tips and be sure to have a peek at my quick video down in the recipe card to see how I make it.
Let me know if you give it a try! ❤️
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Quick, easy and versatile recipe
- Requires only 3 simple ingredients (+ water!)
- Amazing flavor and great flaky texture
- Can be used for sweet or savory recipes
- Make it by hand or use a food processor
- 100% vegan and made without butter!
🗒 Ingredient notes (+ substitutions)
- All-purpose flour: use white all-purpose flour for the best result and avoid bread flour for a nice flaky texture. You can also use gluten-free flour (such as the 1:1 GF flour from Bob's Red Mill), although this might change the texture slightly
- Coconut oil: I recommend using refined coconut oil to avoid a coconut flavor, unless this is something you are looking for. You will need solid and cold coconut oil to make the crust.
- Salt: balances the flavor of the crust, essential even if making a sweet pie.
- Cold water: Helps keep the oil in a solid state, which encourages the formation of a flaky crust.
⭐️ Full list of ingredients (+ quantities) down below in the recipe card!
📝 Variations
- Spices: you can add flavor to the pie crust by including some cinnamon or pumpkin spice mix.
- Vegan butter: you can use vegan butter like the one from Earth Balance instead of coconut oil if you prefer. Make sure it comes from the fridge and that it is hard and not soft!
- Sugar: for a sweet crust, then add 1 tablespoon of white sugar or brown sugar to the food processor alongside the flour.
🍽 How to make a 3-ingredient pie crust with coconut oil
Step 1: Add the flour, salt and sugar (if using). Pulse a few times to combine.
Step 2: Scatter the cold coconut oil over and pulse until it is uniform and crumbly.
Step 3: Add cold water (start with 3 tablespoons) and pulse again.
Step 4: Keep adding ice-cold water until the dough comes together.
Step 5: Transfer the dough to a lightly floured cleaned surface and shape into a ball (without overly manipulating the dough)
Step 6: Roll the dough as needed for your recipe.
⭐️ Detailed recipe (+ video) down below in the recipe card!
➡️ How to make vegan pie crust by hand (without a food processor)
- Add the flour and salt (+/- sugar) to a large bowl and give it a quick stir.
- Scatter pieces of cold coconut oil all over the bowl.
- Use a pastry cutter to combine the ingredients by crushing the coconut oil and pressing it into the flour mix. Keep going until the mix is crumbly, mostly uniform and fine (the coconut oil clumps should not be larger than a small pea).
- Add the cold water (start with 3 tablespoons) and keep mixing the dough using your pastry cutter. Add more water (1-2 tablespoons at a time) until it forms larger crumbs and holds together if you press a small amount in between your fingers. Then roll the dough as needed for your recipe!
💡 Helpful tips
- You will want to make sure that the coconut oil is solid and cold. Just place it in the fridge for 30 minutes before making the crust! This will help keep small pieces of oil intact while combining the ingredients, which creates a flakier texture.
- Add just enough water to create a dough that holds together, but without adding too much so the crust is flaky and not tough. Using iced water also helps keep the oil cold and solid.
- Avoid overprocessing the ingredients (to avoid developing the gluten from the flour) and avoid overmanipulating the dough (your warm hands can melt the coconut oil) so the coconut oil remains hard and cold up until you transfer the crust to the oven.
- This recipe will give you one crust. If you want to make a pie that's covered with a second crust, then simply double the recipe and divide the dough before rolling.
❗️Storage tips
You can make this recipe ahead and keep the dough very well covered (such as with plastic cling) in the fridge for up to 3 days. The dough will harden as it chills, so you may want to let it warm up slightly at room temperature for 15 minutes before using it to make it easier to roll it into a crust.
You can also freeze the pie crust for up to 3 months! Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and again, let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before using.
❓ FAQs
Using cold ingredients and not working the dough too much is key to making your crust flaky! When clumps of fat bake within the flour, it creates small layers in the crust, giving it that amazing flakiness!
Don't panic! This is a very forgiving recipe and you can just squeeze the dough together to help make it hold. You can even do this after you transfer the dough to your baking dish and patch holes with extra dough as needed. You won't be able to tell once it is baked.
I hope you like this vegan 3-ingredient pie crust recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
3-Ingredient Pie Crust (Vegan recipe with Coconut Oil)
Equipment
- Food processor (optional, can also be made by hand using a pastry cutter)
- Small scale or measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 170 g all-purpose white flour - or about 1¼ cup
- 70 g refined coconut oil (cold) - or about ⅓ cup
- ½ tsp salt
- 4-6 tbsp very cold water
- 1 tbsp sugar - OPTIONAL, if making a sweet pie
- plant-based milk - OPTIONAL, to brush the crust (I used oat milk)
Instructions
- Make sure the coconut oil is cold (you can place it in the fridge for 30 minutes before making the crust) and add a few ice cubes to a glass of water.
- Add the flour, salt and sugar (if using) to a food processor. Pulse a few times just to combine.
- Scatter the solid coconut oil over the flour mixture, then pulse until it is crumbly and uniform (about 8-10 times or so).
- Then, add 3 tablespoons of very cold water and pulse until combined. Add more water (1 tablespoon at a time) until the dough comes together or forms a few large clumps. The dough should hold together if you press some together in between your fingers, but it should not be too wet.
- Sprinkle some flour on a clean surface and transfer the dough over it. Use your hands to bring the dough together into a ball without manipulating it too much. Once it is in a ball, use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large disc of about 12 inches (or use as directed by your recipe). The dough can be used right away!
- To make the dough by hand (no food processor): Add the flour and salt to a large bowl and give it a quick stir. Scatter pieces of cold coconut oil all over the bowl. Use a pastry cutter to combine the ingredients by crushing the coconut oil and pressing it into the flour mix. Keep going until the mix is crumbly, mostly uniform and fine (the coconut oil clumps should not be larger than a small pea). Add the cold water (start with 3 tablespoons) and keep mixing the dough using your pastry cutter. Add more water (1-2 tablespoons at a time) until it forms larger crumbs and holds together if you press a small amount in between your fingers.
Video
Notes
- You will want to make sure that the coconut oil is solid and cold. Just place it in the fridge for 30 minutes before making the crust! This will help keep small pieces of oil while combining the ingredients, which creates a flakier texture.
- Add just enough water to create a dough that holds together, but without adding too much so the crust is flaky and not tough. Using iced water also helps keep the oil solid.
- Avoid overprocessing the ingredients (to avoid developing the gluten from the flour) and avoid overmanipulating the dough (your warm hands can melt the coconut oil) so the coconut oil remains hard and cold up until you transfer the crust to the oven.
- This recipe will give you one crust. If you want to make a pie that's covered with a second crust, then simply double the recipe!
- Storage: You can make this recipe ahead and keep the dough very well covered (such as with plastic cling) in the fridge for up to 3 days. The dough will harden as it chills, so you may want to let it warm up slightly at room temperature for 15 minutes before using it to make it easier to roll it into a crust. You can also freeze the pie crust for up to 3 months! Let it thaw in the fridge overnight and again, let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes before using.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving (in this case for the entire pie crust) provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
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