This AIP Pie Crust is as close as I could come to the crust I remember growing up. Crust is tricky anyway without being AIP, and this one is no different. It is, however, quite forgiving. If it breaks, just mush it back together!
Ladies and Gentlemen! The baking season is now upon us! I absolutely LOVE to bake, and so it has become my life’s mission to figure out how to do it on this… (ahem)… “challenging” diet. Baking makes us feel at home, cozy, and – dare I say it? – loved. It makes us nostalgic for days of yore, and satisfies something deep within us.
We. Must. Bake!
OK, whatever. I need to bake. After a few sad tries, including a tragic episode with a pumpkin pie about which we shall never speak again, I finally came up with a pie crust that really works! It can be rolled. It can be doubled for a two-crust pie. And it really tastes like the pie crusts of my youth, bringing to mind many of our large family gatherings.
A few tips: DO roll it between two sheets of parchment paper. For many years, I would sprinkle flour on the counter, the rolling pin, the crust, yadda-yadda, and then wonder why my crust kept falling apart. To keep it from sticking, I was adding an amount of flour which was effectively changing the flour to fat ratio. And it would crack. Don’t be like Wendi from years ago. Use parchment.
Also, there is vinegar in the recipe. When you first add it to your dough, you might freak out because the vinegar smell is so pungent. Don’t worry. Your crust will not taste or smell like vinegar. Cross my heart.
Lastly, dear friends, I say to you that crust is is the trickiest part of any pie. Rolling, moving and placing the thing is a challenge for even the most capable among us. Don’t let this deter you. If your crust cracks in the bottom of the pie plate, just smush it back together again. No one will turn down a piece of home-baked pie just because there is a crack in it. HAPPY BAKING!
So much 💗,
Wendi
P.S. Once you get good at making this crust, try it in Mini Chicken Pot Pies!
AIP Pie Crust
Course: DessertCuisine: AIP, PaleoDifficulty: Ninja8
servings30
minutesThis AIP Pie Crust is as close as I could come to the crust I remember growing up. Crust is tricky anyway without being AIP, and this one is no different. It is, however, quite forgiving. If it breaks, just mush it back together!
Ingredients
1½ C. cassava flour (225 g)
3/4 t. sea salt
1 T. 1 gelatin (I use Great Lakes Unflavored Beef Gelatin)
3/4 C. organic palm shortening
1 T. 1 apple cider vinegar
1½ T. water
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, and gelatin.
- With a pastry blender, cut in the shortening. Continue cutting in until it comes together again, and looks almost like pie dough.
(NOTE: The “cutting in” step is a really important part of the process. When you cut in, cut and cut and cut and cut until you feel like your arms are about to fall off. You should end up with something that looks like the picture below when you are done cutting. See how it is almost coming together without any liquid at all? If you don’t see this in your bowl, try two things: 1.) cut MORE, and if you still have a crumbly mess, 2.) add shortening a tablespoon at a time, cutting each time until you see this consistency. Then and only then, move on to the next step.)
- Add vinegar and water. Quickly mix it in with a fork until it’s fairly evenly incorporated. Form it with your hands into a ball.
- On a piece of parchment paper, flatten and shape it with one hand on top, and one hand on the side. (This will keep large cracks from forming. I use this technique for forming hamburgers, too!) Now lay another piece of parchment paper on the top, and begin rolling with a rolling pin. For a bottom crust, you should roll it to about 12” in diameter to allow for the sides of the pie plate. For a top crust, a bit less.
- Slowly remove the top piece of parchment. Place the pie plate upside down onto the prepared crust. Place one hand on top, and one hand underneath the pie plate. Quickly (but gently!) invert the whole thing. Carefully place the pie crust down into the pie plate. Press it in, lifting the sides slightly, and then lowering them down to the bottom of the pie plate, lifting off the parchment as you go. If crust has cracked, just press it together again.
- With your bottom crust placed, you can crimp the edges for a one-crust pie, and prick the bottom all over so that no bubbles form during baking. Fill and bake per whatever recipe you’re using. For a two-crust pie, prick the bottom crust, fill the pie, and carefully place the second crust on top. Fold over the edges and crimp. You may wish to vent the top by cutting four slits near the center with a paring knife. Bake per recipe instructions.
Recipe Video
Notes
- This recipe makes one 9-inch pie crust
- There are no baking times listed because it will depend on your specific pie, and whether you have a single crust or double.
- If you have trouble, don’t despair. Reach out, and I’ll help as much as I can.
- I do NOT recommend freezing this crust. It does not work well.
- For best results, measure your flour be WEIGHING.
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