Gluten Free Sweet Pastry Recipe

I’ve perfected an easy Gluten Free Pastry that turns into a soft, light shortcrust for pies or tarts and can be made dairy free.

I love breaking rules in the kitchen, and this Gluten Free Sweet pastry is one of those happy accidents. Using a gluten free plain flour blend and cold unsalted butter I ended up with a shortcrust that feels light not dense, and that surprised me.

It behaves like a proper Gluten Free Pie Crust but somehow stays tender in tarts, so you keep wondering how it’s possible. I won’t pretend it’s perfect every bake, sometimes it needs a quick fix, but when it works it’s exactly the Homemade feeling I chase.

Try it when you want something reliably different.

Ingredients

• Gluten free flour blend: Main structure source, high carbs, lower protein than wheat.
• Almond flour: Adds tender crumb, it’s got healthy fats and protein, subtle nutty taste.
• Caster sugar: Sweetens, helps caramelize and crisp, adds calories though.
• Unsalted butter or dairy free fat: Gives richness flakiness and flavor to pastry.
• Egg yolk: Binds and enriches dough, adds color, some protein and moisture.
• Xanthan gum: Replaces gluten stretch, improves hold and elasticity, use sparingly.
• Vanilla extract: Small amount boosts aroma and perceived sweetness, rounds flavors.
• Fine sea salt: Balances sweetness, enhances flavor and helps dough structure.
• Ice cold water: Brings dough together without melting fats, keeps pastry flaky.

Ingredient Quantities

• 250g gluten free plain flour blend (about 2 cups)
• 50g almond flour or ground almonds (optional, about 1/2 cup)
• 50g caster or superfine sugar (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp xanthan gum (only if your GF blend does not already contain it)
• 140g cold unsalted butter, cubed, or 140g dairy free block margarine / solid coconut oil for a dairy free version
• 1 large egg yolk (or 1 whole large egg if you prefer)
• 2 to 4 tbsp ice cold water, as needed
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

How to Make this

1. Weigh the dry ingredients into a big bowl: 250g gluten free plain flour blend, 50g almond flour if using, 50g caster sugar, 1/4 tsp fine sea salt and 1 tsp xanthan gum only if your flour blend does not already have it. Mix them so they are even.

2. Cut 140g cold unsalted butter into cubes or use cold dairy free block margarine or solid coconut oil for a dairy free version. Keep everything cold, even chill the bowl if its warm, cold fat is the trick for a light pastry.

3. Either pulse the dry mixture with the butter in a food processor until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs with some pea sized bits left, or rub the butter into the flour with fingertips quickly, lifting so your hands dont warm it too much. Those little lumps make the pastry flaky so dont overdo it.

4. Whisk 1 large egg yolk (or 1 whole egg if you prefer) with 1 tsp vanilla extract if using and 2 tbsp ice cold water. Pour into the flour and fold gently with a fork until the dough just starts to come together, add up to 2 more tbsp water a little at a time only if it seems too dry. Dont overwork it or it will get tough.

5. Tip the shaggy dough onto a sheet of baking paper lightly dusted with GF flour and press it together with your hands just to form a ball, knead once or twice very briefly if needed. Flatten into a disk about 2 cm thick, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. If you used coconut oil chill it longer so it firms up.

6. Roll the cold dough between two sheets of baking paper to about 3 to 4 mm thickness, flour the paper lightly if it sticks. If it cracks at the edges, press pieces back together with cold fingers, patching is fine, dont keep rolling and warming it.

7. Lift the rolled pastry into your tin by folding it over the rolling pin or rolling the paper away, gently press into the corners and trim excess with a knife leaving a little overhang if you want decorative edges. Chill the lined tin for 10 to 15 minutes to help stop shrinkage in the oven.

8. For blind baking: prick the base all over with a fork, line with parchment and fill with baking beans or rice, bake in a preheated oven at 180C 350F for 15 to 20 minutes until the edges are set, remove the weight and bake another 5 to 8 minutes until the base is pale golden. For recipes that need a raw filling you can bake fully, for custard or fruit fillings you may only need a partial blind bake.

9. Let the crust cool on a rack before filling, or if you are filling hot things like jam fill right away. Quick hacks: grate the frozen butter on a box grater for super quick mixing, refrigerate your rolling pin for 10 minutes if dough is sticky, and use almond flour for extra tenderness and a nice nutty flavour.

Equipment Needed

1. Digital kitchen scale
2. Large mixing bowl
3. Food processor or a pastry cutter (for rubbing in the butter)
4. Box grater (for grating frozen butter, optional hack)
5. Measuring spoons and a small measuring cup (for tbsp)
6. Fork or silicone spatula (for folding the dough)
7. Rolling pin and extra sheets of baking/parchment paper
8. 20 to 23 cm tart or quiche tin and a sharp knife (for trimming)
9. Parchment paper plus baking beans or rice for blind baking, cling film and a cooling rack

FAQ

Gluten Free Sweet Pastry Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Gluten free plain flour blend: use a homemade cup-for-cup mix, e.g. 2 parts white rice flour, 1 part tapioca starch, 1 part potato starch (works well, may be a bit crumblier so add a splash more ice water if needed).
• Almond flour: swap with ground hazelnuts or 1:1 sunflower seed flour for a nut-free option, or just omit and increase the GF flour by the same weight and add 1 tbsp extra butter for richness, it’ll still be tasty but a bit different.
• Cold unsalted butter: replace 1:1 with cold vegan block margarine or firm coconut oil for dairy free baking, or use vegetable shortening or chilled lard for extra flakiness; keep it very cold and cut into cubes.
• Xanthan gum: try psyllium husk powder at the same volume, or use a small gel made from 1 tsp ground flax or chia plus 1–2 tbsp water as a binder, or skip if your flour blend already has a binder but expect a more fragile crust.

Pro Tips

1. Keep everything really cold. Chill the bowl, grate frozen butter on a box grater for quick small pieces, and even cool your rolling pin for a few minutes if the dough gets sticky — cold fat = flakier crust, so dont warm it up with long handling.

2. Dont overwork or overhydrate the dough. Fold just until it holds, patch any cracks with cold fingers instead of re-rolling a lot, and give it a proper rest in the fridge so it firms up and relaxes.

3. If you add almond flour, use it for tenderness and a nice nutty flavour — it makes the pastry more delicate though, so handle gently and chill a bit longer before rolling.

4. For less shrinkage and a crisper base, chill the pastry once it is in the tin, and blind bake when your filling needs a firmer shell. If you used solid coconut oil, plan on a longer chill so it firms up properly.