I really like the pie crust I created last year but I’ve learned a lot about gluten free baking since then. My favorite dessert quality gluten free flour is sweet sorghum so I halved the amount of rice flour and added sorghum. I didn’t drop the rice flour completely because it gives the crust a wonderful flaky texture. I used my favorite gluten replacement, chia seeds, rather than eggs and xanthan gum. This time I ground the seeds in a spice grinder (my re-purposed coffee grinder) so they’d blend into the pastry crust better than the whole seeds. I also substituted coconut oil for vegan shortening. The texture of the crust was soft and silky and once baked it was flaky and buttery. My mom and a family friend couldn’t believe the crust of the cherry pie I made for Thanksgiving didn’t contain wheat, which is always my goal. 🙂

1/2 cup sweet sorghum flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
3/4 cup corn starch
3/4 cup tapioca flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup coconut oil (or shortening), at room temp.
1/2 cup vegan margarine, at room temp.
1/4 cup cold water
1 Tbs ground chia seeds
1 Tbs white vinegar

In a small bowl, combine ground chia seeds and cold water. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes until it becomes a gel. Combine dry ingredients and whisk together. Add coconut oil and margarine and mix with a pastry blender until dry ingredients are incorporated and dough resembles small pebbles. Mix vinegar into the chia seed and water gel. Slowly add the mixture to the flour and butter mixture. Knead until it forms a consistent dough. Form dough into two balls. Cover in plastic wrap and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. Roll balls out between lightly rice floured sheets of waxed paper until about an 1/8 of an inch thick. Bake according to the pie recipe of your choice.