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If you’re looking for the BEST gluten free pastry recipe EVER then look no further! This gluten free shortcrust pastry is super pliable and deliciously buttery. It uses 5 ingredients and the dough is made in under 10 minutes. All my gluten-eating friends love it!
Why choose THIS gluten free pastry recipe?
I get it, there are tonnes of people claiming they have the ‘best’ gluten free pastry recipe out there. So why should you try mine?
- I’ve been making gluten free pastry this way for 20+ years and it works like a dream every single time.
- Not only does this pastry recipe have 100+ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews, all the gluten-eaters in my life absolutely love it! If that doesn’t say a lot that they would choose my gluten free pastry over the normal stuff, I don’t know what does!
- This shortcrust pastry is made using only 5 ingredients, the dough is made in under 10 minutes and you can even prepare it all in advance.
- My gluten free pastry recipe uses plain gluten free flour from the supermarket – no fancy flours or having to make your own complicated blends.
- I make it the ‘old school way’ by rubbing the butter into the flour using your fingertips, so you don’t have to feel like you’re ‘different’.
- Plus my recipe includes step-by-step photos and a NEW AND UPDATED recipe video (Feb 2025) to guide you through the whole process!
That’s right, not only does this gluten free shortcrust pastry taste amazing, it’s also really easy to handle, perfect for gluten free pie crusts, tarts and other delicious pastry treats.
In fact, every time I make this my gluten-eating friends are always like, ‘I can’t believe that’s gluten free!’ and ‘That’s better than normal pastry!’.
And trust me when I say, that’s probably the biggest compliment anyone could ever give one of my recipes. Even the food experts at my book photoshoot were super impressed!
Table of Contents
- Why choose THIS gluten free pastry recipe?
- Don’t just take my word for it…
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- What can I make with gluten free shortcrust pastry?
- How to make gluten free pastry
- My #1 top tip for making gluten free pastry
- Gluten free pastry recipe troubleshooting
- Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Gluten Free Pastry Recipe Recipe
- More Gluten Free Pastry Recipes
Plus you only need a few storecupboard essentials – gluten free flour, xanthan gum, butter, egg and water – to make this gluten free shortcrust pastry.
February 2025 UPDATE: This recipe has been on my website for many years and I decided it needed a spruce up! While I still swear by the same recipe, I’ve added an updated video to better show you how to make it, and demonstrate how amazingly pliable it is!
Don’t just take my word for it…
Josie left a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review and said: “This gluten free shortcrust pastry recipe is amazing….the pastry is easy to make and super easy to roll and tastes delicious, it melts in the mouth. Definitely the go to recipe for me for pastry.”
Ingredients and Substitutions
What can I make with gluten free shortcrust pastry?
Savoury gluten free pastry recipes
Sweet gluten free pastry recipes
How to make gluten free pastry
There’s a printable recipe card below. But here are some step-by-step photos to guide you through how this gluten free pastry recipe should look at each stage:
1. First, add the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, salt – and sugar if using – to a large mixing bowl and stir them together.
2. Cut the COLD butter into cubes and then add to the bowl. Using your fingers, rub the mix together until it resembles breadcrumbs (right hand photo above).
3. Crack the eggs into a bowl or mug and add the cold water. Whisk together until just combined. Add to the mix and bring together using a fork.
4. Once it becomes harder to use the fork to mix, use your hands to bring the mixture together into a smooth dough. You should be able to pick this up easily without it being too sticky. (see troubleshooting below if it’s very sticky)
5. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This is a really important stage – you need the dough to chill a bit so it is easier to roll! If you want to speed this process up, you can also pop it in the freezer.
6. Once chilled, knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface until it is pliable. Keep the surface well-floured as you roll out the pastry dough to the desired thickness.
7 & 8. Either cut the mini shapes using a pastry cutter (left pic), or transfer to a pie dish if making a quiche/pie before blind baking and/or filling (right pic).
If you need a detailed explainer, check out my guide on how to blind bake pastry for a full tutorial on how this works. It’s super easy, I promise!
My #1 top tip for making gluten free pastry
And I literally cannot emphasise this enough – always keep your gluten free pastry dough cool! Trying to make pastry on a hot day is an effort, so always ensure you’re giving the pastry some extra time to chill if it’s becoming too hot and sticky.
Gluten free pastry recipe troubleshooting
I’ve been making this gluten free pastry recipe a long time now, and I want to make sure the experience is as easy for you as possible!
So here are some of the common problems I’ve come across and how to solve them:
Gluten free pastry too crumbly?
If you’ve re-rolled the pastry a few times it may dry out due to the floured work surface. Simply wet your hands and knead it a few times and it will become pliable once again!
You don’t have to worry about over-working gluten free pastry because there is no gluten to over-work. So knead it as much as you like!
Gluten free pastry too wet?
If you’ve added a little too much water to the gluten free pastry dough it can become wet.
Simply add a tiny sprinkle of gluten free flour and knead it in. This should make the pastry dough nice and workable again.
Gluten free pastry too sticky?
It’s VERY important to keep gluten free pastry cool, as the gluten free pastry dough can become sticky and unworkable when it’s too warm.
Make sure you keep it super chilled – pop it back in the fridge if it’s a hot day and just be patient. It’s better to do this frequently than have sticky, awful pastry to work with!
You can also roll the pastry dough between clingfilm if you find it is sticking to the work surface, or if you’re worried about using too much extra flour.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
TO STORE: Simply make the pastry dough it to the point of chilling and then keep in the fridge for up to 3 days before rolling out and baking.
TO FREEZE: To freeze gluten free pastry dough, wrap the ball of pastry dough in cling film or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost and roll out ready to bake as normal.
You can also blind bake a pastry case and then place this in the fridge for 1-2 days or freezer for up to 6 months to defrost and use when needed.
Any cooked gluten free pastry items can usually be frozen dependant on the filling – check the individual recipes for advice on this.
Frequently Asked Questions
In case you have any questions about making gluten free pastry, I’ve tried to answer as many as possible here.
As always, if you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, please leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to get back to you with the answer!
This gluten free pastry recipe can easily be made dairy free by using either a dairy free margarine (go for a harder one) or lard/Trex/Cookeen instead of butter. Make sure you use dairy free milk to brush any pie lids as well.
The xanthan gum is really crucial to this recipe. I tested multiple variations of this gluten free pastry and without the xanthan gum it just crumbles. It helps to replicate the texture of gluten – it’s what makes this shortcrust pastry so pliable!
Yes! If you struggle to use your hands to rub the pastry mixture together, or just don’t want the mess, you can simply use a food processor to blitz the flour and butter mixture to a breadcrumb consistency instead! You can then use it again to form the dough once you have added the egg.
Yes, you can! This pastry can be made up to 3 days in advance. You will find the pastry will be quite tough when you chill overnight until it warms slightly. I recommend removing it from the fridge to room temperature about 20-30 minutes before kneading it well, to make it a bit easier to handle.
Have you tried this recipe?
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Gluten Free Pastry Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 340 g plain gluten free flour, (I use the FREEE Plain Gluten Free Flour)
- 2 tsp xanthan gum, (You can find this in most supermarket free from aisles – it's essential for this recipe)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp ice cold water, (as cold as possible!)
- 220 g unsalted butter, (make sure this is SUPER cold. For dairy free, use lard, Cookeen, Trex or a hard, vegan margarine.)
- Pinch salt
Optional:
- 1 tbsp caster sugar, (add this for sweet pies and tarts)
- 1 egg, (beaten, to brush the tops of your pies and stick down the pie lids.)
Instructions
- Add the flour, xanthan gum, salt (and sugar if using) to a large mixing bowl and stir together.
- Cut the COLD butter into cubes and then add to the bowl. Using your fingers, rub the mix together until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl or mug and add the cold water. Whisk together until just combined. Then add to the mix and use a fork to start to ‘mush’ the mixture together. You’ll see it start to form a sticky dough.
- Once it becomes harder to use the fork to mix, use your hands to bring the mixture together into a smooth dough. You should be able to pick this up easily without it being too sticky.
- Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This is a really important stage – you need the dough to chill a bit so it is easier to roll!
- Once chilled, knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface until it is pliable. Keep the surface well-floured as you roll out the pastry dough to the desired thickness – or you can roll it between two sheets of clingfilm if you find it easier. I usually roll the pastry to between 4-6mm for pies, tarts and quiches.
- Either cut the mini shapes using a pastry cutter, or transfer to a pie dish if making a quiche/pie before blind baking and/or filling.
To blind bake the pastry:
- If you need a 'blind bake' in your pastry recipe, carefully use the rolling pin to lift the pastry into your pie dish. Don't worry about trimming any overhang yet.
- Use your fingers to press the sides of the pie into the ridges of the dish. Break off a small piece of the overhanging dough and roll into a ball – use this to press the pastry in further (it will stop your finger nails going through the pastry!).
- Gently push the overhanging pastry back over the pie dish so you have a couple of mm which are slightly thicker at the top of the pie crust. This will help to minimise any shrinking. Roll the rolling pin over the top of the dish and then remove any excess pastry and prick the bottom all over with a fork.
- Place a piece of baking paper over the top of the pastry and fill with baking beans (or dried rice/lentils).
- Bake in a preheated oven at 180'C / Fan 160'C / Gas Mark 4 for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the baking paper and beans, then bake for another 5-10 minutes until golden.
- Fill and bake the pastry case as per the individual recipe you're following – I have a few suggestions below this recipe card!
For gluten free pies and mini tarts:
- For mini pies, roll the pastry to the desired thickness and use a pastry cutter to cut out the shapes you need. Re-roll any excess and repeat until all the pastry is used up. If it gets a little dry and crumbly, wet your hands slightly and work the pastry so it moistens a little. If it gets too sticky, chill it for 10-15 minutes before rolling.
- For a golden pie top, brush the pie lid with a beaten egg before cooking. For sweet pies you can then also sprinkle with a little sugar too!
Video
Notes
To make this pastry using a food processor:
- If you like, you can use a food processor to blitz the flour and butter mixture to a breadcrumb consistency instead of using your fingertips.
- Add the egg/water mixture and blitz again until it starts to form a sticky dough. Turn the mixture out and knead lightly, to form a smooth ball, before chilling.
More recipe notes:
- Top Tip: Always use cold butter in this recipe and never skip the chilling. Otherwise you could end up with a sticky mess! I have more recipe troubleshooting in the blog post above if your pastry is too crumbly or wet.
- Weighing Scales vs Cups: You can toggle this recipe card to convert the ingredients into cups. However, I always recommend using weighing scales – these are cheap to buy and much more accurate. And in gluten free baking, a tiny variation can make a huge difference!
- Step-by-Step Photos: Check out the blog post above for step-by-step photos to guide you through how this gluten free pastry recipe should look at each stage. There is also a video tutorial attached to this recipe card.
- Storing and Freezing: This gluten free pastry dough can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days, or frozen and then defrosted when needed.
- Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* rating and tell all your gluten free friends about these Gluten Free Pastry!
Nutrition
More Gluten Free Pastry Recipes
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OMG i haven’t had pastry since going gluten free , made this pastry for a lamb and mint pie, Holy smokes, it was amazing, even better than regular pastry which for some reason i used to have issues with making! Thank you! can’t wait to make some more things with this pastry
I made this shortcrust pastry for a chicken pie I was making. It was delicious so delicious my eldest son who usually won’t eat anything wheat & gluten free loved it and even took left over slices for his lunch at work. So with both boys pleading it is now on our weekly menu. Thank you Sarah it has been a long time since I had a pie I thoroughly enjoyed eating.
The gluten free pastry recipe is the best I’ve come across in my 20 years of being a coeliac and one I make time again. Either halving or doubling up.
Very versatile- and the dough is able to cope with additional spices aka sugar and cocoa for sweet dishes or other spice combinations for savoury dishes.I allways make a double batch and freeze the un used dough rolled out in sheets for my next pie/ quiche. If I am in a serious rush I grate the frozen dough and manually manipulate it into my dish before blind baking/ baking.
Can I substitute 1:1 in this recipe for the flour and xanthum gum?
Not tried it yet. I chose a video specifically to see how the pastry handled. This was not shown….so presume it is problematic?
Hi Ben, sorry I didn’t see this comment until now! There was an older video on this recipe but your comment made me realise I should really update it to show how pliable the pastry is! So I have edited and uploaded a new video today – it’s on the recipe card and also here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAle9Mhrdyk
I realise this is quite a late reply, but I hope it helps! 🙂
Lovely pastry really easy to work with and tastes amazing, made mince pies with it last week, making more today
This gluten free shortcrust pastry tecipe is amazing….the pastry is easy to make and super easy to roll and tastes delicious, it melts in the mouth. Definitely the go to recipe for me for pastry. Thank you so much Sarah.
Can I use psyllium husk instead of xanthium gum? Also, if xanthium gum is in the GF AP flour, do I need to add more?
I’ve not tested with psyllium so not sure on quantities. I recommend using xanthan gum – I’d usually still add it if it has it in the flour, but maybe halve the amount.