How to Make a Tasty Pie Crust Without Butter

Are you going to bake some pies to celebrate the holidays? Maybe you simply want to make a special pie for someone you care about soon.

Whatever the situation may be, you want to ensure that the pie comes out perfectly. To complete this task, you must concentrate on creating the greatest pie crust possible.

When creating pie crusts, most people use butter, although many individuals are allergic to it. Because butter may be against your diet, you’ll need to find another technique to produce the crust.

Continue reading to discover how to prepare a butter-free pie crust. This should allow you to eat excellent pies with crusts that will satisfy the whole family.

Make a Pie Crust Using Oil

Many folks will opt for the option of using oil to produce pie crusts. You can create pie crusts using oil instead of butter, and the results will likely be wonderful.

In some respects, using oil instead of butter will be simpler. Oil is a sort of fat that is required to construct a pie crust, but it is already melted.

When using oil instead of butter, you may simply integrate it into the flour. It will still be able to make a flaky and rich pie crust.

However, there are a few things you need be aware of in order to do this task successfully. More information on making a pie crust using oil may be found below.

The Best Type of Oil to Use

The ideal oils for making pie crusts will have a neutral taste. Pie crusts are often made with either vegetable or canola oil.

You should have no trouble finding vegetable oil or canola oil the next time you go shopping. If you merely want to produce a conventional pie crust, one of these oils will be your best pick.

Some people may choose to use a different kind of oil, such as olive oil. This may be used to create a pie crust, however the olive oil will flavor it somewhat.

If you wish to make an olive oil pie crust, avoid baking it at temperatures higher than 375 degrees Fahrenheit. The olive oil should not reach its smoke point.

Using Coconut Oil Is an Option

You already know that using vegetable or canola oil is usually preferable for a beginning. It is worth mentioning, however, that coconut oil is another popular option.

Although coconut oil may be used to produce a delicious pie crust, it does have certain downsides. Pie crusts produced with coconut oil are often thicker than regular crusts made with butter.

The crust will also be less flaky than you want. However, if you want a really strong crust, this is an excellent option.

If you’re making a cream-based pie, this may be the right oil to use. When making coconut cream pies, many people use coconut oil as the fat component.

There’s a risk you won’t enjoy the coconut flavor being so prominent in the crust. In this instance, refined coconut oil is recommended.

Virgin coconut oil has a richer coconut flavor. Which is better is a matter of personal choice.

Use the Right Flour Type

In general, sticking with all-purpose flour will make your life simpler as a beginning. It’s acceptable to use pastry flour as well, although all-purpose flour will generally be simpler to work with.

All-purpose flour is much easier to work with than pastry flour. Pastry flour may be used to produce highly soft pie crusts, but they are also more fragile, making errors more likely.

If this is your first time preparing a pie crust using oil, choose the simplest option. When everything is said and done, you’ll most likely be extremely pleased with the flavor of the pie crust.

Roll the Pie Crust Using Wax Paper

Too much additional flour in the pie crust dough is not a good thing. When creating a pie crust using butter, you normally flour the surface before rolling it out.

When creating a pie crust with oil, you should avoid doing this. You may use wax paper instead of a floured surface to roll out the pie crust.

Simply lay down a wide piece of wax paper to create a decent workstation. Making the work simpler by sandwiching the pie dough between two sheets of wax paper.

You should then be able to roll out the dough using a rolling pin as usual. Transferring the pie dough to the pie dish will also be a breeze.

Other Alternatives

What if the idea of utilizing oil doesn’t appeal to you? Are there any vegan-friendly alternatives you can use?

Continue reading to learn about alternative items that may be used in lieu of butter to produce a pie crust. Although oil works well, there are other options available.

Try Vegan Butter

If you don’t want to use regular butter, you might use vegan butter. Vegan butter may be used in lieu of regular butter in a pie crust recipe with no modifications.

It should be possible to use it to produce a delicious flaky pie crust. If you’re searching for a little healthier butter to use, this may be a decent option.

You’ll also be pleased to learn that vegan butter pie crusts taste quite identical to traditional butter pie crusts. Vegan butter is available at many grocery shops, and it is also feasible to buy it online.

Vegetable Shortening

Many individuals choose to use vegetable shortening as a butter alternative. In some respects, using vegetable shortening to make a pie crust is simpler than using regular butter.

Because vegetable shortening has a greater melting point than butter, it holds its form better throughout the baking process. Some people use a combination of shortening and butter to produce pie crusts.

You can also get butter-flavored shortening. Regular shortening will enough, but it all depends on whether you want the crust to taste like butter.

The main disadvantage of using shortening to make pie crust is that the crust may not be flaky. If you want a flaky pie crust, use another fat source in addition to the shortening.

Lard Could Work

In a pie crust recipe, lard might be used in place of butter. In fact, lard is often used in the preparation of pie crusts for pot pies or quiche.

When buying various types of lard, the flavour and consistency will vary. It may not always be possible to anticipate.

If you’re making a dessert pie, you may be better off using one of the other options. Regardless, it’s essential to know that lard may be used to create a handmade pot pie or quiche.

Final Thoughts

If you want to create a pie crust without butter, you have many possibilities. Most basic pie crust recipes call for butter, but you may leave it altogether if you like.

Making an oil-based pie crust is one of the more common current choices. Oil-based pie crusts may be delicious, but you must approach their preparation differently.

You should avoid adding too much more flour to the mixture. This implies that the pie crust dough should not be rolled out on a floured surface.

Rolling out the dough on parchment paper instead works wonderfully. Fortunately, parchment paper is readily available at almost any supermarket or department shop.

There are several kinds of oil that may be used. As a novice, it is better to stay with vegetable or canola oil.

Depending on the sort of pie you’re making, you could appreciate using coconut oil. This oil may be used to produce a very robust crust, but it will not be as flaky.

If you don’t like the notion of utilizing oil, there are alternative things you may use instead. Shortening is a popular alternative, and some people even use it with butter when preparing typical pie crusts.

It’s also worth noting that lard may be used to make pie crusts. These crusts, however, will most likely be best suited for pot pies or quiche.

If you merely want to bake a vegan pie, vegan butter can be exactly what you need. If you want to try it, go to a speciality food shop or get what you need online.