The Gluten-Free Pie Troubleshooting Guide

Nothing beats a great gluten-free pie. It should have a deliciously flaky crust with buttery, flaky layers. If you love pie but struggle to make a great pie, this article is for you. I am sharing all my tips so you can bake a great pie for Thanksgiving, other holidays, or special occasions. Whether you are baking your first holiday pie or troubleshooting a pie crust any time of year, these fixes will save your bake.

Baking for Thanksgiving? See the Make-Ahead section below. (You can find it quickly using the Table of Contents.)

I have never made a piecrust from scratch in my life…But we have some gluten sensitivities in my home and I thought I would give it a try. I have been buying store-bought gluten-free piecrust. I cannot believe how simple and easy this recipe was and how incredibly delicious this piecrust tasted. I really didn’t expect it to taste good, but it was fantastic and I think I may have given up on store-bought pie crust forever.

Amy, blog comment

If you want to make a pie, start by using the best recipe, like my popular Gluten-Free Pie Crust recipe. It is a reader favorite and has earned rave reviews! I also have a great Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Pie Crust if you prefer to use some of your sourdough discard.

I have so many incredible homemade gluten-free pie recipes for you to practice on. Here are 50 Gluten-Free Pie recipes for every occasion!

Beginner Tips For Making the Perfect Gluten-Free Pie Crust:

• Measure Precisely: When measuring flour, I prefer two methods. The spoon method: Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup. Use a knife to level the top and remove any excess flour. The leveling method: Place the measuring scoop into the flour and fill. Do not pack the flour. Use a knife to scrape along the top to remove the extra flour. Weighing flour can be tricky if you use a blend the recipe creator didn’t test. Every gluten-free flour blend weighs differently, depending on its starch-to-grain ratio. This article explains why gluten-free flour blends weigh differently and gives some interesting examples. This article explains why gluten-free flour blends have different weights.
• Keep Ingredients Cold: Cold butter and water are needed for flaky crusts! There are two ways to add cold butter to the dry ingredients while keeping it cold. You can either use a pastry blender to break up the butter into the flour or freeze the butter and shred it into the flour with a cheese grater. Cold butter bits create steam pockets, which make those yummy flaky layers.
• Have Patience: Gluten-free dough is delicate. Take your time and handle it gently. I find it easiest to move a pie crust to the pie pan by picking up the rolled dough on the silicone mat, inverting it over the pie pan, and then gently peeling the crust off into the pie pan.
• Experiment: Do not be afraid to try different gluten-free flour blends and techniques to see what works best for you. Each blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio, which can affect how your crust turns out. Find the flour blend that works best for you. After a lot of trial and error, I decided that using a silicone mat was my favorite way to roll out the dough. Many people like using my Gluten Free Pastry Flour Blend to make their pie crusts.

The Gluten Free Pie Crust is Too Crumbly:

You are trying to roll your gluten-free pie crust to the perfect size and thickness. The dough fell apart when rolling or transferring the crust to the pie dish. This is a common issue and has happened to me too! Here are a few solutions to try:

• Add More Moisture: Gluten-free flours soak up more liquid than wheat flour. And to make it even trickier, every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. This means what works with one flour blend may not work with another without tweaking. Start with the dry and wet amounts the recipe calls for. After mixing the dough, if it feels dry, add more cold water or milk, one teaspoon at a time, until it comes together. (On the other hand, if the dough is too sticky, add more flour.)
• Use a Binder: Gluten-free dough needs help staying together. If your recipe doesn’t include a binder, be sure to add 3/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum or another binder to your recipe.
• Chill the Dough: When making a pie crust, using cold ingredients and cold dough is really important to get those flaky layers to stick together. Refrigerate the pie dough for at least 30 minutes to help it firm up and become easier to handle.

The Crust is Tough or Gummy:

You baked your gluten-free crust, and it turned out chewy or dense instead of flaky. Be sure to:

• Do Not Overmix or Overwork the Dough: Mix the ingredients until they are just combined. Overworking gluten-free dough can melt the cold butter bits, eliminating the flaky layers.
• Use Cold Butter: For flakiness, keep your butter or shortening cold. I like to place the butter in the freezer, then use a cheese grater to grate it into the flour. When the butter is frozen, it gives you incredible flaky layers. These cold butter bits are what create the flaky layers.
• Pick the Right Flour Blend: Look for a gluten-free flour blend for baking. Do not use a flour blend with bean flour, or your pie will have a bitter aftertaste. I wrote about which gluten free flour blends work in which types of recipes as a guide to help you.
• Pre-Bake (aka a Blind Bake): Depending on the type of pie you are baking, partially bake the crust before adding the filling. This helps it stay crisp and flaky.

The Gluten-Free Dough is Sticky:

This one drives me crazy. I hate it when the pie dough sticks to my hands, the rolling pin, or the work surface. You can see this if you do not use the exact blend used by the recipe creator. Every gluten free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio

• Chill Thoroughly: If your butter is too wet, it will be more melted and can add to the dough’s stickiness. Cold dough is much easier to work with! If it’s sticky, pop it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Dust the Surface: I always sprinkle a little gluten-free flour over my silicone mat and rolling pin. This helps prevent the dough from sticking to the mat or rolling pin.
• Roll Between Sheets: I don’t often roll dough between sheets. I find it easier to use the silicone mat I mentioned above. If you prefer to use sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper to roll your pie crust, it will help prevent sticking.
• Adjust the Amount of Flour: If your dough remains sticky after chilling, add a tablespoon of gluten-free flour at a time until it is workable. This is a common adjustment needed when using gluten-free flour.

The Crust Burns Before the Pie is Finished Baking:

Are the pie edges of the crust getting too dark while the filling bakes? Nobody wants burnt pie crust edges, and luckily it is an easy problem to prevent.

• Cover the Edges: Use a pie crust shield or strips of aluminum foil wrapped loosely around the edges to protect them from overbaking. Don’t forget to remove it after 10 minutes so the edges can bake golden.
• Lower the Oven Temperature: Baking at a slightly lower temperature for longer can help.
• Add Foil Midway: If the edges start browning too fast, cover them with foil halfway, or add the pie crust shield midway through baking.

Why Didn’t the Filling Set:

How often have you made a pie and the filling is runny or doesn’t firm up after baking? It can be so frustrating! There are a few ways to fix this.

• Use a Thickener: Gluten-free pies often need starch like cornstarch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot to thicken the pie filling. Be sure to mix these well before baking. If a cream pie recipe you are following doesn’t include one of these, read the reviews carefully to make sure it is a good recipe.
• Bake the Pie Fully: Make sure the pie bakes long enough. Custard pies, for example, need to reach specific internal temperatures to set.
• Cool the Pie Completely: Many pie fillings set as they cool. Be patient and allow the pie to rest before slicing. I also find that letting the pie cool to room temperature on the counter, then finishing cooling in the refrigerator, helps.
• If it is a no-bake filling, try chilling it for longer in the refrigerator.

The Bottom Pie Crust is Soggy:

The bottom crust turns out wet or undercooked. A soggy crust can make a pie so gross. Do not let this happen to you. Here are some easy ways to prevent a soggy bottom crust.

• Blind Bake the Crust: Pre-baking the gluten-free crust for at least 10 minutes helps create a solid base that resists sogginess when you add the filling.
• Preheat Your Baking Sheet: Place the pie pan on a hot metal baking sheet in the oven to cook the bottom faster. This is a trick I often do. It is easy, and as a bonus, the baking sheet can prevent any pie juice from getting on the bottom of the oven.
• Brush with Egg Wash: Before adding the filling, lightly brush the crust with beaten egg white and bake briefly to create a moisture barrier. I haven’t tried this one myself, but several of my readers have recommended it.

The Pie Crust Needs More Flavor:

The crust is flaky but tastes bland. This is another easy thing to fix. Here are some tasty ways to add some flavor to your pie crust:

• Add More Seasonings to the Dough: Add a pinch of salt and/or a teaspoon of sugar to enhance the flavor.
• Use High-Quality Butter: Great butter makes a big difference in taste. I love using European butter, like Plugra or Danish Creamery, when making my pie crust because it has a higher fat content.
• Flavor Add-Ins: Try adding spices, a flavored extract, or even grated cheese for unique flavors. I also like to add a little lemon juice to boost flavor. For savory pies, grated cheddar cheese can add so much flavor to the crust! I used grated cheddar cheese for this Gluten-Free Hatch Chile Apple Pie recipe…it is a sweet pie with a kick of spice!