Gluten-free, vegan, peach pie and crust

The final product! Looks, smells, and tastes delicious!

Gluten-free baking is a tricky, tricky, thing. Flours taste weird, things don't rise like they do with normal all purpose flour, sometimes it is really dense, and sometimes it turns out just right, like this pie and pie crust.

millions of peaches, peaches fo me!

I have been figuring out pie crusts for almost a year. I made a ton of pies last year with fresh pumpkin from our garden, preparing for Thanksgiving and wanting it to be perfect. The pie crust I used was ok. It tasted gluten-free and I didn't really enjoy it. It was a weird consistency and it was so funky. So, I gave pie making a rest until I saw rhubarb at the store and realized I had never had rhubarb, and more specifically, a strawberry rhubarb pie before. So I was set on a mission to create the perfect pie crust for this delicious sounding pie.

dry ingredients for the pie crust. 

The first time I made the pie, I did make a strawberry rhubarb pie. The crust was a bust. I added too much liquid, which made me add more flour to try and balance it out. I ended up having a TON of pie crust, and it came out super thick. I don't really like thick crusts... I would prefer a nice little layer of crust and mostly fillings with my pies. So, while it tasted good, I ended up mostly eating just the filling of the strawberry rhubarb pie. My partner loved it and ate it all.

Finally a good gf, vegan pie crust!

The second time I made a pie, I made it with apricots and the pie crust, after paying more attention, turned out perfect. I didn't make so much and I also made it thin enough that when I held up the pie pan to the light, I could see the light through it. Not like there were holes, but the crust was thin enough that I could see that there was a light on.

peaches cooking down, releasing their delicious juices!

So, of course, I had to make another pie to make it even better. I am really into pies lately. I especially like this pie because, well, it's pretty darn healthy for you. The replacement of coconut sugar is so much better than plain ol' granulated sugar. So my project was a peach pie, because oh my goodness, the peaches look heavenly.

sweet crust drops

This pie crust isn't all that sweet, so I added a little sweet crust drops on top of the pie. This was like what you'd put on top of a crisp. But, it wasn't filled with oats. It was the perfect sweet top to add to the tart strawberry rhubarb filling.

close up of the topping on the pie before baking.

I hope you enjoy this pie crust as much as I do. It really is my new go to pie crust. And it takes minutes to put it together.

Gluten-free, Vegan Pie Crust
Serving: 1 9-inch pie dish

1 1/2 c. brown rice flour
1 tbs. arrow root
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coconut sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c. refined coconut oil, solid
1 1/2 tbs. vanilla extract
3 tbs. agave nectar
6 tbs. water

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. With the mixer on low, gradually add in coconut oil a tablespoon at a time. Once the mix is crumbly, add in vanilla, coconut nectar and slowly add in water a tablespoon at a time until the dough all comes together and forms a ball.

Remove from bowl and form into a ball shape and flatten into a disk. Oil  bottom of pie plate, place disk into pie plate, using either the heel of your hand or pastry roller, press out into the bottom and sides of the plate; then use your hands to form crust and crimp edges. With a fork poke a few holes in the bottom of the crust. 

Preheat oven to 350°*. Place crust in freezer until it hardens up (usually about 15 minutes).

Bake for 5-6 minutes.

Pie Filling

5-6 peaches
1/4 c. coconut oil (solid)
6 tbs. coconut sugar
1 tbs. vanilla extract
2 tbs. arrowroot
1tbs. water

Place filling ingredients, excluding the arrowroot/water in a pot over medium heat, stirring frequently. After the peaches have cooked down, mixed together the arrowroot and water to form a slurry.

Pour arrowroot/water mixture into the peaches. Keep on the heat and stir until the mixture thickens (you'll be able to feel it, so keep stirring and mak sure it is evently combined and thickened.

Pour into pie crust.

Topping

1/4 c. coconut sugar
1/4 c. brown rice flour
2 tbs. coconut oil

Using a fork, mix together ingredients until they form a crumb like consistence. Place spread out on pie before baking.

Bake pie for 30 minutes. Let cool before placing in fridge. If you don't have enough patience as me, place pie in the freezer to help speed along the setting up of pie.

Enjoy at room temperature, or heated with a dollop of ice cream.

* I baked my pie in our grill (because it was 9.30 IN THE MORNING and it was already over 85 degrees in the house), which is like a conventional oven. Infrared is what they call it I think. I ended up baking it about 10 minutes shorter than I would have in the oven because it started to boil it over. So I just transfered it to the oven in the house and let it heat up the oven and continue to bake for the remainder minutes. I have to admit that I was a little nervous that it would taste like chicken since that's what we grill, but it doesn't. It tastes like peach pie and it is freakin' delicious. 

The oven for the pie. aka. the grill!

Pie siting on the grill