You don’t need to be a French pastry chef to pull this off! My easy gluten free short crust recipe is crisp, lightly sweet, and perfectly golden. Follow my detailed instructions, and in a few simple steps, you’ll have a golden, gluten-free base for your tarts.

Sliced apple tart with three plated servings, one topped with whipped cream, alongside a cup of coffee and a green apple on a light tabletop.

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Skill Level: Intermediate, mainly because you have to roll the tart dough.

Flavor Remix: Add a touch of vanilla or almond extra to the dough to pair with your filling.

Allergy Watch: To make this recipe dairy-free free use vegan butter.

I use this recipe for the base of my gluten-free apple tart and my delightful custard-filled gluten-free fruit tarts. But you can use it to replace the crust in your favorite tart recipe.

While I love a flaky pie crust recipe, this recipe is much easier to make. I find that it is more forgiving.

Which tart shell or pie crust should you use?

There are 4 basic types of crusts used to make gluten free tarts and pies. Each one has a unique technique and use. But all can be used to make pies, tarts, and even mini tartlets.

Pate Sablee: A shortbread crust that can be used for tarts and cookie bars. It has a small amount of sugar, and the dough has a sandy texture. Just like shortbread cookies!
Pate Sucree: Slightly more sugar than the pate sablee, plus the butter is creamed, resulting in a softer crust. Best when blind or par-baked and ideal for sour and tart flavors
American Flaky Pie Crust: The butter or shortening is cut into the flour to make layers. Best when baking with fillings, like an apple pie.
Pate Brisee: Also doesn't contain sugar, softer than a standard pie crust. Best for savory bakes like quiche.
I use this recipe for the base of my gluten-free apple tart and my delightful custard-filled gluten-free fruit tarts. But you can use it to replace the crust in your favorite tart recipe.
While I love my flaky gluten-free pie crust recipe, this recipe is much easier to make. I find that it is more forgiving.

Ingredient Notes

Gluten-Free Flour: Use any 1:1 flour blend with xanthan gum, like Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure.
Almond Flour: Use a fine almond flour, not a coarse grind. While you can use 100% gluten free flour, the almond flour gives the tart its unique nutty flavor.
Butter: I use unsalted, skip the salt if you use regular butter. For dairy free, I like Earth Balance butter sticks.
Powdered Sugar: You might be surprised, but this is the traditional sugar used for sweet pie doughs. It adds a lightness, so it doesn't have the texture of a cookie.
Egg: I think recipes that use a full egg are generally easier, but if you want to weigh it, aim for 50 grams.

Top-down view of labeled baking ingredients in bowls: unsalted butter, gluten-free 1:1 flour, salt, almond flour, powdered sugar, and a cracked egg.

A round, unbaked pie crust in a metal tin with fork marks on the surface, placed on a sheet of white parchment paper.

Pan Size

This recipe can be used with a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (with a little extra) or with mini-tart pans (quantity depends on pan size).

How to Make Gluten Free Pâte Sablée

A step-by-step visual guide for making gluten-free pastry dough. You can skip to the recipe for the full written instructions.

A food processor bowl filled with flour sits on a counter next to a bowl with butter cubes and a bowl containing an egg and egg yolk.

Dry Ingredients

Mix all the dry ingredients until well incorporated. You can use a food processor, a pastry blender or a stand mixer.

Two side-by-side photos: butter and flour in a food processor on the left, and a hand holding blended flour mixture on the right; an egg yolk in a small bowl is visible in both.

Cut In Butter

The butter and flour mixture should look like sand and easily crumble in your hand.

A food processor containing mixed dough sits on a countertop, with some loose flour visible on the surrounding surface.

Mix

Add one egg and let the machine run until the dough comes together.

A zip-top plastic bag filled with dough sits on a countertop next to a rolling pin and a folded white kitchen towel.

Chill

Wrap in plastic wrap or

Rolling

Dust your surface with flour. I prefer to roll out with a piece of parchment on top.

A sheet of rolled-out dough on parchment paper with a round cookie cutter and one circular shape already cut out.

Cut

To make mini tarts, trace out the bottom of the tart rings. Then cut strips for the sides. Add the bottom to the rings first before adding the sides. Press the sides to the bottom and to each other before trimming the top of the ring.

Press

For larger tart pans, roll out the dough slightly larger than the tart pan and carefully move to the pan. Press the crust down gently, patching any holes as needed. Then trim off the excess.

A round tart crust with fork holes sits in a metal ring mold on parchment paper, placed on a baking tray.

Chill (again)

Always chill the dough before baking. Regardless of the recipe and type of pan used, you need to dock the dough, meaning pierce the bottom of the shell with a fork before baking.

A hand holds baking parchment filled with ceramic pie weights over an unbaked pie crust in a tart pan.

Blind Bake

You must fully bake or blind-bake the crust with pie weights to prevent the bottom from puffing up.

Recipe Tips

I don't care what the recipe you are using says, always blind bake gluten-free tart dough to prevent a soggy bottom and get the best final result.
Using a kitchen scale to weigh your ingredients is best, but I have included volume measurements if that is easier for you.
If the dough cracks as you roll it, just patch it up with a little extra dough. It is so much more forgiving than pie crust.
If the dough softens too much while rolling, you can put it in the freezer for a few minutes.
Chill the dough thoroughly after mixing AND before baking.
Use rice or dried beans if you don't have pie weights.

Three plates each hold a gluten free tart topped with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and kiwi slices; scattered berries and a cloth napkin are seen on the white tabletop.

Make Ahead and Storing

Make Ahead: You can make fully baked shells 48 hours in advance. They hold up much better than most gluten-free baked goods.

Storing: Store the dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the unfilled baked shells to cool completely before storing to prevent sogginess. Store in an airtight container at room room temp for up to 3 days.

Freezing: Freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Be sure to place the plastic in a freezer-safe bag or double wrap it. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using. Do not freeze the fully baked tart shells.

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