Vegan (& Gluten Free) Shortbread Crust

This delicious shortbread crust is vegan, gluten free, and really easy to make! It is perfect for any sweet filling that requires a pre-baked cookie crust. (My favorite way to use it is with my chocolate raspberry tart recipe.) Here are the crust ingredients:

I used my own gluten free flour blend, made with The Plant Based Egg. It makes xanthan and guar gums unnecessary and gives a superior result. The Plant Based Egg will be available to purchase online very soon at www.freelyvegan.com! (You can order now by emailing theplantbasedegg@gmail.com)

I have used this 1:1 baking flour from Bob’s Red Mill in my shortbread cookie recipe, so it should also work in this one. (Use any gluten free flour blend that has xanthan gum already added if you can’t find this one):

This recipe should also work with all-purpose wheat flour. I highly recommend weighing any flour, however, because different flour blends have different densities, and measuring flour is inaccurate anyway. If you do measure, spoon the flour into your measuring cup, then level it with a straight edge.

Add the baking powder and salt to the flour and whisk to combine. Set aside for now.

This is one of the rare recipes where I use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks instead of the spread, and you want to use it cold right out of the fridge. Cut the stick into eight pieces and add them to your mixing bowl:

Mix on medium speed until the Earth Balance is smooth:

Add the sugar and vanilla:

Mix on medium-low speed for several minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed:

Add the plant milk and beat again:

Add one-third of the flour mixture, and beat it in:

Scrape off the beaters into the bowl:

Add half of the remaining flour mixture, then stir it in with a spatula:

Add the rest of the flour mixture, and stir it in as well:

Spray a nine-inch tart pan with a non-stick spray. (Be sure to use a pan that has a removable bottom.)

Use a piece of paper towel to spread the spray into every bit of the pan. Failure to do so may lead to your crust sticking to the pan and making it impossible to remove the tart shell intact.

Add the shortbread dough, and spread it out evenly on the bottom and sides of your tart pan:

Be sure that your dough does not get pressed too thin on the fluted sides. This is how it should look:

Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork. Place the pan in the fridge for one hour, or in the freezer for 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit while you wait.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until your crust is lightly golden brown:

If your crust has any puffy spots (like 8 o’clock above), you have a minute or two when you first take the crust out of the oven when it is still soft enough to push it into the shape you want. Be careful not to burn your fingers!

Let the crust cool completely before removing it from the sides of the pan.

Gently push up on the removable bottom and remove the ring. Leave the crust on the bottom of the pan for now. The edges should come away from the sides without breaking:

Fill as desired according to your recipe:

Chill if your recipe requires it, then slice your tart into quarters:

Carefully remove the pieces from the bottom of the tart pan before cutting into smaller pieces.

Serve your tart and enjoy!

Vegan (& Gluten Free) Shortbread Crust

This delicious shortbread crust is vegan, gluten free, and really easy to make! It is perfect for any sweet filling that requires a pre-baked cookie crust. 
Course Dessert, Pastry
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 215 kcal
Author Deborah Mesdag

Ingredients

  • 170 g (1 1/3 c) Gluten Free Flour Blend (or All-Purpose Flour)
  • 1.6 g (1/4 tsp) Salt
  • 1.3 g (1/4 tsp) Baking Powder
  • 112 g (1 stick) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
  • 75 g (3/8 c) Vegan Sugar
  • 5.0 g (1 tsp) Vanilla Extract
  • 15 g (1 TBS) Plant Milk

Instructions

  1. Add the baking powder and salt to the flour and whisk to combine. Set aside for now.
  2. This is one of the rare recipes where I use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks instead of the spread, and you want to use it cold right out of the fridge. Cut the stick into eight pieces and add them to your mixing bowl.

  3. Mix on medium speed until the Earth Balance is smooth.

  4. Add the sugar and vanilla. Mix on medium-low speed for several minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the plant milk and beat again.

  5. Add one-third of the flour mixture, and beat it in. Scrape off the beaters into the bowl.

  6. Add half of the remaining flour mixture, then stir it in with a spatula. Add the rest of the flour mixture, and stir it in as well.

  7. Spray a nine-inch tart pan with a non-stick spray. (Be sure to use a pan that has a removable bottom.) Use a piece of paper towel to spread the spray into every bit of the pan. Failure to do so may lead to your crust sticking to the pan and making it impossible to remove the tart shell intact.

  8. Add the shortbread dough, and spread it out evenly on the bottom and sides of your tart pan. Be sure that your dough does not get pressed too thin on the fluted sides. 

  9. Prick the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork. Place the pan in the fridge for one hour, or in the freezer for 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit while you wait.
  10. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until your crust is lightly golden brown. If your crust has any puffy spots, you have a minute or two when you first take the crust out of the oven when it is still soft enough to push it into the shape you want. Be careful not to burn your fingers!

  11. Let the crust cool completely before removing it from the sides of the pan. Gently push up on the removable bottom and remove the ring. Leave the crust on the bottom of the pan for now. The edges should come away from the sides without breaking.

  12. Fill your baked tart shell according to your recipe. Chill if your recipe requires it, then slice your tart into quarters. Carefully remove the quarters from the bottom of the tart pan before cutting into smaller pieces. Serve your tart and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  • I used my own gluten free flour blend, but it requires The Plant Based Egg which is not available quite yet. My egg replacement makes xanthan and guar gums unnecessary and gives a superior result. The Plant Based Egg will be available very soon, and I will be sharing more about it in an upcoming post! In the meantime, you can use Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour or any gluten free flour blend that has xanthan gum already added.
  • This recipe should also work with all-purpose wheat flour. I highly recommend weighing any flour, however, because different flour blends have different densities, and measuring flour is inaccurate anyway. If you do measure, spoon the flour into your measuring cup, then level it with a straight edge.

3 thoughts on “Vegan (& Gluten Free) Shortbread Crust”

  1. The finished chocolate raspberry tart looks great. You snap very attractive photographs.
    If I use a flour blend that does not include xanthan gum, how much should I add?

    1. Thank you, Elizabeth!

      Does your flour blend have another gum like guar gum? If yes, then you don’t need to add any xanthan gum. If no, then I would try adding 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum and see how that works.

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