This reader-favorite gluten-free tart crust recipe is a snap to make but it looks like a fancy bakery dessert and tastes like a buttery shortbread cookie. It uses a blend of gluten-free flours (almond, sweet rice, oat, and tapioca) for a tender texture that holds together beautifully. Easily made in under an hour, start to finish, with just 8 ingredients.
Use this recipe to make a large tart or several smaller tartlet shells. Make it with plant butter for an easily dairy-free and vegan tart crust. Shown here with lemon curd filling with more tart filling suggestions below. Thanks to Bob's Red Mill for sponsoring this post!
The Gourmet Tart
I make so many gluten-free tarts that Sarah of Snixy Kitchen once said I should change my moniker to The Gourmet Tart. Not a bad idea! The reason I can't stop "tarting around" is all due to this easy gluten-free tart crust recipe that I've developed over the years (more on this below!).
This almond flour tart crust recipe is stupid easy to make – just whizz everything together in the food processor. It's easy to form – just press it into the pan, no chilling or rolling required. And it's easy to eat – tender, buttery, and full of flavor from almond flour, oat flour, and vanilla.
I've shared this tart crust recipe in my cookbook Alternative Baker. But it was high time for this foundation recipe to have a dedicated post. Sarah and I also made a cute little video of how to make tart crust. We hope you enjoy!
How I Developed my Ideal Gluten-Free Tart Crust
I've tasted my fair share of meh pastry crusts. They can be underbaked, pasty, bland, soggy, and tough.
Traditional tart crust recipes require many steps and lots of mess: softening the butter to cream with the sugar, chilling the dough, letting it soften enough to roll out, chilling it again once it's in the pan. No one wants hours of chilling, flour all over their kitchen, or having to use pesky pie weights to keep the crust aloft as it bakes if they can help it. Enter my recipe!
Several years ago, I discovered a bar cookie crust recipe in Williams Sonoma's Essentials of Baking, one of my favorite classic baking cookbooks. This recipe used the mixing/pressing/baking method that I use here. I tried the recipe in tart form and it worked brilliantly. I never looked back!
I've tweaked that original glutenous recipe to be gluten-free, adding extra flavor from almond flour and oat flour. This recipe turns out a nutty, toasty, caramelized crust that bursts with flavor every time. It's easier than pie crust, but you can use it for more than just tarts. See the many variations below. You'll want to make all the tarts once you've got this tart crust recipe in your back pocket, just like this reader:
Brilliant Recipe
“Thank you so much for such a great and modifiable tart crust. It's come out perfectly every time I've made it. I keep finding reasons to make tarts, now that I've found your brilliant recipe!”
—Sarah
Almond Flour Tart Crust Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions
The key to this gluten-free tart crust is a blend of gluten-free flours. Combined with a few other ingredients, you'll have a professional-caliber tart crust in no time.
- Almond flour, oat flour, sweet rice flour, and tapioca flours form a sturdy base that holds together when sliced, but melts in your mouth like a tender shortbread cookie. The almond flour adds a gently nubby texture, oat flour gives it an earthy taste, and sweet rice and tapioca flours stick everything together. Bob's Red Mill flours are milled in a dedicated gluten-free facility, and widely available in stores and online. This recipe is very forgiving, and I've listed some alternate flours in the ingredients.
- For a nut-free crust, user Li tested this with an equal weight of sunflower seeds ground to a powder and found that it worked well.
- Butter moistens the dough, forming big crumbles that are easy to press into the pan. You can use plant butter for a vegan & dairy-free tart crust, you'll just need to lower the salt a little if your butter is salty.
- A small amount of sugar adds sweetness. I use organic granulated sugar but feel free to use any granulated sweetener you prefer such as brown sugar, coconut sugar, or maple sugar.
- Vanilla and salt add a burst of flavor, making this crust totally addictive.
How to Make Almond Flour Tart Crust
Mixing Method
This recipe uses a streamlined method for a no-fuss tart crust that will be ready in under an hour. The recipe makes one 9-inch round crust or six 4-inch tartlet shells. Here's how it's done:
Shaping
The hardest thing about this recipe is pressing the tart dough evenly into the pan; it takes me about 10 minutes to make it look pretty.
Baking
This gluten-free tart crust requires no chilling, and it gets blind-baked, meaning that you don't need to line it with pie weights like you do for some recipes. Just toss it in the oven.
Favorite Gluten-Free Tart Recipes
Looking for ways to fill your beautiful GF tart crust? Here are some recipes for all seasons.
Gluten Free Fruit Tarts
Spring & Summer
- raspberry mascarpone tart
- apricot tart
- rhubarb tart
- lime curd tart
- gluten-free peach tart (in my cookbook)
Fall
Winter
Variations
Gluten-Free Chocolate Tart Crust
Swapping cocoa powder in for oat flour makes a mellow chocolate crust that tastes like Oreos. Follow the directions for the chocolate variation and try it with these recipes:
- Gluten-Free Pear Tart
- Gluten-Free Banana Cream Tart
- Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Tart with Tahini & Caramel
- Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cream Tart with Pomegranate
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Fig Tart
Gluten-Free Vegan Tart Crust
Swap in plant butter for dairy butter and this recipe will be dairy-free and vegan! You may need to add a little extra plant butter to bring the crust together. My favorite plant butter is Miyoko's, but use any plant butter you like the taste of and reduce the salt as needed.
Gluten-Free Cheesecake Crust
For a gluten-free cheesecake crust, make the recipe as written and press into a 9-inch springform pan. Parbake and press down the crust as instructed, then continue with your favorite cheesecake recipe or one of these:
Gluten-Free Shortbread Crust
Press this gluten-free shortbread dough into a 9-inch square pan and use it to make your favorite bar cookies, such as gluten-free lemon bars.
Gluten-Free Tartlet Shells
Press the crust into smaller pans for adorable tartlet shells. This recipe makes six 4-inch tartlet shells.
Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies
Double the recipe and add an egg and you'll have the most delicious gluten-free sugar cookies to cut out and ice for the holidays!
And with a few flavor tweaks and jam filling, you can make gluten-free linzer cookies.
Gluten-Free Press-In Pie Crust
Though this sweet pastry crust doesn't replace a traditional flaky pie pastry, you can absolutely form it in a pie pan and fill it with any pie recipe you like. (But if you're looking for a classic flaky pie pastry, try my favorite gluten-free pie crust, or paleo almond flour pie crust. These are my favorite pie crust recipes that use whole food flours and no xanthan gum. They can easily be made vegan too!)
I've also shared a gluten-free graham cracker crust optionally made with homemade teff flour graham crackers.
The Fancy Tart
If you're looking for a dessert to impress but not stress, try a tart recipe! They're easier than pie but they look like they came from a fancy bakery.
Please let me know what you try!
Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or Pinterest, purchase my award-winning gluten-free baking cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this gluten-free tart crust, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.
Gluten-Free Tart Crust with Almond Flour
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- cooking spray, for the pan
- ½ cup (60 g) Bob’s Red Mill blanched almond flour (or almond or hazelnut meal)
- ½ cup (80 g) Bob’s Red Mill sweet white rice flour (or 1 to 1 all-purpose flour)
- ½ cup (45 g) Bob’s Red Mill GF oat flour (or sorghum, teff, or buckwheat flour)
- 2 tablespoons (12 g) Bob’s Red Mill tapioca flour
- ¼ cup (50 g) organic granulated sugar*
- ¼ teaspoon + 1⁄8 teaspoon fine sea salt (decrease to ¼ teaspoon if using salted butter or plant butter)
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold, unsalted butter or plant butter, in 1⁄2-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon GF vanilla extract
Equipment
- Food processor or stand mixer
Instructions
Prepare things
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.
Make the tart dough
- In the bowl of a food processor (or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment) combine the almond, sweet rice, and oat flours with the tapioca starch, sugar and salt.
- Scatter the butter pieces over the top and drizzle with the vanilla extract. Run the mixer until the dough forms moist clumps and the butter is fully incorporated, 20-30 seconds, pulsing as you near the end so as not to over-process the dough. If using a stand mixer, run on medium-low until the dough comes together, 3–5 minutes.
- If the dough refuses to come together or seems dry after thorough mixing, add up to 1 tablespoon more cold butter or plant butter. Or try adding a few drops of cold water or a little beaten egg or egg yolk. (I've never had this happen, but a few readers have!)
Shape
- Spray a 9-inch loose bottom tart pan (or six 4-inch tartlet pans) with 1-inch high sides lightly with cooking oil. Dump about half of the crumbs into the pan and press the dough evenly into the sides of the pan. Add the remaining crumbs and press them into the bottom, keeping the edges square. (It takes me about 10 minutes to make it look pretty.)
Bake
- Place the tart pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until pale golden and firm to the touch (15–20 minutes) for a parbaked crust, or until golden all over (5–10 minutes longer) for a fully baked crust. (If making tartlets, decrease the overall baking time by 5–10 minutes.)
Press
- Remove the crust from the oven and, while it’s still hot, press the sides and bottom firmly with the back of a spoon or a cup; this will help it hold together when cool.
- Proceed with your tart recipe.
Video
Notes
The crust can be wrapped and frozen, before baking or after, for up to a month or two. If unbaked, bake the crust from frozen, increasing the baking time by a few minutes. If the crust is baked or parbaked, refresh it in a 350ºF oven before proceeding with your recipe. Chocolate Tart Crust:
Use ½ cup (45 g) cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process) in place of the oat flour and decrease the butter to 5 tablespoons (70 g). Since the dough is dark, it can be difficult to tell when the crust is done, so do set a timer and look closely for edges that are beginning to darken and pull away from the sides of the pan. If the chocolate begins to smell at all burnt, remove the crust immediately. Nutrition values are for 1 of 8 servings.
Alene says
I have your cookbook and I've made this at least once. It's perfection, easy and even tastes good. And it held up really well overnight in the refrigerator. Even leftovers were yummy. I recommend it to everyone! Thank you, Alanna.
Alanna says
Thanks so much for the kind note! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying the book and this recipe. :)
Sarah says
Thank you so much for such a great and modifiable tart crust. It's come out perfectly every time I've made it. I keep finding reasons to make tarts, now that I've found your brilliant recipe!
Sabrina says
thank you for sharing this gf crust and for all of the inspiring tarts to make with it, poached pear topped cheesecake, wow food art!
Alanna says
Aw thanks so much for the sweet note!
Robyn says
The dough tastes great. Unfortunately I made a mistake by docking the dough and using our weights with parchment paper between the dough and weights. I'll know better next time. I was able to scrape the dough off the parchment paper and mush it back together so I'm hoping for the best here for my Passover seder chocolate tart dessert.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Oh dear, I hope it was salvageable. You did exactly what I would have suggested! Yes the crust doesn't need docking or pie weights, which makes it super easy to put together. I hope the tart turns out delicious regardless - please let me know!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Yay, so happy you liked the snickerdoodles! Thanks for the note :)
Li says
Can you make this nut free?
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Li,
Great question! I haven't tested this recipe without nut flour. If you can tolerate seeds, I think you could grind sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds to a powder and use them in place of the almond flour. That would be my first choice for a sub, and you may need to add more flour if the dough is very wet, or more butter if it's too dry to hold together.
Otherwise I've found tiger nut flour (which is from a tuber and not in fact a nut) to be a good 1 to 1 substitute for almond flour.
Coconut flour could work, but you'd want to use one-third the amount of the almond flour since it's so absorbent.
Please let me know if you try one of these options and I can add it to the recipe notes to help other readers if it works well. :)
-Alanna
Li Leung says
Tried out a nut-free version with ground sunflower seeds substituted for the almond flour, and it turned out beautifully! Thank you!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I'm so happy to hear that this worked well with ground sunflower seeds - brilliant! I'll add a note into the recipe to help other nut-free readers. Thanks so much for testing this out, much appreciated!
mohan kumar says
This look so fresh and delecious.Thank you so much for sharing with us.
Alanna says
Aw, it's totally my pleasure.
Kim says
I’m wondering could one make a lemon meringue tart? My mom was saying today she’s love a slice of lemon meringue pie, but as Alene pointed out, this tart crust is perfection! I’ve made it a number of times and it’s very delicious and surprisingly sturdy. Makes me miss figs right now. But I’ve got oodles of lemons, and still haven’t made that lemon buttermilk pie, but was thinking I could perch a meringue on top of the tart and call it delicious. What do you think?
Alanna says
Absolutely! I've been trying to share the lemon tart recipe for weeks, hopefully it will be up soon! But it's the same recipe as the lemon bars. And you could absolutely make a meringue to put on top. An Italian meringue would be ideal, and you can torch it with a blowtorch to brown it. Please let me know what you try!
Kim says
How fast a month and a half have passed! I am finally getting to this! Mostly because I've been baking scads of gluten containing sourdough for everyone else at home (I know! I'm clearly *so* original!) Anyhow, a friend's birthday tomorrow demands a drive by and drop off of treats and good wishes (from six feet away) and this lemon tart it will be!
I am making it in two small springform pans (because that's what I've got, and there's nowhere to get other pans at this point) and will share one with her and one with my mom. I did toss them in the fridge because they were way soft when I finished attempting to mash the crust into the pans (and I have a loaf of bread in the oven, because I am the Queen of Bad Timing.)
If I remember, I somehow messed up the lemon curd in the lemon bar recipe, but I am going to go find your sweet and thoughtful notes, and attempt to not mess it up! I hope you are well and there is some sunshine in your days.
Alanna says
What a sweet friend! How did it go this time??
Rebecca says
Do you not have to chill the dough between making it and putting into a tart case, and then again before baking?
I imagine part of the reason to rest is to relax the gluten (which does not apply here), but I would also think we want the fat to be as cold as possible.
Alanna says
That's a great question. I used to freeze the crust before baking it, but then I tried skipping that step and found that it worked just as well! Please let me know if you try it. :)
Jen says
I'm curious if the sugar is playing a structural role here and therefore could not be omitted. If it is, do you think maple sugar would make an acceptable substitution? Or, do you have any substitution suggestions for the sugar? Thank you!
Alanna says
I think maple sugar would work well. It's drier and lighter than granulated so you may need to add more liquid, either more butter or a little cold water or milk to bring the dough together. Let me know what you try!
mel says
Hello, I bought the book and am really excited to start trying out the recipes! Unfortunately I am avoiding sugar, so I am wondering like the original poster whether it is OK to skip the sugar entirely. I looked in the book but couldn't find anything on the tart crust page (117-119) that says whether that's possible.
I could use molasses in place of the granulated cane sugar, but I'm not sure if that's too much liquid. I would be grateful to hear your thoughts :) Thank you!
Alanna says
Hi Mel, that's a great question. Can you do unrefined sugar, like coconut or maple sugar? Those would work better than molasses I think.
The sugar acts like a liquid ingredient here, helping to stick the crust together. But you could try leaving it out if you prefer and adding a tablespoon or two of plant milk or cool water.
Let me know what you try!
Natasha says
Hello! I used the online recipe and instead of using all the diff. types of flour, I used 1 1/2 cups of almond flour, and about 6-7 tbsp of "gluten free flour" (which had tapioca starch, rice flour, and xanthan gum in the ingredients). Instead of using granulated sugar, I used honey, which worked pretty well! The crust stuck together nicely and tasted pretty good. Great recipe!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I'm so glad those modifications worked well! I bet the honey tastes lovely here!
Jolanta says
Thank you .I will try that.
Stella says
Thanks for sharing this recipe, I made this crust but found the mix to be too dry so I added an egg yolk which really helped bind it into a ball and then roll out evenly. It's a good tip to compress the tart after baking, but perhaps I don't have the right tart pan, or didn't butter the base enough as it stuck to my pan and was a nightmare to get out in one piece. It came out in pieces sadly, (deconstructed look perhaps..!haha) but I am happy to report the flavours and texture were delicious! I would happily try this recipe again but maybe in a different tart pan :)
Alanna says
Thanks so much for trying the recipe and for the note! Genius to add an egg yolk to the mix, that's great to know that it helped the dough come together. However I wonder if it was responsible for the sticking? I've made this crust dozens of times and have never had that happen! Or is it possible that some of the tart filling leaked and caused the sticking (assuming you baked it with a filling and didn't remove the empty, baked crust from the pan)? What kind of pan did you use? I'm really sorry that that happened, that must have been really frustrating after taking all that time to press the crust in and make it look pretty. In any case, I'm glad the flavor was to your liking!
Ashley Casebier says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I too had trouble getting the tart out of my pan and used a lot of pan spray. I didn't use an egg as there is an egg allergy. It was crumbly and fell apart when trying to remove the tart from the pan (especially on the bottom. There wasn't any leakage. Did I press too hard after it baked? I'm using this for a special party tomorrow and hope I can figure out what went wrong!
Alanna says
I'm so sorry this gave you trouble. Happy to help troubleshoot! Did you use weights or volume for the flours? Did you use the main flours called for (almond, millet, sweet rice, oat, and tapioca?) Was the consistency of the unbaked dough the same as in the photos and video?
Vesna says
Hi! Mine was falling apart just from looking at it :) didn't press and didn't add other ingredients. I guess it's logical since there's nothing holding the dough together, like gluten or flax... It tastes great but I will need to adjust to make it easy in one piece
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Vesna, sorry to hear that this recipe gave you trouble too! Usually you just need to work the butter in longer. As it softens, the moisture from the butter and sugar bind with the stick tapioca flour, sweet rice flour, and proteins in the almond flour to bind it together. It should be tender but sturdy.
Next time, I'd recommend letting the butter go a bit longer. If it really doesn't come together, you can try adding a teaspoon of cold water or a little bit of beaten egg or egg yolk. Please let me know if you try it again!
Julie Sullivan says
This was the best gluten-free short crust I have ever made. I didn't have oat flour so I just ground oats and made my own. The "grit" from the oat flour really gave it the perfect texture, and the taste was divine.
Alanna says
Genius! I'm so glad you loved it. Thanks a bunch for the sweet note.
Alissa says
What what piping tip do you use to make the big and little decorations
On the pie?
Alanna says
I used two French star tips :)
Torrey says
I'd love to try this with a quiche custard. Would I be able to omit the 1/4 C of granulated sugar? I'm assuming the vanilla can be left out. Thank you for this recipe!
Alanna says
Hi Torrey, I've never tried it without the sugar so I'm not sure! You might need to add something else wet, like an egg yolk or whole egg, but that might make it stick to the pan, so be sure to grease the pan well if you go that route. Have you tried my GF pie crust recipe? It's perfect for quiche! https://bojongourmet.com/gluten-free-pie-crust-whole-grain/
Torrey says
Thank you for responding so quickly! I will definitely try your GF pie crust recipe. I am excited to look through all of your recipes actually! After years and years of searching recipes online, I can’t believe I’m just finding your website today. I’m going to get a copy of your book too! Your flavor pairings seem so tasty and original. And I really appreciate how you explain the science behind using specific ingredients and baking in general. Thank you for all of your work!
Alanna says
Perfect! Let me know how you like it. :)
Vale says
Hi, I’m mildly allergic to oats, wheat, buckwheat and grains. What can I replace the oats flour with?
Alanna says
Hi! I've been doing a grain-free elimination diet too and have been meaning to test a grain-free version of this tart crust as well. I'm curious if it would work with just cassava, almond, and tapioca flours, ideally in a weight equal to the original weights of the flours. If you experiment, will you let me know? I'll do the same!
You might also like these grain-free recipes that I've posted recently:
Zucchini BreadFruit CobblerPie Crust (in the variations)
Banana BreadChocolate Chip Cookies
Let me know if you try any! :)
Vale says
Thanks Alanna, will experiment and let you know. Also I tried searching for your book in Australia but it’s not available in Amazon at the moment, probably due to the pandemic and logistics restrictions. I love your IG product shots, they look so pretty and yummy. Can’t wait to try your recipes :-)
Alanna says
Aw thanks for checking out my book - I'm so sorry to hear that it's not available in Australia from Amazon. I wonder if other booksellers would be able to get a copy for you?
Vale says
Hi Alana, I finally got a copy of your book from a local bookstore and it looks fabulous! Can’t wait to get all my flours to try some of your recipes.
Also going back to the tart, I used 35g of green banana flour to replace the oat flour and it worked well. It was buttery crumbly goodness, sturdy enough to hold it together but melts in your mouth kinda crust. :-)
Alanna says
I've never tried green banana flour but now I want to! It's great to know that it works well in this crust. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and getting my book, and for the kind note! Please let me know what other recipes you try. :)
Emma F says
Hello!
Is this in a fan forced oven?
We have a gas oven with no fan.
Alanna says
I also have a gas oven with no fan, so that's perfect!
Noora says
Hello! What could I possibly substitute for the oat flour? I would like to make your lemon tart for Passover Seder next weekend but I can’t use oat, wheat, spelt, rye, or barley...
Alanna says
Hi Noora! You read my mind - I was just putting together a list of Passover-friendly desserts, which I'll be sharing in the next day or two. It looks like cassava, teff, buckwheat, chestnut, millet, sorghum, amaranth, and quinoa are all kosher for Passover. Flavor-wise, I think millet or sorghum would complement the lemon best, but any of those should work, they just might be a touch more crumbly than when made with oat flour. Coconut flour also works, but it's much more absorbent so it can't be subbed one for one. If you have a copy of my book, there's a coconut flour tart crust recipe in there (that's also vegan) made with coconut, rice, and almond flours. Please let me know what you try!
tanya says
hi, how can I replace gluten free flour to normal flour?
Alanna says
You can omit the sweet rice, oat, and tapioca flours and use an equal amount of all-purpose wheat flour. If you can go by weight, that's best, but it should be fairly similar by volume. If the dough ends up too dry, just add a little more butter to bring it together. If it's too soft, add a little extra flour. Let me know how it turns out!
Al5 says
I see I commented way back when. However, now I have to get rid of the rice flour. Any suggestions? Happy Thanksgiving next week. I'm putting together my menu. Thank you!
Alene says
Oops! Alene
Alanna says
Hi Alene, I'm so glad you love this tart crust. Great question about the rice flour! I made the cocoa version using cassava flour instead of rice flour and it worked great! I think it would work here too. Otherwise you could try using more oat, almond, and tapioca flours to replace the rice flour. Let me know what you try!
I've been wanting to post a grain-free version of this recipe, so thanks for the reminder!
Alene says
Hi! I made the cocoa version with cassava flour for Thanksgiving. I actually made your whole chocolate/cranberry tart in your cookbook, and it was devoured by my guests. Some asked me what was in the crust because it was divine. I only had a sliver, and there were only crumbs left. I have to bring a dessert for a Christmas dinner we're going to, and I believe I will make it again for that. Some of the same people, but at least I'll get a piece this time! Happy Chanukah, a little late.
Alanna says
I'm so glad this was a hit! That tart is one of my very favorites in my book too. I love the sweet/tart/salty/nutty flavors, plus chocolate. I hope you get a bigger piece this time! Happy belated Chanukah to you too. It snuck up on us early this year didn't it?? I didn't even eat a single latke. :(
Alisa says
Ok, after going back and forth with other wheat flour containing recipes, I finally decided to go with this one and just subbed gluten-free flours with one cup of all-purpose flour. Had to add another 1.5 tbsp butter to help with dryness, and followed the rest of the recipe. I was so nervous that it would fall apart like some others reported but it didn't!!! Stupid of me to try a new recipe a few hours before guests arrive but, in the end, it was a raging success. I made squash/maple/pecan filling and used a 9 inch non-stick tart pan with a removable bottom. This crust will be in my permanent rotation. Thank you!
Alanna says
That's fantastic to hear! I'm so glad the recipe worked well with AP flour. Good call adding the extra butter. That filling sounds DELICIOUS - now I'm hungry!
Barbara Bock says
Hello Alana. Can you tell me if this tart pastry must be pre-baked to work well? I have a pear frangipane tart recipe I want to try but it does not call for pre-baking the pastry. It’s all baked together. Your advice will be appreciated!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Barbara, That's a great question. I haven't tried this crust recipe with a frangipane filling yet. I'd probably parbake it unless the tart bakes for more than 40 minutes or so. Please let me know what you try!
Alessandra says
I am wondering if I could use this tart dough for Italian pastries named pasticiotti. They are made from a mildly sweet pastry dough filled and filled with pastry cream. My intention is to re-create the original ones which I loved so much- because of severe allergies and sensitivities, I’ve learned that I must stay true to being refined sugar free, dairy free, and gluten-free. I’m truly disappointed but am now embarking upon the journey to recreate all I used to know and love. I’d appreciate any advice you may have to share. Your blog is beautiful and exquisite!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Ooh I just looked those up and they look SO GOOD! So I would use the sugar cookie recipe, which is this same recipe, doubled and with an egg added. The egg makes the dough pliable enough to roll out and shape. I'll be so excited to hear if you try it!
KathyRae says
I have never made anything from this website before, so I was a bit ‘we will see’ about this recipe.
I am pleased to say this is the perfect tart crust! I used gf flour for the sweet rice flour and kept most everything else the same. Really crisp and tasty. I should have made the crust in my mini tart pans, because I could have froze them for other tarts. I had it with vegan lemon curd and blueberries, yum!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I'm so glad this recipe did not disappoint! Thanks a bunch for taking a chance on it and for the sweet note.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Thanks very much for the feedback. I'm sorry this recipe didn't work out for you and I'm happy to help troubleshoot. I've made both recipes many, many times and so have other readers, so I know the recipes both work. But there are also so many variables, especially with gluten-free baking, so sometimes slight differences in ingredient brands / altitude / weather / pan size (and even color!) / star alignment (j/k about that last one) can make a big difference.
Can I ask whether you used weight or volume to measure the ingredients? Did you make any ingredient subs? Which brands of flours did you use for the crust? How long did you let the stand mixer run before you decided to add water? (Usually the butter will soften and bring the dough together after 3-5 minutes in a stand mixer; less time in a food processor.)
For the lemon curd, you cooked it on the stovetop first, correct? Did it thicken up on the stovetop? Were your eggs large? How much sugar did you use in the curd (since I gave 2 options)?
Were you at high altitude and was it particularly humid / rainy the day that you baked? (I've had issues with tempering chocolate on rainy days so who knows, maybe that could effect the curd?) Or if it was very cold in your kitchen, that could explain why the butter took a long time to soften for the crust..
Thanks for any extra info. I'd love to get to the bottom of this so that I can prevent this from happening to other readers – and hopefully get you some tasty AF lemon tart!
Marjy says
This worked out beautifully for me. I had to add a couple splashes of water to bring it together, but I was working with different flour brands, so I'm betting that changed the needs a little. I used it to make a cranberry curd tart and it was an absolute hit! I've had a lot of fear about pie and tart crusts since I was diagnosed and I feel much more confident after this.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I'm so glad it worked well and that a little bit of water helped bring the dough together! I've been wanting to make a cranberry curd tart myself – which recipe did you use?
If you're looking for a flaky gluten-free pie crust, you might like this recipe, or this grain-free pie crust made with almond flour. :)
Marjorie La Costa says
I used Martha Stewart's recipe and then followed your instructions for baking with the tart. Bonus- it made enough for the tart plus about a cup of soft curd that was amazing with the next day's cheese board.
Mike says
I tried using this for pecan pie bars and the filling soaked right through the pre-baked crust and created a sticky bottom. I do note that I got “white rice flour” and not “sticky white rice flour” so maybe that was the problem? Anyway, it was always meant as an experiment and I have the ingredients to do a flour-based batch of bars, but any suggestions would be appreciated. (Luckily there’ll be only one gluten free guest at Christmas and plenty of other dessert options
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the feedback and I'm sorry for the fate of the pecan pie bars! However, as a GF person, I'm pretty sure your guest will be psyched to have any dessert they can tolerate. That was so kind of you to bake especially for them!
It's possible that the regular white rice flour was the culprit since it's less cohesive than sweet rice (aka sticky rice) flour. If you try it again, I would try swapping in 2 tablespoons more tapioca flour in place of the same amount of rice flour and see if that helps.
I actually have a pecan tart recipe in my cookbook which is similar to my pecan pie recipe. I cook the custard on the stove briefly which helps the crust stay crisp (whether it's a tart/bar crust or flaky pie crust). Another technique that can help is brushing the parbaked crust with a little beaten egg white before adding the filling, and making sure the crust is hot when you add the filling (which will also still be warm from cooking). This helps the filling set more quickly, preventing a soggy crust. Finally, baking the bars/tart/pie on the lower rack of the oven will help the crust stay crisp.
Let me know if you give the GF version another go!
-Alanna
Mike says
Thanks for the advice below and sorry my original comment showed up as a reply to someone else. Guess I wasn’t paying attention :-/
Kathy says
Flavorful, easy and this made my sister-in-law very happy!
Julia says
What can I use as a tapioca flour substitute? I am making the almond tart crust. Thank you in advance.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I would try arrowroot starch first, or cornstarch second (it will likely make the crust more crumbly and delicate). I wouldn't recommend potato starch because it tends to make baked goods soggy, but it would also work in a pinch. OR you could try using more sweet rice flour or almond flour, though the crust would also be more delicate if you didn't use any starch. Please let me know what you try!
Paula says
Hi! I really want to make this but I’m not sure what to use as a substitute for the sweet rice flour. I’m following a grain and bean free diet. I have oats, almond meal and tapioca flour though. Can I add more of one to substitute? Please let me know! I can’t use Bob’s gluten free flour since it has white and brown rice.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Paula,
clarifying question: you're doing grain-free but oats (which are a grain) are ok?
You could try using more almond, oat, and tapioca flours in place of the sweet rice flour. Alternatively, cassava makes a pretty solid sub for sweet rice flour since it's similar in weight, texture, and flavor.
Note that if you grind your own oats rather than using storebought oat flour, the recipe might not turn out the same since the flour might be ground less finely (speaking from experience here!).
Please LMK what you try!
Paula says
Hi Alanna. Thank you for the response!
Oats flew right over my head. I am avoiding oats too.
Thank you for the suggestions!
Store bought oat flour for this recipe, noted!
Thanks!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Ah got it! In that case I would try using 90 g each almond and cassava flours, plus the 2 tablespoons tapioca flour. If the mixture won't clump up, try adding a little more butter or a splash of water to bring it together. Please let me know how it goes!
Monika says
Can the tart crust be used to make shortbread cookies? I used to make lavender shortbread every summer, but now I’m gluten and dairy free and I’m looking for a good shortbread recipe.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Monika,
Yes, I think it could! I actually developed a shortbread-like cookie recipe from this recipe here by adding egg to it and changing the mixing method. But you could probably also just make a double batch of the crust as written and pat it into an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan for cookies. Lavender shortbread sounds so dreamy.
Please let me know what you try!
-Alanna
Elizabeth says
Have you tried this crust in a savory tart, and if so, did you omit the sugar entirely? I love your beet/ricotta tart, was thinking of trying to use this crust instead (and probably reduce to proportions to make a smaller tart?).
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Elizabeth,
That's a really good question! I've never tried making this crust savory. I believe the sugar acts as a liquid ingredient, helping the crust hold together, and it might make it a bit more sticky too. So you'd want to add some liquid in place of the sugar, maybe a splash of milk or water, and/or you could add egg yolk (or 2 tablespoons beaten whole egg) if you do eggs.
Please let me know what you try. I could see the ricotta beet filling being dreamy with the buttery almond crust - yum!!
-A
Elizabeth says
Your idea of adding the egg when removing the sugar is great, it worked! I should have added more salt to the crust, though.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Oh fabulous! Do you think 1/2 teaspoon of salt would be good or would you add more?
Elizabeth says
1/2 tsp is a good idea to start with. It probably depends on the filling too - doing the beet tart, the cheese is salty but the beets are sweet.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Oh that makes sense. I totally want to try this! I love my flaky pie crust recipe but this tart crust is so much faster. I'd love to add your savory variation to the recipe notes!
Did you add the egg along with the cold butter, or did you add the egg after incorporating the butter? Was the dough still crumbly like the sweet version, or did it come together into a ball? How was it to press into the pan, was it more sticky?
Thanks for testing this out and sharing your experience!
-A
Kelly says
Hi! Can you substitute sweet rice flour for almond flour? The oat flour for coconut flour? And, the sugar for coconut sugar? Thank you so much. I can't wait to try this.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Kelly! Great questions.
You can definitely swap in coconut sugar by weight (it will be more like 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons).
Coconut flour won't be a direct sub for oat flour since it's much more absorbent. You should only need one-third the amount by volume (so about 3 tablespoons coconut flour).
I'm not sure about swapping almond in for the sweet rice flour. It might work, though the crust might be more crumbly.
If you're after a grain-free / paleo version, you could try using 3/4 cup each almond and cassava flours in place of the three flours. You might need to add a bit more butter or a splash of water to bring the dough together since cassava is more absorbent than oat flour.
Please let me know if you try it!
Jesse says
I have to give this one five stars because despite multiple substitutions it worked out fantastic and tasted delicious too!
I'm not on a GF or any other special diet (other than generally trying to reduce meat and dairy) and stumbled across this recipe while looking for a way to use up some almond flour I've had lying around for ages unused.
I didn't have sweet rice or tapioca flour on hand so replaced those with regular AP flour and corn starch respectively, and ended up having to add just a spoonful of water to make it all come together.
I was nervous about the outcome because my tart pan doesn't have a removable bottom so removing the baked shell from the pan without destroying can sometimes be a nightmare. I also wasn't sure about pressing the baked crust back into the pan with a spoon since conventional wisdom is to leave it alone until it cools down. But I'm so glad I did because it worked like a charm! I pressed it down, put it in the fridge for 15 minutes and then used warm water on the bottom of the pan to loosen the crust (as I always do), and the whole crust popped out in one clean piece! It was even easier to remove from the pan than some other recipes that use all AP flour and include egg as a binder.
I filled the crust with an improvised chocolate mousse and ganache filling, and the final product was so good, the whole tart was finished within 24 hours! Gave my friend a piece and she said the crust was the highlight of the dish as it reminded her of almond biscotti.
I'll definitely be making this recipe again, and possibly even using it as an excuse to buy more almond flour in the future!
(P.S. I especially appreciate the weight measures for the ingredients as I had to scale this recipe down slightly for my smaller tart pan and the weights made it super easy to do this!)
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Jesse,
I'm thrilled to hear that the tart was a hit, especially with those modifications. That mousse/ganache filling sounds dreamy - I'm hungry now! Thanks a bunch for trying the recipe and for the super sweet note. :)
-A
Robin says
Just baked 2 gluten free tart crusts. They smell delicious. If I want to make tarts tomorrow, how do I store the crusts? Leave on counter covered? Refrigerate covered? Freeze overnight?
Thank you !
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Robin,
Great question! You can do any of those, whatever's easiest and most out-of-the-way.
Please let me know what you fill them with!
-Alanna
T says
Hello -
Just tested your tart crust recipe. It's currently cooling, but appears to be very grainy-- should it be ?
Thanks.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi there, when you say it was grainy, do you mean crumbly? It should not be super crumbly, so if it was, it probably means you just needed to add a little more butter or liquid to the dough to help it hold together. Please let me know how it turned out; happy to help troubleshoot some more!
T says
Appreciate your response. Yes, crumbly and grainy. Only change was use of coconut oil, which shouldn't cause this...Perhaps I'll give it another try another day. Thanks!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Ah I see! Actually, coconut oil lacks the water content that's in butter, so if you use coconut oil, you'll need to add 2-3 teaspoons of plant milk or water to bring it together. The water combines with the starches to help the crust hold together. I just made it this way the other week when I was hosting a vegan guest for dinner, and I have a similar recipe in my cookbook, so that should do the trick. Please keep me posted!
T says
Thanks! Beautiful photos and nice recipes, btw.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Aw thank you! So glad you're enjoying them :)
Morgan says
Is it possible to make this recipe with only 1 type of gluten-free flour?
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
That's a great question! Each of these flours adds to the recipe texturally and helps the crust hold together.
You could try using a gluten-free all purpose blend, such as Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1, but then you'll be missing the lovely texture, flavor, and moisture of the almond flour. However, if you used only almond flour or oat flour, the crust might not hold together well.
If you wanted to use just 2 flours, I would try half and half GF AP blend and almond flour.
Another idea is to check the bulk section of your grocer, where you might be able to buy small amounts of each flour.
If you do decide to invest in these 4 flours, I do have many recipes that use them, including gluten-free scones, snickerdoodles, and more.
Please let me know what you try or if any other questions come up!
A says
I used dark buckwheat flour instead of oat flour as it is what I had. The texture is very very good, and it breaks easily and has a satisfying crispiness to it...which is what I was worried about it not having -cause gluten free lol, it also tastes pretty nice. Will definetely use this recipe from now on, used to use one that used only oat flour/almond flour, I dunno it just doesn't have a good texture, sometimes turns out way too hard. While the blend might seem like a hassle it's so worth it imo.
Anyways, thank you.
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
I love buckwheat flour and I can imagine how nice that flavor would be here - yum!! So glad you liked the flavor and texture of this crust. Thanks a bunch for the great feedback, I appreciate it!
Sarah P says
I've made this crust at least once a month for the last 4 months (I bring a tart to my monthly book club) and it always comes out beautifully. I'm vegan but don't always have vegan butter on hand. I have found that this recipe works just as well with 5 tablespoons of neutral oil (like canola, safflower or sunflower).
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Sarah,
I'm so glad you love this tart crust recipe. I'm envious of your book club! That's so good to know that it works well with 5 tablespoons of neutral oil - brilliant!
xo,
A
Riss says
This recipe was so much fun and SUPER SIMPLE!! I switched out the almond flour for 3Tbs coconut flour- I merely had to add a splash more liquid and run the processor just a little longer. I followed everything else precisely. And the crust was WONDERFUL!
TBH, I've never really enjoyed crusts in desserts, my mother found your recipe and asked me to make this for the holiday, otherwise I couldn't imagine thinking about making such a thing. Well... that was before I made this crust and followed your recipe for the vegan pumpkin filling!! It was so easy and fun and too! As I was pressing the crust into the pan, I had no idea what to expect because I generally don't like dessert crusts, however I thoroughly enjoyed pressing the crust into the panc all the while thinking I just could not believe how simple this process is. I always thought these kind of things were more complicated.. anywho I let my mind go wild with all the ideas I could try with this crust, so now I'm back in the kitchen today!
It was so successful at Thanksgiving and no one knew it was vegan! I LOVED THE BUTTERY COOKIE TEXTURE/FLAVOR. IT CRUMBLED IN MY MOUTH AND NOT THE PAN!!!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
Hi Liz,
This makes me so happy to hear!! I'm glad the recipe felt super easy and that you loved the process, flavor, and texture of the crust. It's great to know that coconut flour can sub in for the almond flour with a splash of liquid to moisten it. Also so happy that you enjoyed the vegan pumpkin filling here - yay! Thanks so much for the great feedback, I really appreciate it!
xoxo,
Alanna