The Best Tender & Flaky Einkorn Pie Crust | Our Gabled Home (2024)

See how easy it is to make a tender and flaky einkorn pie crust that works equally well for sweet and savory recipes.

I have always been wanting to bake more with ancient grains and this einkorn pie crust recipe was just such a great place to start.

After some experimenting and testing, we have made a delicious quiche and then a classic apple pie with this simple recipe (bonus recipe down below).

I always know a recipe is a hit when my whole family agrees and I can’t keep their fingers off it.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.You canread my full disclosure.

Why you’ll love this einkorn pie crust recipe

If you have been following me for a while you might know that I love it when things are simple. Actually, I need things -and recipes- to be simple.

For this flaky einkorn crust recipe, I wanted it to be easy to make. Even more so, I wanted to create a recipe that works in both sweet recipes and savory pies. And you can make it with 100% AP einkorn flour, all whole grain einkorn flour, or any combination of the two.

You can easily double this recipe if you want to make a double pie crust.

While I think that einkorn is healthier than regular wheat (more on that in the next paragraph), we also love the flavor of einkorn. It is a bit nuttier and “fuller” if that makes sense. Due to its slightly yellow color, einkorn works really well in this crust recipe because your crust will have that healthy golden-brown glow.

Is einkorn healthier than normal wheat?

There are a lot of articles about the health benefits of einkorn. In fact, I recommend this comprehensive book if you want to learn more.

But I’ll just give you a brief overview of why we think that einkorn is healthier than regular wheat.

• As an ancient grain, einkorn is believed to be the oldest form of wheat that humans have been using for over 5000 years. Due to this fact, einkorn has not been hybridized.
• While einkorn does contain gluten, its gluten structure is different from modern wheat’s gluten. Therefore, many people with gluten sensitivity can eat einkorn without any problems.
• Modern wheat has been bred for high yields, ease of harvest, and perfect “behavior” for commercial bakers. That also means that it has a lot fewer nutrients, minerals, and vitamins than Einkorn.
• Lastly, einkorn has a much better flavor than modern wheat. I am sure you will be a believer after your first pie just like we were.

What do you need to make an einkorn pie crust

All you need is four ingredients for this pie crust:

• Einkorn flour: this is the star in this recipe. It might be easiest to start with white AP einkorn flour but you can easily add any amount of whole einkorn flour. I prefer to use them at about 50/50 and I always grind my einkorn berries fresh in my Mockmill.
• Butter: this makes the pie crust so tender and flaky. As always, I recommend you use the highest quality unsalted butter you can afford.
• Salt: it brings out the flavor of the einkorn.
• Water: we need just a little bit of ice water to make this crust come and stay together.
• Optional Sugar: if you would like to make a sweet recipe, such as an einkorn apple pie, you might like to add some sugar to the recipe. Any granulated sugar is perfect.

Useful tools and equipment

Here are some tools that I find very helpful when making this einkorn pie crust:

• Large bowl: I like using a mixing bowl large enough, that I can comfortably mix the dough without it spilling over its edges. My preference is for stainless steel bowls because they are lightweight but ceramic, enamel, plastic, or glass bowls work, too.
• Pastry blender: I know that this is a bit more old-fashioned but using a pastry cutter gives me more of a “hands-on” feeling that I find helpful when working with einkorn. However, you can also make this recipe in a
• Food processor: using a food processor makes mixing this dough a bit quicker but then you still have the clean-up time afterward. Depending on the amount you’re making and your preferences, this might be the way to go.
• Wooden rolling pin: You will need a rolling pin to roll out the pie dough.
• Ceramic pie dish: especially if you’re making the apple pie with the double pie crust, it is nice to have an attractive pie dish. If you’re making half of the recipe for an einkorn quiche crust, you might like to use a springform pan.

How to make your einkorn pie crust

This is the method to make a perfect pie crust including some tips for working with einkorn:

• Start with very cold butter. You might even like to freeze your butter before use. If you use butter at room temperature, you will not get a very flaky crust. Also, add some ice cubes to the water to make it very cold, too.
• Add the einkorn flour to a large mixing bowl.
• Combine the flour with salt and sugar, if you’re using it. Mix your dry ingredients until well combined.
• Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add them to the flour mixture.
• Using your pastry cutter or food processor, mix the flour and butter until it resembles coarse sand.
• Gradually add enough cold water so that the dough comes together. You can briefly use your hands to form a dough ball. Avoid over-mixing to keep the dough as cold as possible. Don’t worry if the dough is on the sticky side. Einkorn flour absorbs water and fat slower than modern wheat flour.
• Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
• Make the filling of your choice.
• When ready, remove the dough from the refrigerator. If you’re making a single crust pie, cut the dough ball in half and return the other half back to the refrigerator.
• With some extra flour dust your work surface, and roll the dough out with a floured rolling pin bigger than the diameter of your pie pan. Don’t worry about raw edges, you can fix them later. You can also roll out the dough on parchment paper if you like.
• Fold the pie disk in half, place it over your baking dish, and gently press it down. If you’re making a double crust pie, place the baking dish with the bottom crust in the refrigerator. On your floured surface roll out the top crust.
• Pour the pie filling into your pie crust and if making a double pie crust, place it on top. Fix the raw edges and/or create a nice edging pattern.
• Bake at about 375˚F or until the top is golden brown.

Bonus: How to make a quiche with an einkorn crust

We absolutely love the flavor and texture of using einkorn flour for our homemade pie crust. You will not need to double the pie crust recipe. Get your quiche recipe and some other perfect spring recipes right HERE.

Bonus: How to make a classic apple pie with an einkorn crust

Here is a delicious homemade apple pie recipe:

• Peel and core about 4-6 tart apples. Cut the apples first into quarters and then into thin slices.
• Place them into a medium bowl.
• Pour 1-2 TBSP of lemon juice over the apples (depending on how tart they are) and mix well.
• Add 3 TBSP of einkorn flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup of sugar and mix well. You can also use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon.
• Prepare the pie crust as described above and fill it with the apple mixture.
• Bake at 375˚F for 30-40 mins or until the crust is golden brown.
• Or you can use your homemade canned apple pie filling!

What recipes can you make with this buttery crust

You can replace your regular pie crust recipe with this einkorn crust recipe. Here are some ideas:

• classic pumpkin pie or apple pie
• any lemon or key lime pies
• German cheesecake
• German Streuselkuchen (crumb cake)
• any quiche
• or you can roll the ball of dough into a freeform and make a sweet or savory galette

Can you freeze this einkorn pie crust?

In short, yes! You can freeze the unbaked pie crust for later. I recommend wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. It should keep for up to 6 months. Then you simply thaw it when you are ready to use it.

Shop this post:

“Einkorn: Recipes for Nature’s Original Wheat: A Cookbook” https://amzn.to/3k8gBBc

AP Einkorn flour https://amzn.to/3vbLiMg

Whole-grain einkorn flour https://amzn.to/3LhKcEm

Whole einkorn berries https://amzn.to/3vcCoOs

Pastry blender https://amzn.to/3kb4rYw

Stainless steel Mixing Bowls https://amzn.to/36PQbBm

Food processor https://amzn.to/3EIGiBQ

Wooden rolling pin https://amzn.to/3MrxbYX

Ceramic pie baking dish https://amzn.to/3EJ8chc

Springform pan https://amzn.to/3kebOhL

Let me know if you have any questions or comments!

Pin For Later: