Description
This Vegan Shortcrust Pastry recipe offers a delicious and versatile pastry base perfect for sweet or savory tarts. Made with all-purpose flour and vegan butter, it creates a tender, crumbly crust that bakes beautifully. Ideal for vegan baking enthusiasts looking for an easy-to-make, dairy-free alternative to traditional shortcrust pastry.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry Ingredients
- 165 g all-purpose flour (plain flour)
- 100 g vegan butter (block-style, cold, cubed)
- 25 g granulated sugar (use organic if based in US)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare pan: Preheat your oven to fan-forced 160°C/320°F or conventional 180°C/356°F. Lightly grease the base and sides of a round 9″ tart tin with oil or vegan butter and lightly dust with flour; optionally, line the base with parchment paper for easier removal.
- Mix and chill the dough: Add the flour, vegan butter, sugar, salt, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract to a food processor. Blitz for a few seconds until the mixture forms a loose dough. Press the dough into a ball and flatten it into a disc. Wrap tightly in clingfilm or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up.
- Roll out the dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough so it extends about an inch beyond the circumference of the tart tin. Carefully lift the pastry over the tin and gently ease it into the sides using your fingers. Trim excess pastry with a knife or pastry scissors, allowing the edges to rise slightly above the tin’s sides. Pierce the base several times with a fork to prevent bubbling during baking.
- Parbake (partially bake): Cut a circle of parchment paper slightly larger than the tart size and place it on top of the pastry shell. Fill with dried beans, rice, lentils, or baking beads to weigh it down. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Afterward, carefully remove the weights and parchment paper. If you are using a baked filling like apple or apricot, bake according to that recipe’s directions. Otherwise, proceed to blind-bake.
- Blind-bake (fully bake): Following the parbaking step, return the tart shell to the oven and bake for an additional 12–15 minutes at the same temperature until the crust is lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and place the tin on a cooling rack to cool to room temperature before filling. Let the tart cool completely before removing it from the tin to maintain its shape.
- Storage: Store uncooked pastry in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, either wrapped tightly in clingfilm as a disc or pressed into the tart tin and covered. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months—defrost overnight in the fridge before use for best results.
Notes
- Using cold vegan butter helps achieve a flaky texture.
- Ensure the dough is well chilled before rolling to prevent shrinkage during baking.
- Parbaking the crust ensures it stays crisp when filled with moist ingredients.
- Blind-baking is best when the filling does not require baking or is no-bake.
- Use parchment paper and baking weights to avoid pastry puffing up.
- This pastry is suitable for both sweet and savory fillings.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Vegan
Keywords: Vegan pastry,shortcrust pastry,vegan tart crust,dairy-free pastry,baking vegan dessert
