Vegan Shortcrust Pastry with Almond Flour

Looking for a Vegan Shortcrust Pastry that's just as good as the real deal? I've got you! This shortcrust pastry is perfectly soft with the best crumb; all while being gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free. Made with almond flour and five other pantry staples, you won't believe how heavenly this pastry bakes up!

Looking for more healthy treat ideas? Don't miss our favorite gluten, dairy, and sugar free Vegan Lemon Tartlets, Healthy Oatmeal Raisin CookiesQuick & Healthy Berry Crisp and Vegan Snickers!

All About This Vegan Shortcrust Pastry

  • Flavor: This shortcrust pastry is soft and buttery, but magically without the butter! We use coconut oil as our fat in this pastry and it helps give us that buttery flavoring.
  • Texture: This pastry has a perfect soft and chewy texture. I have to say that the crumb of this pastry, post bake, is delicate and divine!
  • Ease: With the help of a food processor, this pastry is extremely easy to make and only takes a few minutes to come together. A beginner can easily master this recipe!
Ingredients for vegan shortcrust pasty on white counter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is shortcrust pastry?

Shortcrust pastry is a type of pastry made with half the quantity of fat to flour. It has a more soft and crumbly texture than pie crust.

Can I make pastry without eggs?

Of course you can! All you need is another binder and you don't need egg at all. For this recipe, we use ground flax seed mixed with warm water to make what is called a 'flax egg'. This is an excellent substitute for eggs in baking! Or should I say egg-cellent?!

Ingredients

To make this pastry, you will need the following ingredients. See the full recipe card at the end of this post for detailed amounts and instructions! 

  • Almond flour - This is our base for the shortcrust pastry.
  • Flaxseeds - We will be making flax eggs as our binder for the shortcrust pastry shell in this recipe. Flax eggs are made by combining flax meal (ground up flax seeds) and warm water. Let it sit for a few minutes and you will get a gel like consistency that is not only a great binder, but also extremely good for your health! You can buy packaged flax meal or choose to grind up your own flax seed. I just toss some flaxseeds into our NutriBullet for a few seconds and it works perfectly.
  • Maple syrup - Our sweetener of choice for these tartlets! I love the full flavor that maple syrup gives to baked goods. Plus, it's a good way to avoid using refined sugar while still getting the sweetness. You can try honey or another sweetener if you prefer, but this is definitely my number one pick.
  • Coconut oil - Melted coconut oil is our fat in this recipe, replacing the butter you find in traditional shortcrust.
  • Lemon - We use the zest and juice of about 1 regular sized lemon in this recipe.
  • Salt - Just a bit to help bring out all of our flavors. I use a fine pink Himalayan salt here.

How to Make This Vegan Shortcrust Pastry

To make this shortcrust, simply:

  1. Make flax eggs.

    In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon flax meal with 1 tablespoon warm water. Stir until combined and set aside.

  2. Make the shortcrust pastry.

    Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place almond flour, salt, coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, and the flax egg mixture into a food processor and pulse until mixture comes together. You should be able to pinch a bit off and form it without crumbles to know it's ready.

  3. Bake.

    Press the dough into the bottom of a lightly greased (I use a little bit of coconut oil) tart pan or muffin tin. You want it pressed tightly so the crumble is minimal when removing from the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until edges get slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before filling.

Tips For the Perfect Vegan Shortcrust Pastry

  • Give the flax eggs time to come together. This usually only takes about 5-10 minutes. You want them to be jelly like before you toss them in.
  • Make sure your crust is fully combined. You can't overwork this shortcrust dough, so don't be shy when it comes to combining your ingredients. It will look a bit crumbly, but once you start handling it and patting it down in the tart pan it comes together nicely.
  • Bake until golden brown. This usually takes 8 to 10 minutes, but can change from oven to oven. After about 6 minutes keep an eye on your baking pastry. You want the edges to get that gorgeous light golden brown as pictured above, but not much darker.
Vegan lemon tartlets with vegan shortcrust pastry gold tartlet pan.

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Vegan shortcrust pastry in gold tart pan on navy dish towel.

Vegan Shortcrust Pastry


  • Author: Lauren
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 1 large tart or 24 mini tartlets 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Looking for a Vegan Shortcrust Pastry that's just as good as the real deal? I've got you! This shortcrust pastry is perfectly soft with the best crumb; all while being gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free. Made with almond flour and five other pantry staples, you won't believe how heavenly this pastry bakes up!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • ½ tablespoon lemon zest
  • ½ tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (mixed with 1 tablespoon warm water)

Instructions

  1. Make flax eggs. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon flax meal with 1 tablespoon warm water. Stir until combined and set aside.
  2. Make the shortcrust pastry. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place almond flour, salt, coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the flax egg mixture into a food processor and pulse until mixture comes together. You should be able to pinch a bit off and form it without crumbles to know it's ready.
  3. Bake. Press the dough into the bottom of a lightly greased (I use a little bit of coconut oil) tart pan or muffin tin. You want it pressed tightly so the crumble is minimal when removing from the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until edges get slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely while preparing the filling and whipped cream.

Notes

  • Give the flax eggs time to come together. This usually only takes about 5-10 minutes. You want them to be jelly like before you toss them in.
  • Make sure your crust is fully combined. You can't overwork this shortcrust dough, so don't be shy when it comes to combining your ingredients. It will look a bit crumbly, but once you start handling it and patting it down in the tart pan it comes together nicely.
  • Bake until golden brown. This usually takes 8 to 10 minutes, but can change from oven to oven. After about 6 minutes keep an eye on your baking pastry. You want the edges to get that gorgeous light golden brown as pictured above, but not much darker.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes

Keywords: vegan shortcrust pastry

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Welcome!

I'm Lauren, creator here at by Lauren Cermak! My husband Michael and I live in Knoxville, Tennessee. I'm into classic style, British baking shows, TBR piles, and pretty finds. My motto is dress like Kate, work like Reese, and entertain like Martha. If you get that, consider us quick friends!

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