Homemade vs. Premade Gluten-Free Pie Crusts: Which is Better?

There’s never a bad time to have pie — and with the weather slowly getting colder, this is even more so the case.

Nothing beats gathering around a warm fireplace in fall, winter or even at Thanksgiving and enjoying a warm, comforting slice of pumpkin pie or pecan pie surrounded by friends and family. 

If you or someone close to you suffers from a gluten intolerance, this can present a unique challenge when you’re making pies. Not only do you need to find a way to make pie crusts without the traditional core component of flour, you also have to make sure that the pie comes out tasting delicious!

Thankfully, with an ever-increasing number of gluten-free pie recipes out there, it becomes simply a matter of choosing one that suits your tastebuds.

In this post, we take a closer look at both homemade and premade gluten-free pie crusts to help you decide what works better for your needs.

Understanding Gluten-Free Pie Crusts

To better grasp the unique challenges of making gluten-free pies, we must first understand the basis of the gluten-free diet. 

The gluten-free diet is one that is followed by individuals who have a gluten intolerance. Gluten is a protein that is most commonly found in grains including rye, wheat and barley. An intolerance to this protein is most commonly caused by Celiac disease, but can also be the result of allergies. 

Those of us on a gluten-free diet must thus adhere strictly to a diet that does not contain any gluten-containing grains or grain derivatives, such as flour. 

Homemade Gluten-Free Pie Crusts

The primary challenge when making homemade gluten free pie crusts is finding a good substitute for flour. Gluten is an essential ingredient that acts as a binder, giving the dough elasticity and providing the crust with its distinct taste and texture. 

Nonetheless, there are still several substitutions you can choose from when making homemade gluten-free pies. Some of the more popular options include using non-wheat-based flours such as rice flour, almond flour, tapioca starch and chickpea flour. While it may be challenging to replicate the same texture of a traditional pie crust, making it yourself can provide the benefit of customizability — you get complete control over what ingredients you put into your dough.

However, it's important to remember that there are many factors that can influence the taste and texture of your final gluten-free pie. You may need to spend considerable time and effort perfecting your recipe before you get a pie you’re proud of. 

Premade Gluten Free Pie Crusts

A practical alternative to making gluten-free pie crusts yourself is to buy premade gluten-free pie crusts. These provide a far more convenient way to whip up delectable pies — saving you significant amounts of time and effort.

With premade options, you also get to enjoy consistency and cost savings. Depending on the ingredients you use, buying a premade pie crust might even be cheaper than making it yourself! What’s more, you can also be sure that the product you’re getting will taste the same each time. 

Of course, another factor with premade crusts  – like KBosh's Pumpkin Zucchini Crust – is that you can confirm a set carb count and other nutrition information before you buy. (This may be especially helpful for keto diets, for example.) And you still choose the ingredients to fill your pie with to your heart’s content. 

KBosh’s Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Crust

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it might be just the right time for you to cash in on the time and cost savings you can enjoy with premade pie crusts. 

KBosh offers a large selection of premade crusts that are highly versatile and can be used for countless different recipes — including a hearty pumpkin pie!

Our low-carb crusts are made using an assortment of vegetables such as zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower and Italian spinach. They don’t contain any flour and are 100% gluten-free.