Description

This Vegan Shortcrust Pastry recipe offers a buttery, flaky, and tender base perfect for a variety of vegan tarts and desserts. Made with all-purpose flour, cold vegan butter, and a hint of vanilla, this plant-based pastry can be parbaked or blind-baked to suit your filling needs. It’s simple to prepare, adaptable, and ideal for anyone seeking a dairy-free, egg-free pastry alternative with a delightful homemade touch.

Ingredients

Scale

Pastry Ingredients

165 g all-purpose flour (plain flour)
100 g vegan butter (block-style, cold, cubed)
25 g granulated sugar (organic if in the US)
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon non-dairy milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

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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 9-inch round tart tin with oil or vegan butter, and lightly dust it with flour. Optionally, line the base with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Mix and chill the dough: In a food processor, combine the flour, cold cubed vegan butter, sugar, sea salt, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract. Blitz for a few seconds until the mixture forms a loose dough. Shape 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 chill.
Roll out the dough: On a floured surface, roll out the chilled dough so it extends about an inch larger than the tart tin’s circumference. Use a rolling pin to lift the dough over the tart tin, gently pressing it into the sides. Trim the edges with a knife or pastry scissors, allowing the dough to rise slightly above the tin’s edge. Prick the base all over with a fork to prevent bubbles during baking.
Parbake the tart shell: Cut a parchment paper circle slightly larger than the tart and place it on top of the pastry. Fill the lined shell with dried beans, rice, lentils, or baking beads to weigh it down. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes to partially cook the crust. Carefully remove the weights and parchment paper before proceeding.
Blind-bake for fully baked crust: After parbaking, return the tart shell to the oven and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes at the same temperature until the pastry is light golden brown and fully cooked. Remove from oven and place the tin on a cooling rack. Let it cool completely to room temperature before removing from the tin and adding any fillings like pastry cream or lemon curd.
Storage: Store any uncooked pastry dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days by tightly wrapping the disc with clingfilm or wrapping it in plastic wrap inside the tart tin. For longer storage, freeze the dough for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before use.

Notes

Cold vegan butter is essential to achieve a flaky texture in the pastry.
Vanilla extract is optional but adds a subtle sweet flavor to the crust.
Pricking the dough with a fork helps prevent puffing during baking.
Blind baking fully cooks the crust making it perfect for no-bake or fridge-set fillings.
Dried beans or baking beads are reused solely for weighing down the crust during parbaking and should not be eaten.
This pastry is vegan and dairy-free, suitable for plant-based diets.
Make sure not to overwork the dough to keep it tender.