Frozen pie crusts vary widely in flavor and texture: some are bland, others pleasantly buttery; some bake too thick or unevenly, while a few come out just right. Trader Joe’s sells roll-out frozen pie dough, but this year they added a ready-shaped option to their freezer case: Trader Joe’s Gluten Free Pie Crust.
This crust is an all-butter recipe built on a blend of rice flour, tapioca flour, and cornstarch. It arrives unbaked, already fitted to a 9-inch aluminum pie plate. Packaging includes directions for single- and double-crust pies (you can combine two for a top and bottom) and instructions for parbaking if you want a prebaked shell. Defrosting takes about 10 minutes, which is convenient to do while the oven preheats. For testing I filled the crust with a homemade pumpkin pie filling and baked it as directed.
The crust baked to an attractive golden brown and cooked through evenly, even beneath a fairly liquid filling that can sometimes cause sogginess. It released cleanly from the aluminum plate, allowing the whole pie to be transferred to a serving dish for slicing. In texture the crust isn’t as flaky as traditional wheat-based dough, but it is crisp and tender, with a satisfying shortbread-like quality. It’s less sweet than a crumb crust, and its buttery flavor is noticeable without being overpowering.
Being gluten free makes this crust a practical choice for people with dietary restrictions, but its flavor and performance make it appealing to anyone who wants a quick, reliable pie shell. It bakes nicely, handles fillings well, and simplifies last-minute pie-making — a few of these in the freezer will be handy when you want to pull together a dessert on short notice.