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Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crust

Nutlike whole wheat and fruity extra virgin olive oil with a just the right amount of mouthwatering saltiness, this recipe makes one totally irresistable pie crust!  Even as you’re pressing the dough into the pan, youโ€™ll find yourself nibbling at this whole wheat olive oil crust–itโ€™s that flavorsome.

unbaked Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crust | Letty's Kitchen

If youโ€™re in need of a vegan pie crustโ€”this whole wheat and oil crust is the one. Everyone loves this crust’s rustic flavor and the flaky texture. When you want an easy press-in whole grain dessert crust, simply sub in avocado oil for the olive oil. Savory or sweet, a vegan whole wheat pastry like this rocks the house.

It’s my go-to whole grain crust for savory tarts, the ones made in the fluted tart pans with removable bottoms. Be it a tart, a pie, or quiche, you want another and another bite of whatever this flaky dough encases.

You’ll love that you can mix up the 4-ingredient dough and use it right away. With an oil crust thereโ€™s no delay, compared to pie dough made with butter, which needs to rest at least 20 minutes before you can roll it out. If the idea of rolling out pie dough makes you want to run away, don’t–this the crust to make.

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You donโ€™t need a rolling pin, just press the dough into the pan with your fingers. Itโ€™s fragile and a bit crumbly to work with, but holds its shape once baked. Sometimes I’ll start out by rolling the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper, like for this spinach and goat cheese upside down quiche or these individual spinach and blue cheese tarts.

For an easy dessert, spread a thin layer of your favorite preserves on a baked-’til-golden whole wheat oil crust and decorate with colorful fresh fruit.

ingredients for Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crust | Letty's Kitchen

Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crust recipe details:

  • For years I made this crust using regular red whole wheat flour. Now though, whenย white whole wheat flour (affiliate link) is available I’ll use it in my pastries, cakes and cookies. (White whole wheat flour is still whole grain flour, the difference is that white whole wheat flour is ground from white whole wheat grains. White whole wheat grains and flour are lighter in color and arguably have better flavor than that of red wheat grains and regular whole wheat flour.)
  • For this postย I pressed the dough into a square fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. (Affiliate link.) I use this dough when I want a vegan pie crust too. For tarts, I usually form the crust in these 9-inch round tart pans with removable bottoms. (Affiliate link.) At a garage sale, Iย snatched up aย set of these individual 4-inch round onesย (affiliate link)โ€”they’re fun to have around for special occasions.
Whole Wheat Olive Oil Crust with herbed goat cheese filling | Letty's Kitchen

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If you make this whole wheat olive oil crust and love it, Iโ€™d be grateful if youโ€™d give a โœฎโœฎโœฎโœฎโœฎ rating on the recipe card below.

24 comments

  • I’m looking forward to making this crust. Like you, I prefer using white wheat for the flavor and texture. Reply · 29 June, 2016

    • Thanks Valerie. I think you will love it! Reply · 30 June, 2016

  • Tanya

    Hi! I have two questions. 1) at what temp do you prebake the crust? 2) would this crust also work in a pie pan? (I don’t have a tart pan). Thanks! Reply · 4 September, 2016

    • Hi Tanya,
      Thanks for the note. I updated the recipe to include: Pre-bake the crust at 350ยฐF. Yes you can form this crust in a pie pan. I do that when I make quiche or regular pies. Reply · 7 September, 2016

  • Tracy Eveland

    This crust was easy to prepare, tasty, and had a great texture. It was perfect for quiche. I will not be rolling out pie crust again, thank you for this amazing recipe:) Reply · 11 June, 2017

    • Thank you Tracy. Don’t you just love the nutty flavor too? Reply · 11 June, 2017

  • Marsha

    Can I substitute whole wheat for white whole wheat? Reply · 15 April, 2018

    • Yes! White whole wheat seems to be getting more difficult to find in stores–whole wheat flour works the same–the crust comes out a bit darker. Reply · 15 April, 2018

  • Mark

    Thanks for this, it was only my second time doing pastry and it came out great. I made it with a tofu, dandelion and onion filling for friends.

    I had two questions:

    1) how long approx do you whisk the oil and water? Eg 30 secs or much longer? Is the idea to emulsify it a bit like mayo?

    2) with a moist filling like tofu, about how long is optimum for cooking the pastry?

    Thanks again, i’ll be using this regularly now and it’ll be by go-to pastry recipe. Reply · 3 September, 2018

    • Thanks Mark, You only need to whisk the oil and water until they hold together and whiten a little, you could say slightly emulsified. I use a fork right in my liquid measuring cup for about 15 seconds. How long you pre-bake the crust will depend on how long the filling needs to cook. If the filling is not going to be cooked in the crust, you want to bake the crust until it’s golden brown. I made a pie this week and because the fruit filling was going to bake in the crust 45 minutes, I didn’t pre-bake the crust. If it’s a shallow tart, no matter the moisture, and you are going to bake the filling for 15 to 20 minutes, then pre-bake the crust until it sets up but before it takes on golden color, about 10 mintues. Reply · 3 September, 2018

      • Mark

        Brilliant, thanks for taking the time for such a full reply. I’d guessed at 40 minutes total cooking time, but actually forgot whilst eating the starter so it got 50+ minutes, it was fine. Reply · 3 September, 2018

  • Daniela

    Hi, I want to make a meat and potato pie but with a whole wheat crust. Do you think this would be suitable? Reply · 1 November, 2019

    • Hi Daniela, this whole wheat crust would be delicious with a meat and potato pie! This is a press-in crust so the bottom is easy. If youโ€™re planning to have a top crust that will be a bit more tricky. Iโ€™ve been successful rolling the crust between 2 pieces of wax paper (not parchment) and then turning it out over the filling. Itโ€™s a gentle coax of the rolling pin and I have many years of pie crust rolling experience. Give it a shot. If the dough loses its shape you can patch it together for a fun look. Like the topping for this quiche: https://www.lettyskitchen.com/spinach-goat-cheese-upside-quiche/
      Let me know how it goes. Reply · 1 November, 2019

  • Daniela

    Thanks for the reply! Iโ€™m a real novice so my pie is definitely going to have a fun and very rustic look to it! ๐Ÿ™‚ Iโ€™ll let you know how I get on. Reply · 1 November, 2019

  • Daniela

    Made it and it was yummy! Reply · 5 November, 2019

    • Yay! Congratulations! Did you take a photo? Reply · 5 November, 2019

  • Elmari

    Thank you Letty! This is becoming my go-to quiche pastry – and my family LOVE our quiche dinners – so that’s a bonus! Reply · 11 August, 2020

    • Yay! I so glad you like this crust–it’s my go-to as well! Reply · 11 August, 2020

      • Mousumi Biswas

        Can I use this recipe for making a pre baked pie case with a fruit custard filling Reply · 26 December, 2020

        • Yes you can. Be sure to use pie weights so the dough doesn’t puff up. Go to a nice golden brown. Reply · 28 December, 2020

  • Shoshana

    I tried this and it’s a big success! I made it in a 9 x 13 pyrex pan, so I doubled the recipe. Easy, tasty, healthy, what more could I ask for?! Reply · 27 December, 2020

    • Thank you Shoshana! I’m happy you like the recipe, we do to with its nutty whole wheat flavor. Reply · 28 December, 2020

  • Patricia

    Lovely recipe. I just made a fresh asparagus tart with it. This crust is similar to my momโ€™s 50+ year old recipe! Just love the whole wheat flavor, used WW pastry flour. So flaky! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Reply · 13 June, 2023

    • Patricia,
      I’m delighted to know you like this crust recipe. It truly is my favorite! Thank you for writing. Reply · 17 June, 2023

4.08 from 39 votes (35 ratings without comment)

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