There are a number of different ingredients and combinations you can use to make gluten free dairy free puff pastry. However, they either don’t work well or tastes horrible. I finally figured out the ingredient that works to make the best gluten free dairy free puff pastry. It’s hard to believe it’s dairy free or gluten free, but it’s even allergen-free!
For the dairy version, see either Gluten Free Puff Pastry – Small Batch or Gluten Free Puff Pastry – Large Batch
What Failed?
I knew margarine contained too much water to make good puff pasty, but I once even tried combining dairy free margarine with Spectrum organic shortening. I also tried a combination of Earth Balance Buttery Sticks with Spectrum shortening. Neither worked. Spectrum is made of non-hydrogenated organic palm oil. It may have been a healthy choice, but not only didn’t it work but it tasted horrible! Everything else I could think of just wouldn’t work. So, I resorted to what I thought was hydrogenated palm oil, which is found in many dairy-free, vegan products on the market. I have contacted the company, essential depot, and ask them if their palm oil was hydrogenated or not they never got back to me I had contacted the company, essential depot, and ask them if their palm oil was hydrogenated or not and they never got back to me. Wow! What a great pastry dough it made! Per their Amazon listing, their palm oil is non-hydrogenated. Lucky us!
What is the Difference Between Using Palm Oil and Butter?
Butter makes a more tender dough. Butter softens and oils make things crisper. However, palm oil results are between butter and other oils. The fat you use between the layer of dough is the most important part of this dairy-free puff pastry.
Where Can I Buy Palm Oil?
The type of palm oil used in this recipe is Essential Depot Palm Oil. Per the manufacturer, it is s non-hydrogenated.
Another brand of palm oil available on Amazon is this 16 ounces Okonatur Palm Oil for $10. I’ve also used this brand in recipe development for a client. It is the same quality as the Essential Depot.
I have used both brands in my recipe development business.
I read that in soap making palm shortening can be substituted for palm oil. Smart & Final‘s palm shortening is homogenized instead of hydrogenated. So, if anyone tries it in this recipe as a substitute for the palm oil, please leave a comment and let us all know how it turned out. Unfortunately, they only sell it in 50-pound containers.
Is Palm Oil Safe to Consume?
Non-hydrogenated palm oil is safe to use. The largest reason people do not consume palm oil it’s because a group or stated that it destroys the rainforest.
The main reason people do not consume palm oil is because a group has stated that it destroys the rainforest.
What’s Next for This Dough in Carla’s Test Kitchen?
Because of the lack of dairy, the palm oil made it crisper than I would have liked. Not much, but just a tad bit more than I’d like. So, the next time I make this dough, I’ll be using psyllium husk seed powder instead of xanthan gum. It creates softer dough. Of course, you’ll have to add additional liquid (perhaps 1 tablespoon milk or water) because psyllium is so high in fiber that it absorbs a lot. Meanwhile, save this page to your favorites so you can check back to see what happens!
Gluten Free Dairy Free Puff Pastry Recipe
The best gluten free dairy free puff pastry recipe I have ever made or had! It's taken me years of experimentation to achieve this result! So worth it!
Ingredients
For the Palm Oil Block:
- 6 tablespoons 3 ounces palm oil, (NOT Spectrum)
- 2-1/4 teaspoons Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend
!For the Dough:
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour Blend
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon gluten free baking powder* (Rumford's or Featherweight for corn-free)
- 1-1/2 + 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1/8 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon palm oil
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cold, dairy-free milk of choice
- 2 tablespoons beaten egg (1/2 large), plus more for basting (or 2 tablespoons liquid from a can of cannellini beans)
- Potato starch for dusting
Instructions
!To Make the Palm Oil Block:
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In a small bowl, combine 6 tablespoons runny, melted, or soft palm oil with 2-1/4 teaspoons of gluten free all-purpose flour. Line a small container, preferably square and about 4 x 4 inches, with plastic wrap. Transfer the palm oil-flour mixture into the lined container and freeze until solid.
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Once solid, remove the solid palm oil and plastic wrap from the container and wrap completely with plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, pound the oil out or roll into a square, about 4 x 4 inches. Freeze for about 5 minutes or until solid again. Refrigerate until ready to use.
!To Make the Dough:
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While the palm oil block is chilling, sift the flour blend, sugar, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Use the whisk attachment, if that's all you have.)
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Add the yeast and beat on low speed until distributed.
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Add 1 tablespoon of palm oil. Mix on low speed until the palm oil is evenly distributed and tiny pebbles form throughout the flour, about 2 minutes.
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Lightly whisk together the milk and egg. Add them to the mixing bowl. Beat on low speed just until blended, 20 - 30 seconds. (If there is a little flour stuck to the bowl, it is alright. You do not want to over mix the dough otherwise your pastry dough will be tough instead of tender.)
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Heavily dust a silicone baking mat or sheets of plastic wrap with potato starch. Scoop the dough onto to the mat, shaping it into a rectangle, about 4 x 5 inches. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and freeze for about 10 minutes. (Do not knead. It is okay if it the dough is not completely smooth.)
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Remove the dough from the freezer, remove the plastic wrap, and place a glass of water nearby along with two pastry brushes. Heavily dust a silicone baking mat or sheets of plastic wrap with potato starch and transfer the dough to the rolling surface.
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Roll No. 1: Dust the dough with potato starch and roll out to 5 x 10-inches, dusting with potato starch as needed. Baste any cracks in the dough with water (perhaps the entire surface of the dough at times. Then heavily dust those areas with potato starch. Remove the palm oil block from the freezer, unwrap, and dust with potato starch. Place the block 1/2-inch from the edge of one side of the dough. Using a pastry brush, dust away any excess potato starch from the dough. Baste the edges with water and fold the dough in half, over the palm oil block. Pinch the edges closed. Dust the entire block with potato starch. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for 10 minutes or until solid and easy to roll.
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Roll No. 2: Roll the dough out to a 10 x 7-inch rectangle. Fold it in half. (If the dough is too soft to lift up to fold in half, place in the freezer until firm again.) You'll end up with about a 5 x 7-inch piece of dough. Pinch the edges closed, baste with water where needed, and dust the entire dough with potato starch. Wrap with plastic wrap and freeze for 10 minutes or until firm and easy to roll.
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Roll No. 3: Roll the dough out to a 9x10-inch shape. Fold in thirds to create a 3 x 10-inch block of dough. (Again, if the dough is too soft, freeze or refrigerate until firm.) Be sure to pinch the edges closed with cold water and dust the outside of the dough with potato starch. Fold in half once again, creating a shape approximately 3 x 5-inches. Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm or refrigerate until ready to use.
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When ready to use, roll out between 1/8 and 1/4-inch thick. Use this dough to make pastries, tarts, pies, appetizers, and more. Baste this dough's edges with beaten egg to create a golden brown crust. Sprinkle with seeds, if desired. They hide a lot of cracks, etc. Then, allow to rise until the item no longer rises, about 30 minutes in a warm environment. Bake in a preheated 400ºF oven 10 - 20 minutes depending upon the size of what you're making. Small appetizers made in a mini muffin pan take between 12 - 14 minutes. Large 6 x 4-inch filled pastries take about 20 minutes. For drier, flakier dough, bake at 400ºF for 20 to 28 minutes. I like to bake cake bases (for a Saint Honore Cake for 28 minutes. It all depends upon the thickness. You'll know it's done by its color. Definitely stop baking when nicely golden brown. This crust does best when filled with moist fillings. For savory appetizers consider uncooked gluten free sausage (New York Style Sausage Co.). The grease adds almost a buttery texture and flavor. For sweet, consider gluten free pie fillings (Comstock and Wilderness).
Tips
Feel free to multiply the ingredients as needed to make a larger quantity. You can see the large batch dairy version here.
For Puffier Dough:
*If you are a veteran baker and can pound out and roll dough quickly, feel free to add a little additional baking powder for a high rise. Be sure to only use baking powder if you are going to use the dough the same day. However, if you're not very good at working with such dough or this is your first time making homemade puff pastry, stick with the amount listed. The more you add, the more little holes the dough creates while you're working with it.
How to Make Puffy Pastries:
Preheating your pan will always result in a higher puffed pastry or any baked good for that matter. Adding a pinch of baking powder (not baking soda) also aids in puffiness.
Ok, I have to start by saying that I did not followed the recipe ? I always do that but even though I didn’t, I ended with some sort of puff pastry and this recipe also answered my question about using an alternative to butter. For so long I’ve used vegan butter with ok results and thanks to this recipe I understood that the amount of water that the vegan butter was releasing was leaving my puff pastries or croissants very wet and kinda gummy every time. The flour I used was Bob’s 1 to 1 and also added the whole egg ? I’m telling you I didn’t fallowed throughout the recipe but the key here for me was the palm oil. I had flakiness and yummy puffys. Lamination is key and I couldn’t do it well because the dough was breaking but I bet that if I fallow the recipe they will be perfect. Thank you I will definitely be using your recipes even when I don’t fallow you to the key ? I know I’ll still be able to eat it. I’m telling you my whole family ate these with chocolate, and my husband with some leftover beef stew. No leftovers for me ☺️. I wonder how long they’ll last on the counter or should I freeze them after baking? ?
I was just wondering, you said what affect margarine or butter would have on the dough, but what about coconut oil? It doesn’t seem to contain water. Would it work similar to Palm oil?
Linda,
I didn’t even consider coconut oil because it adds coconut flavor. I was looking for a solution that was similar to butter. I would think coconut oil would work similar to palm oil. It would assume that coconut oil would also need freezing unlike butter which can easily be refrigerated to chill.
Carla
Linda, I also wanted to update you on your Chinese cookie recipe request. Soon after your request of the recipe, I spent about two days, eight hours, in the kitchen experimenting with a recipe. I got close but ran out of time. I’ve been meaning to get back to it. I’ll keep you updated.
Carla