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This easy Pie Crust recipe is made with only 4 pantry ingredients and takes 20 minutes to prep! It's flaky, buttery, and elevates every single pie! You'll never buy store-bought pie crust again!
Homemade pie crust always tastes better! Make sure to try Graham Cracker Pie Crust and Oreo Pie Crust.
Anyone can master our easy homemade pie crust!
Anyone can master our easy homemade pie crust! If you're taking the time to make any sort of pie, you really owe it to yourself to pair it with a homemade crust. Store-bought crusts are bland, dry, and overcook quickly for many baked pies (like apple pie or pumpkin pie), plus it's so EASY to make homemade pie dough. The taste is incomparable. My secret is using both butter and shortening, since they have different melting points. The shortening provides stability and tenderness while the butter gives it the yummy buttery flavor we want.
This recipe makes enough for 2 crusts , in case you need a top and bottom crust. You can freeze the second crust for months, if not using it right away.
How to make Pie Crust:
Combine: Whisk flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut the cold shortening into small pieces, grate the frozen butter into the bowl. Use a pastry blender or forks to cut the fats into the flour until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
Add Water: Add a Tablespoon of ice water at a time, mixing it in until the dough starts to come together in a ball. You might not need all of it. Form into a ball then divide in half and shape each half into a flattened disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. The disc can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Refrigeration is mandatory as you need the fats in the pie dough to be cold when it enters the oven, to yield tender, flakey layers.
Roll Out Pie Crust: Roll out crust on a lightly floured countertop. Or, if you're new to pie making, you could dampen a thin hand towel and lay it on the countertop. Place a large piece of parchment paper over it. (The towel will help keep the parchment paper in place while you roll out the dough, and you can use the parchment paper to easily flip the crust into your pie dish). Lightly dust with flour, then roll out cold pie dough into a large circle.Start at the center and work outwards, it should be thin and at least 1-2 inches larger than your pie plate.
Transfer to Dish: Carefully lift the crust by placing a hand underneath the parchment paper. Gently flip the crust, guiding it into the pie pan. Guide the crust into the bottom and sides of the pan, then carefully peel off parchment paper. Use kitchen scissors to trim excess overhanging crust, so that 1 inch hangs over the edges. Fold the crust behind the outer edges to create a thicker border around the pie, then crimp or flute the edges, if desired.
For Pies requiring an unbaked pie crust (like pumpkin, apple, or even chicken pot pie): Fill the unbaked crust with pie filling and Bake according to recipe instructions.
For Pies requiring a Baked Pie Crust (like lemon cream, german chocolate or coconut cream), pre-bake this flaky pie crust, called blind baking. To blind bake a pie crust, you need pie weights, or use dry beans or dry rice. (Without pie weights the crust will shrink into the pan as it bakes). Place a large piece of parchment paper inside the homemade pie shell then pour the pie weights, dry beans, or rice into an even layer on top. Bake at 375° F for 15-20 minutes. Remove pie weights by carefully lifting up on parchment paper. Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork, then return to oven for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden.
Freezing Instructions:
To Freeze Pie Dough: Wrap the pie dough discs tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before rolling out.
To Freeze Blind-Baked Pie Crust: Allow the crust to cool completely, then cover well with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely at room temperature before filling.
Use Pie Crust for:
- Coconut Cream Pie
- Apple Pie
- Cherry Pie
- Blueberry Pie
- Pecan Pie
- Pumpkin Pie
- Lemon Cream Pie
- Chess Pie
- Quiche Lorraine, Spinach and Bacon Quiche, Broccoli Cheese Quiche
- Savory Pies: Tomato Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, or Garden Vegetable Pie
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Recipe
Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup vegetable shortening , chilled
- 1/2 cup ice water
Instructions
- Mix flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add ice cubes to a measuring cup and fill with ½ cup cold water. Set aside.
- Add fats: Grate frozen butter into the bowl, or cut it into very small pieces. Add chilled shortening and use a pastry blender or fork to cut the fats into the flour until well combined and resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add ice water a spoonful at a time, mixing until the dough begins to come together into a ball. Be careful not to over mix, and you may not need all of the water. Gently mold the dough into a ball.
- Divide dough into 2 pieces and press each to flatten into a disk.
- Refrigerate: Cover dough discs with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 2 hours (or freeze for 30 minutes). Refrigeration is mandatory as you need the fats in the pie dough to be cold when it's rolled out and placed in oven).
- Roll out dough on a floured countertop. If you're new to pie making, it may be helpful to use this method: dampen a large cloth and lay it flat on your countertop, with a large piece of parchment paper over it (the damp towel will keep the parchment from moving). Lightly flour the parchment and dough and roll the dough into a large circle, about 1-inch larger then the diameter of your pie dish. Always start at the center of the crust, and roll outwards.
- Place in pie pan: Gently turn the dough into your pie dish and remove the parchment paper. Settle it smoothly into the bottom and sides of the pan. Trim and crimp the edges of the crust.
- For Pies requiring an unbaked pie crust (like pumpkin, apple, or even chicken pot pie): Fill the unbaked crust with pie filling and bake according to pie recipe instructions.
- For a blind Baked Pie Crust (pre-baked crust) you need pie weights, dry beans or dry rice. (Without pie weights the crust will shrink into the pan as it bakes). Place a large piece of parchment paper over the unbaked crust and add pie weights, (or 1-2 cups dry beans, or dry rice) on top. Bake at 375° F for 15-20 minutes. Remove pie weights by carefully lifting up on parchment paper. Prick the bottom of the pie crust with a fork, then return to oven for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden. Allow crust to cool before adding filling.
Notes
Nutrition
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UPDATED November 2016, March 2018 and November 2022 and October 2024.
I use this recipe every time I make a pot pie or dessert and it has never failed me. If you are looking for a good crust recipe, this is the best imo. Flakey, tastes absolutely stellar.
How long can I store chilled dough? It was frozen then I thawed it and it’s still sitting in my fridge!
Once you’ve thawed frozen pie dough in the fridge, you should use it within 1-2 days. After that, the fats (butter and shortening) can start to deteriorate and the dough quality won’t be as good. If it’s been sitting longer than that, it’s probably best to toss it and make a fresh batch or use your other frozen disc if you have one!
With over 1500 ratings and a nearly 5-star average, this recipe hardly needs my endorsement, but I want to give it anyway! I made my first pie a year ago using this recipe (pumpkin) and have made many pies since then, and it has never failed me. I do not have a ton of baking experience, but this crust comes together easily and always bakes to perfection. Makes me feel like I know what I’m doing! I’ve tried other types of crust occasionally, but I always come back to this trusty recipe!
I dont make many pies, do i need to grease the pan and if so what is best to use
No need to grease the pan. The crust has plenty of butter so it won’t stick.
I really wanted this recipe to work. I made it in the food processor as it said that would be okay. I measured the flour by weight to make sure that there was not too much and it would be tough. I found a conversion that said 2.5 cups of flour is 300 grams, so that I used 300 grams. I only used 3 Tablespoons of water. The fat to flour ratio seemed off as it was very sticky. When I tried to roll it out it was a mess. Tried adding more flour (about 3/4 cup) then, but it was too late. Still way too sticky. I ended up pressing the crumbs in the bottom of the pie pan and up the sides. Looked terrible. Not sure what I did wrong.
So sorry that happened. It sounds like the dough had too much water somewhere along the way. The food processor can warm the butter fast, which makes the dough sticky. Next time try pulsing just until it’s crumbly and add water a teaspoon at a time.
Thanks for the tip! It never got crumbly. It went from a pile of ingredients to a sticky mess. Then I added 3 Tablespoons of water to try to hold it together a little more. Will have to try again!!
Do you use lard for pie crusts?
I’m making this for the first time and totally forgot to buy shortening! I have country crock plant butter with avocado oil, butter, or lard. What would be my best substitute?
Use butter or lard for the best texture. The plant butter works too, but those two are your best bet.
Can you make ahead and refrigerate overnight or does it have to be used after 2 hours?
Yes, you can make it ahead. The dough can chill overnight, and even up to a couple of days. Two hours is just the minimum. It rolls out great the next day.
If I use almond flour instead of all-purpose flour will it change the cook time/ texture too much? I’m trying to do a gluten-free crust?
We’ve tested it with gluten-free baking flour, but not almond flour. The dough comes out a bit softer, so using parchment to help lift and transfer it into the pie pan really helps.
Do you have a preference on glass or metal pie pans?
Both work great!
What about subbing cream cheese for shortening?!!
Cream cheese should work, but it changes the texture. The crust will be softer and a little more tender than a classic flaky one.