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.
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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.
Excited to make this. Does the recipe make enough for a lattice top? Or should you make more to have enough?
This recipe makes 2 pie crusts–so if your pie recipe calls for a lattice top, then yes, you can use one for the bottom and one for the top.
Looking to pre-make the crust but not pre-bake it…like, prep the crust the day before I want to bake my pie, so the crust will be ready to go. Can I just stick the dough balls in the fridge, tightly wrapped, and then roll them out next day when I’m ready to bake, or will the ingredients go bad overnight?
Yes, you can do that several days of head of time!
I don’t have any unsalted butter, will regular work or will it be too salty tasting?
Yes, just reduce the salt by about 1/2 teaspoon.
I loved how light and buttery and very easy to make. Also the crust hold together nicely!!
Hey there,
So do you just keep a can of Crisco (or other shortening) in the fridge? Will it make the shortening go rancid more quickly?
Also, do you spray the glass pie pan with cooking spray first? Does the pie crust stick to the sides of the dish?
One of my goals this year is to learn how to make a good homemade pie crust, so I appreciate your step-by-step instructions!
Thank you-
Lauren in NC
Store crisco/shortening at room temperature. No need to spray the pie pan first. 🙂
If the Crisco is stored at room temp, do you refrigerate it before making a crust? Recipe calls for chilled shortening and butter?
Yes, I stick the shortening in the fridge or freezer for a little while until cold.
LOOKS Awesome 👍🏼👍🏼♥️👏🏼Thank You For Sharing! I Found Print Button FOR Recipe 😱🥴 and Pinned To my Desserts 👍🏼G-d♥️Bless😊
Lauren if all possible I’d like the recipe for your sour lemon sour cream hi. I used to buy a mine from Marie Callender’s but a lot of them closed down they’re hard to find. Thank you I would appreciate that Jackie Morgan
Here is the recipe for the lemon sour cream pie!
I just tired this recipe tonight in place of my normal crust recipe for my chicken pot pies and……..
This pie crust recipe was by far the most delicious recipe I’ve ever tried. I bake pies all the time for family and friends and have always used my Aunt Carol’s recipe. Which was pretty good. However, this beats it hands down. Sorry Aunt Carol, but this is going to be our favorite from now on. It is tender, flaky, tastes so good and what’s more so easy to roll.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Hi Lauren,
Thank you for the recipe. I have tried this pie recipe 3 times now, I really enjoy the flaky texture of it and so does everyone who has eaten the pies I’ve made. The trouble I’m having is that for some reason it always crumbles/breaks on me when I roll it out and when I’m trying to place it over the pie dish:( I find it brakes once I try moving it. I’m not sure if I’m not adding enough water, but I find when I add too much water it becomes sticky.
Any suggestions on what I can do to resolve this issue.
Thank you,
Jess
Hi Jessica, yes I would add more water if it’s crumbling, then be sure to give it adequate time to rest in the fridge. If it’s sticky upon rolling out you can always smooth a tiny bit of flour over it while rolling.
Yes i’m having the same issue to the point that I can’t bake it. So not sure what to do now– add water and back in the fridge– seems like it will be overworked for sure then. : (
I have tenderflake which is lard, can I use instead of vegetable shortening? Or must I use the vegetable shortening?
Yes, that would be fine!