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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!
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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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.
I have tried this recipe for the first time and it turned out great. I will always use this one. Flakey, delicious. My pot pie was so good.
I should have added more water. Still learning. But the flavor was great and I will definitely use this recipe again
Great crust. First time making pie and recipe was easy to follow. Everyone I have given it to has loved the lemon sour cream pie. Thanks.
Great crust but next time I’ll make 1/2 again recipe.
I never have quite enough.
Maybe most recipes are for an 8” pan?
Mine are 9 1/2”.
So far, I feel that this recipe has failed me… after I rolled the dough, it fell apart when I went to transfer into the pie plate (sob!)… I went ahead & pieced it back together & then I baked it… still looks rather sad… It is the crust for a banana cream pie so I will proceed, but I am not feeling very confident…
This is the best pie crust so far that I have tried. I was pleased!
Thanks for all of this. I’ve been struggling through, along the years, a few pies here and there, and I was at the level of reinventing the two parchment sheets as key of no stick.
However, I did not see the “soft mat”, the towel, underneath of the above is the trick. Believe me, I’ll be trying this “very soon”. The development of the two parchment sheets is key in this progession.
After the notion of no stick with parchment became clear, a search found you. And there it is. The rest of it!
Not sure what happened- I followed this recipe exactly and it was an epic fail. Rolled out okay, but wouldn’t lift from the floured surface without crumbling all over the place. I ended up just pressing the dough into the bottom of the pie pan. For the top crust, I was able to do a lattice top. But the only way I could get any of the strips to stay together was using a butter knife to slide under it and very carefully moving it to the pie, but even that was a mess. After cooking, the crust just crumbled to the touch like powder.
I think I’ll be sticking to my traditional pie crust from now on.
Talia, Go back and note she used a sheet of parchment paper under the dough, it makes a world of difference. There is an old saying, “measure twice, cut once”, always read the instructions over until they feel familiar.
Hopefully me and my daughter will be able to make this, she does her school classes online and takes culinary, her teacher ask them to make something from stratch and record it and send it to her. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving.
I’m a recent widower who needs/wants to learn to bake and cook. I’m not afraid to try things so this is exciting. After making sure that I have all ingredients necessary I will do this; and I’ll let you know how it turns out. I’ve already made a pumpkin pie using a Kroger crust. It was ok; but I’m not satisfied. Here goes!
This was fantastic pie crust. I did need to add about 2 Tablespoons more water.
The tips about chilling and blind baking were very helpful, Thank you,