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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
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’m guessing lard would work as well as shorting? These days the health world is saying lard is actually more healthy than hydrogenated oils such as shortening. Thanks for this wonderful explanation of making pie crusts. I wish I would have been smart enough to stay and learn in the kitchen with my mom and grandmother. They always had perfect pie crusts, now it is too late. But glad you are here to save the day!
This really is the best pie crust. I have tried many of her recipes & they never fail me. The only thing I did differently was I used my hands for everything. I did not use a pastry cutter because I do not get along with them. I have doubled this recipe in the past to make a thicker crust for a thicker pie.
Thanks so much Courtney–I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed some of my recipes 🙂
The pie tasted delicious! I followed the directions but found the dough somewhat difficult to roll out after I took it out of the refrigerator after two hours. It stuck to the rolling pin even though I sprayed the pin. Any suggestions?
Thank you!
Hi Laura, next time just dust it with a little bit of flour 🙂
Thank you for this pie crust recipe. I just retired after teaching for over four decades and am enjoying doing more baking now that I have more time. I make apple pies but have always bought the crusts. I’ve always wanted to make my own crusts, especially since I host Thanksgiving each year. So…..I’m going to practice before the holiday arrives. Yay!
Can I just say, thank you? I do not consider myself much of a baker and have always been intimidated with pie crust. I saw your recipe and was hopeful when I saw the instructions with your photos. I followed the instructions exactly and I was so pleased with how well it turned out! My husband asked where I bought it 🙂 Thank you for giving me a little bit of confidence in the kitchen.
People blow my mind! Do you think I can change 3 ingredients in the recipe and have it turn out like your’s? Blah Blah Blah… Geez!!!
My girlfriend and I were just laughing about the same thing. All recipe site comments are the same. But, maybe it helps with the learning curve for new cooks. It’s humorous to read through.
Hello, I am going to try this recipe soon for your broccoli quiche (it turned out great in store-bought crust, but let‘s try from scratch! It can only be better. My question is silly, but here I go…. can I use the beans after I bake them for the quiche as weights? thank you!
Hi Alex, I’m so glad you liked the quiche (and I know you’ll love it in a homemade crust!) Not a silly question at all. Unfortunately I wouldn’t suggest re-using the beans. But you could keep them to use again as pie weights in the future. I’d love to hear how the crust turns out!
OK< when I took the shell out of the oven after 15 minutes, I think I should have let it cool a bit. I tipped the rice into the garbage and used a brush to get the rest of the rice out of the shell and when I tipped it again to get the rest of the rice out-yep you guessed it, the whole shell fell into the garbage. Luckily I had the other crust in the fridge so I tried again. Worked OK.
Hi Ron, I’m so sorry, but you shouldn’t “tip” the rice out of the pie crust. Next time just lift the parchment paper and beans/rice up and out all at once to remove them 🙂
Love it! I used up some leftover vegetable spread that was lurking in my fridge, together with butter and the shortening as per your recipe and it turned out amazing and flaky.
Hello, In country that I live there, we have not vegetable shortening. So, my question is if can I use something instead of it?
Hi Kateryna, you could substitute lard for the shortening 🙂 Otherwise I would suggest using a different, all butter, pie crust recipe. Good luck!
Thank you for fast answer?