Learn how to make a perfectly buttery, flaky pie crust from scratch using this in-depth tutorial and video. This page includes all of my best success tips, lots of step-by-step photos, and a thoroughly detailed recipe. Millions of readers have been using this helpful guide since 2015. Become a pro with this crust recipe and the rest will be as easy as… eating salted caramel apple pie!
For a baker, there’s nothing more satisfying than making a pie completely from scratch. Pies are often made for special occasions, and there’s a good reason for that: they’re time consuming. This shouldn’t scare you! It should intrigue you. If you’ve ever felt intimidated about making homemade pie crust, I’m here to walk you through it and cheer you on. If I can do this, you can do this.
Pie crust is the foundation for so many delicious desserts (plus savory pies and quiche), so once you build up your confidence in making a crust, you’re opening a door to an entire baking category. And that’s exciting! Whether your favorite pie filling is apple pie or creamy banana cream pie, or even eggs & cheese, the success of the overall pie can really hinge on the quality of the crust.
You wouldn’t hang a beautiful piece of art or favorite photo in a terrible frame, right?
Today I’m teaching you everything about making a buttery, flaky pie crust. This is my absolute favorite pie crust recipe and one of the most popular recipes on this website.
With all the recipe testing that goes into publishing the many pie recipes on this website and in my cookbooks, plus my annual Pie Week, it’s not an understatement to say that I have made a LOT of pies. Along the way, I’ve learned what works and what doesn’t, and I’m happy to share it all with you.
Start With These 5 Ingredients
The ingredient list for pie crust is short & simple:
- Flour: Start with quality flour. Did you know that not all all-purpose flours are equal? King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour is my go-to for not only pie crust, but for everything. (Not working with the brand, just a true fan!) Why? Its high protein level: “At 11.7% protein, it tops ordinary American all-purpose flours by nearly 2 percentage points.” What does this mean? Baked goods rise higher and stay fresh longer.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor.
- Butter: For that unparalleled buttery flavor and flaky layers.
- Vegetable Shortening: For structure and stability. More on this below.
- Ice water: Liquid brings the dough together. Some recipes call for half water and half vodka, because alcohol doesn’t promote gluten formation, which helps the crust stay flaky and tender. Basically, it’s a gift to anyone who accidentally overworks dough. If you want to try using vodka, use 1/4 cup (60ml) each cold vodka and cold water in this recipe.
You can use this pie dough for so many recipes beyond a traditional pie, too, such as mini pecan pies, mini fruit galettes, apple hand pies, and homemade brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts.
Is Pie Crust Better With Butter or Shortening?
I use BOTH shortening and butter in this pie crust because they work together to make the BEST crust. Buttery, flaky, and tender: the pie-fect trifecta.
- What does butter do? Butter adds flavor and flakiness.
- What does shortening do? Shortening helps the dough stay pliable, which is helpful when you’re rolling and shaping it. Plus, shortening’s high melting point helps the crust stay tender and maintain its shape as it bakes. Have you ever had a butter pie crust lose its shape completely? Shortening is “shape insurance.” 😉
If you don’t want to use shortening, try this all-butter pie crust instead. Let’s compare:
- Using all butter creates a lighter-textured crust and this is due to the butter’s water content. As the crust bakes, the butter’s water converts to steam, lifting up the dough and creating flaky layers. But because of all this butter, the crust doesn’t usually have a perfectly neat-edge/shape compared to the shortening and butter combination.
Both crusts taste buttery and flaky. But overall, this butter-and-shortening crust wins in terms of texture and flavor; AND, if you follow the pie crust recipe carefully, it holds shape too.
The Secret to Perfect Pie Crust: COLD
The refrigerator is as important as the oven when you’re making a homemade pie.
Why the emphasis on temperature? Keeping your pie dough as cold as possible helps prevent the fats from melting before the crust hits the hot oven. If the butter melts inside the dough before baking, you lose the flakiness. When the lumps of fat melt in the oven as the pie bakes, their steam helps to separate the crust into multiple flaky layers, as explained above. Warm fats will yield a hard, crunchy, greasy crust instead of a tender, flaky crust.
The colder the ingredients, the easier your pie crust is to work with, and the better it will turn out.
Two Tricks to Start as Cold as Possible:
- I keep some of my butter in the freezer and transfer it to the refrigerator a few hours before beginning the crust. This way it is still a little bit frozen and very, very cold. Simply keep the shortening in the refrigerator.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl (the flour and salt). Place the bowl in the refrigerator or freezer while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.
These Step-By-Step Photos Will Help
Take the butter and shortening out of the refrigerator. Cube the cold butter and measure out the cold shortening. Give the shortening a little chop—this is actually optional because, truly, the shortening is quite soft even when cold so it’s easy to mix in.
Now it’s time to combine everything. Add the butter and shortening to the dry ingredients, and use a pastry cutter (or 2 forks) to cut in the fats. Some pie crust recipes use a food processor for this, but I don’t recommend it, because it can lead to overworking the fats into the dough, cutting them up too small—which means you’ll need less water and your dough will fall apart. In this step, you’re only breaking up the cold fat into tiny little flour-coated pieces; you’re not completely incorporating it:
Cut in the fats until the mixture resembles coarse meal—crumbly with lots of lumps, as you see above. You should still have some larger pieces of butter and shortening when you’re done.
From a cup of ice water, measure out 1/2 cup (120ml), since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water into the dough 1 Tablespoon (15ml) at a time, stirring after every Tablespoon has been added.
You’ll add just a little water at a time so that you don’t accidentally add too much. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I usually use 1/2 cup (120ml) of water, but if the weather is humid, you may not need as much, and if the weather is really dry, you may need a little more.
If too much water is added, the pie dough will require more flour and become tough.
If too little water is added, you’ll notice the dough is dry and crumbly when you try to roll it out and handle it.
You want the dough to clump together, but not feel overly sticky. Once the dough is clumping together, transfer the dough to a floured work surface.
Using floured hands, fold and smush (yes, that’s the technical term) the dough into itself, forming the dough into a ball. Your hands are your best tool, just like when making homemade puff pastry.
The ball of dough should come together easily. If it feels a bit too dry or crumbly, dip your fingers in the ice water and then continue forming the dough with your hands. If it feels too sticky, sprinkle on more flour and then continue forming the dough with your hands.
Once your ball of pie dough has come together, use a sharp knife to cut it in half:
This is enough dough for 2 pie crusts. You can use both crusts for a double-crust pie, like chicken pot pie and strawberry rhubarb pie; or, if your pie doesn’t require a top crust, like coconut cream pie, brownie pie, and lemon meringue pie, save the second pie crust for another pie. You can also roll out the second dough and use cookie cutters to make an easy pie design, like on this pumpkin pie.
Success Tip: Visible Specks and Swirls of Fat in Pie Dough
Take a look at the inside of the dough where you just sliced it. You want to see pieces of butter and flaky layers throughout the pie dough. These specks and swirls of butter and shortening will help ensure a flaky pie dough. They are a GOOD thing!
Now your pie dough is ready for a rest in the refrigerator. Flatten each half into 1-inch-thick discs using your hands. The disc shape makes it easier to roll out. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 5 days.
Can I Freeze Pie Dough?
Yes, absolutely, and I encourage it! Pie crust freezes beautifully, so it’s a great thing to make ahead of time. Store the tightly wrapped discs of pie dough in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you know you’re going to want several pies around the holidays, or when your favorite fruit will be in season (cherry pie, anyone?), you can cut down on the amount of time it takes to make pies from scratch the day you want them by making several pie crusts in advance and freezing them.
Thaw the pie crust dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling it out. It will be extra cold, which is a great starting point.
How to Roll Out Pie Crust
After the dough has chilled for at least 2 hours, you can roll it out. Work with one crust at a time, keeping the other in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll it out. You’ll need a clean work surface, a rolling pin, and some flour. Lightly flour the work surface, rolling pin, and your hands, and sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough. Use gentle-medium force with your rolling pin on the dough—don’t press down too hard on the dough; you’re not mad at it!
When rolling dough out, start from the center and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go:
Between passes of the rolling pin, rotate the pie crust and even flip it, to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Sprinkle on a little more flour if it’s sticking. Roll, turn. Roll, turn.
Do you see that beautiful marbling of the butter and shortening throughout the dough? Flaky layers, here you come!
Success Tip: If you notice the dough becoming a lopsided circle as you’re rolling it out, put down the rolling pin and use your hands to help mold the dough back into an even circle:
Roll the dough into a thin 12-inch circle, which is the perfect size to fit a 9-inch pie dish. You want enough crust to have some overhang so you can make a decorative edge for your pie.
Your pie dough will be about 1/8-inch thick, which is quite thin.
Success Tip: Since your dough is so thin, use your rolling pin to help transfer the pie crust to the pie dish. Carefully roll one end of the circle of dough gently onto the rolling pin, rolling it back towards you, slowly peeling it off the work surface as you go. Pick it up, and carefully roll it back out over the top of the pie dish. It’s helpful to watch how I do it in the video below.
Make sure the pie crust is pretty well centered in the dish, with some overhang all around the sides. Tuck the crust into the pie dish, gently pressing it to the interior all the way around—no air bubbles.
Trim dough around the edges if there’s excess dough in some spots—you want about 1-inch overhang. After you add your pie filling and top crust (such as a lattice pie crust), fold overhang back over and pinch the top and bottom crusts together. Now you can create a pretty edge, such as fluting or crimping. I have a full tutorial on how to crimp and flute pie crust, but here’s a quick overview:
Fluting with fingers: To flute the edges, use a knuckle and 2 fingers to press around the edges of the pie crust, to give it a beautiful and classic scalloped look, like this apple pie.
Crimping with fork: You can also use a fork to crimp the edges, like I do with this peach pie.
Again, review my how to crimp and flute pie crust page and video if you need a little extra help with this step.
Your pie crust is ready to bake! Follow your pie recipe’s instructions from here; some recipes may call for a fully baked crust, and some may call for a partially baked (par-baked or blind baked) crust. You can read a tutorial on that here in this How to Par-Bake Pie Crust post. And some recipes, like this blueberry pie, don’t require baking the crust at all before adding the filling, because the pie bakes for so long; just spoon/pour the filling right in.
Your pie recipe might call for an egg wash on the dough and for that, use a pastry brush. And if you bake a lot of pies, this list of 10 best pie baking tools will be helpful for you.
Troubleshooting Pie Crust
- Pie crust is tough: Tough crusts are the result of not enough fat in the crust, as well as overworking the dough. Use the recipe below (plenty of fat) and avoid handling the dough more than you need.
- Don’t have enough pie dough: This recipe yields 2 pie crusts. To ensure you have enough pie dough for overhang and a pretty topping, roll your dough out to a 12-inch circle, about 1/8 inch thick.
- Pie crust shrinks down the sides of the dish when baking: This can happen when par-baking a pie crust. See section below.
- Pie dough is dry & cracking around edges when rolling: Use enough ice water when preparing the pie dough. If you work the fats into the dry ingredients too much, the dough will feel too wet before you can add enough water. (And the dough will be dry and thirsty.) Do not overwork the fats in the dry ingredients—you still want those nice crumbles. If it’s too late and you notice the edges of your pie crust are cracking as you roll it out, dip your fingers in ice-cold water and meld the edges back together. Wait a minute, and then try rolling out again.
- Pie dough is falling apart & crumbling when rolling: The dough is likely crumbling because there’s too much fat, and not enough flour and water. Again, this is usually a result of fat being worked in too much, which can easily happen if the ingredients weren’t cold enough. (Refrigerate those dry ingredients before you start!) If it’s too late and the pie dough is crumbling as you roll it out, try adding more water AND more flour. Sprinkle a tiny bit of ice water and flour onto the cracks and crumbled pieces, and gently work it all in with your fingers. Wait a minute, and then try rolling out again.
Gently work ice water drops and flour into your crumbly pie dough to bring it back together:
Blind Baking Pie Crust
If your pie recipe requires a fully baked or par-baked pie crust before adding the filling, follow the directions and success tips in this How to Par-Bake Pie Crust guide. You need 2 packs of pie weights, which are metal or ceramic beads that serve to weigh down the crust to prevent the puffing/shrinking. You could use dried beans instead. Whichever you choose, be sure to line the crust with parchment paper, then fill the empty pie crust shell with the weights prior to baking. Without pie weights, the dough will puff up, and then shrink down the sides.
Pie Crust Success Tips
- Use a glass pie dish. I prefer using a glass pie dish when I make pie. Why? Glass dishes conduct heat evenly, which allows the bottom of the crust to bake thoroughly. Also, you’ll be able to see when the sides and bottom of the crust have browned.
- The refrigerator is pie dough’s best friend. Keep everything cold every step of the way: ingredients, the bowl, and the dough before rolling. When taking the pie crust out of the refrigerator to roll out and fill, make sure your pie filling is ready to go. If not, keep the pie crust in the refrigerator until it is.
- Keep dough cold when rolling out: Warm pie dough is unworkable. If the dough becomes too warm when you’re rolling it out, stop what you’re doing, pick it up as gently as you can, put it on a plate or small baking sheet, and then cover and refrigerate it for 10–20 minutes.
- Protect the crust edges from burning: Use a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from burning. A shield keeps the crust edge covered, but the center of the pie exposed, protecting the edges. I usually just make a pie shield out of a piece of aluminum foil. Take a piece of aluminum foil and fold it in half. Cut out a half circle. When you open it back up, you’ll have a square of foil with a circle cut out of the center. If you notice the edges of your pie crust are browning before the pie has fully baked, carefully and gently place the foil over the top of the pie, centering the cut-out hole over the pie. Carefully (obviously it’s very hot!) and lightly tuck the sides of the foil around the pie crust edges, then let the pie finish baking.
- Create a beautiful topping: For designing the top crust, see How to Lattice Pie Crust, How to Braid Pie Crust, or these Pie Crust Designs. And here is my tutorial on How to Crimp and Flute Pie Crust, too.
For more pie crust inspiration, see my graham cracker crust and homemade chocolate pop tarts (with a chocolate crust!).
PrintHomemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield: 2 pie crusts (1 lb, 8 ounces dough total)
- Category: Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This recipe is enough for a double crust pie. If you only need 1 crust for your pie, freeze the other half per the Freezing Instructions below. Is your pie dough tearing, cracking, or crumbling as you try to roll it out? See recipe Notes.
Ingredients
- 2 and 1/2 cups (315g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for shaping and rolling
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
- 2/3 cup (130g) vegetable shortening, chilled
- 1/2 cup (120ml) ice cold water
Instructions
- Whisk the flour and salt together in a large bowl.
- Add the butter and shortening. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). In this step, you’re only breaking up the cold fat into tiny little flour-coated pieces; you’re not completely incorporating it. Do not overwork the ingredients.
- Measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure 1/2 cup (120ml) of water, since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon (15ml) at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon has been added. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about 1/2 cup of water, and need a little more in dry winter months. Do not add any more water than you need.
- Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Avoid overworking the dough. If it feels a bit too dry or crumbly, dip your fingers in the ice water and then continue bringing dough together with your hands. If it feels too sticky, sprinkle on more flour and then continue bringing dough together with your hands. Form it into a ball. Use a sharp knife to cut it in half. If it’s helpful, you should have about 1 lb, 8 ounces dough total (about 680g). Gently flatten each half into 1-inch-thick discs using your hands.
- Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.
- After the dough has chilled for at least 2 hours, you can roll it out. Work with one crust at a time, keeping the other in the refrigerator until you’re ready to roll it out. Lightly flour the work surface, rolling pin, and your hands, and sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough. Use gentle-medium force with your rolling pin on the dough—don’t press down too hard on the dough; you’re not mad at it! When rolling dough out, start from the center and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Between passes of the rolling pin, rotate the pie crust and even flip it, to make sure it’s not sticking to your work surface. Sprinkle on a little more flour if it’s sticking; don’t be afraid to use a little more flour. If you notice the dough becoming a lopsided circle as you’re rolling it out, put down the rolling pin and use your hands to help mold the dough back into an even circle. Roll the dough into a very thin 12-inch circle, which is the perfect size to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Your pie dough will be about 1/8 inch thick, which is quite thin. Visible specks of butter and fat in the dough are perfectly normal and expected.
- Because your dough is so thin, use your rolling pin to help transfer the pie crust to the pie dish. Carefully roll one end of the circle of dough gently onto the rolling pin, rolling it back towards you, slowly peeling it off the work surface as you go. Pick it up, and carefully roll it back out over the top of the pie dish. It’s helpful to watch how I do it in the video below.
- Proceed with the pie per your recipe’s instructions. If your dough requires par-baking, see helpful How to Par-Bake Pie Crust tutorial.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the pie dough through step 5 and freeze the discs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in your pie recipe.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Large Glass Mixing Bowl | Pastry Cutter | Rolling Pin | For more tools you may need to completely assemble and bake your pie, see my 10 Best Pie Baking Tools list.
- Salt: Use regular table salt. If using kosher salt, use 1 and 1/4 teaspoons.
- Shortening: This recipe uses a butter and shortening combination. Butter for flakiness and flavor, and shortening for its high melting point and ability to help the crust hold shape. You can use butter-flavor shortening if desired. If you want to skip the shortening, feel free to try this all-butter pie crust instead. Some readers have substituted lard for shortening in this recipe with success.
- Can I use a food processor? You can use a food processor to bring the dough ingredients together in step 1, but I find it quickly overworks the dough. For best results and a light, flaky crust, I recommend a pastry cutter.
- Pie dough is dry & cracking around edges when rolling: Use enough ice water when preparing the pie dough. If you work the fats into the dry ingredients too much, the dough will feel too wet before you can add enough water. (And the dough will be dry and thirsty.) Do not overwork the fats in the dry ingredients—you still want those nice crumbles. If it’s too late and you notice the edges of your pie crust are cracking as you roll it out, dip your fingers in ice-cold water and meld the edges back together. Wait a minute, and then try rolling out again.
- Pie dough is falling apart & crumbling when rolling: The dough is likely crumbling because there’s too much fat, and not enough flour and water. Again, this is usually a result of fat being worked in too much, which can easily happen if the ingredients weren’t cold enough. (Refrigerate those dry ingredients before you start!) If it’s too late and the pie dough is crumbling as you roll it out, try adding more water AND more flour. Sprinkle a tiny bit of ice water and flour onto the cracks and crumbled pieces, and gently work it all in with your fingers. Wait a minute, and then try rolling out again.
- More Crusts: If you need more than 2 pie crusts, make another separate batch of dough. Doubling or tripling the recipe leads to over- or under-working the dough, which ruins all of your efforts.
Keywords: pie crust
I’ve made this is the past and loved it! I need to make a 10” deep dish pie this time. Any suggestions on how much dough to use? And how big a circle to make?
★★★★★
Hi Laura, we’d recommend you 1.5x the recipe. Hope it works for you!
I made the apple pie dough for the crust
The dough tastes a bit salty is that normal?
I’m a little Leary about using it
Yes. There isn’t any sugar in the dough, so it will taste salty. It’s nice and flaky, and if you’re filling it with something sweet, you won’t mind the salt in the crust. (Or even if you make a savory pie, too!)
If using Crisco with butter shortening, how much would you use? For this pie crust.
Is it butter flavored Crisco? You would use the same amount.
Yes, thank you
I’m getting ready to make about 5 pies and was wondering if I could use lard in place of shortening.
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Why is there no sugar? Most other recipes I have tried have at least a tablespoon of sugar for browning.
I find most all butter pie crusts (including mine) call for sugar. I do not use it here in this shortening/butter crust; it’s not necessary.
Hi I am making this for the first time.1) should I put it in the frig before baking as I have never done a lattice crust and it may take me longer than most.2) I canned apple pie filling apples are not cooked but water bathed, I am thinking I my have to par bake the bottom crust. If I do that would I not be able to do the lattice top and just do a top crust? Thanks love your recipes
Hi Barbara, you can par-bake the bottom crust if you think the filling is too liquid-y. It’s a little tricky to adhere a top crust to a bottom par-baked crust, but when I do it, I like to follow baker Erin McDowell’s tutorial for that. If the pie dough becomes warm at all when you are working with it, it’s best to refrigerate it until it’s cold again.
I made this for a pumpkin pie and it turned out tasty and crispy, but I’m curious what I might have done less than ideal because the bottom of the crust leaked a LOT of fat during the baking (I could see through my glass pan). Ideally you don’t want much leakage right? Perhaps my fat chunks were too big (I left a lot of larger chunks)? Or my ingredients weren’t cold enough? I refrigerated everything including the dry ingredients. Thanks so much, your blog is my baking go-to!
★★★★★
Hi Mariah, some melting is normal during baking. Make sure to keep your pie dough very cold before baking and that your pieces of fat aren’t too large in the crust – both of these things should help! Thanks for trying the recipe, we’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Oh my gosh, Sally!! If you were in my kitchen right now I’d be giving you the BIGGEST, squishiest hug in the world!! I’m an experienced baker, but teach full time and coordinate weddings on the side. All that means is I’m in a hurry and get sloppy with technique. My last couple of pie crusts were not turning out flakey and yummy, so I needed a refresher course. I followed your directions all except chilling the dough before rolling it out. Why? I was in a hurry, AGAIN. But, the dough still rolled out like a dream and my pumpkin chiffon will now be top
notch. Thank you again for your carefully thought out directions! I’m now back in the pie saddle
★★★★★
I was excited to try this recipe. Followed it exactly. Turned out hard and dry. Otherwise tasted good. Any suggestions? Would love to try again.
Hi Cecilia! Pastry like this pie crust can turn tough if it is overworked. Once you add the water, try to work the dough as little as possible to bring it together. If the dough is too dry, you can add a little more water as needed. The video tutorial above should be a helpful resource as well. Thank you for giving this a try!
Can you use whole wheat flour? I have a friend who needs a whole wheat crust instead of regular flour. *I love your recipes!!
Hi Adam, we don’t recommend using whole wheat flour here. The crust will taste a bit too heavy and dry. You may have better success using a recipe that is specifically formulated to use whole wheat flour instead. Let us know if you find one you love!
Can I use vegan butter instead of regular butter or should I just use all shortening? I need to make a vegan crust. Thank you!
Hi Rburgan, we haven’t tested this pie crust with a vegan butter, so we’re unsure of the results. We don’t recommend using all shortening. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a pie crust recipe that is specifically formulated to be vegan. Thank you!
I use vegan butter and shortening all the time for this recipe and it’s turned out great every time.
I am planning on making this crust for our apple pie at Thanksgiving. Which shortening would you suggest, Crisco or Margerine?
Hi Melissa, we often use Crisco shortening, but you can use any brand you prefer. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Sally-
I have an older printed Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust from you and notice this current recipe calls for 2/3 cup shortening and the older version calls for 3/4 cup. Which is the preferred/correct amount? Thanks!
Hi Sharon! Sally updated this recipe a couple years ago – the only update was removing 2 Tablespoons of shortening which we find makes the dough a little less fragile. See recipe note if it’s helpful and feel free to stick with 3/4 cups as usual instead!
I loved your video. I am a beginner at age 78. You make this look much easier. I have had a few failures but I am looking forward to success now.
Let us know how it goes, Dana!
does this crust work for blueberry pie?
Absolutely. It’s what we usually use for our blueberry pie.
Hi! I’m trying to make a gluten free pumpkin pie for my brother in law who just got diagnosed with celiac. I was going to use your pumpkin pie recipe and this pie crust by replacing the flour with gluten free flour. Do you think it would be a 1:1 ratio?
We haven’t tested this pie crust recipe with gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you do!
Hi! I made this last year with the King Arthur GF 1:1 flour and it came out great!
I can’t wait to try this, but I am using a 10-inch glass pie pan – how much should I increase the ingredients? Help!
We recommend you 1.5x the recipe. Hope it works for you!
The pumpkin pie is a HIT!!! This is the ideal pumpkin pie recipe! I used a graham cracker pie crust and the pumpkin pie still tasted remarkable! Next task, baking the pie crust.
★★★★★
I have worked with this pie crust over 50 times now. If you are in Colorado and I presume any altitude/dry climate. You want the dough to be almost to the point of sticky after working with it, so a little bit more water. If you follow the recipe exactly as is, you will be a little bit tortured with dry and crumbly crust. Just my own little tip!
Hi! Love your all butter crust but want to try this one for my thanksgiving pies. For the vegetable shortening, which one do you typically use, i.e. regular, butter flavored, or sticks? Thanks!
Hi Stephanie! We usually use regular Crisco brand shortening.
Hi I just made this crust and it seemed a little crumbly and dry. I had fed a little extra water and wet fingers with it too. I’m worried that when I try to roll it out it will crack. Any tips?
Hi Jodi, I’m happy to help troubleshoot. If you are experiencing a crumbly crust, the dough may have been over-worked and/or it was too dry. Don’t be afraid to add more ice water until the dough clumps together and feels a little moist. Keep the fats as cold as possible, use a pastry cutter to cut in the fats by hand, and don’t overwork them. You want little pieces of cold butter throughout. Hope this helps!
Is the 1/2 cup of cold water a misprint? I followed the recipe and what was supposed to be pie crust is now mush. 1/4 cup of water would have been more than sufficient. I put my crust in the fridge overnight and I hope it does get firm. Not trying to make pie crust soup here.
★★★
Hi Sharon, yes that amount is accurate. If the butter and shortening are too warm, or if they’re over-mixed into the dry ingredients, the mixture will become mush as you add the ice water. Be sure the fats are extra cold, and not over-mixed.
I live in the deep south with high humidity so keeping the fats super cold after they come out of the fridge (even after 5 minutes) just isn’t possible. Overworking before adding the water is a possibility but even a quarter cup of water is a lot. I wonder how pie crust was made before refrigeration, somehow it was managed.
Hi I have a question about the use of vodka in the dough for your pie crust from scratch recipie. Does it matter what kind of vodka is used for this portion? Does the quilling of the vodka affect how the crust will turn out?
Hi Hannah, unflavored vodka, really any kind, works.
I’ve made this dough many times and it’s a wonderful balance of flavor and texture. I’ve used it for pan pies and also for my “Made In’ slab pies. Question is for a X3 amount would you drastically adjust any ingredients?
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Hi Terry! We would make three batches to avoid over mixing a large quality of pie dough.
Can I substitute the same amount of lard for the vegetable shortening? I have not used Crisco in years, just lard, but am ready for something different…
Hi Ron, Some readers have used lard in place of shortening with success. Let us know if you do try it!
Hi Sally, I love your recipes and the fact that you work so hard to perfect techniques and recipes! I do the same when I cook! I wanted to share with you and your readers that I make my pie crust with 1/2 lard and 1/2 butter and it is the tastiest and flakiest way I have found to make pie crust! I also add a little bit of white vinegar to the water before adding. Give it a try!
What size pie plate do you use for this receipt? I have a 10 in and a 9 in the 10 in is a deep dish one.
Hi Patty, we use a 9-inch pie dish that is about 1 and 3/4-inches deep.
Hi. Just made your favorite apple pie using this pie crust recipe. Just wondering if I could grate the frozen butter like when making biscuits?
Hi Howard! You can use frozen butter and grate it for this pie dough. However, you’ll still need to cut it in. You can use a fork and mix very well.
Hello! I made pie for the first time using this recipe (and the pumpkin pie one) and it turned out great! I was just wondering if coconut flour can be used in it? I’m pretty new to baking and don’t really understand the ins and outs of flour just yet.
★★★★★
Hi Nell, we’re so glad you enjoyed this pie crust! We don’t recommend using coconut flour, as it has very different baking properties than all-purpose flour and isn’t always a 1:1 swap. Best to stick with all-purpose flour here for best results!
If I used salted butter and omitted the salt would that work just as well?
Hi Patti, if using salted butter we would use about 1/2 teaspoon of salt instead of 1 teaspoon. Good luck and happy baking!
Hi Sally! I’m excited to try this, but I’m wondering if you’ve ever used gluten free flour?
Hi Marie, we haven’t tried this recipe using a gluten-free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you do try it!
I am planning on making your pie crust – no doubt, another fabulous Sally’s recipe.
Normally, I use rendered pork lard but I have lost my local supplier so will use shortening. Do you have a favourite brand you use for this recipe?
Big thanks,
Sally W
Hi Sally, I usually use Crisco or Spectrum brands.