This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This Pie Crust Recipe is simple, comes together quickly and is the great base for any great pie. Made with butter, flour and a few other ingredients, the flakey texture is exactly what everyone looks for in a great Homemade Pie Crust Recipe.

homemade pie crust

Pie Crust Recipe

A lot of people are intimidated by the idea of making a pie crust from scratch. Making homemade pie crust is easy when you learn the biggest trick- to keep the surface well-floured and the ingredients cold. The colder your butter or shortening remains, the less messy and more flakey your pie crust will be. And we all know that the flakey pie crust is incredible.

This pie crust is great with any type of pie. Fill it with your favorite Apple Pie filling or Custard Recipe. Absolutely delish!

If you’d like to enjoy a sweeter pie crust, check out my sugar cookie pie crust that’s perfect for your sweet dessert pies!

What are the ingredients for this Easy Pie Crust?

  • Cold butter
  • Shortening
  • Flour
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Ice water

For making pie crust, you have to use a fatty ingredient like shortening or butter. Pick your favorite option or a combination of the two. Using some shortening gives your pie crust a stability that you otherwise wouldn’t get with only butter.  This allows you to have a lattice top on your pie that doesn’t just melt together. Check out the exact amounts and the steps in the recipe card below!

flour and butter for the pie crust recipe

How to make Pie Crust

In a food processor, place your butter, shortening, flour, salt, and sugar and push the pulse button until the butter is evenly distributed. Slowly pulse in 4 tbsp of cold ice water. 

Dump it out onto a floured surface.Your dough will look shaggy, but it will come together as you knead it by hand.

shaggy dough before kneading by hand

Wrap your dough in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes before rolling out.

When rolling out your pie crust, it helps to roll it out on to a parchment paper. 

Starting from the center of the dough pile and working the rolling pin away from yourself, turn the parchment paper after each roll. This helps to get you a nice circle shape instead of a rectangle.

When your dough has been rolled out enough, place the pie plate upside down on the pie crust and slip your hand under the parchment paper and then flip the pie plate over, bringing the crust with it.

Gently remove the parchment paper and trim your crust. Crimp your edges and then bake the crust at 325 for 15 minutes if your recipe requires a pre-baked pie crust.

pie crust in the pie plate

What can I do with crumbly pie crust?

If while you’re making your pie crust, you notice that it is too crumbly, you can fix it before it’s too late!

Crumbly pie crust is often the result of a dry pie crust. While this recipe states an amount of liquid to use, different situations and environments may cause the need to add more or less liquid to your pie crust. 

If your crust is crumbly, add in a little more water, a teaspoon at a time, kneading after each addition to help distribute. If your dough is too wet, add in a little more flour.

pie crust recipe before being chilled

Do you have to chill  the Pie Crust Recipe?

While you don’t have to chill the pie crust, allowing it to have that time to rest helps to relax the ingredients for a softer crust. If you’re in a rush and don’t mind a slightly tougher pie crust, you can simply use colder ingredients and make the pie crust without chilling the dough.

Do you need to use a food processor to make a pie crust?

Using a food processor is an easy way to make crusts, but you can do it by hand or with a pastry cutter if you don’t have one of these appliances handy.

If you loved what you saw here, get more of it on Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest! I’d love to connect! Sign up for my weekly newsletter below to never miss a new recipe again!

[et_bloom_inline optin_id=optin_2]

Need more PIE RECIPES?

Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
5 from 3 votes

Homemade Pie Crust

This Pie Crust Recipe is simple, comes together quickly and is the great base for any great pie. Made with butter, flour and a few other ingredients, the flakey texture is exactly what everyone looks for in a great Homemade Pie Crust Recipe.
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Servings: 2 crusts

Ingredients 

  • 3/4 cup cold butter
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 4 tbsp ice water

Instructions 

  • In a food processor, pulse the butter, shortening, flour, salt and sugar until the butter is distributed evenly.
  • Slowly add in the 4 tbsp of ice water. The dough will be shaggy.
  • Dump out onto the counter and knead by hand until the dough comes together.
  • Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes before rolling out.
  • When rolling it out, roll out on parchment paper. Start in the center and roll away from you, turning the parchment paper after each roll. This helps to roll the pie crust into a circle instead of a rectangle.
  • When the dough has been rolled out enough, place the pie plate upside down on the pie crust. Slip your hand under the parchment paper and then flip the pie plate over, bringing the crust with it.
  • Gently remove the parchment paper, trim and crimp the edges.
  • Bake at 325° for 15 minutes to pre-bake the pie crust, if that is what is needed for your pie recipe.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

About Karli Bitner

This blog is a little glimpse into my kitchen, family & life. I hope you’ll giggle the days away with me and enjoy the craziness that goes on at my house. If you are Cookie obsessed like I am, check out my Sister Site, Cookies for Days.

You May Also Like:

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This is the best pie crust recipe I have ever made! It’s simple. It’s buttery/flakey. It’s everything you want in a pie crust and so incredibly easy! Thank you. I make it in batches and once they are rolled out I’ll freeze them rolled up like you would purchase store bought. It’s great for sweet pies and my chicken pot pie.

  2. 5 stars
    This pie crust recipe turns out perfect EVERY time. Growing up my mom made pie crust seem so intimidating but this is so simple and easy to follow. It will work, it will be flakey and it will be delicious! I e used this to make chocolate cream pie, rhubarb pie, banana cream pie, chicken pot pie and so many more.