Pie Crust Recipe

How to make the best easy flaky pie crust that consistently makes a perfect pie dough every time! A family favorite recipe for generations!

This pie crust recipe is buttery, flaky, and delicious! I use it in my Pecan Pie, Apple Pie, and my Sweet Potato Pie, to name a few! This pie crust dough rolls out easily and holds up well when baked. It is a dream pie crust recipe! It leads the trio of favorite crust recipes, including my Graham Cracker Crust and Shortbread Crust.

The perfect pie crust recipe makes any pie better – and even more delicious!

This flakey pie crust works perfectly with savory or sweet pies (so this is really the only recipe you’ll need), is made using both butter and shortening (with the option of an all-butter pie crust), and is so easy to make!

I will tell you exactly how to make it, give you tips to make it super simple and fail-proof, and have a video so you can see exactly how I make it! You’ll be baking pie crusts in no time!

The Perfect Pie Crust

Growing up, I watched my Mother and Grandmother make pie crusts as if it were the easiest thing in the world. They explained it all to me when I was older and ready to bake my own pies – and it was as easy as they made it look! I’m sharing that simple, fail-proof method with you in this recipe.

This pie dough recipe makes enough for a single-crust pie. You can double the recipe to make enough for a double-crust pie, lattice-crust pie, or a pie with a crust bottom and a crust top.

How to Make Homemade Pie Crust Recipe

Pie Crust Ingredients

Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.

• all-purpose flour
• butter (cold) – cut into cubes
• shortening (cold) – cut into cubes
• salt
• ice cold water

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prep. Butter a 9-inch pie plate and set aside.
2. Prepare the pie dough. In a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and salt. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry cutter or two forks until the mixture resembles a coarse meal, coarse crumbs, or has pea-sized pieces of butter and shortening. Gradually add enough ice-cold water (a tablespoon at a time) while mixing with a wooden spoon until a ball of dough is formed.
3. Roll out the pie dough. Turn out the pie dough ball onto a lightly floured sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper and form into a disk. Lightly flour the pie dough disk and place another sheet of plastic wrap over the top of it. Roll dough from the center with a rolling pin until pie dough is about 1/8 inch thick.
4. Transfer the dough to the pie plate. Remove the bottom piece of the plastic wrap, fold the dough over and lay it across the pie plate, and remove the top piece of the plastic wrap. Press the pie dough lightly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Crimp the top edges.
5. Chill the pie dough. Cover the pie plate with a piece of plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes to overnight to chill. By freezing the fat in the pie dough, the pie crust will be flakier when baked, even more so than if you chill the pie dough in the refrigerator.
6. Fill and bake. Then fill your pie dough with your chosen sweet or savory pie filling and bake according to the pie recipe.

How to Make All Butter Pie Crust

Use 1/2 cup of butter plus a bit more to butter your pie plate. Omit the shortening from the recipe.

How to Make Gluten-Free Pie Crust

Simply substitute with your favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour. There are so many great options for all-purpose gluten-free baking flour now. I love to use Bob Red Mill’s Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour.

Making the Dough by Hand or Food Processor?

Some people swear by using a food processor, others use a pastry cutter, while my Grandmother only used two forks. I have used all methods, but use my pastry cutter most often. It’s so easy – any of these methods you prefer works just great!

How to Make Pie Crust with a Food Processor

• Add flour, butter, shortening, and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.
• Pulse 8 to 10 times to combine the flour mixture until the butter and shortening are the size of peas.
• Add the ice water, a tablespoon at a time, through the feed tube and pulse to combine. Repeat until the pie dough begins to form a ball.
• Remove the pie dough ball from the food processor and proceed with the recipe as instructed.

How to Blind Bake Pie Crust

If you are making a pie that requires a pre-baked crust, once you have transferred the pie dough to the pie plate, use a fork and lightly prick the bottom and sides of the pie crust.

• Top the pie dough with foil or parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and bake for about 8 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Remove the pie weights to use again and discard the foil or parchment paper.

How to Make a Double-Crust Pie

If you are making a pie that needs a double crust, like my apple pie, double the recipe for pie crust. As mentioned earlier, place the bottom crust on the pie plate and freeze. Roll out the second or top pie crust dough and place it onto a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Then place into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.

To bake, preheat the oven according to the recipe directions. Remove the pie plate from the freezer and add the pie filling. Remove the top pie crust from the refrigerator and place on top of the pie filling. Cut slits into the top crust to allow for steam to escape as the pie bakes. Bake according to the recipe instructions.

How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust

If you are making a pie that needs a lattice pie crust, like my peach pie, double the recipe for pie crust. As mentioned earlier, place the bottom crust on the pie plate and freeze. Roll out the second or top pie crust dough and cut into 1-inch slices. Place the slices onto a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Then place into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes up to overnight.

To bake, preheat the oven according to the recipe directions. Remove the pie plate from the freezer and add the pie filling. Remove the pie crust dough strips from the refrigerator and place them on top of the pie filling in a woven pattern to form a lattice topping. Bake according to the recipe instructions.

Pie Crust Troubleshooting 101

What to Do When Pie Dough is Dry

When made by hand, each time you add a tablespoon of water, squeeze a small bit of the dough between your fingers to see if it holds together. If it does, test another small piece that isn’t as visibly moist. If it does not hold together, continue to add ice-cold water by the tablespoon.

What to Do When Pie Crust is Tough

Overmixing will cause your pie crust to be tough. Only mix your butter and shortening into the flour mixture until the fats are about the size of peas at the smallest. Then, when adding the ice-cold water, make sure to stir until the flour mixture holds together as described in the notes if your pie dough is dry.

What to Do When Pie Crust is Not Flaky

The reason I specifically call for cold butter, cold shortening, and ice-cold water is to help make the pie crust as flaky as possible. Freezing the pie crust for 30 minutes before adding the filling for baking also helps for the flakiest crust!

The Perfect Crust Every Time

I’ve tested this perfect pie crust recipe so many times over the years and know this recipe works with all pie fillings I’ve tried and can be made by hand fairly quickly. It always provides a flaky crust with lots of flavor that is sturdy enough for heavy pie fillings.

In other words, this is the perfect pie crust and the only recipe you’ll ever really need. It is perfect for sweet, custard, fruit, and savory pies.

Be sure to watch us make this easy recipe in the video below.

Favorite Pie Recipes

Apple Pie 
Classic Pumpkin Pie
Best Pecan Pie
Classic Peach Pie
French Silk Pie
Coconut Cream Pie
Cherry Pie

Storage Tips

To make ahead. Prepare the pie crust dough as directed and place it into a freezer-safe pie plate. Wrap well with freezer-safe plastic wrap topped with aluminum foil and freeze for 30 minutes to overnight. To use, remove from the freezer and add your pie filling. Bake according to the recipe instructions. If a blind-baked pie crust is needed for the recipe, follow the directions included in the section How to Blind Bake Pie Crust.

To freeze for a longer term. Prepare the pie crust dough as directed and place it into a freezer-safe pie plate. Wrap well with freezer-safe plastic wrap topped with aluminum foil and place into the freezer for up to 6 months. To use, remove from the freezer, add your pie filling, and bake according to the recipe instructions. If blind baking, follow the instructions in the section How to Blind Bake Pie Crust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here’s my basic pie crust recipe. I think you’ll love it for all sorts of delicious pies. It is a definite must-make recipe!

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Originally published 2012. Updated July 2023 with additional tips.