This buttery and flaky all butter pie crust is such a simple recipe with just 4 ingredients, and the perfect crust for all your favorite pies!

Get you homemade pie baking on with this super simple, super perfect pie crust made without any shortening as the fat — just butter!

Butter Only Pie Crust Recipe

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I love a good pie. And the thing that makes a good pie great is a scrumptious pie crust. I have a few pie crust recipes on the site, but I wanted to share this one because it’s the best if you want to only use butter (and not shortening) in your crust. The trick? Use the large hole-side of a cheese grater to grate the butter into small pieces so you can incorporate it with the flour more easily.

Do you know why using cold butter broken down into little pieces is so important? When the pie bakes, those little pieces of butter melt, creating small pockets of air and layers within the pastry itself. It’s what makes pie crust ultra-flaky — and ultra-delicious, if you ask me.

This is a great crust to use for holiday baking and all the pumpkin and pecan pies your heart desires, as well as warmer seasonal pies, like your favorite fruit renditions (including blueberry, apple, and rhubarb)! Basically, this crust can do it all. And that’s the kind of pie crust you need in your life.

Do you put vinegar in a pie crust?

Some pie crust recipes call for vinegar to prevent the crust from being tough, as vinegar helps to stop the formation of gluten, but this recipe doesn’t need it!

Can I use butter instead of shortening in pie crust?

Yep, that’s the beauty of this recipe! If you’re not a fan of using shortening, this all butter pie crust is the crust for you, my friend.

How do I make my pie crust shiny?

To get that glossy, golden appearance on the top crust, brush the crust with an egg wash (one yolk beaten with a teaspoon of water) before baking.

What causes tough pie crust?

Using too much water creates a sticky dough, and after baking, the crust will be chewy and tough. But too little liquid makes a dry crust that cracks and falls apart. The key is to add water until you can form a ball that doesn’t crumble when you pull it apart, but also isn’t sticky.

How do you keep the bottom crust of a pie from getting soggy?

There are a few ways to keep pie crust from getting soggy:

Blind bake it, or pre-bake it before adding the pie filling.
Brush the crust with egg before adding the pie filling.
Bake the pie on a hot baking sheet by preheating the baking sheet inside the oven. (This will firm up the crust even more as it bakes.)
Store your pie properly, covered tightly and in a dry area, so moisture stays out.

Pros and Cons of all-butter pie crust VS pie crust made with shortening:

Pros of all butter pie crust: flaky, great flavor, butter is often considered a healthier fat than shortening

Cons of all butter pie crust: they tend to shrink more when baked and don’t hold their shape as well

Pros of a butter and shortening crust: still flaky, rich flavor, easy to work with, holds it shape better when baked or cut into decorations

Cons of a butter and shortening pie crust: not everyone likes to use shortening or keeps it on hand

I have a great shortening and butter pie crust recipe if you’d like to test the difference yourself.

How to make pie crust:

Cut the butter into thin pieces, or you can grate it with the large holes of your cheese grater, and add to the flour and salt.
Press fat into flour until you have pieces of the fat mixed in with chunks about the size of peas remaining.
Add the cold water all at once, and stir to combine.
Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and use your hands to collect it all into one ball.
Cut the ball in half and flatten each half into a disc.
Roll and use in your favorite pie recipes.