How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust

5 from 1 vote

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Have you ever wondered how to make a pretty crisscrossing lattice pie crust design for you pie? Well this is a tutorial full of pictures on how to do just that.

Learning how to make a lattice top for a pie is a fun skill to master and it’s extra pretty. If you have never done it, it might be a bit intimidating, but have no fear. I’ll walk you though all the steps to a beautiful pie crust so that you can do it at home with ease!

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How to Lattice Pie Crust

I’m here to tell you that making a lattice pie crust is so simple once you’ve been shown how to do it. It’s kind of like learning how to braid or even make pie crust for the first time. It feels a bit intimidating but once you see how it works, it’s really not hard at all.

Two reasons to do a lattice pie crust:

One, they are really pretty. It adds a little pizzazz to your pie and looks a bit fancy which is perfect for the holidays or when you are taking pie to your Mother-in-law’s house.

The second reason I like to lattice pie crusts is it can help thicken and set fruit pies because the filling has a chance to cook and evaporate from a lattice pie crust more than a traditional pie crust. Fruits that tend to be really moist or wet when cooked are great for lattice pie crust. Strawberry rhubarb pie, peach pie, and blueberry pie benefit from a lattice pie crust, especially when using fresh fruit in the middle.

how to lattice a pie crust numbered steps photo collage

How to make a lattice pie crust:

1. First prepare your pie dough and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using. Remove it from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface.
2. Roll out the pie crust.
3. Rotate the pie crust to help roll it out evenly. Add more flour to the rolling surface and the top of the dough as needed to ensure that the pie crust doesn’t stick
4. Check the size of your pie crust by placing your pie plate on top of the rolled dough to be sure that the pie crust is larger (by about 2 inches) than your pie plate.
5. Remove the pie plate from the dough and gently fold the pie dough in half.
6. Gently fold the pie crust in half again.

how to lattice a pie crust numbered steps photo collage

7. Place the pie crust in an ungreased pie plate, stick it in the corner so that it evenly covers 1/4 of the plate so that you don’t have to move it around too much.
8. Unfold the pie dough once so that it’s covering half of the pie pan.
9. Unfold the pie dough fully so that it fills in the whole pie plate. Gently press the pie dough into the bottom of the pan and make sure that the edges of the dough fully cover the pie plate, pull the dough gently to adjust it.
10. Fill the pie with the pie filling as called for in your recipe.

how to lattice a pie crust numbered steps photo collage

11. Roll out a second pie crust on a lightly floured surface like you did the first pie crust. This pie crust needs to be about 12 inches wide.
12. Cut the pie crust into 12 even strips, using a pizza cutter, pastry cutter, or sharp knife. The strips should be about 1 inch wide.
13. Gently place 6 strips of pie dough evenly across the top of the pie – all running parallel to each other.  Ensure that the strips are spaced evenly across the top of the pie, there should be about a 1/2 inch gap between each strip. You’ll have some shorter strips of pie dough because you cut a circle, so use those shorter strips on the edges of the pie and use the longest strips in the center of the pie.  Make sure the crust strips reach from one side of the pie crust to the other. Fold back 3 of the pie crust strips that you just laid on top of the pie, alternating pieces so that every other one is folded back.
14. Place a short crust strip near the edge of the pie – perpendicular to the ones you’ve already placed on the pie. Place the strip on top of the strips that you have not folded back.
15. Unfold the strips that are folded and rest them back on top of the pie. You’ve now done your first piece of lattice. The perpendicular strip will now be on top of 3 of the strips and under 3 of the strips.
16. Fold back the opposite 3 strips as last time and place a second strip of dough about 1/2 inch from the first perpendicular piece you set down. Unfold the pie strips and gently rest them on top of the pie. You’ve now completed your second row of lattice work.  Repeat this folding back 3 and laying down a new strip of pie crust (alternating which 3 you are folding back) until you’ve worked your way across the pie and added 6 perpendicular strips to the pie top.

how to lattice a pie crust numbered steps photo collage

17. Once all 12 strips of your lattice has been added you are ready to trim the edges. Use scissors or a sharp knife to trim any dough that is hanging past the rim of the pie pan more than 1 inch.
18. Fold the dough outside of the rim towards the center of the pie so that the bottom pie crusts folds up and over the strips of lattice. It gives the pie a cleaner look. Fold the bottom pie crust up and towards the pie center evenly around the whole edge of the pie.
19. Use your pointer finger and thumb from one hand and your thumb from the other hand to press and seal the pie crust. Do this evenly around the edge of the pie.
20. You’ve successfully made a lattice pie crust! Continue to follow the directions on the pie recipe below for finishing and baking. I’ll often brush the top of my pies with water and then give them a good sprinkling of sparkling sugar. It makes for really pretty baked pie.

red pastry brush adding water to top of latticed pie crust

See! It’s not too hard to lattice a pie crust.

Here are some great pie recipes that you can make fancy pie crust top for:

washing a perfectly lattice pie crust before baking
5 from 1 vote

How to Lattice Pie Crust

Learning how to make a lattice top for a pie is a fun skill to master and it’s extra pretty. If you have never done it, it might be a bit intimidating, but have no fear. I’ll walk you though all the steps to a beautiful pie crust so that you can do it at home with ease!
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 1 hour
Total: 2 hours
Servings: 1 pie

Ingredients 

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup shortening
  • 6 tablespoons cold butter
  • 1/2 cup ice-cold water

Instructions 

Steps for making the pie dough:

  •  Measure the flour by scooping it in your measuring cup, and leveling off the top with the back side of a butter knife. This will help ensure that you aren’t using too much flour.
  • Place the flour and salt into a medium mixing bowl.
  • Add the shortening to the bowl.
  • Cut the butter into thin pieces, or you can grate it with the large holes of your cheese grater, and add to the flour.
  • Use a pastry blender or a fork to combine the flour, salt, butter, and shortening. Press, or cut in, the shortening and butter until chunks about the size of peas remain.
  • Add the cold water all at once, and stir to combine.
  • The dough will come together nicely.
  • 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.
  • Wrap each disc tightly with plastic wrap.
  • Store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before using, or up to 3 days, or store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the dough thaw overnight in the fridge before using.

Steps for making a lattice pie top:

  • Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface.
  • Roll out the pie crust.
  • Rotate the pie crust to help roll it out evenly. Add more flour to the rolling surface and the top of the dough as needed to ensure that the pie crust doesn’t stick
  • Check the size of your pie crust by placing your pie plate on top of the rolled dough to be sure that the pie crust is larger (by about 2 inches) than your pie plate.
  • Remove the pie plate from the dough and gently fold the pie dough in half.
  • Gently fold the pie crust in half again.
  • Place the pie crust in an ungreased pie plate, stick it in the corner so that it evenly covers 1/4 of the plate so that you don’t have to move it around too much.
  • Unfold the pie dough once so that it’s covering half of the pie pan.
  • Unfold the pie dough fully so that it fills in the whole pie plate. Gently press the pie dough into the bottom of the pan and make sure that the edges of the dough fully cover the pie plate, pull the dough gently to adjust it.
  • Fill the pie with the pie filling as called for in your recipe.
  • Roll out a second pie crust on a lightly floured surface like you did the first pie crust. This pie crust needs to be about 12 inches wide.
  • Cut the pie crust into 12 even strips, using a pizza cutter, pastry cutter, or sharp knife. The strips should be about 1 inch wide.
  • Gently place 6 strips of pie dough evenly across the top of the pie – all running parallel to each other.  Ensure that the strips are spaced evenly across the top of the pie, there should be about a 1/2 inch gap between each strip. You’ll have some shorter strips of pie dough because you cut a circle, so use those shorter strips on the edges of the pie and use the longest strips in the center of the pie. Make sure the crust strips reach from one side of the pie crust to the other. Fold back 3 of the pie crust strips that you just laid on top of the pie, alternating pieces so that every other one is folded back.
  • Place a short crust strip near the edge of the pie – perpendicular to the ones you’ve already placed on the pie. Place the strip on top of the strips that you have not folded back.
  • Unfold the strips that are folded and rest them back on top of the pie. You’ve now done your first piece of lattice. The perpendicular strip will now be on top of 3 of the strips and under 3 of the strips.
  • Fold back the opposite 3 strips as last time and place a second strip of dough about 1/2 inch from the first perpendicular piece you set down. Unfold the pie strips and gently rest them on top of the pie. You’ve now completed your second row of lattice work.  Repeat this folding back 3 and laying down a new strip of pie crust (alternating which 3 you are folding back) until you’ve worked your way across the pie and added 6 perpendicular strips to the pie top.
  • Once all 12 strips of your lattice has been added you are ready to trim the edges. Use scissors or a sharp knife to trim any dough that is hanging past the rim of the pie pan more than 1 inch.
  • Fold the dough outside of the rim towards the center of the pie so that the bottom pie crusts folds up and over the strips of lattice. It gives the pie a cleaner look. Fold the bottom pie crust up and towards the pie center evenly around the whole edge of the pie.
  • Use your pointer finger and thumb from one hand and your thumb from the other hand to press and seal the pie crust. Do this evenly around the edge of the pie.
  • You’ve successfully made a lattice pie crust! Continue to follow the directions on the pie recipe below for finishing and baking. I’ll often brush the top of my pies with water and then give them a good sprinkling of sparkling sugar. It makes for really pretty baked pie.

Notes

  • This recipe is for my favorite pie crust recipe. Feel free to use the lattice crust method for your favorite pie crust recipe if you prefer.

Nutrition

Serving: 1lattice pie crust, Calories: 3099kcal, Carbohydrates: 239g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 225g, Saturated Fat: 82g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 47g, Monounsaturated Fat: 81g, Trans Fat: 23g, Cholesterol: 181mg, Sodium: 2878mg, Potassium: 355mg, Fiber: 8g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 2099IU, Calcium: 70mg, Iron: 15mg
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I hope these step-by-step instructions helped you to visually see just how easy it is to lattice a pie crust. Once you’ve seen it and done it once, it’s much easier to make a pretty pie crust again and again.

About Melissa

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