My Favorite Pie Crust Recipe
on Oct 13, 2019, Updated Jun 07, 2024
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This is my favorite homemade pie crust recipe! It’s flaky and buttery, which makes the best pies ever! Anyone can make it thanks to this simple recipe!
To me, pie season is all year long, so I know this amazing pie crust recipe will come in handy for you, whether you’re making pumpkin pie for the holidays, apple pie in the summer, or any other variation your family loves.
This isn’t your ordinary pie crust recipe! It’s — dare I say — perfect in every way. I’ve tasted, tested, and created my fair share of pie crusts over the years, and I have to say, I think the true game changer is in using shortening. I know it’s not really the healthiest of ingredients, but it transforms the pie crust from so-so to a buttery, flaky, and rich beauty.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- All the ingredients for pie crusts are in just about every well-stocked pantry.
- Knowing a good pie crust recipe is so handy because you can use it for just about any pie, tart, cobbler, pastry, etc.
- Making your pie crust from scratch adds a special homemade touch to your baking and adds a new skill to your collection!
Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Shortening — butter flavored is preferred
- Cold butter — no softening this time!
- Ice-cold water
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make My Favorite Pie Crust
- Add the flour, salt, and shortening to a medium bowl.
- Cut butter and add to flour, mix well.
- Add all the cold water and stir.
- Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and use your hands to collect it all into one ball.
Recipe FAQs
Butter gives you that great crispy crust with lots of flavor and flaky layers. All-butter crusts tend to shrink when cooked and do not hold their shape well (like if you are doing fancy edging, latticework, or cut-out shapes on top of the pie).
That’s why adding shortening AND butter is the best because the shortening adds stability. It makes for a crust that holds together, is easy to roll and work with, and holds its shape when baked.
Soggy bottoms are no fun no matter how you slice it. You can try blind baking your crust (or pre-baking it for a few minutes to crisp it up before adding fillings), brushing it with egg to create a moisture barrier, or baking your pie on a hot baking sheet so the crust sets quicker as it bakes.
If your pie crust is crumbly, it means it’s probably too dry. You can add moisture to the dough; just sprinkle a little ice-cold water into the dough a teaspoon at a time—you won’t need much—to make it more cohesive.
If your pie calls for a double pie crust—a top and a bottom—you can seal the two parts together by dipping your fingers in a bit of water and running them along the top edge of the crust where the top will touch it.
Then pinch the edges into a crimped look using your thumb and forefinger, all the way around the parameter of the pie. Cut away any remaining dough pieces, and slice vents into the top crust so the pie can breathe as it bakes.
You can store this pie crust in the fridge, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight after it’s been frozen.
Expert Tips
- Use butter-flavored shortening so it tastes extra yummy!
- This is perhaps the golden rule of pie crust making: Cold ingredients, especially butter or shortening, are essential for achieving a flaky texture. Chill the fats and liquids before using them, and work in a cool environment.
- For a beautiful golden finish, brush the top crust with an egg wash before baking. This also helps seal any vents you’ve cut!
More Pie & Dessert Recipes To Consider
Dessert Recipes
Easy Apple Hand Pies
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Apple Pie Filling
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Derby Pie
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Apple Crumble
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
My Favorite Homemade Pie Crust Recipe
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
- Measure the flour by scooping it in your measuring cup, and leaving off the top with the back side of a butter knife. This will help ensure that you aren’t using too much flour.
- Place flour and salt in 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, butter, and shortening. Press 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.
- 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.
- Roll and use in your favorite pie recipes.
- Makes a double pie crust (a top and bottom) or enough for 2 bottoms (like 2 pumpkin pies that don’t need a top).
Notes
- I like to use butter-flavored shortening.
- To get ice-cold water, I’ll fill a cup with water and ice, and then I’ll just pour it into my measuring cup when ready, avoiding letting ice cubes get into the measured water.
- Use flour sparingly when rolling out the dough to prevent sticking, but be careful not to incorporate too much extra flour into the dough, as it can make the crust tough.
- Once you’ve rolled out your crust and placed it in the pie dish, chill it again before baking. This helps prevent shrinking and ensures a flakier crust.
Delicious!!
I used this recipe instead of my usual this Thanksgiving and it was so tender and flaky! With the addition of butter, it has a lot more flavor than your standard recipe. I tried to rush it and didn’t chill for the entire time and it was soft to work with. So definitely plan ahead and chill the recommended time!
Excellent recipe. Super easy and makes a buttery and flaky crust. Perfect for my pumpkin and apple pies! (I did use the recommended butter-flavored shortening.)
I’ve never been great at pie crusts. But now I finally get them right each and every time with this recipe!
WOW! this was easy, flaky, and delicious!
I’m kind of embarrassed to admit it but I’ve never actually made a pie crust from scratch but my daughter has been asking to make an apple pie for Thanksgiving, start to finish so I might need to check this one out.