This simple homemade pie crust recipe is a must-try for your next sweet or savory pie and is easy to whip up with just four ingredients.
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Making a homemade pie crust is easier than you might think. It’s also a great cooking staple to be able to make because it can be used for lots of different recipes.
This recipe is perfect for everything from a chicken pot pie crust to pumpkin pie crust. And of course, anything you might want to bake up for Pi Day on March 14th.
For a graham cracker pie crust, try my recipe for pumpkin pudding cups with a graham cracker crust. The crust can be used for pudding cups, or a full-sized baked or no-bake pie.
If you’ve never made a homemade pie crust before, don’t be nervous. Your first one probably won’t turn out perfect, but if you read through all the steps and take your time, you’ll be a pie expert in no time.
Easy homemade pie crust tips
What is better for pie crust, butter or shortening?
Butter and shortening (and lard) are all fats that can be used for pie crust. Butter creates more flaky layers. Shortening helps the crust stay together and hold its shape better.
You can experiment with the amounts for both, as long as you use the total amount of fat in the ingredients list. Let me know how your variations turn out!
Should the butter be cold or room temperature?
Warm or melted butter won’t create those lovely flaky pie crust layers because it will be incorporated in tiny particles. (Think about the texture of cookies and brownies.) It might also make your pie greasy or soggy. For the best crust, keep your butter in the refrigerator until you’re making the pie.
Can you make this pie crust gluten-free?
Our family doesn’t eat gluten-free and many of the baking recipes I’ve seen involve quite a few more ingredients. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to make this one gluten-free, but if you have tips, feel free to leave them in the comments.
Can you make this pie crust ahead of time?
If you want to make the dough now and use it for a pie in the future, try this. Mix up the dough through the steps to put it in the refrigerator. Wrap it thoroughly and keep it refrigerated for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
How do you roll a pie crust?
You can use a rolling pin or anything similar in size and shape, like a large glass cup or a bottle of wine. Sprinkle a bit of flour on your work surface to make sure the dough doesn’t stick.
Flatten your dough into a disc by hand, then start in the middle and roll outward. Rotate the crust disc and roll again, always rolling away from the center, until it’s about 1/8-inch thick.
I absolutely love this round silicone mat because it has the circles and sizes marked. Mine is from Pampered Chef, but these baking mats are similar.
Do you need to blind bake pie crust?
Some recipes call for blind baking, which is baking the pie crust empty before adding the filling. This is usually a recipe where the filling is very wet (like cherry pie) or where you don’t bake the filling (like a banana creampie).
To blind-bake a pie crust, line it with parchment and fill it with pie weights or dry beans. (Note that after baking the dry beans, you can’t cook them to eat.) Without anything inside, the pie crust will puff up. Bake at 375 degrees F until it just begins to brown on the edges, about 15-20 minutes.
Do you need a pie shield to make pie crust?
While it isn’t essential, it is convenient to use a pie shield when baking. It’s a metal ring that covers just the crust to keep it from overcooking while the filling isn’t done. This is important for long-baking pies like pumpkin.
I have used this pie shield for years, but if you don’t have one, you can tear pieces of aluminum foil and shape them to cover the crust.
How to make a homemade pie crust
This recipe makes one pie crust for single-crust pies. If you are making a double-crust pie, double the recipe ingredients and make two pie crusts.
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.5 teaspoons salt
- 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
- 2-3 tablespoons water
Instructions
1. Combine dry ingredients.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. For measuring flour, I recommend using a spoon to scoop it into a measuring cup.
2. Add the butter to the flour mixture.
Dice the cold butter into cubes. Add half of the butter cubes to the flour/salt mixture and cut them in. You can use a pastry cutter or a fork, but I’ve found the best way to do it is just by hand.
Pinch pieces of butter and flour together and rub your fingers or hands together to incorporate until you have small lumps, the consistency of sand.
Next, add the other half of the butter cubes and cut them. Don’t mix them as much; you should have pea-sized lumps.
3. Sprinkle the water over the mixture.
One tablespoon at a time, sprinkle water over the dough mixture. Carefully mix the dough to incorporate the water, just until it comes together. Add a second and third tablespoon if needed to create a dough you can shape.
4. Shape and chill the dough.
Pat the dough into a disc shape and cover it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. (From here it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or covered in freezer wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.)
5. Roll out the pie crust dough.
Lightly flour your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking. You don’t want to add much flour to the recipe, so use just a pinch. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to approximately 1/8 inch thick, around 10 or 11 inches across.
Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate. It should be a bit larger than the pie plate, so if you need to move it back to the silicon mat and roll again, go ahead. Just be careful not to tear it too much.
Carefully smooth it out across the bottom, then up the sides to avoid tearing. You’ll probably have some dough hanging over the edge that can be trimmed off with a sharp knife.
6. Fill and bake the pie.
From here, finish the pie according to the pie recipe you’re using. Either blind bake the crust then add the filling, or fill the pie and bake it.
If your pie has a top crust, roll out and add the second crust to the top of the pie and crimp the edges together with a fork.
Printable homemade pie crust recipe
Homemade Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1.25 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.5 teaspoons salt
- 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
- 2-3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
- Add the butter to the flour mixture. Dice the cold butter into cubes. Add half of the butter cubes to the flour/salt mixture and cut them in using a pastry cutter, fork, or your hands. Incorporate until you have small lumps, the consistency of sand.
- Next, add the other half of the butter cubes and cut them. Don't mix them as much; you should have pea-sized lumps.
- Sprinkle the water over the mixture. One tablespoon at a time, sprinkle water over the dough mixture. Carefully mix the dough to incorporate the water, just until it comes together. Add a second and third tablespoon if needed to create a dough you can shape.
- Shape and chill the dough. Pat the dough into a disc shape and cover it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes. (From here it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or covered in freezer wrap and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.)
- Roll out the pie crust dough. Lightly flour your work surface to prevent the dough from sticking. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to approximately 1/8 inch thick, around 10 or 11 inches across. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate. Carefully smooth it out across the bottom, then up the sides to avoid tearing. You'll probably have some dough hanging over the edge that can be trimmed off with a sharp knife.
- Fill and bake the pie. From here, finish the pie according to the pie recipe you're using. Either blind bake the crust then add the filling, or fill the pie and bake it. If your pie has a top crust, roll out and add the second crust to the top of the pie and crimp the edges together with a fork.
Check out some other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
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