Fool Proof Pie Crust Recipe (2024)

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This pie crust is buttery, flaky, delicious, and totally fool proof thanks to a secret ingredient that allows you to roll and re-roll as many times as you need to without losing that perfectly flaky crust.

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When it’s pie time, are you tempted to reach for the prepared crusts at the grocery store? It could be that making crust feels like an extra hassle on top of all of the other cooking and baking, or maybe you haven’t made great crusts in the past, so you would rather not risk it. You can put all of that behind you! This recipe is awesome because it is simple, it makes a perfect crust, and you can make crusts in advance and freeze them for the anticipated pies. It doesn’t require a whole lot of effort, and the payoff is amazing.

Ingredient Breakdown & Substitutions

All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of the crust; for a gluten-free version, use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend.
Sugar: Adds a slight sweetness; can be reduced or omitted for savory pies.
Salt: Enhances the flavor; use kosher salt for a finer texture.
Unsalted Butter: Provides richness and flakiness; can be substituted with an equal amount of lard or additional vegetable shortening.
Vegetable Shortening: Makes the crust tender; lard or additional butter are suitable substitutes.
Ice Water and Vodka: Keeps the dough workable; vodka can be replaced with more ice water, but it helps to reduce gluten formation for a tender crust.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different type of fat instead of vegetable shortening?

Yes, you can substitute lard or additional butter for vegetable shortening, though this may slightly alter the texture.

Why is it important to use cold ingredients?

Cold ingredients prevent the fat from melting before baking, which is crucial for achieving a flaky crust.

What can I use instead of vodka?

If you prefer not to use vodka, simply replace it with an equal amount of ice water. The vodka helps make the dough more workable without adding gluten.

Some bakers swear by adding a splash of vinegar to their pie crusts. While it allegedly prevents the formation of gluten, science cannot prove this claim to be true. However, a splash of vinegar may give your pie crust a slightly better color as it prevents oxidation. It will also impact the final flavor of the pie and give it just a hint of acidity. If you use vinegar, do only use a splash of vinegar as to not overwhelm the flavor.

Is this crust suitable for both sweet and savory pies?

Yes, it’s a versatile crust that works well with both types of fillings.

Can this crust be made ahead of time?

Absolutely! The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Do I have to refrigerate the dough?

Yes. Refrigerating the dough allows the butter and shortening to chill up again. This prevents it from getting over-worked into the dough, and makes it possible for it to melt quickly when it is being baked. That quick melting action is what creates those lovely little flaky layers we love in a good crust.

What are pie weights? Do I need them?

Pie weights are small ceramic or metal balls that are used specifically to weigh down a pie crust while “blind baking” orpre-baking. If you don’t have pie weights you can also use uncooked rice or dried, uncooked beans in place of the pie weights. This weight will prevent the pie crust from sliding or bubbling.

Visual Guide to Making Pie Crust

Butter Versus Shortening in Pie Crusts

Pie crusts require fat, and which fat you choose is a matter of personal preference. Butter, shortening, and even lard are the most popular options. Each of these can be used interchangeably in the same quantities, but the results will be slightly different due to how each of these fats interact with the flour and exposed to high high heat.

BUTTER: provides the best flavor, but the fat doesn’t separate from the flour as quickly resulting in a less flaky crust. A butter based pie crust may also slip or shrink slightly more than other fats as it contains up to 15% water, which will evaporate during cooking.
SHORTENING: provides a flaky crust because as the crust bakes, the flour and shortening are forced apart until the shortening melts. By this point, the pie crust will be set, creating that highly sought-after flaky texture. Shortening, however, often lacks in flavor. For a better flavor, use butter-flavored shortening.
LARD: is very similar to shortening as they have similar melting points, but usually comes from pig fat. It has a distinctive flavor which can be overpowering depending on your personal taste preferences.
COCONUT OIL:A popular trend in baking today is to use coconut oil. Coconut oil can be used to make a pie crust, but you’ll want to measure and freeze the coconut oil first and increase the oven temperature by 50 degrees F. Because coconut oil has such a low melting point, results are better when making smaller pies so that the baking process happens faster and more evenly, forcing apart the fat and flour as quickly as possible.

How to Cut Butter or Shortening into Flour

GRATER:The easiest way to cut fat into flour is to grate it using a cheese grater. This only works well for cold butter. Be sure to grate the butter as finely as possible so that the pieces of fat can be more evenly distributed throughout the dough.
PASTRY CUTTER:A traditional, old fashioned way to cut fat into flour is to use a pastry cutter. This specialized kitchen tool has 3 to 4 curved blades attached to a handle so that you can cut the fat into the flour using a rocking motion.
FOOD PROCESSOR:A food processor is a great modern small kitchen appliance that makes it really easy to cut fat into flour. Simply place your flour mixture into the bowl of the food processor along with your cold fat. Using the S-blade, pulse the mixture together until it resembles coarse meal or sand.
TWO KNIFE METHOD:The hardest method uses two knives to cut the solid fat into the flour by cutting the knives parallel against each other. This may be physically more difficult, but it doesn’t require any specialized kitchen tools.Hold one butter knife in each hand. Criss cross the two knives to form an X-shape, with the flat sides of the blades touching each other. Place the knives in this shape into the fat and flour and slice the blades against each other in an outward motion repeatedly, similar to how scissors work.

Troubleshooting

Crumbly Dough: If the dough is too dry, add a bit more ice water, one teaspoon at a time.
Tough Crust: Avoid overworking the dough, as this develops gluten and can make the crust tough.
Shrinking Crust: To prevent the crust from shrinking during baking, chill it in the pie dish before baking.

Tips From the Chef

Keep all ingredients cold to ensure a flaky crust.
Don’t overwork the dough; mix just until it comes together.
Chill the dough before rolling to make it easier to handle.
Roll the dough evenly for consistent baking.

Make Ahead Instructions

Dough discs can be formed and then frozen for up to 3 months. Be sure to wrap the dough really well when freezing. Just thaw the dough discs in the refrigerator overnight before you intend to use them. We always make a bunch of these at the beginning of November so we’re ready for the holidays.

Fill Your Crust With…

Easy Peasy Pumpkin Pie

1 hr

Perfect Peach Pie

3 hrs

Decadent Chocolate Cream Pie

Old Fashioned Creamy Lemon Pie

1 hr 25 mins

Watchthe video belowwhereRachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes onYouTube,FacebookWatch,orourFacebookPage,or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.

Fool Proof Pie Crust Recipe

Rachel Farnsworth

4.64 from 44 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Chilling Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 2 9-inch pie crusts

Ingredients

▢ 2 1/2 cups all-purpose-flour
▢ 2 tablespoons sugar
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 3/4 cup unsalted butter cold
▢ 1/2 cup vegetable shortening cold
▢ 1/4 cup ice water
▢ 1/4 cup vodka chilled

Instructions

In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, and salt.
Cut the butter and shortening into small cubes. Add to the flour mixture as you cut it and toss in the flour so the cubes don't stick together.
Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter and shortening into the flour, rocking the pastry cutter back and forth, until the mixture is the texture of a coarse meal or sand.
Mix cold water and chilled vodka together. Slowly pour into the flour mixture (about 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring between additions, until just mixed together. Do not overwork.
Use your hands to gently press the dough into a ball. Divide dough into two equal pieces. Lay two 12-inch long pieces of plastic wrap onto the countertop. Transfer the dough onto the center of the plastic wrap.
Flatten each dough ball into a 2-inch disc. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling. (Discs can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.)

Pre-Baking Pie Crusts

Unwrap chilled dough and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out into a large 12-inch circle, rolling from the center each time to keep the thickness even.
Gently transfer crust to an un-greased pie plate, allowing the crust to hang over the edges of the pie plate. Roll and pinch or crimp the edges of your crust. Use a fork to prick holes into the bottom of the crust.
For a pre-baked pie crust, place parchment paper on top of the pie crust to create a bowl. Fill with pie weights or dried, uncooked beans. This will prevent the pie crust from sliding or bubbling.
Bake in a 400 degree F oven or 12-15 minutes, until crust is lightly browned.

Notes

FOOD PROCESSOR INSTRUCTIONS

Make the dough in a food processor by combining half of the flour, sugar, and salt together and pulsing until combined. Add in the butter and shortening pieces and process for about 15 to 20 seconds, until combined. Add in the remaining half of the flour and pulse until all the flour is incorporated. Sprinkle in cold water and vodka and pulse 5 or 6 times until combined into a dough. Divide into two even pieces and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Nutrition

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Pie Crust

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63 Comments

Why don’t you show flake and texture of fini ie crust
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I have never made my own pie crust. This was amazing! Tasted great and so flakey and no soggy bottom crust.
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I have never pre cooked a pie crust, say for a pumpkin pie. I always felt the fork pricks would make it soggy. Do other pre-cook crust, say for a pumpkin pie????
Reply
1. For our pumpkin pie recipe, we do not pre-cook the crust and it comes out perfect!
  Reply
What can be substituted for the vodka?
Reply
1. You can replace the vodka in this pie crust recipe with an equal amount of cold water in addition to the cold water already called for in the recipe.
  Reply
Do you have a video on how to make your piecrust?
Reply
1. Yes! It should be above the recipe card!
  Reply
I’ve never had much luck with pie crusts. It was always hit or miss. I recently made a triple berry pie and used this recipe for the crust. It was outstanding! Very easy and the result was a buttery, flaky, delicious crust. This is now my go to. Thanks!
Reply
The first time I made this pie crust, I didn’t have vodka so I used water. Big mistake! I started making vanilla with vodka, so I now have vodka available. Well, Rachel is right! The vodka gave the dough almost a play dough consistency. It was easy to work with and tasted great with my custard pie! (Rachel, you need to give us a custard pie recipe!) I also used my food processor to make the crust. Super easy!
Reply
Love this pie crust recipe it is one of my favorite pie crust recipe. It is my go to recipe for pie crust it always comes out good! I don’t remember how many times I have used this recipe I have lost track of how many times I have made this amazing recipe.
Reply

FAQs

What is the secret to making good pie crust? ›

Use Very Cold Butter or Fat

Butter, shortening, lard, or suet—whatever fat the recipe calls for should be well-chilled and cut into small pieces to start with for the flakiest crust in the end. The fat in a pie crust must maintain some of its integrity in the dough to make the crust truly flaky.

Know More ›

Will too much flour make the pie crust tough? ›

A: First, don't just reach for more flour—too much extra flour will make the crust tough, and won't treat the real problem, which is that your butter is too soft. I recently read in Weller's cookbook A Good Bake that it should take no more than one to two minutes to roll out a pie crust.

See Details ›

Is pie crust better with butter or crisco? ›

“My preferred fat for pie crusts will always be butter. To me, it is all about flavor, and no other fat gives flavor to a crust like butter does. Other fats, even though they have great pros, lack flavor,” De Sa Martins said. “The more flavorful the butter, the more flavor your pie crust will have,” Huntsberger added.

Discover More ›

What does adding vinegar to your pie crust do? ›

The acidic properties of vinegar inhibit gluten, some will say. This theory proposes that once the water and flour are combined, gluten starts forming, causing the dough to grow tough. Adding an acid, the theory goes, stops the gluten in its tracks and rescues the crust from toughness.

Learn More Now ›

Should I bake the bottom pie crust first? ›

You do not need to pre-bake a pie crust for an apple pie or any baked fruit pie really, but we do freeze the dough to help it stay put. Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

What makes a pie crust crunchy? ›

Brush the Bottom with Corn Syrup or Egg White

Adding a layer of corn syrup or a slightly beaten egg white before pouring in the filling will form a seal between the pie dough and the filling and will help make the crust crisp and flaky.

Get More Info Here ›

What happens if you don't chill pie crust before baking? ›

Non-chilled crust is fairly crumbly and less smooth, which makes it harder to roll out and means it may not look as polished. It will brown more quickly and the final product will likely be tougher, heavier, and more doughy – none of those in a bad way. It will likely have a more intense, butter flavor.

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What is the most important rule in making a pie crust? ›

Keep It Cold

If your butter melts during the mixing or rolling process—before the pie crust hits the oven—you won't achieve those flaky layers we're looking for in this buttery pastry. With this goal in mind, the cardinal rule of pie crusts is to keep things as cold as possible.

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Should you refrigerate pie dough before rolling out? ›

Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to overnight. Tip: Chilling hardens the fat in the dough, which will help the crust maintain its structure as it bakes. And the short rest before rolling relaxes the dough's gluten, helping prevent a tough crust.

Read On ›

Why is my homemade pie crust tough? ›

Tough pie crusts are typically the result of working the dough too much (again, gluten). You don't need to make sure it's a perfectly uniform ball. “As long as the dough is mostly holding together, you don't need to spend a lot of time kneading it,” Susan Reid wrote for King Arthur Baking.

Learn More ›

Why does butter leak out of pie crust? ›

You always want to bake your pie crust at 350F (177C) or higher, if the oven is not hot enough, the butter will just leak out and the crust will shrivel up.

Tell Me More ›

Why is it important to chill your pie dough before using? ›

While you are still perfecting your rolling technique, you can just chill the dough after you roll it. The colder the dough is when it goes in the oven the flakier the crust will be, so the cold dough is not only essential for easier rolling but also to create a flakier crust with less shrinking.

How long should you chill pie dough before rolling out? ›

Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes, or up to overnight. Tip: Chilling hardens the fat in the dough, which will help the crust maintain its structure as it bakes. And the short rest before rolling relaxes the dough's gluten, helping prevent a tough crust.

Find Out More ›

What are 2 tips for rolling out pie crust? ›

Using rolling pin, roll out dough “disc” into a circle. Every few rolls, turn dough slightly to ensure it's not sticking to counter or pin, and to get the most even circle possible. Roll until it's about 12 inches across (unless directed otherwise) and about 1/8 of an inch thick.

Get More Info ›

What to put on bottom of pie crust to keep it from getting soggy? ›

“Before you add your pie filling, mix together about a teaspoon of all-purpose flour and a teaspoon of white granulated sugar, then dust the mixture on the bottom of your pie crust,” recommends Stacey.