Easy Pie Crust Recipe (VIDEO)
This homemade pie crust recipe yields a flaky tender crust with rich buttery flavor. It has simple, natural ingredients and uses only butter (NO SHORTENING). Also, learn how to form a fluted pie rim and “blind bake” or pre-bake pie crust.
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This pie dough recipe yields 2 single crusts or 1 double crust. Homemade pies are irresistibly delicious. I’ve never been satisfied with a store-bought pie the same way. The taste and texture of an all-butter pie crust can’t be beat and knowing what went into it will make you feel like ‘Martha Stewart’ (or should I say ‘Natasha’s Kitchen’… I couldn’t resist) ;). Watch the VIDEO tutorial below and you will be a pro in no time!
We included Amazon affiliate links below to our favorite tools for making pie dough!
Ingredients for Butter Pie Crust Dough:
It doesn’t get any easier than this and you probably already have everything you need to make homemade pie dough: Flour, sugar, salt, butter and water. The butter should be chilled straight out of the fridge so you don’t have to plan ahead to make pie dough.
How to Make Homemade Pie Crust in 4 Easy Steps:
- Measure flour correctly then in a food processor, pulse together flour, sugar and salt.
- Add COLD diced butter and pulse until coarse crumbs and some pea-sized pieces form.
- Add 7 Tbsp ice water and pulse just until moist clumps/ small balls of dough form. Pinch a piece of dough between your fingers and if it sticks together, it’s done. If not add more ice water 1 tsp at a time.
- Transfer dough to a clean work surface, and gather together into a ball. Resist the urge to knead the dough – it should not be smooth. Divide dough in half and flatten into 2 disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour before using.
Cook’s Tip: Do not add too much water or it will be sticky and difficult to roll.
How to Roll and Transfer Pie Dough:
Dust work surface with flour and roll a single crust into a 12″ circle. Wrap your pie dough around your rolling pin. If it sticks to the work surface use a food scraper or spatula to loosen it as you go.
Carefully transfer crust to 9″ pie dish and unroll it into the pan. Gently press dough down to line the pie dish. Tuck excess dough underneath itself to make a thick double layered edge (no waste!).
Do I need a Food Processor to Make Pie Dough?
You can use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour/sugar/salt mixture by hand. Follow the same cues for when to add the water. After water is added, use a spatula to cut the water into the dough until evenly moistened.
Can I make Pie Dough in Advance?
You can prepare the crust and refrigerate up to 3 days ahead. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out.
To freeze pie dough: wrap and seal airtight then freeze up to 3 months. Thaw completely prior to rolling.
What if my Pie Dough is Too Hard?
Refrigerating the pie dough for longer than an hour will cause it to firm up since it is butter based. Let it rest at room temperature for 10-20 minutes or until it is easy to roll out with a rolling pin.
How to Pre-bake Pie Crust (Blindbake):
Some recipes call for a pre-baked pie crust and this is how you blind bake:
1. Form your edge. The easiest methods are crimping the rim by pushing all around the edge with a fork, or forming a fluted rim (see tutorial below). Place pie crust in the freezer 30 minutes which will help the crust bake more evenly without sliding down.
2. Line the center with a 9-10″ ring of parchment paper and fill about 2/3 full with pie weights (*see below). Preheat oven to 425˚F and bake for 17 minutes until golden at the edges. Remove pie weights, prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and place back in the oven without weights for 5 minutes or until golden and the bottom is dried out.
3. Remove beans and let crust cool to room temperature.
How to Flute a Pie Crust:
To form a fluted pie rim, hold your thumb and index finger an inch apart on the outside edge of the crust and press between them with the index finger of the other hand. Move around the edges of the pan repeating the motion to create a fluted rim.
*What Can I use Instead of Pie Weights?
When you pre-bake an empty crust a.k.a. “blind-bake,” the dough tends to puff up and rise. Using pie weights solves this problem. Here are some alternative to store-bought pie weights.
- Dry Raw Beans – beans should not be used for cooking following a blind bake but can be re-used to blind bake pie crust.
- Dry Raw Rice – If using rice, it becomes toasted and can be used for cooking in pilaf recipes after it is use to prebake a pie crust
Pie Recipes to Explore:
- Perfect Peach Pie – So juicy good and strikingly beautiful
- Plum Pie – with an unexpected crust that couldn’t be easier!
- Apple Pie Recipe – with the best filling
- How to Make a Lattice Pie– it’s surprisingly easy
Watch How to Make Butter Pie Crust:
See Natasha make her go-to pie crust recipe. If you enjoy our videos, please subscribe to our cooking channel on Youtube and click the bell icon so you will be the first to know when we post a new video!
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Easy Pie Crust Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients for Butter Pie Crust Dough Recipe:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more to dust, *measured correctly
- 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 lb COLD unsalted butter, (2 sticks) diced into 1/4" pieces
- 7 Tbsp ice water, (7 to 8 Tbsp)
Instructions
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Place flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
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Add cold diced butter and pulse the mixture until coarse crumbs form with some pea-sized pieces then stop mixing. Mixture should remain dry and powdery.
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Add 7 Tbsp ice water and pulse just until moist clumps or small balls form. Press a piece of dough between your finger tips and if the dough sticks together, you have added enough water. If not, add more water a teaspoon full at a time. Be careful not to add too much water or the dough will be sticky and difficult to roll out.
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Transfer dough to a clean work surface, and gather dough together into a ball (it should not be smooth and DO NOT knead the dough). Divide dough in half and flatten to form 2 disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour before using in recipes that call for pie crust.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
This recipe was adapted from the Joy of Cooking and The Bon Appetit Cookbook. They are both amazing general reference books that I have had in my kitchen for years. Highly recommend!
Now go forth and make homemade pie. You can DO THIS!!
Natasha Kravchuk
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
This crust is to DIE for! I can’t stand store bought crusts, they’re too thin and you can really taste the gunk they put in them. Not here, no nasty fillers in this stuff! I used a Ninja blender since we don’t have a food processor, and 8 tbsp of ice water. It came together perfectly! I varied Natasha’s pot pie recipe to use what I had handy, and even my picky kids went nuts for this dish. My husband asked if I could make a “crust pie” – he wants the crust on its own! Highest praise from my husband is a second helping, and he nearly went back for a third. This is my new go to!
Hello Heather, good to hear from you and thank you for your comments and feedback. I’m glad that you found your new go-to recipe!
Hi Natasha! I’ve been gluten free for eleven years and have been using a recipe that called for just 1/4 C less flour and only one stick of butter. My family and I were blown away by how much the texture and taste were improved upon with the extra butter from your recipe! I stuck to your flour measurements, but subbed a one-to-one gluten free flour, added my usual 1 egg and 2 t. apple cider vinegar from my old gluten free recipe, and adjusted the water accordingly. I have to cook dairy free and gluten free for my seven year old, and his crust with additional dairy free butter came out better as well. We all enjoyed the chicken pot pie recipe with this crust a few months ago, and I’m working on a dessert with it today. Thanks for sharing! Our family loves to watch your videos, btw! They’re so fun and take some of the intimidation out of making new recipes.
I’m so glad that worked out, Beth! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This is by far the best AND easiest pie crust I have ever made! So flaky and full of flavor! (Love that butter!) So easy to roll out and roll onto pin and place in pie plate. I have made pies off and on my whole 37 years of my adult life and struggled many times with the crust..too tough or something else wrong. But I’m 3/3 w this crust. 1st time with chicken pot pie and then 2 apple pies! Perfection! I love Natasha’s recipes and this one is the bomb!
Love it! Thanks a lot for your great comments and review, Peggy. So glad you loved this recipe!
I noticed that you use unsalted butter and add sea salt. Is it possible to just use salted butter?
Hi Norrobi! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Natasha , I’m making a Lemon 🍋 Meringue pie for my birthday 🥳. I just finished making your pie crust (single crust) how do I go about baking this crust ????
Love every recipe I’ve tried of yours 🥰
Hi Christine, see my notes in the blog for “How to Pre-bake Pie Crust (Blindbake).” This will give you instructions if you need to bake it to use it for your meringue pie.
Hey Natasha..Excited to try this.However,I don’t have a good processor.Is it still possible for me to make it?Thanks
Hi Bupe, it works best with one, and I haven’t tested this, but one of my readers shared that it worked great with an electric hand mixer. Also, you can use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour/sugar/salt mixture by hand. Follow the same cues for when to add the water. After adding the water, use a spatula to cut the water into the dough until evenly moistened.
I use a blender. It works just as fine. If it gets stuck I just shake it or mix it with a spoon.
Hi Natasha so excited to try this, you make it look so easy. Can I ask does the crust come out cooked on the inside even when you don’t bear bake it first? Mine always shrinks so much when I do so happy you dont bear bake.
Hi Leila, it depends on the pie you are making, it isn’t necessary to blind bake for the cherry pie example. The crust works out great without blind baking for most pie recipes.
Thank you for this totally awesome recipe! Over the years I have tried and tried to make a good rolled pie crust but never succeeded and gave up. I had apples to use up this week and decided to try it once again. This recipe is definitely a keeper! I am so glad I came across it! My granddaughter enjoyed cutting shapes for the crust topper rather than the lattice top and absolutely loved eating the remaining crust baked with butter, cinnamon and sugar. We will enjoy this recipe for years to come!! 🙂
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Carol!
Hi Natasha I think you are lovely and bubbly I love to watch your videos but I wish you could voice UK MEASURMENTS FOR INGREDIENTS PLEASE .
THANK YOU MARY XX
Hi Mary, If you scroll down to our printable recipe card, most of our recipes have a metric conversion option on the printable recipe card. We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes, but it is taking some time to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help.
Hi!! got a ques, is it okay if I don’t refrigerate the dough before using it?
Hi Isha, I recommend following the instructions which is to refrigerate before using it.
What temp and time do you bake the crust ? I want to make an open strawberry pie like they used to serve at Big Boy restaurants.
I pre-bake the crust at 425˚F for 17 minutes until golden at the edges.
I normally shy away from home-made crusts but I tried yours and got compliments from my expert pie-baking sister! Thank you for the confidence to give it a try!
You’re so welcome, Jennifer! I’m so happy you gave this a try!
I love this recipe! The pie crust is the easiest that I’ve made. It’s also easy to halve the recipe.
Question – how would you recommend using this dough for open face muffins/mini pies? I’ve been using this recipe ( https://honestlyyum.com/14597/open-face-apple-pie/ ) for making pies with this dough, but I’d like to make them as muffins. Any suggestions?
Hi Nora, Check out our post on mini pumpkin pies where I used this dough for mini pies.
Hi Natasha,
This is Tasneem from India, want to let you know, we loveeee your recipes , my girls are your bigg fan.
Thank You for such amazing Recipes!!!
Yay, that’s awesome! I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes.
I’m going to make this short and sweet. I’ve made pie crust for years with flour salt vinegar eggs and water. It always turned out very well. I decided to try yours this time and it was perfect! Thank you so much! And not nearly as messy 🙂
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Rosemary!
This pie crust recipe is excellent! Easy to put together, easy to handle, and bakes up flaky, light, and beautiful! Thank you for my new favorite pie crust recipe!
I’m glad you found your new go-to recipe!
Hi Natasha,
I have made your apple pie plenty of times. Always turns out very delicious. I also use the pie crust recipe for multiple dishes!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Darina!
I have a question, please :). This recipe is ideal for 24 cm cake form? How can I recalculate this recipe if I have 26 cm cake form? Thank you for advice.♥
Hi Kate, we use it in a pie pan, but I imagine it may work in a cake form. If you happen to test that out, I’d love to know how you like that.
Thank you very much.♥ And you use 24 cm pie pan or bigger?
I use this 9″ pan HERE. Which is about 22.6cm. A 24 or 26cm pan may work but you may have a thinner crust or need to make more.
Hi Natasha,
How many days in advance can I make the dough?
Hi Sharon, I haven’t kept it for longer than three days.
Oh my word – this pie crust is delicious!!! I used this recipe to make chicken pot pie with my leftover roast chicken. Honestly – best. pie. crust. EVER.
I actually used half plain (all purpose flour) and half wholemeal flour – even more delicious with a nutty flavour! Thank you so much for the recipe – we absolutely loved our chicken pot pie!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Hi,
First off, the flavor of this crust was delicious! I used it for your chicken pot pie recipe, which was also delicious. The only issue I had was that the pie crust didn’t bake all the way through. I baked it at 425 F for 35 minutes, and the crust was golden brown on top, but doughy on the inside. Any tips? Should I bake it for longer and if so, will that have any affect on the filling? Thanks in advance!
Hi Jackie, depending on the pie you make, you want to make sure to pre-bake your crust before adding the filling or the filling will make the base seem doughy and underbaked.
Absolutely delicious crust! I halved the recipe for a single crust to make your quiche Lorraine, three times already! Incredibly easy, and the taste is way better than store bought. I’ll be making your chicken pot pie this weekend! Thank you for all of the great recipes!
Easy recipes are the best! I’m so glad you loved this one, Jay!
Hi ! I want to make the crust , can you please tell me how much 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour weights in kg ? I’m from Tunisia and we can’t buy the cups from amazon .Thank you !
Hi there, I usually refer to this Ingredient Weight Chart for a guide. I hope that helps.
I have struggled with pie crust for over 20 years. It’s become an ongoing joke in my family to the point I can’t bring a pie for dessert. WELL, No more thanks to this amazing recipe that I then used to make your chicken pot pie. Delicious and perfect in every way. Thank you and my family thanks you too!!!
I’m so glad you discovered my pie crust recipe, Michelle! Thank you for sharing your superb review with me!
Hi Natasha,
I mixed my dough too long. Is there any way to fix it I’ve made it before and it turned out perfect but I left it running too long this time.
Hi Linda, it may still work but won’t have the same flaky pastry texture. There really isn’t a way to reverse it if it’s overmixed that I know of, but it may still be ok if you can get it rolled out.
I was always afraid of making pie crust from scratch until I found this recipe. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve used this recipe even for turnovers and pot pies. I do have a question about keeping in the fridge before using, although I have frozen and refrigerated it before….do you think it would be a bad idea to use if I’ve had it in the fridge for 7 days before using although you say it’s good for 3 days in the fridge? Thanks for the easy recipe and tutorials that you share
Hi Hannah, I haven’t kept it for longer than three days, and without being there, I can’t say that it will or will not work. I would use your best judgment on that and maybe do a Google search to see if there are any recommendations. I hope it works out!
Thank you so much for this recipe. 1st time making homemade crust turned out perfectly. My picky grandchild who loves pie but never eats the crust said it was so good flakey crisp. Christmas pies were a big hit.
You’re very welcome, Kelly. Great to hear that it was a success and a huge hit!
I love this recipe! I have used it multiple times, however each time i roll it up into a disk to put it in the fridge there are cracks. Then when i start to roll it out I cant roll it out into a circle because there are a lot of cracks/long cracks. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Candice, make sure that you have measured the ingredients correctly, I’m curious if there is too much flour? Check out our post on how to measureing which may help for next time.
Hi
I do have problem with pie dough. How much water do you really put in since on your video you say 6 tbs, but in the recipe it says 7 or 8.
I know it depends but is it between 6 and 8.
Thank you
Hi Elaine, I have been adding 6 Tbsp, but it can vary slightly depending on how things were measured, the temperature of the ingredients, etc. It’s best to keep an eye on visual cues and what the dough feels like to determine whether or not to add a little more cold water. But yes, it should be 6-8 tbsp.
About how thick do you recommend rolling out the crust? *Im making your pot pie recipe
I Austin, I recommend watching the video for my method and the photos in the post for a guide. I hope that’s helpful!
Very easy pie crust. I like it because it is durable, and doesn’t fall apart when transferring to pie dish. Used for Pumpkin Pie, and I never eat the crust….ate every bite!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Eemarie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Have you tried grating the butter instead of cubing it? If so, what do you think? Does it make the crust flakier?
Hi Pam, I honestly haven’t tested that to advise. If you try it as an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hello Natasha!
First time I ever made an apple pie, using your recipe. Everyone said it was scrumptious, especially the crust. 😋😋😋
Thanks for the lovely feedback, Lilian. Great job for making a successful apple pie on your first try!
Hi Natasha, do I absolutely need a food processor, because I do NOT have one… can I just use a mixer to mix it all in a bowl or some other way, like using my hands?
Hi Daniel, it works best with one, and I haven’t tested this, but one of my readers shared that it worked great with an electric hand mixer. Also, you can use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour/sugar/salt mixture by hand. Follow the same cues for when to add the water. After adding the water, use a spatula to cut the water into the dough until evenly moistened.
This crust made a great pie amazing! It was very easy to make and so delicious. Thank you !
Thank you for your good comments and feedback, Alicia!
Natasha — I only need a single pie crust. Can you please let me know if your recipe can be halved
Thank you.
Hi Anne, yes, you can halve or save the rest for another time in the freezer.
this was my first pie curst i ever made, I’m 16 and in the culinary program at my school, so I’m getting into baking since we are currently baking at my school, anywayssss, I decided this year to make a apple pie for thanksgiving, we all enjoyed it, and this pie curst was wonderful!
Wow! That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your excellent review!
I made this crust for Natasha’s apple pie recipe and everyone loved this desert. The crust is amazing. So buttery and delicious. I have never made a pie before. This was my first and was so pleased that for my first pie my family devoured it. I couldn’t asked for more. Thanks so much Natasha. This crust is absolutely incredible. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Kelly
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your excellent review, Kelly! That sounds like a special Thanksgiving dinner, and I’m glad you all loved it!
My crust fell apart and I measured the flour exactly how you told us (spooning it into the measuring cup). I did only use 6 Tab of ice water. Should I use the dough button on my food processor for this? I only used the pulse. I wonder if I did not pulse it enough or impulses too much. The chicken pot pie I made with this was delicious!!
Hi Judy, we normally use (7 to 8 Tbsp) of water. I recommend a bit more to ensure it doesn’t fall apart.
I regularly make pie crusts with lard, but I tried this recipe for the first time yesterday for my Thanksgiving pie, and rather than flaky and buttery, it turned out chewy and tough and basically inedible. I did not overmix and did not knead it. What did I do wrong??
I should also say that I did cut in the butter with a pastry cutter rather than using the food processor. Could that have been it?
Hi Hope, I recommend making sure there were no ingredients or process changes to alter this recipe! Also, be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
I have always struggled with making my crust. Turned out perfect now trying the blind bake for my lemon meringue. not sure when to poke crust with fork though
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Your pie crust recipe was easier than I had ever used. It saved my hands from mixing up the ingredients since you used a food processor. Thanks.
I’m so glad you found it easy, Cindy! Thank you for your great feedback!
Nope…my crust shrunk up before I even got it into the oven….so sad and pitiful!
I’ve made many crusts in my life, but this one is not one I could trust again.
Hi Tams, the crust should not shrink after it is rolled out. That could indicate overmixing the dough – this would make the crust dense, difficult to roll and also develop gluten which could cause it to spring back.
Pie crust turned out perfect! Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours 🦃🥧
Hi Debra, I am so happy to hear that. Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours also!
I only made this on my first try, with my daughter, to make my husband happy. Now we both can’t stop eating the apple pie! It has everything to do with the crust.
Thank you so much, Natasha!
Best,
Liz and Madison
I’m happy to hear that you all enjoyed it! Thank you for the review, Elizabeth.
hi Natasha,
can i make the dough and keep it in the fridge over night? i will be making your apple pie tomorrow 🙂
Hi Gosia, yes, You can prepare the crust and refrigerate up to 3 days ahead. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out.
Made your easy pie crust. I added the additional water. The crust rolled out beautifully. I have cooked for over 55 years. This crust rolled out easier than any crust I have ever made. I will be making this crust in the future.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Janet!
I was so nervous as this was my first time making pie crust from scratch. It turned out a-mazing! It’s soooo buttery and flakey- I used it for chicken pot pie. I can’t wait to do your apple pie recipe for thanksgiving!!
Good job, Jenna on your first try! I’m glad that turned out great.
I absolutely LOVE this recipe!!! I’m using it for all of my Thanksgiving pies (14!!!).
Do you have a link to the pastry brush you use to brush the excess flour off the crust when you roll it onto the rolling pin in the video? It looks like a great one and I can’t find it anywhere.
Thank you so much!
Wow! That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review! you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
Why unsalted butter? Can salted butter really make a big difference?
Hi Susie, I use unsalted butter for baking not only because I can control the salt content, but salted butter has additional moisture in it compared to unsalted. I think this would still work with salted butter, but you would want to omit the salt. I hope you love this pie crust recipe!
Hi,
I’m going to be using this recipe plus your applie pie recipe and it’s my first time baking a pie! Can I use a kitchenaid professional mixer for the dough? Or is a food processor the best/easiest?
Hi Jenna, a food processor is best. I haven’t tested that in a KitchenAid myself to advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Can I use a blender with the pulse button instead of a food processor?
Hi Mayra, a handheld pastry blender will work, but a food processor will make the process much faster and easier. I can’t say a blender or mixer will work.
I used a ninja blender and it came out fine using the pulse button 🙂
Hi,
I have made this pie before and it was delicious abd came out perfect! I want to make a few for Thanksgiving. Can I make this pie and freeze it?
Thanks!
Hi Julia, To freeze pie dough: wrap and seal airtight then freeze up to 3 months. Thaw completely prior to rolling.
I made the dough but forgot the sugar, Does sugar make that much of a difference? Can I add the sugar before rolling out my dough?
Hi Ellen, no worries, It will still work as a savory pie dough if you omit the sugar.
Hi Natasha, I have made this pie crust a few times, but I have had problems with it shrinking quite a bit during the baking process. Do you have any tips for that?
Hi Irene, if it is a pie that requires a blind bake (pre-baking), that will help to prevent the shrinking of the crust. For example, a pumpkin pie will be a disaster if it is not pre-baked and we shared a ton of great tips for that in the pumpkin pie post. Also, I like to extend the crust beyond the edge slightly (depending on the pie) to help with that if the crust doesn’t need pre-baking. Building up the crust when you crimp them together seems to help.
Hey Natasha, unfortunately I dont have a food processor. Can i use a hand mixer instead?
Hi Darlene, I haven’t tested this, but one of my readers shared that it worked great with an electric hand mixer. Also, you can use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour/sugar/salt mixture by hand. Follow the same cues for when to add the water. After the water is added, use a spatula to cut the water into the dough until evenly moistened.
I made this pie filling. So good! Highly recommend. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve made a few of Natashas recipes and my absolute favorite is the Chicken Pot Pie! I’ve used this pie crust recipe many limes and it’s a hit every time. The first couple of times were a little tough to roll out but that’s only because I didn’t know I was suppose to let it rest before rolling. I highly recommend giving this a try, it’s so worth it!
Hi Israelle, that’s great to hear. I’m glad you love the chicken pot pie recipe. I hope you’ll enjoy all the recipes that you will try.
I’ve made this pie crust for a few of your recipes, most recently your Chicken Pot pie (which is absolutely delicious!) Do you have any tips for the pie crust cracking when rolling it out? I noticed that the pie crust didn’t come together like it’s normally done and caused it to crack and break apart when rolling it out. The crust was still delicious, just a little more challenging to work with. Thank you for all of your recipes!
Hello Molly, make sure that you have measured the ingredients correctly. Check out our post on how to measure which may help for next time.
Pie crust has always intimidated me. I am very pleased with how easy this crust is to make. I used it to make your delicious pot pie! The crust is so flaky. I could use tips on how to roll it out into a circle. I have a giant silpat that includes measurements but I still didn’t do well making a uniform circle.
Thank you for your great feedback Lisa. Great to hear that you loved how this recipe turned out! I think you just really have to practice, it will get better as you practice.
So i have never made a pie before and I’m kind of confused. You say to press the dough i to two discs but also to not kneed it. So do I press the dough into two fat, rough discs with my hands and then roll it with the rolling pin after it’s refrigerated? Or is the time to roll it with the rolling pin before the refrigerator period and that’s when you actually roll it flat into a pie crust? Sorry and thank you!
Hi Margaret, you got it right, just pull it and form it into a disk without kneading the dough. Then roll it into a flat pie crust after it has had a chance to rest in the refrigerator. Watch the video tutorial in the post above and I think it will be more clear and may give you more confidence on what to expect.
Hi Natasha, I made your wonderful buttery pie dough to make apricot fried pies. They turned out beautiful. Even the next day after being fried, the crust was still crunchy and flaky and SO good! Thanks for a great crust recipe.
You’re very welcome, Nancy. Glad that it was a success!
I’d be interested to know if one could use Gluten free all purpose flour in this recipe? I’ve used many of your recipes and most of them are among our family favourites but I’m now allergic to gluten so wondering how to adapt.
Hi Sharon, I’m sorry to hear that. I haven’t tested this recipe as gluten-free so I can’t make a recommendation on that. I searched the comments and couldn’t find anyone who had written in about trying that either.
Hi Sharon and Natasha. I wanted to let you know I tried your recipe using Bob Red Mill’s GF 1 for 1 baking flour. Crust turned out delicious…very flaky. It was a little tricky to work with when rolling it out but otherwise fine. My only comment is make sure your par-bake the bottom shell before adding the filling. I made your chicken pot pie recipe and the bottom crust was not done. Top crust turned out gorgeous.
Hi Cari, nice to know that, and thank you for sharing some suggestions with us!
Hi! Congratulations for ur video which are really funny ! I wanna try this recepy but I am a little bit lost about the quantities. U say to take 2 and a half cups of flour… which is… in gramms?
Thanks!
In each recipe at the bottom of the recipe card, there is a conversion button to help you figure out the grams. Hope this helps
10/10 would recommend, i accidentally burnt them all but luckily my family had Covid and can not tasted or smell the fact that half the ingredients were missing.
Oh no, I hope your family is all okay now.
I’m making your pie crust for the first time! I haven’t made pie crust in many years, so l am going to combine your special apple pie sauce and cinnamon to my peaches from my tree to see how it taste. I have the dough in the frig so l’m wait to see how it turns out!!
Wish me luck
I hope you love this recipe, Shari!!
Hi Natasha!
This recipe looks wonderful. I tried to make the dough, I left it in the fridge overnight as I ran out of time to cook it on the same day as the apple pie filling. Now my dough is breaking apart when I roll it out, even after I let it get back to room temperature… is there any way to salvage it?
Hi Nicole, did it hold together in a disk when you put it into the refrigerator? If not, most likely it needed slightly more water to keep it together. If it had enough moisture in the dough, usually, if you let it sit at room temperature, it will soften and be easier to roll out. If you think your dough is too dry and is breaking apart, you can sprinkle some cold water over the dough and gently work it in with your fingers until the dough comes together.
Thank you for answering! I am leaving my dough in refrige overnight now, hope it will turn out to be ok!
We really have enjoyed the apple pie and crust? I made this five times and each time I fight with the dough. Your older video stated 5-6 tablespoons of ice water but I always used 6 because the dough was always crumbly after refrigeration. This video shows you using low moisture butter. Should I as well?
Hi JR, I’m not sure what you mean by ‘low moisture’ butter. I use regular grocery store butter. The sticks in the photos are from Costco but I have experimented with whatever brand I’ve had on hand. I have been adding 6 Tbsp but it can vary slightly depending on how things were measured, the temperature of the ingredients, etc. It’s best to keep an eye on visual cues and what the dough feels like to determine whether or not to add a little more cold water.
Recipe was delicious! Not being an everyday baker, I was surprised by the 2 sticks of butter this calls for. SO, I only used 1.5 sticks of butter and my entire family thought the pie crust was still delicious. Anyone wanting to cut out some butter, feel free to do that. You won’t notice any difference.
I’m so glad you all enjoyed it! Thank you for that great review, Ryan!
Hi Ryan, thanks for sharing. I haven’t tried that but I assume you would need to cut down the other ingredients some as well. I’m glad you enjoyed it with less butter.
Nope. The other ingredients were all the same amount. I only trimmed the butter. The crust was still delicious! I had just wanted to share that with others.
Last year my wife decided to remove all dairy from her diet. She cheats about once a week. But I now always look for ways to trim here or there where I can. I was expecting it not to work.. but I was happy that it did work!
My dinky FP doesn’t pulse anything but the very bottom contents, so I had to run continuously. It all clumped up into a giant blob.
I tried again with my kitchenaid mixer and paddle as another comment had mentioned (chopped up butter very tiny). I got to 5 TBS of water and it turned into a big ball again. Not as soft as in my FP, at least.
God willing, one of these batches will be usable this weekend for chicken pot pie for hubby. =/
I had trouble with your easy pie crust. It seemed too hard when it came out of the frig, crumbled when I rolled it, and it stuck to the rolling pin. What did I do wrong?
Hi Linda, it is likely due to being too cold, you can let it rest at room temperature for 15-30 minutes until it is easier to roll out. I hope that helps.
Tip. You’ll want to add small amounts of flour to your flat surface and rolling pin. It will help the dough not stick to everything when you roll it out.
Can you make your pie crust into square form because I do not have a pie pan
Hi Charity! If it’s an oven-safe pan, I bet that could work! I hope you love this recipe!
Well as a tip I would recommend you to use a cake mold it is fine you can use a round cake mold or you can invest a little in buying a pie mold. I will be using a round cake mold to make the pie.
I watched the video and it told me 6 tablespoons of cold water so I did that. But, everywhere else says 7 now. Which is the correct measurement? I already had them in the refrigerator. I hope they will be ok.
Hi Candice, if the dough is held together in a disk, it will be great. Look for the correct texture since there can be slight variations in flour measurements, ingredient temperatures, etc. It’s usually 6-7 Tbsp.
This is the absolute best pie crust recipe. I am amazed with the simplicity. My whole family had a hard time putting our fork down. Thank you so much for sharing!
It really is the best! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Wow thank you so much this recipe was so delicious, I had looked at many other recipes but they were so long and complicated. Yours is simple and convenient, love it, thanks again
You’re so nice! Thank you for that great feedback, Emily! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Natasha! I made your pie dough today and enjoyed using it in our pumpkin pie. I was tired of using grocery refrigerated pie dough b/c the bottom of my pies were gooey. Thanks!
Hi Lee, homemade is always better so I’m happy to hear that you tried and loved it!
i love this crust recipe, my to go recipe. Can i make fruit tarts using this crust too?
Hi Shanty, I haven’t tested that as a tart, but it may work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Sorry, but I found this crust to be far too buttery. I think one stick of butter would’ve sufficed. The dough was too soft & all I could taste was butter.
Hi Natasha, today I made this dough for an apple pie. It’s absolutely delicious. Flaky, light, not too sweet. Yum. Thank you as always for your amazing recipes.
That’s fantastic! Thank you so much for your good comments and feedback.
Hi Natasha,
I love your recipies! I have made your pie crust and it is great. Just wondering what you think about the 3-2-1 method pie crust recipies I see online? Basically more flour than what you recommend. Do you think that would be a much different outcome?
Thank You!
Hello Mike, great to hear that you’re enjoying my recipes! I’m honestly not sure how that would work to advise. If you personally do an experiment, we would love to know how it goes!
Hi Natasha, I’ve tried many of your recipes so far and the crust is the champion! I tried other recipe available in google, but never this good. It is flaky, buttery and remain its texture even the next day. I swear I can eat the crust alone! and the apple pie fillings, ughhh just soo soo good! btw, for my hot country temperature, i found putting 5tbsp of ice water is sufficient enough, 6 will make the batter too soggy. Thanks Natasha, your recipes are a keeper. Looking forward to try more from this blog
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Shida! It sounds like you have a new favorite pie crust! Thank you for sharing that tip with us!
I used this pie crust recipe last week to make a cherry pie. Today I’m using it again to make a pear fig pie. My friend gave me some pears and I have a fig tree so I can’t let all that fruit go to waste! This pie crust recipe is so easy, I use my food processor and it’s perfect every time. I also like your cream cheese pie crust but I don’t have cream cheese at the moment!
Hello Ami, great to hear that you’ve been using this pie crust recipe with different fillings. This has always been our go-to-recipe and we have always loved it too!
Hi Natasha can i use a mixer instead of a food processor?
Hi Rahma, I havne’t tested this, but one of my readers shared that it worked great with an electric hand mixer. I hope this helps!
Hi Natasha! I don’t have a food processor, can I use blender?
Hi Chris, a handheld pastry blender will work, but a food processor will make the process much faster and easier. I can’t say a blender or mixer will work.
Never mind on that freeze question. I read your entire blog. I do apologize
I’m glad you found the answer. I hope you love the pie crust.
Hi Natasha, can this be frozen and for how long?
Hi Margie, please see the section above titled “Can I make Pie Dough in Advance?”
Can you freeze the pie crust and if so how long do they last in the freezer? Also how long would I need to thaw out before baking?
I’m making my first homemade crust. My Grans found pumpkin in my pantry. So they wanted a pumpkin pie. I had all the ingredients except for a pie crust. So I’ve tried my first try at making a homemade pie crust. It is in the fridge waiting for an hour for me to cook.
I hope you all love this recipe!!
Pie crust recipe says 6 tbsp ice water in the video and 7 tbsp in the written recipe. I used 6 tbsp and it worked fine.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi Natasha. I made chicken pot pie for Father’s Day and my family loves it especially your pie crust. Is it possible to to use the pie crust for frying? I’m thinking of of using your pie crust to make chicken puff.
Hello Cheryl, thanks for your good comments and feedback! I haven’t tried using this recipe that way to advise. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.
Hey Natasha , I am only 12 yrs old and i just tried the recipe, my pie just got out of the oven..
Just wanted to ask you why i have a few dark spots of my pie(on my lattice) , I am vegetarian and i did a milk wash instead of egg wash, is that probably the reason?
I am sorry if my english is not very great
Hi Samanta, that may be the culprit, but it’s hard to say without being there. I have tried a milk wash to advise that is it.
Hi Natasha. Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour for this recipe? I just realised I have 1 packet of bread flour which is expiring soon and thought I could use it for this recipe.
Hi Cheryl, I haven’t tried bread flour for pie crust so I can’t say for sure how it would change the texture, but I suspect it could work.
I used this recipe for my apple pie yesterday and it turned out great. I want to know if I want to make a healthier version of the crust with whole wheat flour and less butter, what will the proportions be?
Hi Anu, I haven’t tried it with whole wheat flour, but I assume you would have to use less flour and it would end up more dense using all whole wheat flour.
Hi Natasha, I made Lemon Bar Yesterday and they were sooooo good. My husband loves them. The only problem is why my Dough came out hard if after 3days in the Fridge but anyway maybe i over bake my dough, They are great by the way. Thank You so much for sharing. I Love all your Cooking. Great Job. Thanks for sharing, Take Care Be Safe. God Bless.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Christine!
Hi Natasha,
I just came across your website and watched some videos right away! You make everything look so easy to try, even if I’m feeling intimidated!
I’m really eager to try this apple pie but am wondering if I can use the pie dough recipe for a 10in pie plate or do I need to go buy a 9in now?
Thanks!
Hi Linda, I’m so happy you discovered our blog. Welcome! 🙂 A ten-inch pan will work, you’ll just have to roll it slightly bigger. You can also adjust the recipe to make more pie crust.
Hi Natasha,
Is it possible to use salted butter if I don’t have unsalted?
Thanks!
Hi Diana, I use unsalted butter for baking not only because I can control the salt content, but salted butter has additional moisture in it compared to unsalted. I think this would still work with salted butter, but you would want to omit the salt. I hope you love this pie crust recipe!
Hi Natasha, is it okay to do half the instructions (to make only 1 disk)?
Hi Sara! I bet that could work!
Natasha is my favorite chef. I have tried a few a few of her videos and it’s always perfection! Big u p yourself Natasha
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Yvonne!
I’ve made this recipe before but currently don’t own a food processor. I followed the recipe step-by-step and used the kitchen aid mixer with the paddle attachment instead of the food processor. I also grated the butter and added it slowly to the flour mixture so it doesn’t clump up. Worked great and came together so fast. Results came out very similar to using a food processor. Wanted to share in case anyone else doesn’t own a food processor. My Chicken Pot Pie from your blog turned out delicious! Made a double batch to bake an Apple Pie for the weekend.
Hello Lena, I’m happy that you’re enjoying my recipes! Thanks for sharing that with us, that’s definitely so helpful.
Im going to be baking a pie on tuesday but it calls for baking the crust first. Could you please tell me how long to bake it for and at what temp? I made the dough earlier and its chilling in my fridge. Im so excited to try it out.
Hi Liz, it sounds like you are looking to pre-bake the crust. Please see the section above titled “How to Pre-bake Pie Crust (Blindbake)”
I came to search the comments as I don’t have a large enough food processor so this is great! Going to try it out with the kitchen aid mixer. Thanks so much!
Why does your peach pie recipe crust have cream cheese in it? But your blueberry pie recipe does not? I am looking for the best flaky sweet shortcrust recipe for tarts and I would assume it would be the same kind of recipe for a pie. But there are so many recipes out there and I’ve tried so many and none of them work. I have no idea what I am doing wrong. Will you please help me.
Hi Janet, they are just two very different pie crusts. If I had to choose a favorite it would be this easy pie crust, but for a tart, another one that would work well is the shortbread crust that we used in our Lemon Bars recipe. Mix it until it’s a dough and then put it into your tart pan.
hi, I wanted to know if I can substitute white flour for spelt and if I can use oil\ margarine instead of butter?
Hi Kate, I haven’t tested those substitutions so I can’t say how it would affect the texture and bake of the crust.
If I don’t have a food processer can I use my mixer instead for the pie crust.
Hi Deborah, a handheld pastry blender will work, but a food processor will make the process much faster and easier. I can’t say a blender or mixer will work.
I made this same recipe with a hand held mixer and it turned just fine! All though the process was much longer
Thank you for sharing that it worked great for you with an electric hand mixer.
I live in a very hot and humid country so working on this dough is a real challenge. I had to move very fast when I noticed that the butter in the dough started to melt. Amazing pie crust though! So flaky and I have never tasted anything better! Even my mom agrees!
Awesome! Thanks for your wonderful review and feedback. We appreciate it.
This recipe looks amazing but my only thing is, can i use a blender because i don’t have a food processor? And also do i have to refrigerate for an hour because i have to make this right away for dessert for dinner and i really don’t have an hour.
Hi LeRae, a handheld pastry blender will work, but a food processor will make the process much faster and easier. I can’t say a blender will work.
If making this for a savory pie, do you leave the sugar out?
Hi Jean, I honestly haven’t tried any substitutions, but savory pies are often made with the same dough, just omitting the sugar altogether. It will still work as a savory pie dough if you omit the sugar 🙂
I followed this recipe exactly and it came out perfect!! The dough should be slightly crumbly/dry while in the food processor as it sticks together nicely once it is gathered into a ball on a floured countertop.
I made your Chicken Pot Pie recipe with this pie crust for my grandparents, and they both continue to rave about it being the best pie and crust they’ve ever had, and how they could just eat the crust on its own (they’re in their 80s!). Thanks so much for my new go-to pie crust!
Wow! I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Lauren!
My dough was hard to roll and it kept cracking/breaking on the edges. I used 7 tblsp of ice water and refrigerated it for 1 hr. Don’t know what I did wrong. I managed to get them in the pie pan. (I made the apple pie). The lattice crust was too much work for me at this point! It looked nice, though
Hi Linda, it sounds like it could have used a little more water, or had a little too much flour. Check out our post on how to measure which may help for next time.
can you use a blender instead of a food processor to pulse it?
Hi Mychel, a handheld pastry blender will work, but a food processor will make the process much faster and easier. I can’t say a blender will work.
I made it by hands and the crust came out beautifully, super buttery and flaky, it’s the best pie crust I’ve ever made. I made sure my butter and water were as cold as they can be, and ran my hands thru super cold water and wiped dry before starting working the butter into the dough, work fast! I did freeze the pie disks overnight though, I think that helped as well.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m happy you enjoyed that!
Natasha, now do you bake it once it’s been in fridge for an hour? Thank you!
Hi Alena, I would follow the same recipe instructions as listed but add a few minutes if it doesn’t look completely done.
My first EVER pie dough and a rare use of my food processor. The hardest part about this recipe was actually remembering where I had put it. LOL
So simple and easy, and this makes a great pie dough for the chicken pot pie. Also the trick of using the rolling pin to help roll the dough out onto the pie plate was fantastic!
Thank you for your great feedback, Paul I’m happy to know that you enjoyed the recipe!
What if you don’t have a food processor
Hi Beth, a pastry blender will work, but a food processor will make the process much faster and easier.