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:
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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
- Place flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition Per Serving
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. 
Hi, I don’t have a food processor, can I use my kitchen aid with the dough hook?
Thanks
You may find this tutorial helpful from King Arthur Baking on how to make pie crust in a stand mixer. You can also use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the butter.
Yum!! Easy and delicious. I couldn’t stop eating the dough🙈
Hi Corrie! I’m glad you loved the recipe.
I’ve been using this pie crust recipe for awhile now abd it’s amazing. I just bought a food processor and it is so much easier! Love all your recipes!
I’m so glad to hear that, Traci!
hello Mrs.Natasha, What do you mean by 7 tablespoon of COLD water? Because I placed my water in the freezer and my mom told me that it is impossible that I was right and that just normal temperature water is correct. Am I right or wrong ???
Hi Nomin. You can place your water in the freezer or refrigerator to get cold. You just don’t want room temperature or warm water.
I use ice cubes to make my water cold.
Hi Natasha,
Thanks for the recipe for making pie dough and the apple pie. Together I made a darn good pie. One confusion however, in your US customary metrics, it says 2.5cups ( assuming one cup is 240g), but your metric says 312.5grams, this can’t be correct? So which is it?
Thanks
Jeff
Hi Jeff! That’s correct, 1 cup of flour is about 125 grams so in total it would be 312g.
My family loves this pue crust!! Easy to make and easy to roll out. I do have a question. When I flute my edges, they sometimes flatten in the oven. Would you know why that happens?
Thank you for your recipes. I use many of your recipes!!
Hi Mary! I’m glad you love the recipe. A couple of things that may help troubleshoot- don’t knead the dough or roll it out too vigorously. It’s also possible that it was too soft/warm so be sure to let us chill long enough. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha,
How long can you keep this dough:
in the fridge?
in the freezer?
Thanks!
Hi Gordon! See my notes above, “ Can I make Pie Dough in Advance?”
Found it a little wonky but that was likely user error (I don’t get along with pie crusts).
Hi Natasha, this is an amazing recipe- I am a dessert fan and the pies are always a winner!! I also wanted to ask, can I eliminate the sugar for a savoury filling this time? Or will that ruin its ratio (texture)? 😊
This is an amazing recipe, my family really enjoyed this crust with berry filling. I also wanted to ask, can I eliminate the sugar for a savoury filling this time? Or will that ruin its ratio (texture)? 🙂
Hi Carla! We actually use this same pie crust for our savory pies, like our chicken pot pie . But yes, you can if you prefer to eliminate it all together.
I am looking for easy pie crust recipes and am interested in trying yours. Can you use regular salt instead of sea salt?
Yes you can. I hope you love the recipe!
I am 74 and just made the best pie crust of my life using this recipe. I don’t have a food processor, so I grated the cold butter as someone suggested below. I worked perfectly! Thank you!!!
Love it! So glad that it worked out so well. Thanks for this review!
I am 74 and just made the best pie crust of my life using this recipe. I don’t have a food processor, so I grated the cold butter as someone suggested below. I worked perfectly! Thank you!!!
Was super easy to make, I love making homemade pies as they are much more healthier when you know whats actually in the pie! I made rhubarb pie with this, turned out amazing!
Hi Lyddia! This is our favorite pie crust. We love to use it for savory and sweet pies. I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Hi! Does the type of pie pan matter? Would it be okay to use a metal pie pan? Just wondering, thanks!
hi Madelyn! Metal conducts heat differently, but you can use a metal pie pan instead. Keep your eye on it in the oven and make any adjustments to the baking time as needed.
Hi Natasha. Roughly how much time and temperature needs to be altered incase of metal? Thanks.
Regards,
Anamika
Hi Anamika, since I always use my pie I can’t advise on a metal pan. Keep your eye on it in the oven and make any adjustments to the baking time as needed.
Hello Natasha
I’m new to this baking thing and I have a silly question about your butter pie crust dough recipe- are you supposed to blind bake the dough before putting the filling in thanks
Emily
Hi Emily! It depends on the type of pie you are using the crust to make. For fruit-filled pies, we typically don’t need to blind bake. If it’s more of a wet filling like custard pie filling or pumpkin pie, then it is recommended to blind-bake the crust.
Hi Natasha. Can’t wait to make your apple pie with this crust. I don’t own a food processor though. Will a pastry cutter work, or won’t that granulate it enough?
Thank you,
Trish
Hi Trish! Yes, a pastry cutter will work great. I hope you love the recipe!
Made this dough for apple dumplings. Not only easy to make, but a great crust for the apple dumplings. Even my 11 year old granddaughter made the crust definitely kid friendly recipe. Thank you
That’s wonderful, Connie! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Natasha, can the Crust be made ahead of time and frozen or keep refrigerated?
Hi Kathy! Yes, it can be. See my notes above “Can I Make Pie Crust in Advance” for instructions. 🙂
Taste great and easy to make. Great crust for an apple pie.
Thank you for the feedback, Shaun! We love using this crust for our pie, both savory and sweet! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your great recipes with a lot of fun. It feels like a family friend invite us for some cooking!
It’s my pleasure! I hope you’ll enjoy all the recipes that you will try from us.
Is it the flour in the pie crust that only allows it to be stored in the fridge for 3 days? I made the recipe a week ago and forgot to freeze the second raw crust. I was thinking about using it but read to store for only 3 days in fridge. Thanks
Hi Marcia! I can’t say exactly, that seems to be the safest recommendation based on my research. You may find this article from King Arthur Baking helpful.
Thank you! This is the best pie crust I’ve ever made. I’m so glad my cousin shared your recipe with me and your website!!
Hi Marcia! That’s wonderful to hear. I’m so glad you tried my recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Hi! I’ve used this crust for almost all my pies, and each time it’s turned out amazing. The only minor problem is that whenever I try to shape the pie crust then cut it in half to make two discs, the dough is very dry and falls apart easily. As your recipe states, I always check if I can squeeze the dough together between my fingers into a cohesive shape, but there’s pockets of flour in the dough that prevent me from making discs. I also watched your pie crust video and noticed that your crust looks much more wet than mine. Is there just not enough water?
Hi Selene! I’m glad you love the recipe. 🙂
It could be the way your ingredients are measured or even the temperature of your ingredients. Watch my tutorial on how to measure your ingredients HERE. Using too much flour could result in a dry crust that’s hard to work with. It’s best to use visual cues to know how much water to add but typically I use between 6-8TBS. I hope that helps you. 🙂
You really make my day I love your recipes and so do my kids
Thanks so much, Jessica! I’m glad you are enjoying them.
Hello Natasha! I made your pie crust along with your chicken potpie recipe for the first time. The taste was delicious and the crust was so flaky and buttery! The only issue I had was after baking the pie I was biting into some hard pieces from the crust. I’m not sure why that is. Any suggestions? Thanks
Hi Susana, sometimes if the pie crust is overworked, or over-kneaded, it can get more firm than flaky. Also, adding too much water can be a culprit.
Made this tonight for Pi day. I have never found a buttery more flakey pie crust then this one. This was incredibly easy and it was so good. Immediately messaged friends telling them I had found the perfect recipe. I used a French flour and the food processor and it was perfection!
Aaaw, thank you for spreading the word and for your nice feedback!
I have tried SEVERAL different pie recipes and omg with yours I finally mastered it and have made pies for friends 😭 my mom loves the pies too! Thank you and I’m a huge fan of yours!
Hi Tamara! That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you for sharing.
It’s perfect every time I make this! This recipe comes together so easy in my food processor. The crust is a great texture and flavour as well.
Thank you
Sally
That’s great to hear, Sally! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
This is a great recipe, it’s my go-to crust. I also use it for chicken pot pie crust, I just leave out the butter. It’s perfect, my kids love it.
Sorry, I meant I leave out the sugar. The butter stays in LOL!
So glad to hear that, Michael! 🙂
I’ve made this pie crust several times now, it’s my go-to recipe. It comes out perfectly every time! I get so many compliments on it as well. I love your recipes and videos Natasha!
Hi Leah! That’s wonderful to hear. Thank you for sharing.
To incorporate butter, would it make sense to take very cold butter and grate it using a box grater for easy incorporation ??? Just a thought.
Hi Bill! Yes, that would work as well. 🙂
I’m hoping to make this recipe, but have never made pasty before. The video says to add 6 tablespoons of ice water, but the written instructions say 7. Which one is it?
Thank you,
Angela
Hi Angela! I have been using 6-8 tbsp. It’s best to go off visual cues because it can depend on the temperature of the ingredients and how they were measured. I hope you love this recipe! It’s our favorite crust.
Where is the list of ingredient amounts??? Am I blind or are they hidden somewhere??
Hi Rose. The easiest way to get to the recipe card is to click on “jump to recipe” at the top of the page. 🙂
Hello Rose I did the same thing so don’t feel bad lol
Pam
This turned out so great! One question though. How long before I roll out the dough should I take it out of the refrigerator? I took it out 30 mins before rolling it out but still found it hard to roll.
Hi Natasha! I’m glad loved the pie crust! 🙂
Depending on the temperature in your house, you may have to leave it out longer. 30 minutes is usually a good amount of time for me.
I tried this crust today but didn’t realize you had to leave it out of the refrigerator for 30 minutes before rolling. It was hard to roll out and didn’t bake well. I was so disappointed as it was the first one of your recipes I had fail. Reading through the comments I know now to let it rest before rolling. Definitely will be trying again as I know it will be a success next time. Love ALL your recipes!
Oh no, sorry to hear that on your first try. I’m sure it will be so much better and hopefully perfect next time you try this again.
Can I use this pie crust to make lemon merengue pie?
Thanks.
Hi Maggie! I think that would work, this crust is so versatile. See my notes in the blog for “How to Pre-bake Pie Crust (Blind-bake).” This will give you instructions if you need to bake it to use it for your meringue pie. Let us know how it turns out. 🙂
Super great recipe 👍 will definitely make again!! It’s tasty and goes really well with your apple pie!
I’m so glad you loved it! We love this crust.
HELP!!! I’ve read all of this over and over and over again but still don’t see anything about what temperature to bake the pie and for how long. I’ve got everything ready right now, with pastry resting in the refrigerator. I actually wanted this for dinner but the chances of someone reading this and getting back to me don’t look good.
Hi Nicola, this recipe is just for the pie crust so you can use it for various recipes! We link in this post, ‘Pie Recipes To Explore’ towards the bottom of the page. I hope this helps! Some recipe examples are Perfect Peach Pie, Apple Pie recipe, Etc. I hope this helps!
Someone probably asked this already, but can you freeze this pie crust dough?
Yes, you sure can. See my notes above for instructions on freezing this. 🙂
Oh my god!!! The best pie ever!!! Thank you so much. Mine turned out so dreamy!!! ❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Yuna!
I made your apple pie and pie crust recipe today, it was delicious!! I have never been successful making pie crust from scratch until now. This pie crust was tender and flakey. I will never use another recipe. Thank you!!
Hi Elizabeth! I’m so glad you loved it! It’s our favorite crust. Thank you for trying my recipe.
This recipe was much easier than I expected. I’ve never made a homemade crust before. It came out so flakey and delicious and had a beautiful color. I didn’t have unsalted butter, so I used a little less salt, and it worked out fine.
I used it for your chicken pot pie recipe, which was also really delicious.
I was wondering, how far in advance can I make this?
Hi Diane, You can prepare the crust and refrigerate up to 3 days ahead. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out.
Hi, thank you for this recipe! What can I use instead of a food processor? I only have a blender and a Hamilton beach stand mixer.
You can use a pastry cutter or a fork as well to cut in the butter. I hope you love this recipe! 🙂
I tried this recipe along with your apple pie recipe and both turned out great!
Would it turn out just as delicious if I used cup-for-cup gluten free flour?
Thanks!
Hi Natalia! I’m so glad you loved it. I have not tested this with GF flour to advise. Let us know how it turns out if you experiment.
Are there cookies or desserts that are recommended for left over pie crust – Other than another pie? I only needed the crust for one pie and have more that i I refuse to throw away
Hi! I have a mini pumpkin pie recipe HERE and this is the same pie crust we use for all of our pies, even our chicken pot pie.
Whenever my mum had leftover pie crust, she would cut it into small rounds, put a spoonful of jam in the middle, pinch it together and bake little jam tarts for us!
This is the first pie crust I’ve ever made that was enjoyable. I’ve tried so many different recipes, and none of them turned out. Yours was the first one that finally had me say “holy ***** this is good”
THANK YOU
Wow, that is quite a compliment! Thank you for the nice review.
Hi
I want to try this. My Nan used to make THE best apple pie, but sadly she passed away years ago. She told me numerous times how to make it, but mine never turned out as good as hers. Just ask my husband. Your recipe is as close to hers as I have found and I want to make this crust. I just have 1 question, could you just not use frozen butter and skip adding the tablespoons of water? Or does adding the water do something to the crust? I know when I make Yorkshire puddings I add a little water as this helps them rise more, but with a pie crust that would not be the same. I would appreciate your comments. Many thanks Whitney from London.
Hi Whitney! I’m excited for you to try my recipe. If the dough is too dry, it will crumble and break when you try to roll it out. You can add more or less water based on visual cues and how the dough feels (I have been using 6-8tbsp) but I have found water to be necessary. I hope you love this recipe!
Hi
Thanks for getting back to me, I appreciate it. I had just assumed the very cold water was to make the dough colder. Like when I make buttermilk biscuits I use frozen butter, so is why I asked. But that does make sense. Many thanks again and a very Merry Christmas to you and your family.
You’re welcome, Whitney! Let us know how you like this crust recipe. 🙂
Omg thank you much for this recipe! I made it with a fork since I don’t have a food processor and it turned out delicious!
I always make my pies with store bought pastry but this time the stores were all sold out so I decided to give it a try and I’m amazed to how good it is, never buying ready pie crusts again
Thank you Natasha
I’m glad it was a success!
I have made this recipe four times. Every time I needed to use almost double the amount of liquid as called for. The first two times the crust was delicious, but very tough. I then used half water and half vodka. That was the best piecrust I’ve ever made. Adding the vodka gave you a much flakier delicious crust. With the apple pie recipe I also added 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon of allspice. This was one of the best apple pies I’ve ever made with the added the spices.
Interesting about the use of vodka – I wonder if that is why it needed more liquid? I’m not sure. Also, make sure to measure flour by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling off the top for an accurate measure.
I’ve made this many times. It’s always turned out great. I’m curious, could you grate the butter instead if cutting into chunk size pieces? I do it by hand as I don’t have a good processor? Would grating it change the outcome?
Thanks
Hi Aileen! That should work. Many of my readers have grated butter when it’s frozen. You can also use a fork or a pastry cutter.
I made the pumpkin pie last Thanksgiving using the store bought pie crusts (the filling wasn’t enough for 1 pie crust so I used 2), reduced a little of light brown sugar & the granulated sugar. It was perfect, my son loved it that I’m making again for Christmas. I had tried lots of your recipes especially the Prime Rib & they’re perfect. Thanks for sharing your talents Natasha, more power to you.
Happy to hear that your family enjoyed it!
I am on my 3rd attempt at making this crust. I followed measuring instructions and still the dough is too crumbly. Do I need to add more water? It does not look or roll out like the video.
Hi Margaret! I’m sorry you are having such a hard time with the pie crust. A dry crumbly crust is the result of too much flour or not enough water. I have been adding 6-8 Tbsp of water, 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. Watch this tutorial on how I measure my ingredients HERE.
I measured everything to a T, using a food scale. TWO attempts later and i have crumbling NOT pie dough that i wasted over an hour and resources on.
Hi Kelly! I’m sorry you are having such a hard time with the pie crust. I have been adding 6-8 Tbsp of water, 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. I’ve also attached a link to my tutorial on how to measure ingredients, HERE although it should not have been the problem if you weighed your ingredients but a dry crumbly crust is the result of too much flour or not enough water.
I think some people take measuring cup and dip the flour out of container instead of taking something to dip flour out and put in measuring cup. This keeps from packing flour and gives a more accurate measurement
This turned out perfectly 😊🙌 I had to do it by hand and I was so glad that it turned out well 🙂 glory to God \o/ thank you so much for this excellent recipe 😊🙌 I made it with your chicken pot pie recipe, which was excellent as well 🙂 praise the Lord 😆🙌🤍
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Maurissa!
I wanted to try your pot pie recipe. I cook but I’m not a cook. Making pie crust was out of the question. Off to 4 different super markets to get frozen pie crust on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, there was one to be had. The pot pie recipe suggested your pie crust recipe. With great trepidation I gathered the ingredients and proceeded to make pie crust for the first time in some 40yrs. The last time was a disaster and I haven’t tried it since. Well, long story short it was easy, and turned out as advertised. Thank you for your recipe. I’m looking for an excuse to try it again!
Hi Bill! Thank you for your feedback, I’m glad you tried it and loved it!
Turned out awesome. Would show a picture if I could. Best pie I have ever made. Don’t go to another site, just save this one for Apple Pies and stop stressing out.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jason! Thank you for your wonderful review! If you share your photo to social media and hashtag #natashaskitchen on your post, I will likely see it!
Natasha,
I want to thank you so much for this recipe! I have NEVER made a pie crust before (I’m super intimidated!) I followed your recipe to the T! What do you know my pies were the HIT of Thanksgiving.
Thank you again!
Beth
That’s great, Beth! Thanks for trying my recipe. I’m so glad it was a hit.
I made this vegan with Earth Balance butter. Used my Ninja blender with the dough blade and turned out perfectly.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Codi!
I have never ever left a recipe comment – but this pie crust is the only one that works for me – it’s perfect! I do not make pies often and my son gave me a food processor. I make pies in a glass dish with a fluted edge and the crust is always perfect! Thank you for making pie crust possible for me!
That’s wonderful, Betty! I’m so glad to hear that. Thank you for sharing. I’m happy you love this pie crust.
Hi Natasha,
Can I use regular salt instead of sea salt?
I also have a ninja blender. Can I use that instead since I do not have a food processor?
Thank you!
Hi Tania! Yes you can use regular salt. You can also use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the butter.
Hi Natasha, can I use regular salt instead of sea salt?
I too have a ninja blender but no food processor can I use that too?
Many Thanks!
P.S. my first time making apple pie!
Hi Tania, a pastry blender will work, but a food processor will make the process much faster and easier. Yes, salt will work. I hope you love this recipe!
I made your pumpkin pie using your easy pie crust recipe. The link above in the blog for 9″ pie pan is for Emile Henry’s ceramic pan. The pumpkin pie recipe suggests using glass so I used a 9″ glass. It turned out fine but why the reference for Emile Henry’s ceramic pan if glass is preferred? Thanks.
Hi Sharon, We prefer to make pies that require a pre-bake in a glass pan because you can see the progress of the crust as it bakes, but a ceramic pie dish will also work.
We made the dough in advance last night. What you mean by “soften lightly”?
Hi Kidi, as it sits at room temperature, that will allow the dough to soften making it easier to roll out.
I have always used crisco for my crust. Will this taste better for my pumpkin pie??? I probably shouldn’t question you cause every recipe is amazing!! Thanks for sharing cause I appreciate you!! Happy Thanksgiving!!
Hi Jackie! An all-butter crust in my option is much better than Crisco. This crust has excellent reviews. I hope you’ll try it and love it!
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am so confused by this recipe. I weighed both my flour and my butter and at the end of it all I had to add another 2.5 cups of flour in order to get it to stick together. With 1/2 pound of butter (that’s 16 tablespoons!) and 7 tbsp of water it’s way too wet/gooey/sticky. I spent an hour correcting this. It needs half the amount of butter and water for 2.5 cups of flour. Once I got all the extra flour in it was a fantastic pie crust, though.
Hi Michelle! I’m sorry you had such a hard time with the crust. The metric conversion would be 312g Flour and 226g Butter. Is that how much you used? I have never had this happen in my experience so unless something was measured incorrectly, you should not have had this much trouble. I have been adding 6-8 Tbsp of water, 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. I hope you have better results next time.
I don’t normally leave reviews but for this recipe I will. Best pie CRUST I ever made! Thank you Natasha. I forgot to save your recipe last year but here I am hunting for it and found it!! Just follow the instruction and you should have the best apple pie for Thanksgiving!
Hi Cristol! Thank you for taking the time to share with us! I’m so glad you love this recipe. Happy Thanksgiving!
Love your pie crust recipe, have made it several times! I made and froze my dough a week ago, is there a certain way I should thaw it for my Thanksgiving pie?
Hi Ann! Thank you, I’m glad you love it. You can just thaw it at room temperature until it’s soft enough to roll.
I’m not sure why this recipe has such a high rating. This was such a disappointment. I was careful with how I measured my flour and still had to use 10 tablespoons of water to get it to come together. Even then it seemed too dry and crumbly to me and I should have trusted my instincts. I went to roll it out today and it was cracking all over the place. My search for the perfect all butter crust recipe continues.
I’m sorry to hear that. It sounds like you could have still used too much flour. I recommend watching my tutorial on how to measure your ingredients, HERE. I have been adding 6 Tbsp of water, 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. It should be around 6-8 tbsp.
It depends on the flour and how dry it is. If it’s very dry, it will take more water.
Am I able to make this crust ahead of time (e.g. 2 days ahead of baking)?
Yes, you can. You can prepare the crust and refrigerate up to 3 days ahead. Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling it out.
I don’t have a food processor. Can I use a stand up mixer instead?
Hi Maria! Yes, you can. You may find this tutorial helpful from King Arthur Baking on how to make pie crust in a stand mixer.
You can also use a pastry cutter or fork to cut in the butter.
I made your butter pie crust. While it was good, it didn’t have much flavor. Am I missing something?
Hi Mary, a pastry dough doesn’t typically have a ton of pronounced flavor – it’s not intended to be too sweet. One thing, make sure to add salt which adds good flavor.
What are your thoughts on using unsalted Irish butter versus traditional for the crust?
Making a couple pies for Thanksgiving and want to make them extra-special! Appreciate your time!
Hi Wendy! As far as I know, they are interchangeable. Irish butter has a better taste which makes it a better choice for baking. It does have less water content and more fat content than regular American butter, so I am not sure if it will make the crust greasier. Let us know how it turns out if you experiment with it. 🙂
Hi Natasha – do you recommend cooking the pastry shell prior to adding pie ingredients. If so, do you use pie weights and how long to cook prior to adding pie ingredients? Thank you
Hi Sherri, it depends on the pie that you are making. I pre-bake the crust for my pumpkin pie but I do not for my apple pie. You can reference the pumpkin pie recipe HERE for pre-bake instructions.
Do you have a cookbook With your recipes —I would like to purchase it.
Hi Treasia! I have a cookbook coming out next year! Stay tuned, we’re so excited about it!
I made this for the first time for a pot pie…My husband was thoroughly impressed.And, it was dang good. Would this be a good crust for pumpkin pie? Also, Can I make the pie crust a week in advance? Kept in fridge or freeze? Thx
Hi Sheryl, yes, that will work great! We have notes in the recipe regarding making it in advance. See the ‘Can I make Pie Dough in Advance?’ section. I hope you love this recipe!
HELP. My dough was crumbly, yet sticky. Was cold (refrigerator for 24H). Let it sit for 10 min at room temp before rolling out. I did sprinkle a bit more flour under and on top as i rolled out, that helped it come together but still not 100%. It’s not your recipe, I followed exactly, it is me. Any advice?
Hi Julie. 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.
Hi Natasha, I just made this pie crust and the recipe states 7-8 tbsp of water I added 7 and now it’s sticky. I noticed that you commented you use 6 tbsp. Can I fix the stickiness? I don’t want to waste the pie dough and ingredients.
Hi Ban, just dust it with flour so it’s not sticking to your hands and it should be fine. I have been using 7 Tbsp but it can vary depending on how the flour was measured.
If I only have SALTED butter, can I just omit the salt from recipe?
That’s right! Or adjust the sale level and put less.
Hey Natasha! I love this recipe and I’ve been using it for years, but it always shrinks in the pan when I bake it. Am I doing something wrong?
Hi Pamela! I’m so glad you love this recipe. There could be several reasons- oven temperature being too low or too high, the dough being overworked or is too warm. I would watch my process again to see if you’re missing anything or doing anything differently.
This was really easy for the pot pie I made! The first time, I made your recipe using store bought, thinking I’d waste too much time doing this from scratch too. I whipped this up in less than 10 minutes and it was perfect. Also, I was able to use a Ninja blender since I don’t have a food processor at home. Worked like a charm if you have the one with all the settings 😊
Thank you for sharing, Trisha!
I have made this chicken pot pie and the chicken pot pie soup and my family absolutely love the flavour I have also switched from bought pastry to homemade
I’m glad you loved the recipe!
Hi! Can you just clarify if it’s a half pound of butter or 2 sticks?
Hi Sandra, it’s 1/2 lb COLD unsalted butter, (2 sticks) diced into 1/4″ pieces
A 1/2 pound of butter is the equivalent of 2 sticks of butter. So, just go with 2 sticks of butter.
Hi natasha:) I tried this recipe for mini brownie pies and it tasted so good. Though I used a little less water for the crust. Thanks for the nice recipe:)
Great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!
Check out our post on mini pumpkin pies where I used this dough for mini pies.
Thank you so much 🙂 Sorry I asked a few times I just didn’t see the reply 🙂
The video says 6 tablespoon of water, and the written recipe says 7. Which is it?
Hi Diane, I recommend following the written recipe at all times.
Hi can you use this for mini pies? Will the baking time be shorter?
Check out our post on mini pumpkin pies where I used this dough for mini pies.
I had only tried the Joy of Cooking pie crust recipe my mom gave me, and it made homemade crust seem so impossible to manage. I had been settling store bought crust for years. I finally tried this and it’s so so good!! I wanted to comment in case anyone is wondering what I was: can this be doubled in a food processor? I found that the double recipe JUST fit in my 9 cup Ninja food processor, so if you have a smaller one it probably won’t fit. If you have at least a 9-cup one it turns out great. I got so many compliments on this crust!! 100% worth the effort. Pillsbury is never getting my money for prepared crust again!
Thank you for the wonderful review, Amanda! I’m so glad you loved this pie crust.