If you’re going to bake a pie, it’s imperative that your crust be the star of the show. A pie with a melt-in-your-mouth perfect pie crust will make any pie so much better! Want to know Great Grandma’s secret ingredient to perfectly flaky crust? Keep reading and you’ll too have perfect crust every single time WITHOUT using lard or shortening (talking Crisco).
Many people think you need to use lard or shortening in order to get a flaky, melt-in-your-mouth pie crust. But you DON’T! My Great-Grandma shared her tips with me for getting the best crust every time, and there’s a secret ingredient that most recipes are missing.
This recipe uses butter or lard (but coconut oil works equally as well) and is a foolproof recipe for flaky pie crust that rolls out easily every time.
Let me ask you this… do you ever eat a pie and fork out the filling, leaving the crust behind? Because if you said yes, you, my friend, have been using the wrong recipe.
In less than 15 minutes you can have 4 crusts (this a double pie crust recipe, meaning you’ll have enough crust for 2 tops and 2 bottoms of an 8 or 9-inch pie plate, or 4 crusts for cream or pumpkin pies) ready to bake or freeze.
This crust is so delicious, you’ll be leaving the filling just to eat the crust! In fact, my seven-year-old did that tonight.
When I was little, we made the hour trip to go visit my great-grandmother. We didn’t get to go very often, but I remember her house and beautiful rose bushes even though I was quite young. My mother is an excellent baker and cook, but I never liked pie crust. Until I tasted this one. I had never eaten pie crust before and when I ate the entire piece of pie, crust included, my mom switched her recipe as fast as my great-grandmother could write it out.
Now I’m thrilled to share it with you. Be warned, this flaky pastry pie crust recipe is the best I’ve ever had. Like melt-in-your-mouth, going to eat the entire thing in one sitting so grab a big ol’ fork, good!
No Shortening
Are you looking for a pie crust recipe without shortening (aka Crisco)? If you’re concerned about GMO foods and ones that are highly processed, then the answer is yes. I cut shortening out of our kitchen after a cancer scare almost ten years ago and have never looked back.
This recipe became my no-fail flaky pie crust with butter because, let’s face it, real butter just makes everything taste better (especially grass-fed butter!). For real, I’ve even been known to slip some butter into my coffee. And contrary to popular notions, I’ve not packed on the pounds.
Butter or Lard?
Should I use butter or lard in my pie crust? The truth is, either one works fine. I find that half butter and half lard make a perfect crust, and if I’ve been “pioneering” then I usually have some homemade lard in the cupboard.
But for those of you who haven’t quite crossed that bridge yet, using all butter works just as well (and is what I’m demonstrating in the video above).
Note: In order to achieve a flaky crust, your lard, butter, or coconut oil needs to be cold. It’s the pieces of solid fat distributed throughout the flour which melt upon baking that create the flakiness.
available now
Give the Gift of Homemade—All Year Long
Want to make stunning, heartfelt gifts in less time—with less stress? Get my Mason Jar Gift Guide absolutely free! Inside, you’ll discover step-by-step recipes, printable labels, and creative DIY inspiration—so you can whip up beautiful, delicious, homegrown gifts for every occasion. Perfect for anyone craving a simpler, more meaningful holiday season (or just more joy in your kitchen).
Subscribe to Melissa K. Norris!
Get updates on the latest posts and more from Melissa K. Norris straight to your inbox.
We use your personal data for interest-based advertising, as outlined in our Privacy Notice.
Dairy-Free Pie Crust Options
If you’re dairy free, you can make this pie crust recipe with lard or coconut oil and it turns out just as flaky and delicious.
What flour is best for my pie crust?
All-purpose will give you a great texture as well as pastry flour. I wouldn’t use bread flour, you don’t need the extra gluten for pie crust.
For fresh ground flour choices, I use a blend of fresh ground spelt and soft white wheat on the pastry setting of my flour grinder. Learn more on grinding your own flour and choosing a grinder here.
Ingredients
Great-grandma knew a thing or two about baking and one of those was the addition of two special ingredients not always found in common pie crust recipes. These two items make this a foolproof pie crust with the addition of vinegar and egg!
I know, the vinegar may throw you, but trust me, together, they make a world of difference in both the flakiness and ease of working with the dough, and you won’t taste the vinegar one bit.
- Flour – you can use just about any flour you want for pie crust, however, I have the best, most consistent results when using all-purpose or pastry flour.
- Fat – no matter what fat you’re using, it’s critical that the fat is cold! My preferred fat is butter (grass-fed, if possible), but you can also use lard (especially delicious if you’ve rendered your own lard), or coconut oil (perfect for a dairy-free option).
- Sugar – not too much, just enough to give your pie crust more of a dessert taste, rather than a savory taste. You can easily omit this, but I’ve used this exact recipe even for savory dishes (hello homemade chicken pot pie!) and it’s great. I also like to sprinkle sugar over the pie crust before baking. It adds a delicious crunch and pop of sweetness with each bite.
- Salt – because salt = flavor, and flavor is imperative for a delicious crust!
- Vinegar – you can use any vinegar you have on hand (homemade fruit vinegar is great for baking). Since I always make our own homemade apple cider vinegar, it’s what I use most often.
- Egg – though not typically found in pie crust, the egg working together with the vinegar is what makes the fool-proof flaky layers!
- Ice Water – though water isn’t typically listed as an ingredient, it’s important to mention that you need ICE-COLD water! Those flaky layers happen when the butter melts during the baking process, so you don’t want the butter to melt into the dough BEFORE baking, otherwise… no flaky layers!
- Milk – we don’t add milk to the pie crust itself, but just before baking, I like to brush the pie crust with milk, then sprinkle on some sugar. This helps the crust bake up perfectly golden-brown.
Instructions
Measure out all ingredients and cut the butter into 1/2 inch cubes, then place the butter in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.
1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt and stir to combine.
2. Cut in cold butter using a pastry cutter until there are no pieces larger than the size of a pea.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the apple cider vinegar and egg until combined, then add to the flour and butter mixture.
4. Add cold water, one tablespoon at a time, until dough just starts coming together, then turn out onto counter.
5. Continue adding 1 tablespoon of ice water until the dough holds its shape without crumbling. Don’t add too much water, you don’t want a sticky dough, just a dough that barely holds together.
6. Work the dough into a large round ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes to allow the dough to rest. (Don’t skip this step!)
7. Once the dough has rested, remove it from the refrigerator and divide it into 4 equal portions. (I use my wooden bench knife for easy cutting. For more tips on using this indispensable tool, check out 10 Time-Saving Uses for a Wooden Bench Knife in the Kitchen.) Press each quarter into a disc shape, then, if freezing, follow the instructions in this post for how to freeze pie dough.
8. Working with one quarter at a time (keep the others in the refrigerator until ready to roll out), lightly dust your countertop and roll out pie crust, giving the dough a 1/4 turn after each roll to be sure it’s not sticking to the counter.
If the dough starts sticking to your rolling pin, lightly dust the rolling pin with flour.
9. Carefully fold the dough over on itself and transfer it carefully to your favorite pie plate or cast iron skillet. Then, follow the instructions for your favorite pie or quiche recipe.
Pie Baking Tips and Tricks
- If you’re not baking your pie today, take the unbaked pie dough ball, press it out into a disc, and wrap in plastic wrap. Toss it in the freezer until ready to use. The day before you’re ready to bake, thaw flaky pastry crust dough in the fridge overnight (or on the counter for a few hours). Lightly flour surface and roll out to desired thickness.
- Alternatively, roll out bottom crusts and place them into pie plate, freeze until solid, then pop frozen pie crust out, wrap, and freeze. Bake pie crust from frozen in the same pie plate you froze it in! (More tips on freezing dough here.)
- When freezing, be sure to mark your dough. I also freeze sugar cookie dough and on Christmas morning I mistakenly used sugar cookie dough for my pastry crust in a sausage quiche. My brother said, “Does this have maple-flavored sausage? It’s sweet.”
Additional Resources
- Hand Made: the Modern Guide to Made-from-Scratch Living – get the best old-fashioned recipes for a busy home without spending all day in the kitchen! Get over 100+ recipes and tips from over 3 generations of bakers. Psst, don’t forget to claim your bonuses here.
- This Fiesta ware pie plate – made in the USA, is so pretty, I don’t know if I could store it in the cupboard. But as they always say, we eat with our eyes first, so I love pretty pie plates and cast iron skillets when it comes to my pies.
- Gorgeous pie cut out – whether you like a lattice top, simple slits, or a beautiful and ornate pie crust, this pie crust cut out can help for those of us who are creatively challenged in the decorative pie crust area.
- Pastry cutter/pastry blender – seriously, this little tool is the secret to flaky pie crusts… and biscuits. If you don’t have one of these kitchen tools yet, go grab one!
More Recipes & Posts You May Enjoy
- How to Freeze Dough (Cookie dough, pie dough, bread dough)
- Homemade Pop-Tarts (aka Hand-Pies)
- Vinegar Pie – Old-Fashioned Recipe from Ma Ingalls
- Mini Cherry Pies (baked in a muffin tin)
- 29 Ways to Use Apple Cider Vinegar
Did you make this recipe? Snap a photo and tag me on social media, I’d LOVE to see your flaky pie crust! Then be sure to rate this recipe by clicking the stars in the recipe card below!
Best Ever Flaky Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour see notes on best flour to use
- 1.75 cup butter or lard or coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar You can use white vinegar, but I prefer apple cider in baking
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup water ice cold
Instructions
- Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Stir to combine.
- Cut in COLD butter (or lard, or coconut oil).
- Fat is fully cut in when the flour is in crumbly pea size pieces.
- Mix egg and vinegar together in a small bowl, then add to flour mixture along with 3 tablespoons of ice cold water.
- Continue adding water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough just holds together, without crumbling, when pressed into a ball.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Divide dough into four equal balls, press out into a disc and either freeze or roll out to bake pies.
Notes
- In order to achieve a flaky crust, your lard, butter, or coconut oil needs to be cold. It’s the pieces of solid fat distributed throughout the flour which melt upon baking that create the flakiness. You can freeze your butter or lard before cutting it in. The large side of a cheese grater works great with frozen butter.
- Don’t skip the chilling step. This allows the dough to rest and the butter to get cold again before rolling/baking.
- Roll out bottom crusts into pie plate, freeze until solid, then pop frozen pie crust out, wrap, and freeze. Bake pie crust from frozen in the same pie plate you froze it in!
I am not confident about making pie crusts. I was nervous about this. I tried to mix the flour and butter in portions in my mini food processor (little room in a tiny house)~~that was frustrating!! Next time I will do by hand. But following your directions carefully, dividing the dough in 4th’s and refrigerating, the 2 pie crusts for my Strawberry-Rhubarb pie worked very well!!! I have the other 2 portions in the freezer for now. The crusts were SO delicious and flaky!!!!! My absolute favorite type of crusts!!! Thanks SO much for sharing this recipe Melissa!!! I did not want to use shortening (I did not have any on hand anyway). My daughter (in her 40’s) said the pie/crust was Amazing!!!! I could sit and just eat the crusts too (like your kids loved to do)!!!
I’m a little confused by the recipe. So are you supposed to put the pie crust in a pie pan freeze that and then pull it out and fill it with your filling and cook it frozen? I don’t know why you would need to pop it out as the recipe says. Unless you’re talking about all of the crusts being frozen I don’t know how you would store that without them crumbling just a little confused looking for advice
I tried this pie crust for the first time this year for my Thanksgiving pies. After learning about how shortening is made, I never wanted to use that again. So, I opted for an all butter crust (even though I had some lard I could have used). First of all, I love that it made so much crust. I had enough for all of my pies and I still have some in the freezer. This is probably the BEST pie crust I’ve ever made and I thought I had a pretty good crust recipe before this one. It is flaky and delicious. I used to only eat some of the crust when I had pie, but now I eat it all….It IS that GOOD! I plan on making some more this winter and sticking it in the freezer. I love having it on hand. Thank you so very much.
Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
Can you use shortening instead of butter, coconut lard in this recipe?
I just took my tomato pie out of the oven and the crust is spectacular! Tomato pie is eaten at room temperature so we have to go through the torture of waiting to experience the crust. It’s beautiful. Thank you very much
Wonderful so happy to here it turned out!
Hi Melissa, enjoyed your videos. I can’t get the pie crust recipe can you help please? Thank you
Linda
I made this pie crust today for a chicken pot pie and it was amazing. I used 2 cups butter and 1.5 cups lard. (I doubled the recipe). It rolled out beautifully and was super flaky. Thanks so much for sharing it.
I’m a pie baking novice and this pie crust came out perfect! I used it to bake a pie with all our surplus cherries. My husband and my child devoured the pie, saying it was the best pie. I can’t wait to try this pie crust with different fillings. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this pie crust recipe! When pre-baking a crust for a custard-style pie, what do you recommend for the oven temperature and baking time?
I have been married for 63 years and have made pies for many of those years or at least most of them but I have never used butter. At the moment I have been using oil. After watching this video I will try the butter method. You make it look so easy. I never thought about using a cookie cutter to make a deco on top of the tie crust, I’ve always just made slashes up and down and then a few on the sides. I’ve already taken your sourdough bread baking course and make it every couple of weeks. Thanks!
Love watching your videos and learning from you!
I used this recipe for my Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Pie and it was DELICIOUS! I’m a convert.
Can you add too much water? I was adding water a tablespoon at a time. Eventually, I got the ball a bit sticky. Is that ok?
Do you have this recipe with weighed ingredients? I’m learning that different flours weigh differently or does it not make a difference when it comes to pie crust?
I love the pie recipes and watching you make the crusts! I am a begining pressure canner, new to planting in the NW, and have learned alot from you about each in the last few months! I am anxious about having pie fillings ready to go and how to make the crust! Thank you so much! I am an Academy member, but signed for the newsletter in case it is for baking!
Thank you!
Kathie
Hi Kathie,
Very excited to have you in the Academy (if you haven’t yet gone through it the canning course will give you lots of help with pressure canning!) and yay for baking! Under Homesteading Skills in your PTA library you’ll find several baking videos and resources.
Looking forward to trying.
Excellent flakey pie dough. Rolled it out between two pieces of parchment paper and marked the unerside with a cirlcle so rolling out dough would be percise.
Thank you for the video. That was super helpful! I never thought to use my food processor to cut in the butter. Much easier! I’ve made the dough and it is chilling now 🙂 I only have 10-inch pie plates so instead of cutting the dough into 4 pieces, I think I am going to try 3 and make an apple pie and pumpkin pie.
I have used this recipe for years- it is by a lady named Linda Garner, from a newspaper article from a looong time ago. I have always wondered about replacing the shortening called for with butter- now that I know someone else has successfully done it, I’ll give it a go! I like to use my food processor, but it is easy to do by hand as well ? This is the only pie crust recipe I use in my home bakery, and my customers love it.
Have you ever made your pie crust using a food processor?
Yes, I’ve done it both ways, with a food processor and by hand. My food processor is almost too small for this recipe though.
I made this pie crust and used Einkorn all purpose flour and it turned out excellent. I only needed the initial 3 tbsp of water and did not need to add anymore. Thank you! This will be my go to crust recipe for now on.
Wow! Just wow! This is by far the best crust I have ever made or eaten!
Putting the butter in the freezer for 15 minutes before running it through my food processor with the cheese shredder blade on it worked fantastic. I then cut the butter into the flour with a pastry blending tool and chilled the dough as recommended before rolling it out. When I rolled it out the dough was marbled with the butter pieces. The crust turned out incredible! Gorgeous, flaky and to-die-for delicious!
Thank you so very much Melissa for sharing this with us! It is a keeper!
Hooray! An all butter pie crust that held its shape and was flaky and delicious! Thank you!
Made this using Gluten-free all purpose flour and butter. Turned out great! Your video and tips really helped. Thank you!
I was so happy to see your comment! I was scrolling through looking to see if anyone had tried it using gluten free flour. So often it does not react the same way and it is so expensive I hate to waste it on a recipe that won’t work so thanks!
Thank you I was afraid to try with gf flour. I’ve used this recipe for years I was told it was an Amish recipe. It’s always been wonderful but it used shortening. Can’t wait to try butter and gf flour
Hi Melissa, I love this recipe and have used it several times now for pot pies! This is my first go round with making it for holiday pies. How long and at what temp would one pre-bake this if using for a chocolate pie?
Thanks
Ever since I have tried this recipe, it is my go to recipe. I make a pie and freeze the rest. When I run out, I make more to freeze. Absolutely love the taste and flakiness. Guest always want the recipe.
I have used the same recipe for years. It was great but THIS recipe was amazing! Immediate winner! I thought I over-mixed it for sure, but it turned out flaky and wonderfully on the first try. My family gave it the “best pie we’ve ever had” award. Thank you!!
I might put in a little tiny bit less salt in next time. I’m just so impressed though. YUM!
So happy to hear it turned out awesome for you!!
I have a web site suggestion. The fonts are all in light gray.
They should be black for max readability. This will help everyone. But especially us older folk whose eyes are not as good as they used to be.
It’s easy to change the color. Just ask the person who put up the site for you.
BTW we gave up shortening long ago in favor of lard.
I second that! However, I think some websites don’t give you the option to use a black font. You’d have to mess around with the html stuff. I’m going to try this recipe with gluten free flour. Hoping for the best!
Hi Melissa,
Have you ever tried this recipe with gluten free flour?
Earlier Melissa said her readers had used Bob’s Gluten-Free Flour with success; I’m going to give it a try tomorrow. (although since we have multiple dietary issues here I may have to try with a slightly different blend…..will see)
Advertised as ‘no shortening’ surely lard is shortening???
No, lard is not shortening. Shortening is hydrogenated soybean and vegetable oils. Lard is pig fat and much healthier than shortening. You can also use all butter.
Can I use both lard and butter in this recipe? I’m assuming so since you give 3 options for the fat. My current recipe calls for 2:1 ratio of butter to lard. Same ratio for this recipe? Thanks.
Yes, I find a little bit more butter than lard makes it easier to roll out and work with.
We have an egg allergy in the family. Any idea I’d an egg replacement would work for this crust? And do you know of any egg wash substitutes? Thanks!
Just use a milk wash instead!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! How long can I freeze this? I don’t make a lot of pies, but love the idea of having a homemade dough in the freezer to go with my canned homemade apple pie filling ?
I tried to rate this recipe as 5 stars but i can’t for some reason. I omitted the sugar since I was using it for turkey pot pie and it was indeed the best pie crust I’ve made to date. I’ve tried a lot of them. I’m guessing its the egg that does the trick for what I’m looking for! I got tired of pastry blending so I threw it in the food processor instead. I even didn’t have time to freeze the butter for a bit or get my water cold and it still was perfect. This is my new go-to recipe. I just wish it was sourdough.. can we work on that recipe, Melissa?! 😉
So happy to hear it worked well for you Maggie, and if you have my book Hand Made you’ll see where I do a sourdough pie crust in it 🙂
You must be really precise where the mouse goes to register the rating.
Melissa you are such an industrious ‘busy beaver’ but I find I’m very motivated by your productivity
Here in Australia we don’t really get big into pumpkin pie like you guys do!!
However after being so lovely and sharing your Moms creSmy pie filling and Great Grandmas pastry methinks I’ll have to have a go
Thank you for your careful explanations and your enthusiasm
We kinda homestead but not in depth as you do. We have a hot house, covered orchard and vegie garden ( birds) and have own bee hives. Chooks come nxt. Watched Tom Bartels ideas on chook houses and a great design.
Blessings Elle
Hi Elle,
I’m so glad you are motivated and trying the pumpkin recipes! Let me know what you think of them.
Hello Melissa!
Thank you for the recipe! I had sworn off making pie crusts until I saw your recipe.
? Do you add all of that 1/2 cup of water or just enough until the dough holds together?
Thanks again! God bless!
Just add enough water until the dough holds together, sometimes I use it all and others I don’t, start with a 1/4 cup first.
Any idea how this piecrust might work with Gluten free flours? GF is always a challenge!
Many readers have said it works great with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free blend 🙂
Hello Melissa!
Thank you for your recipe! I’m anxious to try it, as I had written off making pie crusts. I do have a question about adding the liquid. Do you add the egg to the flour mix and then only add as much water as needed for the flour to hold together? The recipe called for 1/2 cup water. Thanks for your help and all that you do! God bless!
Sincerely,
Vickie
Hi Vickie, exactly as you stated, I add the egg first and then as much of the water is needed to hold together.
I want it alll
When and how do you use the egg? I didn’t see iit?
Wanted to thank you for all these great recipes. And thanks for the wonderful 2 books
Thank you for your book. Love it!
Do you think I could make the dough in a food processor? At the moment, my hands are not stronger enough.
Hi Roxann, you can try it, just be careful not to let it go too long and become over worked.
Thank you for this recipe. A dear family member used to make the best pie crust. After she passed away, I was hoping to find her pie crust recipe in the kitchen as I helped to clear it out. Never did. So yay! for a recipe that includes lard. I believe that was her secret ingredient. Can’t wait to try it, and pour in a jar of “your” apple pie filling, which is sitting on my pantry shelf.
Laurie, I’ve found half lard and half butter give the best results. I hope you enjoy it and I’m doing the same pie on Thanksgiving with the home canned pie filling, so we’ll both be eating well!
I have tried numerous times to print your FLAKY PASTRY PIE CRUST RECIPE, & because an advertisement keeps popping up on the recipe area, I am unable to get it to print.
I really do enjoy your web site tho.
Take good care, & GOD BLESS.
Sandie
Sandie, huh, I just tested it and it worked fine for me. Once you hit the print button on the printable card at the bottom, it should bring it up in a new window for printing. Sorry it wasn’t working for you. It’s the same pie crust recipe in my book if you have it.
At what temp. do you bake pie crust & for how long. Do you add the whole egg as part of the liquids? What size pie pan & what type..glass or metal?
I know this is a lot of questions but I’m new to making pie crusts.
Hey Lynn,
I bake the pie crust at whatever temperature the pie recipe I’m using calls for. They egg is added with the liquids. I bake my pies in glass pie pans, ceramic, and my cast iron skillet (the 8 inch skillet). It works well in all of them. Hope that helps and happy pie baking!
I’ve struggled with various pie crust recipes over the years, and I also really hate the bland flavor of store bought crusts. This pie crust tastes amazing!!! It’s easy, and Melissa walks you through the crucial steps to get the dough to the right consistency. I love this recipe and it has become my go-to, for fruit pies, quiche, chicken pot pie, etc!
I absolutely love my “Made from Scratch Life” book! I liked it so well, I ordered one for my daughter. It’s been a while since I received them, but I read it a lot. I learn something new everytimt I open it. Thank you for putting this together for us. It is awesome. I highly recommend getting one, or more. They make great gifts!
Deborah,
Thank you so much and I love that the book has helped you and you enjoyed it enough to get one as a gift. P.S. I’m working on the second book right now. 🙂
Dear Melissa, The cold weather makes me think of days of old on the farm and the smell of baked goods. My mother could make all her dough and goodies ,I miss them.She is 90 and does little cooking.
Thank you for all the inspiration and joy of your recipes and ideas. GODS BEST this Thanksgiving as you meet with family and friends may it be a special time of remembering and making memories
We love you and your family ,as I know they are special and you reflect their goodness as they yours.
Amos, Georgia and Erica
Thank you. There is nothing better than warm goodies fresh from the oven. What blessed memories!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
How would you Halve this recipe?
. . . Sounds really good!
Angel,
Just cut all the measurements in half. 🙂
I love your website and you. Thank you.
Patsy Clairmont has a porch talk at her house. I thought of you when I found her site. Maybe someday you could do something similar. Visiting and chatting about pioneer living would be something I would love. Thanks again
Arla,
I’ll have to check that out! Porches were made for visiting weren’t they? 🙂 Thank you!
This is the one I use called “No-Fail Pie Crust”. It is the best I have ever found and it freezes well so you don’t have to use it all at once. I smooth it in plastic wrap so there are no bubbles, freeze it, and then vacuum seal it.
This looks delicious and I have all the ingredients already at home! Yay! I’m going to try it over the weekend and see what I think 😛
BTW I was raised by my grandmother and she did the same thing that has been mentioned above — whenever she would bake a pie she would cut up the leftover crust and cook it for us to have “cookies.” Reading this is really bringing back some amazingly fond memories of her!
[…] my great-grandmothers pie crust recipe, be warned, it might be the best pastry you’ve ever had. Grandma would take pie crusts and cut […]
Do I need to prebake this crust before I fill it? I’m new at crusts and I’m still a lil lost as to when to prebake and when not to. Thanks.
Natasha, you don’t prebake the pie crust. It bakes with the filling. The only time you prebake a pie crust is if you’re doing a pudding pie, like a chocolate pie that doesn’t get baked, or a no bake filling. Does that help?
Yes. Thank you!
Good. And congrats to you for starting to make this at home. 🙂
Thanks for sharing on Homesteaders Hop. With the availability of frozen crusts in supermarket, making pie crust from scratch is truly a lost art (almost), so it’s great to see a nice “how-to” post on this.
Janet,
So glad you enjoyed it and I hope you have a fabulous homemade pie crust with your pies this holiday season. 🙂
This is the same pastry recipe that my grandma and her sister, my aunt, used. I have been using it for about 40 years. It was great seeing that someone else also used it.
I wish I knew where my great-grandmother found it originally, but she passed away when I was small. So glad to see other’s have this gem of a recipe, too.
I made this flaky pie crust the same day I got the recipe from your website, TODAY ! It is sooo Flaky, it taste better than the store bought kind. This is the very first time I’ve ever made crust from scratch. I even created my own (plum cobbler recipe) with it, and it is so good. This is now added to my list of homemade food items.Thank you so much for this recipe, and tomorrow I will be using the low sugar no pectin strawberry jam recipe. Have some strawberries that a friend picked for me from another friends garden, with no pesticides. YAY!
Michelle, so happy to hear! Yea for your first pie crust. Can’t wait to hear how your jam turns out and what a great friend to share her goodies with you. 🙂
I’ve never made a good pie crust, but I made this a few weeks ago and my family loved it, thanks! And I did the pastry ground whole wheat.
Lynda, thanks for sharing and the tip on your flour. I’m happy your family enjoyed it. 🙂
[…] ready to bake your pie, pour one quart apple pie filling into pastry lined pie plate(my grandmother’s flaky pastry recipe that takes less than 15 minutes to make) Place […]
[…] in a puff pastry is very soft and does not fail to impress your guests at your next dinner party. Tips for Making the Best Pie Crust simply tender and flaky pie crust with just the right amount of s…moisten and bring a little sweetness. In this sense there is a lot of pressure to make the perfect […]
Thank you for the recipes. I plan to make Strawberry Rhubarb Jam for Christmas presents. This is the pie crust my mother makes. She is 104 and still baked until last month when a stroke slowed her. She’s making a rapid recovery. Your articles have been a blessing to me. I’m not well, my husband was in the hospital with high blood pressure last week, and they are just what I needed to read.
Blessings,
Eyrline
Eyrline, I’m honored that my pie crust is the same as your mother’s and that my words have brought comfort to you. I hope that I can continue to bake and cook as long as she has. I’m so sorry that she suffered a stroke and for your husband. I’ve already got some of my jam marked for Christmas gifts as well. Thank you for commenting, mind if we pray?
Dear Jesus,
Please lay your hand upon Eyrline and her family. I pray that you would bring strength and restoration to her. May your Holy Spirit work in their lives, Lord, and may they feel your comfort and peace. In Jesus name, Amen
I love that you didn’t just say you’d be praying- you did it right there! Made me cry! Way to go being the love of Jesus to those in your reach. I came for a pie crust and was inspired to love people!! Beautiful!
Also- I’m tempted to try this with GF flour…wonder how it will turn out. The fridge is usually a bad idea with GF crust. I may try it after Thanksgiving!
Amen.
After rolling out her pie-crust and shaping it, my mom made Pie-Crust Cookies with the leftover dough. She rolled it flat, cut into add shapes, like a crazy quilt, sprinkled with sugar/cinnamon and baked till golden brown. She must have had a recipe similar to this, we all loved eating her pie crust!
I did that with my mom! We didn’t cut it into shapes though, just rolled it out flat. I like the idea of cookies better. Thanks!
When I was growing up, I absolutely detested pie crusts. I don’t care what it was made with. Since I’ve been out on my own, I love ’em. Go figure! Thanks for the recipe, Melissa!
Amanda, I felt the same way until I tasted this recipe. lol I also used to hate tomatoes and now I love them! Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for the great recipe, Melissa! Can’t wait to try it. I so love cinnamon and sugar on pie dough baked. lol This could be addicting. 🙂
Cindy, it can become a habbit! I haven’t made the cinnamon and sugar since I was girl helping my mom in the kitchen, but I plan on thawing a ball this weekend to let my kids help make some.
My mother called that recipe Sally Pie (Cinnamon sugar, flour and a little butter) in a pie shell. It was often just a mini size pie with crust left over from a larger pie. Delicious!
Another helpful tip is to keep the dough cold!!! Actually, it doesn’t hurt to freeze the dough even if you are planning to bake a pie that day. The colder the dough is, the easier it is to work with. Of course, this takes longer than 15 minutes, so it ruins the quickness of it, but it does make the dough so much easier to work with. I don’t use vinegar in my dough–may have to try that. Interesting!
Sarah, you’re right. The fifteen minute part is just to make the dough. I always chill mine for 15 minutes prior to rolling, but the nice thing about freezing it is how nice it rolls out. Try the vinegar, it’s sooo good. 🙂 Thanks for your tips!
Can’t wait to try this one. I have never been able to make a decent pie crust.
Go for it, Gail. I have to confess, I was snitching pieces of crust off the pot pie I made last night before I put it back in the fridge. If you have any questions or troubles, just give me a holler.
This looks yummy! Thank you so much for the recipe!
It is. I almost baked a crust w/ sprinkled sugar and cinnamon just to eat it last night.
My mom took left over pie crust , rolled it out, spread w/ butter, sugar and cinnamon. The she rolled the crust up and cut it into thin slices..1/4” and baked them. We would fight over them! I occasionally bake a whole crust sprinkled w/cinnamon and sugar…..and ate it!?????
Grandma used to call those sugar pies!! When my son was growing up, I often did that with the scraps.
I made the switch!! And the pie crust looks very yummy!
Yea! I’m so glad you switched w/ me. 🙂
Question: You shape into four balls, and place balls in oven to bake; then freeze. When you are ready to use, shape into pie crust and bake as usual. Is this right? I am a visual person and not sure if I have the recipe right. Thank you!
Glad you asked. You don’t bake them in ball form. Freeze if you’re not ready to bake a pie in the ball form unbaked. Then thaw, roll out into your pie crust and bake as usual. I’ll go up and edit that part. Thanks!
Amazing looking recipe! Thanks for sharing. Quick question- I assume you roll out the dough before baking it? Do you prebake before using in a recipe?
Love your blog!!! All the best!
Thanks, Becky! You do roll out for baking. I freeze it in the ball shape unbaked, then thaw, and roll out and bake.
[…] today’s post-Pioneering Today- Best Ever Flaky Pie Crust Ever had pie where you ate the filling and left the crust? This crust is so good you’ll eat […]
I love everything you do and I love this recipe. However, I will split into four balls and chill. Then, each one that I want to freeze will be rolled into a large disc inside a large ziplock bag and freeze like this. It is much easier to defrost and much closer to the size I will be rolling it into and easier to keep chilled. My scraps are layer out on cookie sheet and buttered then sesame seeds and real salt, to make crackers.
Do you have a good gluten free pie crust recipe?
It’s this same recipe just with a gluten-free flour blend.
It says in the recipe the type of flour is listed in the notes I don’t see that. What type do you use ?
Yes, it’s above in the ingredient section, I copied it here:
Flour – you can use just about any flour you want for pie crust, however, I have the best, most consistent results when using all-purpose or pastry flour.
Thank you for the recipe always on the look out for a good pie crust recipe. Haven’t tried it yet but I will next week.