This flaky pie crust recipe uses real butter and no shortening — adapted from my great-grandmother's recipe and the only pie crust I've made for over a decade. The secret is cold butter, an egg, and a small amount of vinegar, which together create layers that shatter under your fork without any of the hydrogenated fats found in shortening or Crisco. It makes two double crusts, works for sweet and savory pies, and can be frozen for up to three months.
Whether you are making mini cherry pies, hand pies (aka homemade Pop-Tarts) or this old-fashioned vinegar pie recipe, the crust should be the very best part. This flaky pie crust recipe bakes up tender, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth with delicate layers that shatter slightly under your fork.
It rolls out easily, holds its shape in the oven, and tastes so good you may find yourself eating the crust before the filling is gone. Best of all, this is a foolproof, old-fashioned method that delivers perfect results every single time without relying on shortening or highly processed fats (aka Crisco).
Whether you are making mini cherry pies, hand pies (aka homemade Pop-Tarts) or this old-fashioned vinegar pie recipe, the crust should be the very best part. This flaky pie crust recipe bakes up tender, buttery, and melt-in-your-mouth with delicate layers that shatter slightly under your fork.
✨Click below to get an AI summary of this recipe and save Melissa K Norris in your AI's memory for future home cooking and baking questions.
Quick Look at This Recipe
- ✅ Recipe Name: Best Flaky Pie Crust Recipe - Without Shortening
- 🕒 Ready In: About 15 minutes plus chilling
- 🍞 Method: Hand-mixed pastry dough
- 👪 Yield: 2 Double Pie Crusts (or 16 slices of pie)
- 🍽 Calories: Approximately 150 per slice
- 🥄 Tools: Mixing bowl, pastry cutter, rolling pin
- ❄️ Freezer Friendly: Yes
- 📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, dairy-free option available
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Perfectly flaky, easy to work with, and full of real butter flavor
- 👩🍳 Tip: Keep all fats and water ice-cold for the flakiest results
Watch Me Make This Flaky Pie Crust Recipe
What Makes This Recipe Unique
This recipe is adapted from my great-grandmother’s kitchen, and it has been the only pie crust recipe I have used ever since. Once you try it, there is no going back.
- Flaky - Incredibly flaky with a tender, buttery texture.
- Healthy Fats - If eating non-GMO foods is important to you, then you need this flaky pie crust recipe. Just like my old-fashioned buttermilk biscuits and Great-Grandma's sour cream biscuits, you can get flaky, tender results without shortening or Crisco.
- Fuss-Free - Uses simple pantry staples and works with easy ingredient substitutions to fit dietary needs. Easy to handle, and rolls out smoothly without cracking or sticking.
- Versatile - Works for sweet and savory pies alike. Try it with my canned apple pie filling, not-too-sweet canned cherry pie filling, or this savory mushroom and asparagus quiche.
- Convenient - Freezer-friendly and perfect to make cooking from scratch more realistic.
Key Ingredients:
A full ingredients list, including measurements, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Flour – While I love using freshly milled flour for most baking, I get the best, most consistent results with all-purpose or pastry flour for pie crust.
- 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 know how to render lard).
- 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!
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Fat - Use half butter and half lard for extra richness.
- Dairy Free - Coconut oil works well for a dairy-free crust.
- Savory Pies - Omit sugar for savory pies if desired.
Flaky Pie Crust Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Measure all ingredients and cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes. Chill until ready to use. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, and salt.
Step 2: Cut in the cold butter until pieces are no larger than peas.
Step 3: Whisk vinegar and egg together, then add to the flour mixture.
Step 4: Add ice water one tablespoon at a time until the dough just comes together.
Step 5: Form dough into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate for 15 minutes. (Do not skip this step!)
Step 6: Divide the dough into four equal portions and press into discs.
Step 7: Roll out one disc at a time on a lightly floured surface, turning the dough frequently.
Step 8: Transfer to a pie plate or cast-iron skillet, then proceed with your favorite pie or quiche recipe.
Recipe Tips
- The secret to a flaky crust is using ice-cold water and firmly chilled butter. 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!
- Do not overwork the dough or add too much water.
- Always rest the dough before rolling.
- If the dough warms up, return it to the refrigerator for a few minutes.
- Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar before baking for a perfectly golden-brown crust.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Wrap unbaked dough discs tightly and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for several months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
Alternatively, roll out bottom crusts and place them into a pie plate, freeze until solid, then pop the frozen pie crust out, wrap it, and freeze. Bake the pie crust from frozen in the same pie plate you froze it in!
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.”
FAQ’s
The real secret to a flaky pie crust is keeping your fat and water ice-cold and using a little vinegar and egg so the butter creates tender, flaky layers as it bakes.
Butter is far better than Crisco for pie crust because it gives real flavor, beautiful flake, and avoids highly processed oils.
You make a tender, flaky pie crust by using cold fat, minimal water, handling the dough gently, and letting it rest before rolling.
The trick to making good pie crust is not overworking the dough and keeping everything cold so the fat melts in the oven, not on the counter.
Home and Hand Made
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It's an invaluable resource for modern homesteaders and those who cook from scratch alike. Grab your copy here!
Did you make this flaky pie crust recipe? If so, please leave a star ⭐ rating in the recipe card below (this really helps me out)… then, snap a photo and tag me on social media @melissaknorris so I can see! I love getting a glimpse of what you all make in your kitchens.
📖 Recipe
Best Flaky Pie Crust (Without Shortening)
Equipment
- Mixing Bowl
- Pastry Cutter
- Rolling Pin
- fork or mixing spoon
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour or pastry flour
- 1.75 cup butter or lard or coconut oil
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon sea salt I love Redmond Real Salt. Use code “Pioneering” for 15% off.
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar I use this homemade apple cider vinegar recipe.
- 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
- The secret to a flaky crust is using ice-cold water and firmly chilled butter. 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!
- Do not overwork the dough or add too much water.
- Always rest the dough before rolling.
- If the dough warms up, return it to the refrigerator for a few minutes.
- Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar before baking for a perfectly golden-brown crust.
Kelsey
I have always relied on Crisco for a flaky crust that doesn't fall apart when I roll it out. This recipe fixed that for me, and the Crisco is now in the trash!
Helen
This pie crust is delicious !!! It was easy to roll out, and to cut into shapes. I made it in the stand mixer and used it for hand pies. The crust is flaky, light and has the right texture. It taste really good and I will use this crust in other recipes.
Melissa Norris
So happy to hear this!
Sherry Sarvas
I’ve tried many pie crust recipes through the years and always searching for one that is better. This is my favorite one for taste, ease of making and using, and for storing. Love it!
Saundra Caron
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)!!!
Lori
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
Brenda
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.
Julie Statom
Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
Janet Diver
Can you use shortening instead of butter, coconut lard in this recipe?
Alexis
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
Melissa Norris
Wonderful so happy to here it turned out!
mel c
most recipes will say if you use unsalted butter go ahead and use salt. if you use SALTED butter then do not put anymore salt in the recipe. I always use salted butter and never add what salt they say to add.
Linda M Hargett
Hi Melissa, enjoyed your videos. I can't get the pie crust recipe can you help please? Thank you
Linda
Suzy
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.
Susie
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!
Patti
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?
Nancy
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!
Audrey
Love watching your videos and learning from you!
Diane
I used this recipe for my Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Pie and it was DELICIOUS! I'm a convert.
Matthew Hand
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?
melanie
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?
Kathie
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
Melissa Norris
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.
Tammie Medeiros
Looking forward to trying.
Geri Westberg
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.
Bailey
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.
Silver
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.
Jan
Have you ever made your pie crust using a food processor?
Melissa Norris
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.
Tia Moore
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.
Eric J
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!
Mandy
Hooray! An all butter pie crust that held its shape and was flaky and delicious! Thank you!
Debi Daughton
Made this using Gluten-free all purpose flour and butter. Turned out great! Your video and tips really helped. Thank you!
Janet
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!
Sa
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
Bernadette
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
Donna Oglesby
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.
Donna
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!
Melissa Norris
So happy to hear it turned out awesome for you!!
Ray Antonelli
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.
Susan
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!
Steph
Hi Melissa,
Have you ever tried this recipe with gluten free flour?
Charlene
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)
Helen
Advertised as ‘no shortening’ surely lard is shortening???
Melissa Norris
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.
June
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.
Melissa Norris
Yes, I find a little bit more butter than lard makes it easier to roll out and work with.
Lindsay
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!
Melissa Norris
Just use a milk wash instead!
Lacy
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 ?
Maggie
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?! 😉
Melissa Norris
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 🙂
Ray Antonelli
You must be really precise where the mouse goes to register the rating.
Elle
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
Melissa Norris
Hi Elle,
I'm so glad you are motivated and trying the pumpkin recipes! Let me know what you think of them.
Vickie
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!
Melissa Norris
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.
Cheryl
Any idea how this piecrust might work with Gluten free flours? GF is always a challenge!
Melissa Norris
Many readers have said it works great with Bob's Red Mill gluten-free blend 🙂
Vickie
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
Melissa Norris
Hi Vickie, exactly as you stated, I add the egg first and then as much of the water is needed to hold together.
Barbara Guillette
I want it alll
Charity
When and how do you use the egg? I didn’t see iit?
Lorna
Wanted to thank you for all these great recipes. And thanks for the wonderful 2 books
Roxann
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.
Melissa Norris
Hi Roxann, you can try it, just be careful not to let it go too long and become over worked.
Laurie
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.
Melissa Norris
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!
Sandie Smith
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
Melissa Norris
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.
Lynn Davis
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.
Melissa Norris
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!
Kelsey
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!
Deborah
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!
Melissa Norris
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. 🙂
Pastor Amos Carmichael
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
Melissa Norris
Thank you. There is nothing better than warm goodies fresh from the oven. What blessed memories!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Angel
How would you Halve this recipe?
. . . Sounds really good!
Melissa Norris
Angel,
Just cut all the measurements in half. 🙂
Arla
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
Melissa Norris
Arla,
I'll have to check that out! Porches were made for visiting weren't they? 🙂 Thank you!
nola
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.
Christina H
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 😛
Christina H
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!
Podcast 8 Depression Era Tips to Save Money NowMelissa K. Norris
[…] 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 […]
Natasha Bradney
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.
Melissa Norris
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?
Natasha Bradney
Yes. Thank you!
Melissa Norris
Good. And congrats to you for starting to make this at home. 🙂
janet pesaturo
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.
Melissa Norris
Janet,
So glad you enjoyed it and I hope you have a fabulous homemade pie crust with your pies this holiday season. 🙂
jane
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.
Melissa Norris
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.
Michelle
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!
Melissa K. Norris
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. 🙂
lynda
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.
Melissa K. Norris
Lynda, thanks for sharing and the tip on your flour. I'm happy your family enjoyed it. 🙂
Pioneering Today-How to Pressure Can Apple Pie Filling | Melissa K. Norris
[...] 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 [...]
Simple Tips for the Best Pie Crust | MYHEALTHCAREBLOG.NET
[...] 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 [...]
Eyrline Morgan
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
Melissa Norris
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
AnnMarie Tibbitts
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!
Ingrid
Amen.
Momma Mindy
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!
Melissa Norris
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!
Amanda Stephan
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!
Melissa Norris
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.
Cindy Elliott
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. 🙂
Melissa Norris
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.
Mary Hively
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!
Sarah Joy
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!
Melissa Norris
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!
Gail
Can't wait to try this one. I have never been able to make a decent pie crust.
Melissa Norris
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.
Mart Ramirez
This looks yummy! Thank you so much for the recipe!
Melissa Norris
It is. I almost baked a crust w/ sprinkled sugar and cinnamon just to eat it last night.
Lea Wilson
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!?????
Candi May
Grandma used to call those sugar pies!! When my son was growing up, I often did that with the scraps.
Andrea
I made the switch!! And the pie crust looks very yummy!
Melissa Norris
Yea! I'm so glad you switched w/ me. 🙂
Lane Hill House
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!
Melissa Norris
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!
Becky Daye
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!
Melissa Norris
Thanks, Becky! You do roll out for baking. I freeze it in the ball shape unbaked, then thaw, and roll out and bake.
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[...] 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 [...]
Debbie Mraz
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.
Cat King
Do you have a good gluten free pie crust recipe?
Melissa Norris
It's this same recipe just with a gluten-free flour blend.
Edna
It says in the recipe the type of flour is listed in the notes I don’t see that. What type do you use ?
Melissa Norris
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.
Kim Werth Thank you for the pie crust recipe I haven’t tried it yet but I will. It will get a work out next week.
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.