Homemade Pie Crust

This Homemade Pie Crust Recipe is made with just 5 ingredients! Perfect for making everything from cherry pie to chicken pot pie, this pie crust recipe is easy enough that anyone can make it.

Easy Homemade Pie Crust Recipe

When a recipe calls for a pie crust, what do you usually do? Grab one at the store? There’s nothing wrong with a refrigerated pie crust every now and again but did you know that homemade pie crust is actually incredibly easy to make? In this case of this pie crust recipe, only 5 ingredients are needed – and one of them is water!

I use this pie crust recipe for nearly all of my pies, including my no bake and custard pies. But one of my favorite reasons to make this? Chicken pot pie! The buttery, flaky texture of this pie crust is so perfect with the chicken pot pie filling!

What You’ll Need

There are just 5 ingredients needed to make this homemade pie crust recipe!

• All-purpose flour
• Fine sea salt
• Sugar
• Unsalted butter – Butter should be VERY cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
• Ice water – I recommend putting some ice cubes in a glass of cold water while you prepare the other ingredients, then measure it out again for true ice water.

Butter vs Shortening in Pie Crust

One of the biggest debates when it comes to homemade pie crust is whether to use all butter, all shortening, or a combo of both as the fat. I am team all-butter, as you can see by the recipe. I prefer butter because it creates a crust that is both sturdy and flaky. Shortening, on the other hand, creates a flaky but delicate crust. I also love the flavor butter lends to the crust.

Is Vodka Good for Pie Crust?

Another variation that’s making its rounds is the addition of vodka to the pie crust. The idea is that vodka works as a liquid that does not promote gluten formation, which results in flakier pie crust.

Honestly? I haven’t tried it because I love this crust the way it is. (Don’t fix what ain’t broken, right!?) However, if you want to give it a shot, just replace a few tablespoons of water with chilled vodka. Don’t worry, your crust won’t taste like vodka! (But note that vodka is the only liquor that should be used.)

How to Make Homemade Pie Crust

Here are the few steps needed to make this all butter pie crust.

• Combine the dry ingredients. Pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor to combine.
• Add the butter. Pulse the diced butter with the dry ingredients until coarse crumbs form.
• Add the water. Add 6 tablespoons of ice water and pulse until moist clumps form. If needed, add more water.

• Form and refrigerate. Gather the dough into a ball (do NOT knead it), divide it in half, and flatten to form 2 disks. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for an hour before using.

Double Crust Directions For Making a Pie

Here’s how to turn your discs of dough into a perfectly baked pie every time.

• Prepare the bottom crust. Remove half of the dough from the fridge and place on the counter for a few minutes. Roll it out into a 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.
• Add pie filling. Place the crust in a pie dish, leaving a 1-inch ledge. Spoon the desired pie filling into the crust. Roll the second dough disc over the top of the pie filling. Trim the edges to 3/4 inch if needed. Press and crimp the edges to seal.
• Bake. Brush the top crust with an egg wash then sprinkle with sugar. Cut 3 to 4 slits on top of the pie. Bake as directed by the specific recipe.

Tips for Success

Here are a few tips I’ve learned as I’ve worked to perfect my pie crust recipe.

• Use COLD ingredients. It’s essential that the butter and water used to make the dough are both cold. You don’t want the butter to melt or soften outside of the oven as it’s the slowly melted butter that makes the dough so flaky and delicious.
• How to tell when you’ve added enough water. Press a piece of dough between your fingers and if the dough sticks together, you have added enough water. Be careful not to add too much water or the dough will be sticky and difficult to roll out.
• Do not knead the dough. It’s very important that when you shape the dough into the discs, that’s all you’re doing. Unlike bread dough, you do NOT want to knead pie crust dough. It will lead to tough, dense pie crust.
• Use a glass pie dish. For perfect baking, try to use a glass pie dish. They transmit the heat more evenly than metal pans, which helps the crust make nicely.

How Can I Use This Recipe?

This buttery pie crust is super versatile.

It can, obviously, be used for pretty much any pie. Note that some pies will require that you par-bake the crust, so do keep an eye on that. Any custard or no-bake pie will definitely require some pre-cooking of the pie crust.

Additionally, this pie crust recipe is perfect for making homemade pot pies! The buttery, flaky texture goes so well with the creamy filling and you won’t even need to par-bake the dough.

Can I Freeze This?

Yes, homemade pie crust can be frozen before it’s baked. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap, then freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw completely in the fridge, then roll it out and work with it as normal.

Try It With These Pie Recipes:

• Blender Lemon Pie
• Apple Crumble Pie
• Sweet Potato Pie
• Twix Caramel Apple Pie