This All Butter Pie Crust recipe is buttery, flaky, and perfectly tender. It is easily made with just 3 ingredients in the food processor without vegetable shortening!
5 Star Review
One reader Pat writes, "I am determined to make my own pie crust. I had trouble rolling it out but I think the dough was too cold. I made a berry galette with the crust. OMG it was delicious! Thank you for the easy recipe." ★★★★★
If you've ever found homemade pie crust intimidating, I'm here to guide you through the process with tons of tips and tricks.
This is my absolutely flaky butter pie crust recipe and I use to make pecan pie without corn syrup, or even these apple hand pies in an air fryer.
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Secret To A Flaky Pie Crust
Using all butter (and no shortening) creates a superior flaky crust, thanks to the water content in butter. As the pastry bakes, the butter melts and releases steam, causing the layers of flour to separate. This steam lifts the dough, creating those light, flaky layers that give the crust its perfect, fluffy texture.
Butter also helps the crust brown more beautifully than vegetable shortening or Crisco, adding both flavor and visual appeal.
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- All-Purpose Flour - Choose a high-protein, good-quality all-purpose flour (like King Arthur Unbleached) to give your homemade pie dough better structure, flakiness, and a higher rise.
- Butter - Always use very cold butter, as it helps prevent excess gluten formation, stays firm for easier rolling, and creates steam during baking for a flaky texture.
- Sugar - Adding a small amount of sugar to an all-butter pie crust enhances the flavor, encourages even browning, and is especially ideal for sweet pie fillings.
- Salt - Although technically not counted as an ingredient, salt is essential for flavor.
The secret to a good pie crust
The secret to a good pie crust is using cold ingredients — especially cold butter and ice-cold water. Keeping the butter pie dough as cold as possible helps prevent the fats from melting before the pastry hits the hot oven. The colder the ingredients, the easier the dough is to handle and the less likely it is to stick.
How to make butter pie crust?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
1.Add flour, sugar and salt into a food processor. Pulse twice to combine. Add the chopped butter, all over the surface.
2. Pulse 6 to 9 times, until until it resembles coarse meal.
3. Add ice cold water.
4. Pulse for 9 to 13 seconds until the dough begins to form large clumps.
5. Transfer the pie crust dough to a work surface. Using hands, shape the dough into a flat disc. Avoid overworking the dough. Wrap in plastic wrap, then refrigerate for one hour or up to 2 days.
To ensure a decorative edge, roll out the all-butter pie crust to a size larger than your 9-inch pie dish, such as a thin 12-inch circle.
6. Since your dough is about ⅛-inch thick, I like to use a rolling pin to help transfer the crust to the pie dish. Carefully roll one end of the circle of dough loosely onto the rolling pin, pick it up, and carefully roll it back out over the top of the dish.
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7. Drape into the pie dish, gently tucking it into the interior all the way around.
8. Trim any excess dough around the edges. To flute the edges, use a knuckle and 2 fingers to press around the edges of the pie crust, to give it a beautiful and classic scalloped look.
Looking for an easy, no-fuss pie crust? You might love these no-bake mini graham cracker crust.
Tips for Success
- Use a glass pie dish - Glass dishes distribute heat evenly, ensuring that the bottom cooks thoroughly, and they provide the advantage of allowing you to easily see when the sides and bottom of the crust have turned a golden brown.
- Keep it cold - Use butter staright from the fridge and ice cold water. A warm crust is challenging to handle, as it tends to stick and requires more flour for rolling, resulting in a tougher crust.
- Roll into ⅛-inch thickness or 13-inch circle - This provides ample dough to create an attractive border for the all butter pie crust.
- Rotate and roll - When rolling the dough out, rotate the pie crust often to prevent it from not sticking to your work surface. Sprinkle on a little more flour if it’s sticking.
- Water: The amount of water needed may vary depending on the flour measurement and the temperature in your kitchen on that day, as flour can sometimes differ slightly in weight or density. For this recipe, you will need 4 tablespoons of ice-cold water. After multiple rounds of testing, I found that 4 tablespoons strikes the perfect balance—providing enough moisture to bring the dough together without making it sticky.
Frequently Asked Questions
To maintain the dough's cold temperature, use ice-cold water and butter straight from the fridge. For the ice water, fill a glass with water and add ice cubes, using approximately ¼ cup or 4 tablepsoons for the all butter pie crust recipe. It's also crucial to chill the pie dough for a minimum of 2 hours before rolling it out.
To make the all butter pie crust by hand:
1. Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
2. Rub the cubed butter into the flour with the tips of your fingers until it resembles crumbs.
Mix cold water with a wooden spoon, transfer it to a work surface, shape it into a disc, and chill.
To prevent a pie crust from shrinking during baking, follow these tips:
1. Make sure the dough is thoroughly chilled before rolling it out and fitting it into the pie dish, as this relaxes the gluten in the dough and minimizes unwanted shrinkage.
2. If blind baking, use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust. This helps release steam and prevents the crust from puffing up.
3. When transferring the dough to the pie dish, gently lift and ease into the dish, allowing it to settle naturally.
4. After you've shaped the crust in the pie dish, place it back in the refrigerator until you make the filling. This extra chill helps maintain the shape.
Homemade pie crust will last for about 2 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
To store in the fridge: After preparing the food processor pie dough, shape it into a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. This helps the gluten relax and keeps the butter firm for flakier results.
To store in the freezer: Planning ahead for the holidays? You can make multiple pie crusts in advance — butter pie dough freezes beautifully! Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Thaw: Transfer the dough to the fridge and thaw it overnight before rolling it out.
All Butter Pie Crust
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (150 gms)
- ½ tablespoon white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes (1 stick or 113.5 gms)
- 4 tablespoons ice cold water (approximate)
Instructions
- Process dry ingredients. In the work bowl of a food processor, combine flour, sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.
- Mix in butter. Scatter the chopped cold butter, all over the surface of the flour. Pulse the mixture until coarse crumbs form with some pea-sized pieces of butter.
- Add water. Add all the ice water and pulse just until the mixture forms moist clumps. Test the dough by pressing a small piece between your fingertips—if it holds together, the water is sufficient.
- Shape and chill. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface and gather it into a ball. If it feels dry and crumbly, gently press the dough together with both hands—the warmth of your hands will slightly soften it and help shape it into a disc. The dough should not be completely smooth, and do not knead it.Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using in any recipe that calls for pie crust.
- The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
How to blind bake Pie Crust
Some pies, like pumpkin pies, need a pre-baked crust — here’s how to do it:
- Shape the edges – Crimp with a fork or flute them using your fingers.
- Freeze for 30 minutes – This helps prevent the pastry from shrinking or sliding while baking.
- Add pie weights – Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it about ⅔ full with pie weights (or dried beans).
- Bake at 425°F for 15 to 18 minutes – Until the edges look golden.
- Remove weights – Carefully take out the parchment and weights, then prick the bottom with a fork.
- Bake again for 5 minutes – This finishes baking the bottom so it’s crisp and dry.
- Cool completely – Let the crust cool to room temperature before filling.
How to roll a pie crust for a 9-inch pie?
- Dust the work surface lightly with flour, and also dust the rolling pin. Roll into ⅛-inch thickness or 13 inches. When rolling the dough out, rotate the pie crust often to prevent it not sticking to your work surface. Sprinkle on a little more flour if it’s sticking.
- Use a rolling pin to help transfer the crust to the pie dish. Carefully roll one end of the dough circle loosely onto the rolling pin, pick it up, and carefully roll it back out over the top of the dish. Drape into the pie dish, gently tucking it into the interior all the way around.
- Trim any excess dough around the edges. To flute the edges, use a knuckle and 2 fingers to press along the edges of the pie crust, to give it a beautiful and classic scalloped look. You can also use a fork to crimp the edges for an easier approach.
Looking for ways to use homemade pie crust?
- Pecan pie without corn syrup is one of the easiest Thanksgiving pies to make! A buttery, flaky crust is filled with a luscious caramel filling generously studded with toasted pecans.
- Apple hand pies have an irresistibly warm, spiced apple filling wrapped in a homemade buttery, flaky food processor pie crust. It is handheld, adorable, and eliminates the need for slicing and serving.
- Sweet potato pie features a buttery, flaky 3-ingredient pie crust filled with an ultra-creamy, smooth sweet potato filling and topped with clouds of brown sugar whipped cream.
- Got scraps of pie crusts? Make these adorable pie crust cookies. They’re cute, easy, fun, and surprisingly simple to make!
- Halloween pop tarts are incredibly easy to make with just two ingredients! Keep them simple or dress them up with a cute candy flower on top. They're the perfect Halloween treat for kids!
- Butternut squash pie is rich, smooth, custard-like, and perfectly spiced. Made with roasted butternut squash, it’s a delicious twist on pumpkin pie and will become a favorite Thanksgiving dessert!
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Kitchen at Hoskins on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Brittania
Great recipe but where are the baking directions? Temp?
Maria Doss
Hi Brittania, This pie crust is used as the base for various pies. There is no specific baking temperature listed for the crust, because the temperature and baking time will depend on the particular pie recipe you're making. Here are the baking times and temperature for few different recipes - Apple hand pie, pecan pie, persimmon galette and so on. Hope it helps - Maria
Pat B
I am determined to make my own pie crust. I had trouble rolling it out but I think the dough was too cold. I made a berry galette with the crust. OMG it was delicious! Thank you for the easy recipe. I just need to let my dough warm up a little more.
Maria Doss
Love to hear that - Maria ❤️