The Best Homemade Pie Crust Recipe

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Never made a homemade pie crust recipe before? It can be intimidating but it doesn’t have to be. With this easy recipe, you’ll get the perfect buttery flaky pie crust every time!

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Pie crust with lattice top

The secret to a good pie lies in its crust! If you love sinking your teeth into your favorite pies from the local bakery, just think how amazing it would be if you could recreate those pies and their perfect pie crust, at home.

Making homemade pies can be intimidating. The pie filling is easy enough but making your own homemade pie crust can be tricky. But you can totally do it and the reward is in all the compliments you’ll get at the end.

>>>Make this easy BLUEBERRY PIE FILLING to go in your crust.

>>>Put them all together to make this amazing BLUEBERRY PIE.

Blueberry pie with flaky pie crust

Keep reading to learn how to totally nail it so that you have the perfect flaky crust for your next pie.  

Ingredients

This easy pie crust recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients…six to be exact:

  • All purpose flour
  • Unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
  • Lemon zest
  • Salt
  • Apple cider vinegar
  • Cold water
Ingredients for homemade pie crust

How To Make The Pie Crust

Step 1: Combine flour and salt in your food processor and using the regular blade, pulse 3 times to mix. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a pastry cutter instead.

Step 2: Add the cold butter and process until you have a crumbly flour mixture, then add vinegar and lemon zest.

Step 3: Process until you have coarse crumbs, then start adding the cold water (be sure it’s cold and not room temperature) 1 tablespoon at a time. When it starts to form a ball of dough, you can stop processing.

ball of pie crust dough

Step 4: Place your dough on a floured surface and form it into two discs. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Step 5: When the hour is up, remove one of the discs from the fridge. Add a little flour to your work surface, then starting from the middle and rolling outward, roll dough with a rolling pin until it forms approximately a 12-inch circle (or is wide enough to cover the pie plate all the way around).

Dough for flaky pie crust rolled out on a counter

Step 6: Place the crust in a 9 inch pie plate, making sure that it lays flat against the bottom. Crimp the edges all the way around.

Pie dough in a glass pie pan

Step 7: Use a fork to make holes on the bottom of the crust.

Step 8: When you’re ready to add the top crust, roll the remaining dough into another 12 inch circle. You can add another layer of crust to the top or cut it into strips, lattice style.

Pie crust dough cut into strips

Why add vinegar to the pie dough?

Adding vinegar to your pie crust might seem unusual, but it’s actually not. Vinegar helps tenderize and soften the dough while also inhibiting gluten development. This plays a big part in maintaining the texture of the crust once it is baked and done. 

Why does the water have to be cold?

Most pie crust recipes will tell you to use ice cold water while mixing the dough. This is because the cold temperature ensures that the fat (read butter) doesn’t melt and get absorbed by the flour. The butter helps give you that flaky crust. If it melts, you won’t get the flaky layers that make the crust taste so good.

How do I keep the edges of the crust from burning?

Because the crust is so thin around the edges, it can be prone to overcooking. To keep that from happening, cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil at about the 30 minute mark. This will help deflect the heat and keep the edges of your pie from getting too brown or burnt.

blueberry pie crust

Tips & tricks for a flakier crust

  • Avoid overworking the dough. Mixing the dough too much can cause gluten formation in the flour, which will cause your crust to have a more chewy, bread-like texture to it. 
  • Make sure to only use cold fats. You’ll want to be sure that your butter doesn’t melt or you won’t get that light, flaky consistency. 
  • Be sure to refrigerate the dough discs for a while. This will also ensure that the butter doesn’t melt so you can get the absolute best pie crust.
  • To give your flaky crust a golden brown color, be sure to brush on a little egg wash before baking.

Be sure to check out the full recipe for my Easy Blueberry Pie!

If you loved this easy pie crust recipe, here’s a little more baking inspiration for you:

Pie crust with lattice top
5 from 1 vote

Pie Crust Recipe


Course Desserts & Sweets
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Additional Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
Want the best pie crust recipe for your summer desserts? This recipe is both easy and delicious and beats a store bought crust every time!

Ingredients
 

  • 4 cups flour
  • 1 cup butter cut into cubes
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 5 Tablespoons cold water

Instructions

  • Combine flour and salt in your food processor and using the regular blade, pulse 3 times to mix. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a
    instead.
  • Add the cold butter and process until you have a crumbly flour mixture, then add vinegar and lemon zest.
  • Process until you have coarse crumbs, then start adding the cold water (be sure it’s cold and not room temperature) 1 tablespoon at a time. When it starts to form a ball of dough, you can stop processing.
  • Place your dough on a floured surface (I just use the counter) and form it into two discs. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  • When the hour is up, remove one of the discs from the fridge. Add a little flour to your work surface, then starting from the middle and rolling outward, roll dough with a rolling pin until it forms approximately a 12-inch circle (or is wide enough to cover the pie plate all the way around).
  • Place in a 9 inch pie plate and crimp the edges all the way around.
  • Use a fork to make holes on the bottom of the crust.
  • When you’re ready to add the top crust, roll the remaining dough into another 12 inch circle. You can lay this layer over the top or cut it into strips, lattice style.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 432kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 475mg | Potassium: 77mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 710IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 3mg
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and can vary based on cooking methods and ingredients used.

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