This flaky pie crust recipe that is made with butter is my go-to homemade pie crust recipe for every sweet or savory pie I make. I’ll also show you how to blind bake the homemade pie crust so you get a crisp, golden shell that never turns soggy.
You only need five pantry staples to make this easy butter pie crust recipe, and a food processor turns the job into a few quick pulses. Making the dough from scratch costs far less than store-bought crusts, and you can make the dough days ahead so pie day goes faster. The all-butter pie dough bakes up rich, tender, and flaky because the small pieces of cold butter create steam pockets in the oven. The scraps make a fun project for kids, who love cutting them into shapes and baking them with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.
This buttery, flaky crust recipe makes two dough discs: one for the blind-baked shell, and a second you can use for another pie, as a top crust or topping, or freeze for later. You cut cold butter into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs, then add just enough ice water to bring the dough together. After the dough chills, you roll out one disc, fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, and freeze the shell so it holds its shape. Then you blind bake the crust in two stages, first with parchment and weights, then uncovered until the bottom is crisp and golden.
What is Blind Baking?
Blind baking (also called “baking blind”) means pre-baking a pie crust by itself, without any filling.
It’s done so the crust is fully or partially cooked before the filling goes in. This is common for:
- Pies with no-bake fillings such as cream pies, chocolate pies, custard pies, and some fruit pies.
- Fillings that need less baking time than the crust
- Preventing a soggy bottom crust
Flaky Pie Crust Variations
Cinnamon Pie Crust: Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the flour for apple, pumpkin, or sweet potato pies.
Herb Pie Crust: Add 1 teaspoon dried thyme or rosemary to the flour for quiche or pot pie.
Flaky Pie Crust Substitutions
Granulated sugar: Leave the sugar out when you are making a savory pie like quiche or pot pie.
Pie weights: Use dried beans or uncooked rice instead of ceramic pie weights. I used 2 cups uncooked white rice, and you can save the rice in a jar to reuse as pie weights again and again.
Food processor: If you don’t have a food processor, use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the flour by hand.
Prep-Ahead Tips
Make the dough discs up to 3 days ahead and keep them wrapped in the refrigerator. Freeze the second dough disc (or both discs) so you always have pie crust ready for another pie, a top crust, or holiday baking. You can also blind bake the pie shell a day ahead, then fill it on pie day.
Flaky Pie Crust Recipe
This buttery, flaky pie crust recipe makes two dough discs from five simple ingredients, with step-by-step directions for blind baking a crisp, golden 9-inch pie shell. You can use this recipe to make two pies or one pie with a top crust.
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (optional; omit for savory pies)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed
- 2 cups uncooked white rice (for pie weights)
Tools:
- Large bowl and whisk, or food processor
- Pastry cutter or two forks (if mixing by hand)
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- 9-inch pie plate (or two)
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- Oven mitts
Pie Dough Directions:
- Whisk 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (if using), and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt together in a large bowl, or pulse the flour, sugar, and salt a few times in a food processor.
- Add 1 cup cold unsalted butter cubes to the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter, two forks, or short pulses of the food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter.
- Add 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together.
- Add a little more ice water if the dough is still too crumbly to hold together. Blend until the dough just holds together when you squeeze a small handful.
- Divide the dough ball in half, and press each half into a flat disc. Wrap each dough disc in plastic wrap, and chill the discs in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- You only need one disc for this pie shell. Use the second disc for another pie or as a top crust or topping, or freeze the second disc to use later.
How to Make a Pie Crust:
- Roll out one dough disc on a lightly floured surface, and fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate.
- Trim the edges of the dough, leaving the dough a little above the rim of the pie plate to allow for shrinkage. If you have enough dough, fold the edge under and crimp or flute the edge as desired. A high, sturdy crimp helps keep the crust from shrinking.
- Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, about 1/2 inch apart. The holes release steam and keep big bubbles from forming.
- Place the pie plate in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes. A very cold crust holds its shape much better during baking.
How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust:
- Place a baking sheet on the center rack of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Crumple a sheet of parchment paper to make it easier to mold, then press the parchment gently into the crust so it covers the bottom and sides completely.
- Fill the parchment-lined crust with 2 cups uncooked white rice, or use pie weights or dried beans.
- Place the pie plate on the hot baking sheet. Bake the crust at 375°F for 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and set.
- Carefully lift the parchment and rice out of the crust using oven mitts or tongs, since the rice will be very hot.
- Return the pie shell to the oven, and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown and the entire crust is crisp and dry. If the crust bubbles up, pierce the bubble with the tip of a knife and gently press the crust down with the back of a spoon.
- Let the pie shell cool on a wire rack before filling.
Storing Leftovers
To store the pie dough discs, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cover a cooled, baked pie shell and keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days.
How to Freeze Leftovers
If you aren’t using the second dough disc right away for another pie or a top crust, freeze it for later. Wrap the dough discs tightly in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. You can also freeze a cooled, baked pie shell, wrapped well, for up to 3 months.
How to Thaw Frozen Flaky All-Butter Pie Crust
Thaw frozen dough discs overnight in the refrigerator before rolling them out. A frozen baked pie shell can thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour before filling.
Printable Recipe for Flaky Pie Crust
Flaky Pie Crust Recipe
Equipment
- Large bowl and whisk, or food processor
- Pastry cutter or two forks (if mixing by hand)
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- 1-2 9-inch pie plate
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
- Oven mitts
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar optional; omit for savory pies
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water plus more if needed
- 2 cups uncooked white rice for pie weights
Instructions
Pie Dough Directions:
- Whisk 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar (if using), and 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt together in a large bowl, or pulse the flour, sugar, and salt a few times in a food processor.
- Add 1 cup cold unsalted butter cubes to the flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter, two forks, or short pulses of the food processor until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter.
- Add 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough comes together. Add a little more ice water if the dough is still too crumbly to hold together.
- Divide the dough ball in half, and press each half into a flat disc. Wrap each dough disc in plastic wrap, and chill the discs in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. You only need one disc for this pie shell. Use the second disc for another pie or as a top crust or topping, or freeze the second disc for later.
How to Make a Pie Crust:
- Roll out one dough disc on a lightly floured surface, and fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate.
- Trim the edges of the dough, leaving the dough a little above the rim of the pie plate to allow for shrinkage. If you have enough dough, fold the edge under and crimp or flute the edge as desired. A high, sturdy crimp helps keep the crust from shrinking.
- Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, about 1/2 inch apart. The holes release steam and keep big bubbles from forming.
- Place the pie plate in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes. A very cold crust holds its shape much better during baking.
How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust:
- Place a baking sheet on the center rack of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Crumple a sheet of parchment paper to make it easier to mold, then press the parchment gently into the crust so it covers the bottom and sides completely.
- Fill the parchment-lined crust with 2 cups uncooked white rice, or use pie weights or dried beans.
- Place the pie plate on the hot baking sheet. Bake the crust at 375°F for 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and set.
- Carefully lift the parchment and rice out of the crust using oven mitts or tongs, since the rice will be very hot.
- Return the pie shell to the oven, and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown and the entire crust is crisp and dry. If the crust bubbles up, pierce the bubble with the tip of a knife and gently press the crust down with the back of a spoon.
- Let the pie shell cool on a wire rack before filling.
Nutrition
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