Foolproof Pie Crust

Unbaked pie crust in a white round baking pan.

5 from 9 votes

Let’s make the best buttery and flaky foolproof Pie Crust recipe from scratch. You can easily make it in a food processor in just 10 minutes, using only 6 simple ingredients! This homemade recipe will make 2 single crusts or 1 double crust.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: single crusts

Calories: 1671kcal

Author: Veronika's Kitchen

Ingredients

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable shortening cold
12 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, cubed
4-8 tablespoons water ice cold

Instructions

Put all-purpose flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and pulse quickly.
Add cold vegetable shortening and pulse again until it looks grainy. If the mixture starts to stick to the sides, just scrape down with a spatula.
Add cold cubed butter and pulse again until you get pea-size crumbs.
Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and gradually add ice cold water. I like to start with 4 tablespoons, then mix everything with a spatula. Then slowly add more water (1 tablespoon at a time) until the dough starts to bind together.
Slightly knead the dough into a ball and divide it in two equal parts. Wrap them in plastic wrap, flatten to a disk, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
This recipe will make 2 single crusts or 1 double crust.
For baking, use the instructions of the recipe you are using as different pies bake differently.

Notes

Make sure that all the ingredients and the dough stay cold at all times to ensure the best results and flaky texture.
I prefer to use a food processor to mix the ingredients. That helps to work faster and keep the ingredients cold.
Make sure you add enough water. If the dough is too dry, it will end up crumbly and tough.
Don’t grease the baking pan. The dough has enough fat, so it won’t stick.
If the pie crust is getting too dark while baking, cover it with a pie shield or a piece or aluminum foil.

Can I use only butter in this recipe?

If you can’t find shortening in the store, you can use an equal part of butter. Although, you won’t have exactly the same texture.

Can I make pie dough in advance?

You can prepare the crust and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Take it out of the fridge 5-10 minutes before rolling out.

How to freeze it?

You can freeze it for up to 3 months, just make sure that it wrapped tightly in a plastic wrap. To thaw, just put it in the fridge overnight.

How long to bake?

It all depends on the recipe you are making, whether you need to prebake it or not. This recipe works great with both, single and double crust pies.

Nutrition