3-Ingredient All Butter Pie Crust

Just 3-Ingredients!

I used to run for the hills at the thought of making pie crust at home. It all just seemed so intimidating! That is until I learned a few tips and tricks that helped to make the process so much easier.

I’m going to share my method with you today which gives me perfect results every time!

If you follow my easy step-by-step instructions, you can enjoy a golden buttery pie crust with very little effort and in no time at all. Then use it for all kinds of fillings including custard, fruit, cream or even homemade pot pie!

My easy banana cream pie is always delicious along with some of my favorites include peach pie, Dutch apple pie, and breakfast pie! You can also use this all butter pie crust recipe to make a decorative lattice pie crust which always looks so impressive but is actually pretty easy to make! 

Once you get the hang of this recipe for pie crust with butter, you can also try making my easy pie crust recipe made with both butter and shortening. It’s similar with just an extra bit of flakiness thanks to the shortening.

And if the thought of making it still intimidates you, everyone always loves this pretzel crust for pie, it’s so simple to make!

Why Does Butter Make Crust Flakey?

Nothing beats biting into a buttery flakey crust! It is what every baker strives for.

When making the dough, there are a couple of rules to follow: 1) start with cold butter, and 2) don’t overwork the dough.

The butter needs to be cold so that it doesn’t melt completely into the dough before it even reaches the oven. There’s a bit of science involved here!

The heat from the oven will melt the cold pieces of butter which creates steam that will make little pockets of air in the dough. Once the dough cools, it settles down into those delicious flakey layers we all love.

Recipe Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make this 3-ingredient all-butter pie crust! Ok, 4 if you count the water :)

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

• All-purpose flour: Make sure to accurately measure the flour because adding too much will make it tough.
• Sea salt: To enhance the flavor.
• Ice water: I can’t stress this enough – your butter and water should be very cold when you start. This is the key to getting a flaky crust!
• Unsalted butter: I prefer using unsalted butter so I can control the salt.

How to Make an All Butter Pie Crust

This recipe makes enough for one single crust, so if you’re making a double crust pie, simply double the recipe. 

1. Cut in the butter. Stir together the flour and salt. Add the butter pieces and use a pastry cutter to work them into the flour. You are looking for pea-sized crumbles. You can also use a food processor for this step.
2. Add water. Add the chilled water a little at a time and stir your dough until it comes together and forms a ball. Once it comes together, stop adding water! You don’t want to end up with sticky dough.
3. Chill. Wrap it in plastic wrap and press it into a disc shape. Chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour or leave it overnight.
4. Roll. Now you’re ready to roll out your dough! On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough to a ¼-inch thickness. Transfer rolled dough to your pie plate, trim the excess dough and pinch the trim around the edges.  Bake according to your recipe directions.

How to Blind Bake the Crust

Go ahead and follow your own recipe baking instructions or use the steps below.

• Pierce the crust. Use a fork to pierce tiny holes all over the bottom of the dough in a 9-inch pie plate. Cover the base of the dough with aluminum foil and add ¼ cup of pie weights or dried beans and freeze for 5 minutes. 
• Bake. Place the plate on a baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and the weights and brush all over with an egg wash. Bake for 10 more minutes until golden.
• Cool. Let it cool completely before filling.

Expert Tips

• Work quickly. You want to keep the butter as cold as possible, so bringing everything together as quickly as you can is your goal.
• Dough too dry? Dip your hand in cold water and continue to work the dough.
• Dough too soft? Place it in the fridge for 15 minutes to let the butter firm up a bit.
• Flour for rolling. Use only a dusting of flour on your rolling surface to prevent the dough from sticking. Using too much flour can make your crust dry and tough.

Make Ahead + Storage

You can make this 3-ingredient all butter pie crust recipe in advance and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. It can stay in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

To keep the dough even longer, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in a zip-top bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling it out.