Easy Pie Crust Recipe – Great for beginners and turns out perfect every time! Flaky, crisp crust on the outside and soft in the center. This easy pie dough recipe tastes amazing with just about any pie filling!
This is my go-to pie crust recipe when baking. It’s easy, quick and doesn’t require a lot of ingredients. I love to make all types of pies with this easy pie crust, but a few of my favorites are coconut cream pie, pumpkin pie and chicken pot pie.
Easy pie crust
I really love a good, flaky pie crust! This easy pie crust recipe has a great flaky crust that turns out a little crisp on the outside but soft in the center. It’s so yummy and perfect with just about any pie filling.
It’s also a lot easier than you think to make your own pie crust…especially if you have a food processor. It will cut the time (and stress) in half! Plus, there aren’t a ton of ingredients needed to make this easy pie dough recipe. Only 6 to be exact! Simple and delicious!
What are the ingredients for pie crust?
This easy pie dough recipe only takes 6 simple ingredients and is quick to make. Check out the ingredients below to get started. I love to use both butter and shortening in my pie crust…it makes it nice and flaky!
- Flour (all-purpose)
- Sugar
- Butter (salted)
- Shortening (butter flavored)
- Vinegar
- Water (ice cold)
Why do you put vinegar in pie crust?
It may seem strange to add vinegar to the pie crust recipe, but it’s definitely the secret ingredient! It’s important to add vinegar because it tenderizes the pie crust and makes a softer dough. The vinegar helps to prevent the development of gluten, which creates a tougher crust. So be sure to add the vinegar so that your pie crust develops the perfect, soft texture! 
How to make pie crust
Scroll down for the printable pie crust recipe.
To make dough for pie crust:
- Add flour and sugar to a food processor and pulse a few times to get any air out of the flour.
- Cube butter and shortening, then add to food processor immediately. Pulse until the mixture has turned crumbly, about 10-12 times.
- Next add vinegar and 1 Tablespoon of water. Pulse and then add another Tablespoon of water. Add one more Tablespoon of water and then pulse until the dough begins to form into a ball. The consistency should be similar to play dough.
- Cut pie dough in half and wrap with plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes.
To roll pie crust:
- Once pie dough has chilled, roll out on a floured surface.
- Then carefully place dough in pie pan. Make the crust edges using your thumb and index finger.
- You can also cut off the extra dough around the edges and press it down.
To bake pie crust:
- Place filling in pie crust and bake according to recipe.
- For most typical pie recipes, I bake at 425ºF with foil for 15-20 minutes and then 3-5 minutes without foil.
Before baking my pies, I also like to pre-cook the pie crust a little. A trick to help the pie crust not get brown or bubbly is to place foil over the crust. I like to also place pie beads (dried beans work great too) in the center to help weigh the pie down and not bubble. If you don’t have foil, parchment paper will work too.
Favorite pies to make with pie crust
This easy pie crust tastes amazing with just about any pie filling. Below are a few of my favorite pies to make with the easy pie dough recipe. Nothing like a piece of homemade pie!
- Coconut cream pie
- Pumpkin pie
- Brown bag apple pie
- Apple cheesecake pie
- Fresh strawberry pie
- Chocolate silk pie
- Banana cream pie
- Razzleberry pie
Easy Pie Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 12 Tablespoons salted butter (cold)
- 6 Tablespoons butter flavored shortening (cold)
- 1 Tablespoon vinegar
- ice cold water (add a Tablespoon at a time)
Instructions
- Add the flour and sugar to a food processor and pulse a few times to get any air out of the flour. Cube the butter and shortening, then add to the food processor immediately. Pulse 10-12 times until the mixture has turned crumbly. Add the vinegar and 1 Tablespoon of water. Pulse and then add another Tablespoon of water. Add one more Tablespoon of water and then pulse until the dough begins to form a ball. It should have the consistency similar to play dough.
- Cut the dough in half and then wrap it with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Once dough is chilled, roll out on a floured surface and then carefully place in pie pan. Then make the crust edges using your thumb and index finger. You can also cut off the extra dough around the edges and press it down.
- Place filling in and bake according to recipe. For most typical pie recipes, I bake at 425ºF with foil for 15-20 minutes and then 3-5 minutes without foil.
Nutrition
Do you think you could use this crust to make savory hand pies?
Yes, definitely! You can decrease the sugar if you would like.
Hi. What size pie pan can i use for this crust?
Hi! I use a 9 inch pan!
Hi! I’m going to try making a pie for the first time and I’m curious, does this recipe yield 2 pie crusts? When it says cut in half and then wrap in plastic and chill, when you’re rolling out your pie crust, is it just one of those halves for one crust?
Hi, Yes, one half will make one crust with open top. This pie crust will make 2 pie crusts, however if you are making a chicken pot pie or a pie crusts that uses a bottom and top crust, then it will just make 1 pie.
Hi Jamielyn,
What if you don’t have any butter flavor shortening? Can you use all butter instead? I am looking for a crust recipe that uses real butter and this looks like a good one!
It should be fine but it won’t be as flakey! I prefer to use both butter and butter flavored shortening.
What if you don’t have a food processor.
Hi Vivian! You can definitely use a pastry cutter, fork, or blender. :)