This easy 3 ingredient pie crust is made with flour, butter, and ice water. It's an all-butter crust with no shortening, and it turns out flaky, buttery, and delicious. Make it by hand or in a food processor!
Making homemade pie crust can seem intimidating, but this recipe is really simple, even if you've never made one before. Keeping the ingredients cold and handling the dough gently are the keys to getting a tender, flaky crust.
This is my go-to homemade pie crust for all kinds of pies and tarts. It's simple, reliable, and made completely from scratch.
Love pies and tarts? Try this easy apple rose tart, this light and creamy strawberry tart, or this delicious classic blueberry pie!
Jump to:
- Recipe Overview
- Ingredients
- What is the secret to a good pie crust?
- How to make the pie crust by hand
- How to make pie crust in a food processor
- How to Roll Out Pie Crust
- How to blind bake pie crust
- Top Tip
- Recipe notes
- Storage tips & freezing instructions
- Tips for success
- Frequently asked questions
- Try these pie recipes!
- Recipe
Recipe Overview
Taste: Rich and buttery with a classic homemade pie crust flavor.
Texture: Tender and flaky with crisp, golden edges when baked.
Difficulty: Easy, with instructions for making it by hand or in a food processor.
Yield: 1 standard 9-inch pie crust.
Best Tip: Keep the butter and water cold for the flakiest crust.
Why it works: Cold butter creates flaky layers as it melts in the oven, while chilling the dough makes it easier to handle and helps prevent shrinking.
Ingredients
You only need three main ingredients to make this easy pie crust.
- All-purpose flour. Regular all-purpose flour works perfectly for this pie crust.
- Butter. Use cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes. Keeping the butter cold is important for creating those flaky layers. You can also use salted butter if that's what you have.
- Ice water. The water should be very cold so it doesn't soften or melt the butter. Add only as much as needed for the dough to come together. You can also use the same amount of cold milk instead.
- Optional: You can add a pinch of salt for extra flavor. I don't count it as one of the three main ingredients since it's completely optional. If you're using salted butter, you can leave it out.
What is the secret to a good pie crust?
I found that the secret to achieving that tender, flaky pie crust lies in using cold ingredients. The colder your ingredients, the better your crust will turn out. When there are chunks of cold butter in the dough, it helps create layers of flaky crust while baking.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities. 👇
Equipment you'll need
- digital scale
- mixing bowls
- pastry cutter or food processor
- rolling pin
- 9-inch pie plate
How to make the pie crust by hand
Combine the flour and butter.
Add the flour and cold, cubed butter to a large mixing bowl.
Cut in the butter.
Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour.
Leave some larger pieces of butter.
The mixture should have pieces of butter in different sizes, with some small pieces and some about the size of peas.
Add the ice water.
Gradually add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a rubber spatula until the dough just comes together. Be careful not to overwork it.
Gather the dough into a ball and gently flatten it into a disk. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling it out.
How to make pie crust in a food processor
Add the flour and butter.
Put the flour and cold, cubed butter in the food processor.
Pulse until crumbly.
Pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and some pieces of butter are about the size of peas.
Add the ice water.
Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and pulse just until the dough begins to come together. Add a little more water only if needed. Don't overmix.
Form the dough.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Bring it together gently with your hands and form it into a disk. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate before rolling it out.
Then gather the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Then refrigerate it.
How to Roll Out Pie Crust
You can roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured surface or between two sheets of parchment paper.
If using a floured surface, lightly flour both the surface and your rolling pin. Roll the dough from the center outward, turning it occasionally to help keep an even thickness. Roll it about 1-2 inches larger than your pie plate so you'll have enough dough around the edges.
If the dough cracks while you're rolling it, don't worry! Simply pinch it back together with your fingers.
You can also roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper if you prefer. This is especially helpful if the dough tends to stick.
How to blind bake pie crust
You can blind bake this pie crust using traditional pie weights, dry beans, or rice. My favorite method is using granulated sugar as pie weights. The sugar fills the crust evenly, and you can reuse it afterward. I first learned this clever sugar method from Stella Parks at Serious Eats.
Line and chill the pie crust
Line your pie crust with a small piece of parchment paper and then 2-3 layers of foil. Then fill it with sugar, all the way to the top. Place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Bake the pie crust
Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Then remove it from the oven and lift out the foil with the sugar and remove the parchment paper. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork all over. Put it back in the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until it's light golden brown in color.
Top Tip
The sugar won't melt while the crust bakes. Let it cool completely, then store it in an airtight container and use it just like regular sugar.
Recipe notes
Make-ahead options
- Pie dough. You can make the dough up to 2 days in advance. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to use it.
- Baked pie crust. You can also blind bake the crust ahead of time. Let it cool completely, then store it as directed below.
Storage tips & freezing instructions
- Unbaked pie dough. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Baked pie crust. Let the crust cool completely, then store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- To freeze a baked crust. Once completely cool, wrap it well in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Variations
- Sweet pie crust. Add half a tablespoon of sugar to the dough for a sweeter crust.
- Savory pie crust. Add herbs like thyme or rosemary for a savory pie crust.
Tips for success
- Weigh the ingredients. For the most accurate results, I recommend using a digital scale, especially for the flour.
- Keep everything cold. Cold butter and ice water are key to a flaky crust. If the butter starts to soften while you're working, chill the dough briefly before continuing.
- Cut the butter into cubes. This makes it easier to work the butter into the flour. You can also chill the cubed butter in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before starting.
- Chill the dough for at least 1 hour. This firms up the butter and makes the dough easier to roll out.
- Don't overwork the dough. Mix just until the dough comes together. Overworking it can make the crust tough.
- Don't stretch the dough. When fitting it into the pie plate, gently ease it into place instead of pulling or stretching it. Stretching can cause the crust to shrink as it bakes.
- Patch cracks gently. If the dough tears or cracks, press a small piece of extra dough over the area rather than rerolling the whole crust.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. This 3 ingredient pie crust is made with butter, so no shortening is needed. Using butter gives the crust a rich flavor and helps create a flaky texture.
If the dough is too dry and crumbly, add more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time, just until it comes together. Be careful not to add too much water or the dough can become sticky.
Yes. You can use salted butter instead of unsalted butter. Just leave out the optional pinch of salt in the recipe.
Try these pie recipes!
Happy Baking!
Did you make this recipe? If so, please let me know how it turned out and leave a rating and review below! I'd love to hear from you! ❤️
Recipe
Easy 3 Ingredient Pie Crust
Equipment
- digital scale
- food processor (optional)
- mixing bowl (if making pie crust by hand)
- pastry cutter or 2 knives (if making pie crust by hand)
- Rolling Pin
- 9-inch pie plate
- for blind baking: parchment paper, aluminum foil, 2.2 pounds (1 kilo) granulated sugar (or pie weights
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour (160g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes (113g)
- 2-3 tablespoons ice water (or cold milk)
- pinch of salt (optional)
Before You Start:
For best results, please read through the full post before beginning the recipe.
Instructions
Make the pie crust by hand
- Combine the flour, butter, and salt (if using) in a large mixing bowl.
- Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour. You can also use your fingers. The mixture should have pieces of butter in different sizes, with some small pieces and some about the size of peas.
- Gradually add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing with a rubber spatula until the dough just comes together. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
- Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it gently into a disk, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling it out.
Make the pie crust in a food processor
- Add the flour, butter, and salt (if using) to a food processor. Pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and some pieces of butter are about the size of peas.
- Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and pulse just until the dough begins to come together, adding more only if needed. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Bring it together gently with your hands and form it into a disk. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling it out.
How to blind bake the pie crust
- Fit the rolled-out dough into your pie plate. Line it with parchment paper, then add 2-3 overlapping layers of aluminum foil. Fill it with granulated sugar or pie weights, making sure the sugar reaches the edges. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C.
- Bake the crust in a preheated oven for 20 minutes (don't worry, the sugar won't melt). Then remove the crust from the oven and lift out the foil with the sugar and remove the parchment paper. Let the sugar cool and store it in a jar or air-tight container.
- Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Return the crust to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- Let the pie crust cool completely before using.
Notes
- Weigh the ingredients. For the most accurate and consistent results, I recommend using a digital scale.
- Keep everything cold. Cold butter and ice water help create a flaky crust.
- Cut the butter into cubes. This makes it easier to work into the flour. You can also chill the cubed butter in the freezer for 5-10 minutes before starting.
- Chill the dough. Refrigerate it for at least 1 hour before rolling. This firms up the butter, makes the dough easier to handle, and gives it time to rest.
- Don't overwork the dough. Mix and roll it gently to help keep the crust tender.
- Don't stretch the dough. Ease it gently into the pie plate instead. If it tears, patch it with a small piece of extra dough.
Evelia Garces
Recipe sounds easy to make, I will be trying it soon. Thank you 😊
Voula
Hi, Evelia! It really is easy to make! Let me know how it goes! ❤️
George
This was my first time making homemade pie crust and it was delicious! The instructions were clear and easy to follow. Thank you for sharing another fantastic recipe!
Voula
Yay! I'm glad the recipe turned out great for you-thanks for trying it! ❤️