This 3 ingredient pie crust is buttery, flaky, and delicious! Easy to make by hand or in the food processor!
Making homemade pie crust may seem intimidating, but it really isn't. This pie crust recipe is incredibly simple to make and only has 3 ingredients!
And the best part? It can be made either by hand or with a food processor. This easy homemade pie crust is my go-to recipe for all my pies.
Love pies and tarts? Try this easy apple rose tart, this light and creamy strawberry tart, or this delicious classic blueberry pie!
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Why you'll love this really easy homemade pie dough recipe
- Quick pie dough. This pie crust dough comes together in no time.
- Simple. This is a really easy pie dough recipe, even if you've never made pie crust before. It can be made completely by hand or in a food processor.
- Delicious. Nothing beats the flavor of an all butter pie crust! It's flaky, buttery, and crunchy.
- No shortening. This pie crust is made with butter, which is a lot healthier than shortening.
What you'll need - only 3 ingredients
Ingredients for pie crust
- Flour. I use all purpose flour.
- Butter. I always use unsalted butter, but using salted butter is fine, too, if you prefer.
- Ice Water. Ice cold water helps to form the dough without melting the butter. You could also use equal amounts of cold milk, instead of water.
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 pie crust by hand
1. Combine the flour and butter.
2. Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour.
3. The butter should be cut into pieces, some small and small larger.
4. Gradually add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a rubber spatula until the dough just comes together. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
Then gather the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Then refrigerate it.
How to make pie crust in a food processor
1. Put the butter and flour in the food processor.
2. Pulse a few times until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Add the ice water and pulse until the dough just comes together.
4. Drop the dough on a floured surface and bring it together and form a disk. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
How to Roll Out Pie Crust
You can roll out the pie crust either on a floured surface or between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
Flour your surface and rolling pin to prevent sticking. Roll the dough from the center outward, while trying to maintain an even thickness. Make it about an inch or two larger than your pie dish so that you have a little extra hanging over the edges.
If your dough cracks while rolling, don't panic, the dough is very forgiving! Simply pinch it back together with your fingers.
Alternatively, you can roll out the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
How to blind bake pie crust
You could definitely use pie weights if you want, or you could also use rice, or dry beans. But I found a great hack from Stella Parks (seriouseats.com) on how to blind bake pie crust without pie weights by using granulated sugar!
1. 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 half an hour.
2. 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 doesn't melt at all and it can be used just like ordinary sugar when you're done. Just let it cool and store it in a jar or air tight container.
Recipe notes
Make-ahead options
- Dough: You can make the pie dough up to 2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
- Baked crust: Bake the pie crust and cool it, and then store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Storage tips & freezing instructions
- Unbaked dough: Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Baked crust: Store baked crust in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze a baked pie crust, let it cool completely, wrap it in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag. You can freeze it for up to about 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight when you're ready to use it.
Variations
- Sweet. Add half a tablespoon of sugar to the dough for a sweeter crust.
- Savory. Use herbs like thyme or rosemary for a savory pie crust.
Tips for success
- Weigh the ingredients. Accurate measuring is key for a perfect pie crust. Measuring everything precisely ensures consistent results.
- Keep everything cold. The colder the butter and water, the flakier your crust will be.
- Cutting the butter. When the butter is cut into cubes, it makes the dough a lot easier to work with. If you want, you could put the pieces of butter in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Chilling the dough. If the dough is too soft, it will be difficult to work with and may shrink during baking. Chilling the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out can help prevent this.
- Let the dough rest. Refrigerating the dough also allows the gluten to relax, resulting in a tender crust.
- Don't overwork the dough. Overworking the dough will result in a tough crust. Be gentle when rolling it out, too.
- Don't stretch the dough. When rolling out your pie dough and placing it in the pie plate, avoid stretching it to fit your shape because it can cause shrinking and make the crust tough once it bakes. If you have a hole, just take a piece of excess dough and press it gently into place.
Frequently asked questions
To me, an all-butter pie crust is a lot more flavorful than shortening. I also love the texture and the flakiness, which butter creates.
Add a tablespoon of ice water at a time until the dough comes together.
Yes, but I wouldn't add any salt.
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
3 Ingredient Pie Crust
Equipment
- digital scale
- food processor
- mixing bowl (if making pie crust by hand)
- pastry cutter (if making pie crust by hand)
- To blind bake the crust, you'll need parchment paper, aluminum foil, 2.2 pounds (1 kilo) granulated sugar (or pie weights
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (160g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 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 in a food processor
- Add the flour, butter and salt (if using) to a food processor. Pulse about 10-12 times, or until the butter is the size of peas.1 ¼ cups (160g) all purpose flour, ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes, pinch of salt (optional)
- Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and pulse a few times until a dough forms, adding more ice water if necessary. Do not add more water than needed and do not overmix.2-3 tablespoons ice water (or cold milk)
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Bring it together with your hands and form a ball. Gently flatten it into a disk and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least an hour before using or freeze.
Make the pie crust by hand
- Combine the flour and butter in a large mixing bowl.1 ¼ cups (160g) all purpose flour, ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- Use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the flour. You could also use your fingers. The butter should be cut into pieces, some small and some larger.
- Gradually add ice water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a rubber spatula until the dough just comes together. Be careful not to overwork the dough.2-3 tablespoons ice water (or cold milk)
- Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it slightly, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Then refrigerate it (for at least an hour) before rolling it out or freeze.
How to blind bake the pie crust
- Line your pie crust with a small piece of parchment paper and then 2-3 overlapping layers of aluminum foil. Then fill it with sugar (2.2 pounds/1 kilo), all the way to the top. Place the pie crust in the refrigerator for half an hour.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375℉ / 190℃.
- 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 of the crust with a fork all over. Put the crust back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes, or until it's light golden brown in color.
- Let the pie crust cool completely before using.
Notes
- Weigh the ingredients. For best results, please weigh the ingredients before starting.
- Chill and cube the butter. Cutting butter into cubes makes it easier to incorporate and creates a flakier crust.
- Chill and rest the dough. Cold dough is easier to work with and chilling it also relaxes the gluten, resulting in a tender crust.
- Avoid overworking and stretching the dough. The crust can get tough if you overwork it or stretch it.
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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! ❤️