The Only Pie Crust Recipe You’ll Ever Need to Know – This best-ever pie crust recipe is PERFECT and so easy! Use it for sweet or savory pies and enjoy tender, flaky pie crust every time!
Pssst! This recipe has been updated to a gluten & dairy free version.
There are two basic schools of pie crust: butter and shortening. While it’s true, nothing on earth can match the flavor of a butter crust, the truth is, shortening crusts are going to give you the flaky texture you’re looking for. Every. Single. Time.
This recipe is adapted from one that comes from my Great Aunt Helen. I have never–EVER–had a problem with it. The same cannot be said about so many other crust recipes I’ve tried.
I use this recipe for both sweet and savory dishes (like chicken pot pie), and have had no problem adapting it one way or the other. This makes a double crust. If you only need a single, make the entire recipe, and wrap the second half in plastic wrap to freeze. To use the frozen crust, just thaw in the refrigerator. Beautiful.
LOVE A GOOD PIE? TRY ONE OF THESE FILLINGS IN YOUR PIE CRUST:
- Triple Berry Crumble Pie
- Life-Changing Cherry Pie
- Maple Pumpkin Pie
- Apple Crumble Pie
- THE BEST Pecan Pie (No Corn Syrup required!)
Aunt Helen’s Flakiest Pie Crust
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 Double Crust 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp sugar (omit if making savory dish)
For the slurry:
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, cut shortening into flour, sugar (if using) and salt with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Combine the 1/3c flour and 1/2c water to make a slurry. Pour over cumbled shortening mixture and mix till just combined.
- Turn out dough onto a floured surface and form into a round.
- Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and flatten into a small disc.
- Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to set. (This will make rolling it out much easier. If you don’t need a double crust, you can freeze one half of the dough and use it later.)
- When ready to use the crust, roll out each half on a heavily floured surface with a floured rolling pin. If it doesn’t go well the first time, it’s okay. Just crumple it back into a ball and try again. It’s VERY forgiving.
- Makes 1 double crust
TO USE FOR A PIE – Follow the baking directions of your pie filling recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Pie
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
I’ve made this recipe for our pumpkin pie (also your pumpkin pie recipe) for many years and it’s wonderful. This year, something went wrong, the dough never seemed to firm up in the refrigerator or freezer and then “melted” during the initial bake. Hoping for the best because it was too late to start over. Any suggestions on what may have gone wrong so I can avoid it next year?
Hi Brittany. I’m SO sorry you ran into trouble! I know that’s SO frustrating, especially around a food holiday. In my years of baking this crust, I have never had it not firm up. Honestly, it sounds like there was perhaps an accidental mis-measurement somewhere along the way.
A few things it could possibly be, or that could possibly help:
1. Check that all ingredients were measured properly (too much water or shortening could cause the dough to be overly soft or melty)
2. If you’re pre-baking the crust (blind baking), you can roll out & shape the crust, prick the crust as directed for blind baking, then freeze it for 30-60 min before baking so that it’s super firm before you get started. It can help the crust to hold its shape better in the oven sometimes.
Can I just say that you are my most favorite person on the internet for posting this recipe?! You have NO. IDEA. how much I appreciate it! I despise buying premade crusts but I’ve never found a recipe that was foolproof, every time. On Thanksgiving I made 6 pies using your recipe, it was perfect every. single. pie. I used it again for Christmas pies. Thank you, so much, sweet wonderful miracle woman! Merry Christmas 2019!!
Tasha – This is the NICEST COMMENT!!! Thank you so much for sharing this with me! I’m so glad it worked out so well for you! Honestly, I’ve never had a bad pie crust with this recipe! 🙂