Perfect Flaky Pie Crust Without a Food Processor
If you have a rolling pin, a pie pan, and a few simple ingredients, you can make a delicious flaky crust for any pie and have a perfect pie crust in minutes. It does not matter if you are making a classic apple pie or your grandmother’s pumpkin pie, all your fruit pies or savory pies, this recipe has flaky layers, a light texture, and is a perfect pie crust every single time.
Give up on the processed store-bought pie crust. With little effort and some old-school know-how, you will be able to make this homemade pie crust recipe the first time out.
I love a homemade pie crust. I have had many family members give me their recipes, but this has been the quickest and tastiest. I have used it through the years. There is a pie that reminds us of the season at any time of the year. So grab the flour, butter, salt & cold water and you will have a homemade pie crust for your favorite pie.
Whipping up a homemade pie dough is simpler than you might think, and the end result is so rewarding. Whether you’re aiming for sweet pies or ones with a savory filling, starting with a great pie crust is the key to pie perfection.
This flaky pie crust recipe is not only simple to make yourself, but it also guarantees one of the flakiest pie crusts you’ve ever tasted—ideal for any type of pie you’re craving.
To begin, focus on keeping the ingredients cold; this is crucial for achieving that delicious pie crust that’s both tender and flaky. Combine your flour, salt, and cold butter in a large bowl, working the butter with a pastry cutter. You want to aim for a coarse mixture with just a few pea-sized chunks of butter remaining—these bits are your secret to achieving those beautiful, flaky layers in your best pie crust.
Whatever your favorite pie recipe is either sweet apples or a hearty, savory mixture, this crust will elevate your homemade pies to a crowd-pleasing art form.
Pie Making & Family Traditions
We make a lot of our family pie recipes at Thanksgiving & Christmas. Christmas is the time of year when the family gathers for many different holiday traditions.
Our family has always been active in our Church Christmas Pageant and Vespers music program. For both of these Christmas traditions, families provide food for a potluck or special coffee hour.
Many years in the past the Women’s Guild would bring out the silver tea servers. Christmas cookies, punch, finger sandwiches, and Christmas pies were served on long tables. I always looked forward to these services and all the delicious homemade recipes.
Ingredients Needed for the Perfect Pie Crust:
- All Purpose flour
- Kosher Salt (or your favorite salt)
- Unsalted Butter or Vegetable Shortening (For heart health, I also have a recipe using Olive Oil.)
- Ice Water
How to Make Homemade Flakiest Pie Crust:
- When making a homemade pie dough from scratch, make sure that the unsalted butter is ice-cold butter. If I am baking in the summer, I put the butter in the freezer for 10 minutes to ensure it does not soften on the counter.
- To cut the butter into the flour, I use a pastry cutter. I use the same pastry cutter that my mom used, and I learned to make pies with it.
- Start by filling a measuring cup with ice and enough water for at least 6 tablespoons of cold water. Add ice to the water to make ice water. The water needs to be very cold.
- Add the salt to the flour and cut in the butter until the mixture is small and crumbly.
- Cut the butter into small squares so you have cold chunks of butter.
- In a large bowl, mix in the all-purpose flour and, using the pastry cutter, start cutting in the butter until the flour mixture is crumbly like coarse cornmeal.
- The next step is to add the ice water one tablespoon at a time until the flour mixture starts to form a ball of dough.
- This dough will make a double-crust pie. Divide the dough in half.
- On a clean, lightly floured surface, countertop, or cutting boar,d flour your rolling pin and start rolling out each half of the ball of dough to fit the size of your pie pan.
- Layer the bottom crust in your pie dish and add your pie filling. Gently top the pie with the second pie crust. On top of the dough, vent with fork pokes or slits with a sharp knife.
How to Transfer Pie Crust Dough to a Pie Plate
One of the quickest and safest ways to transfer the rolled pie crust to the pie pan is to gently roll it onto the rolling pin and lift it onto the pie plate. (If you see a trend, you are right, everything about pie crust involves gentle and slow) Just take your time and do not overwork any step.
At most popular holidays, I like to bake pies, Pumpkin Pie and Apple Pie being the favorites in our home for years. No,w as the children are adults, Apple Pie is the pie that disappears first.
- Here is the link to my post on American Homemade Apple Pie.
- Your family may also like Fresh Homemade Cherry Pie.
- And you do not want to have a June go by without making Fresh Strawberry Pie! Yum!
- If you need the recipe for a Traditional Pumpkin Pie you will find it here.
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Supplies Needed:
Quick Tips:
- Before you start your pie crust, fill a measuring cup with ice water.
- And before you start your pie crust, put the butter in the freezer for 10 minutes to get it cold.
- When you are making a pie, place the bottom crust in the pie pan and put it in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes while you are preparing your filling. This helps keep the crust from getting soggy.
- If you are making an Apple Pie, fill a large bowl with cold water and 1/4 cup of lemon juice to keep the apples from turning brown. Before adding to the pie crust, rinse the lemon juice off of the apple slices.
- Line a cookie sheet with foil and put your pie that is in the pan on the tray before putting it in the oven to keep any dripping off the stove and onto the foil that you can dispose of.
- You can also make this and keep it in the refrigerator for 3 days or freeze up to a month.
Must-Try Thanksgiving Recipes for Your Holiday Table
Saltine Cracker Turkey Stuffing Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving
Saltine cracker dressing recipe is a retro, mid-modern, in-the-bird stuffing made with a cracker mixture. This Thanksgiving side dish is a family recipe, a delicious, moist, savory stuffing, which is a holiday tradition in our family for generations. The cracker dressing recipe is stuffed into the turkey cavity, and any extra is put in a casserole dish as an extra side.
Christmas Party Raspberry Sherbet Punch Non Alcoholic
Inspired by Women From The Church in Aurora
Traditional Green Bean Casserole Recipe for Christmas or Thanksgiving
Classic green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup and french fried onions.
Perfect Flaky Pie Crust Without a Food Processor
This flaky pie crust recipe is your go-to guide for creating a buttery, tender crust every time. Whether you’re baking a classic apple pie or trying new pie crust recipes, this homemade pie crust recipe is easy to follow and perfect for beginners. No food processor needed—just simple ingredients and reliable results. Use this best pie crust recipe whenever you want perfect pies made from scratch.
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 cup Butter or Shortening
- 7 to 8 tablespoons of Ice Cold Water (update: it is very hot today and my pie crust today used 12 tablespoons, start with 7 to 8 and add untill the dough comes together.)
Instructions
- When making a homemade pie dough from scratch, make sure that the unsalted butter is ice-cold butter. If I am baking in the summer, I put the butter in the freezer for 10 minutes to ensure it does not soften on the counter.
- To cut the butter into the flour I use a pastry cutter. I use the same pastry cutter that my mom used and I learned to make pies with it.
- Start by filling a measuring cup with ice and enough water for at least 6 tablespoons of cold water. Add ice to the water to make ice water. The water needs to be very cold.
- Add the salt to the flour and cut in the butter, until the mixture is small and crumbly.
- Cut the butter into small squares so you have cold chunks of butter.
- In a large bowl mix add the all-purpose flour and using the pastry cutter start cutting in the butter until the flour mixture is crumbly like coarse cornmeal.
- The next step is to add the ice water one tablespoon at a time until the flour mixture starts to form a ball of dough.
- This dough will make a double-crust pie. Divide the dough in half.
- On a clean lightly floured surface, countertop, or cutting board flour your rolling pin and start rolling out each half of the ball of dough to fit the size of your pie pan.
- Layer the bottom crust in your pie dish and add your pie filling. Gently top the pie with the second pie crust. On the top of the dough vent with fork pokes or slits with a sharp knife.
- Prep Time: 15
- Category: Dessert
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
The 10 Best Easy Family Favorite Pie Recipes + Crust
Dutch Apple Crumble Pie
Dutch Apple Crumble Pie is a deliciously sweet apple pie filling in a flakey pie crust with tons of buttery cinnamon crumble topping. Bake it up and enjoy the warm, sweet fragrances of apple pie!
Easy Blueberry Pie with Fresh U-Pick Blueberries
Delicious blueberry pie with a flakey homemade crust made in a mini food processor. Rich dark blue purple filling that tastes like it is summer no matter what time of year.
Classic Homemade Pumpkin Pie
The Classic Pumpkin Pie from the can of Libby Pure Pumpkin to make one pie.
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