There's nothing quite like the taste of a homemade pie crust fresh from the oven. Flaky, buttery, and perfectly golden, but this isn't just any pie crust recipe, though. It's the ultimate butter and Crisco pie crust recipe, giving you that unbeatable combination of rich flavor and tender flakiness that holds up beautifully to both sweet and savory fillings.
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If you've ever wanted a crust that rolls out easily, bakes up golden, and makes everyone think you're a pie master, this is it. Trust me, once you try this butter and shortening pie crust recipe, you'll never go back to store-bought again.
This easy homemade pie crust is a favorite in my kitchen because it works for everything, from summertime fruit pies, filled with my Mixed Berry Pie Filling or Homemade Peach Pie Filling, to more savory fillings like my Easy Chicken Pot Pie or Ground Beef Pot Pie.
Another reason this recipe is so well-loved is because it's incredibly forgiving. Even if you're new to baking, this homemade pie crust with shortening is simple to master. The shortening makes it easy to work with, while the butter gives that irresistible flavor.
If you're feeling adventurous, try my Sourdough Pie Crust for a tangy twist that adds even more character to your pies.
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💛 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Flaky Layers Every Time - The combination of butter and shortening creates the perfect structure.
- Beginner-Friendly - Comes together quickly with no complicated steps.
- Versatile - Works beautifully for fruit pies, quiches, and even savory hand pies. Try it with my Easy Spinach Bacon Quiche!
🛒 Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour - Gives the dough structure and just the right amount of tenderness.
- Cold Butter - Adds rich flavor and creates flaky layers as it melts during baking.
- Shortening (Crisco) - Makes the dough easier to handle and helps it hold shape.
- Salt - Balances flavor so your crust isn't bland.
- Ice Water - Keeps the fat cold, ensuring that perfect flakiness.
See the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
Substitutions
- Vinegar Crust: Swap this dough for a Vinegar Pie Crust for extra tenderness. Vinegar helps prevent gluten development.
Variations
- Sweet Pies: Sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg into the dough for warm dessert pies.
- Savory Pies: Add fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary for quiches and savory tarts.
💰 Budget-Friendly Tips
Butter & Dough Base: I use cold, cubed butter for flakiness, but on a tighter budget I often do half butter / half shortening. That mix gives great texture and saves money when butter is on sale.
Basic Ingredients: Flour, salt, sugar. These are Frugal Pantry Staples to Keep on Hand and are inexpensive when bought in bulk. Keeping these on hand means you're ready to bake without an extra trip to the store.
Make Ahead & Freeze: I like to prep the dough in advance, wrap it tight, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling. That way I'm ready to bake on demand and skip buying a store-bought crust.
Versatile Use: Since this dough works for sweet pies and savory tarts/quiches, I plan one batch and use it for both dinner and dessert. That doubles its value while keeping costs down.
🥄 Instructions for Homemade Pie Crust
Step 1: Combine flour, salt, and sugar (if using) in a bowl. (Image 1).
Step 2: Add cubed butter and shortening. (Image 2).
Step 3: Cut in butter and shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. (Image 3).
Step 4: Gradually add ice water, (Image 4) mixing just until dough holds together.
Step 5: Shape into a disk, wrap, and chill before rolling out. (Image 5).
Step 6: Place unwrapped chilled disc onto a floured surface. (Image 6).
Step 7: Roll on a floured surface (Image 7), transfer to pie plate, and trim edges. (Image 8).
Step 9: Fill with your favorite filling (like Instant Pot Apple Pie Filling or Sugar Free Cherry Pie Filling) and bake until golden.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- Keep everything cold. Cold butter, cold shortening, cold water. This prevents the fats from melting too soon.
- Don't overwork the dough. Mix until it just comes together for the flakiest results.
- If the dough cracks while rolling, patch it with extra dough instead of re-rolling.
- Chill before baking for at least 15 minutes; this helps the crust hold shape in the oven.
- Expect some slight shrinkage when blind-baking. Using pie weights can help minimize this.
❄️ Storage and Make Ahead
Storage: Keep baked pies covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Pre-baked pie dough can also be wrapped tightly and frozen for later use.
Make Ahead: Dough can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge. For longer storage, wrap well and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling.
🥣 Recipe Add-Ins
Sweet Pies: Add 1-2 teaspoons sugar or a pinch of cinnamon to the dough for extra flavor.
Savory Pies: Mix in herbs like thyme, rosemary, or a pinch of black pepper.
Extra Flaky Layers: Fold dough over itself once before rolling to create layers similar to puff pastry.
🥗 Side Dishes or Pairing Ideas
This homemade pie crust works for both sweet and savory pies, think apple, pumpkin, chicken pot pie, or quiche. You can also use it for hand pies, galettes, or tartlets, and even bake the scraps with a little cinnamon sugar for a quick zero-waste snack.
- Sugar Free Cherry Pie FillingRecipe $8.19 / Serving $1.02
- Mixed Berry Pie FillingRecipe $7.91 / Serving $0.99
- Applesauce Custard PieRecipe $3.83 / Serving $0.32
- Ground Beef Pot PieRecipe $10.66 / Serving $1.79
❓ Recipe FAQs
The key is keeping everything cold, cold butter, cold shortening, and even ice water. This helps create flaky layers. Also, don't overwork the dough; gentle handling is essential.
Absolutely! Homemade pie crust is flakier, more flavorful, and customizable compared to store-bought. Plus, you control the ingredients.
Avoid overmixing or over-kneading the dough. This can develop the gluten too much, resulting in a tough crust instead of a tender, flaky one.
Some bakers add a teaspoon or two of vinegar to the dough, it helps tenderize the crust and enhances flakiness. Try it in this Vinegar Pie Crust recipe.
Both have advantages! Butter adds flavor and browning, while Crisco (or other shortenings) adds incredible flakiness. Using a combination of the two gives you the best of both worlds.
🍽️ More Recipes You'll Love
- Peanut Butter and Jelly PieRecipe $5.43 / Serving $0.68
- Peach Crumble PieRecipe $7.39 / Serving $0.92
- S'mores PieRecipe $5.26 / Serving $0.66
- Cranberry White Chocolate CheesecakeRecipe $10.91 / Serving $0.91
🐝 If you tried this Homemade Pie Crust, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and share your buzz in the 💬 comments below. I'd truly appreciate it!
📖 Recipe
Homemade Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour - ($1.03)
- 1 teaspoon salt - ($0.01)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional - ($0.02)
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed - ($0.99)
- ½ cup vegetable shortening, cold, cubed or spooned - ($0.49)
- ½ cup ice water, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons more if needed - ($0.00)
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and granulated sugar, if using.
- Cut in fats. Add the cold cubed butter and shortening. Cut in using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
- Add water. Gradually add the ice water, mixing just until the dough begins to hold together. Add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time if needed.
- Chill dough. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap tightly, and refrigerate before rolling.
- Roll and shape. Roll the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a pie plate and trim the edges.
- Fill and bake. Fill with your desired pie filling and bake according to the filling recipe until the crust is golden.
Notes
- Keep everything cold: Chill butter, shortening, and water to ensure flakiness.
- Handle gently: Avoid overmixing or over-kneading; too much gluten makes the crust tough.
- Flakiness tip: Larger butter chunks in the dough create extra flaky layers.
- Rolling: Roll out to ~12" for a 9" pie plate.
- Blind baking: Line with parchment and pie weights; bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes, remove weights, then 7-10 more minutes if needed.
- Storage: Chill dough 2 hours up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months.
Nutritional Information
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Nicole Durham says
One of our favorite pie crust recipes because it's cheap, easy, and so flaky when it's done.