Skip to Content

All Butter Pie Crust (The Best Flaky Pie Crust)

This all butter pie crust recipe requires just 5 ingredients and can be made in your food processor or by hand. An all butter crust is so easy to prep and comes together in no time! Also includes frequently asked questions about how to make a pie crust recipe with butter.

overhead photo of an all butter pie crust recipe in a pie pan

All Butter Pie Crust From Scratch

In the past, I have had many failures when attempting to make a perfect pie crust. My homemade pie crust attempts often resulted in a dough that was too sticky, too dry, or full of cracks.

Purchasing frozen pie crusts isn’t really my style and I love to eat pie, so I pressed forward and kept trying.

A few years ago, I finally learned how to make a great — no, perfect — all butter pie crust recipe.

Making homemade pie crust with butter is easier than you’d think and you wind up with a wonderfully buttery, flaky pie crust every single time.

photo of tools needed to make a butter pie crust

Tools Used to Make this All Butter Pie Crust

You’ll need a few different tools to prepare this delicious crust recipe. Here’s what I recommend having on hand before getting started:

  • Food Processor or Pastry Cutter and Large Bowl – to mix the ingredients for this recipe.
  • Measuring Cups and Spoons – to measure the ingredients for this flakey pie crust.
  • Silicone Pastry Mat – to use as a work surface when rolling the pie crust.
  • Sheet of Plastic Wrap – to wrap the dough circle with while it chills
  • Rolling Pin – to roll dough out with.
  • Pie Dish – for baking your pie recipe.
photo of a pie crust recipe with butter in a pie plate unbaked next to a rolling pin

Click HERE to save this recipe for All Butter Pie Crust!

All Butter Pie Crust Ingredients

This pie crust made with butter requires very few ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need to make a flaky pie crust:

  • All-purpose flour
  • Unsalted butter
  • Salt
  • Granulated sugar
  • Ice water

For the complete ingredient list and detailed instructions to make this flakey pie crust recipe, scroll to the bottom of this post for the FREE printable recipe card.

all butter crust dough being transferred to a pie plate

How to Make Pie Crust From Scratch

Sift together the dry ingredients, then add to a food processor along with the cold cubed butter.

Pulse the ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse sand, then slowly add in the ice water and continue pulsing until a crumbly dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and split in two. Wrap each dough ball in plastic wrap, then freeze for 30 minutes.

Once chilled, on a lightly floured surface, roll each dough ball out until roughly 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to a pie plate, then fill with your desired pie filling and top with the second crust, if desired.

The above is simply a quick summary of how to make the best pie crust. Check out the full recipe in the free printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for all the detailed instructions.

overhead shot of an unbaked pie dough in a pan using this all butter pie crust recipe

Click HERE to save this recipe for All Butter Pie Crust!

Tips for the Best All Butter Pie Crust

Keep Things Cold for a Flaky Crust

Refrigerate all of the ingredients for your pie crust before beginning your recipe.

Chilled butter is absolutely essential to this recipe! Pockets of cold butter pieces within the homemade pie crust are what make it so deliciously flaky.

Use very cold, even frozen, butter and iced cold water in your pie crust recipes. You can also chill your flour prior to use.

Use a Food Processor

While a food processor isn’t necessary to make a perfectly flaky pie crust, I love my food processor and I’m convinced that it is what lead to my eventual success.

It works so beautifully this way because it makes it simple to get little bits of butter evenly distributed throughout the flour mixture.

However, you can use a set of butter knives or a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour if you don’t have a food processor to work with. Just make sure that the bits of butter are small and evenly distributed (the butter bits should be pea sized).

Dough Should Resemble a Coarse Meal

When cutting the butter into the flour, regardless of the method you choose, you should have small bits of butter the size of peas throughout the flour mixture.

You should also only add enough water just to get the ingredients to start to come together. It will look kind of crumbly when prepared properly.

Don’t Overwork the Butter Pie Crust

One of the reasons I like to make food processor pie crusts is that the food processor keeps my very warm hands away from the chilled pie crust dough. Heat will warm the ingredients and melt the bits of butter.

Work the dough until just moist and combined and don’t over handle. Over handling will lead to a tough pie crust from scratch.

close up of edging on an unbaked all butter pie crust

All Butter Pie Crust FAQs

Got questions about how to make this butter pie crust recipe? Here are the answers to a few commonly asked questions. Feel free to leave any other questions in the comments on this post and I’ll respond with answers.

Can I Use this All Butter Crust to Make a Savory Pie?

Yes! This all butter pie crust recipe works great for sweet and savory pie recipes.

Can I Prep This Butter Pie Crust in Advance?

If you’re trying to save time during the busy holiday season, you can make this pie crust recipe with butter ahead of time.

I like to make it a day or two ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to make the pie. Just let it sit out on the counter for about 10-15 minutes before rolling out the butter crust.

Can You Freeze Pie Crust?

Yes, this all butter pie crust can be frozen. Freezing pie dough is a great way to save time when preparing for busy holidays!

To freeze, wrap the homemade pie crust in a few layers of plastic wrap, then freeze.

Frozen pie dough will last up to 3 months if frozen properly. When you’re ready to use the frozen pie crust, place in the fridge overnight to thaw and then roll it out as you normally would.

Check out my how to freeze pie dough post for all the details. It will also answer questions about freezing and thawing pie dough, and shares some of my favorite pie recipes.

overhead photo of a butter pie crust being used to bake a pie recipe

Try this Butter Pie Crust Recipe!

Next time you’re looking for a delicious pie crust recipe to bake pies with, give this All Butter Pie Crust a try!

Did you think it was the best pie crust? Leave a comment below and give it a review for others to see what you thought of this delicious recipe.

On Instagram? Share your photo and tag me with @goodlifeeats and #goodlifeeatsrecipes. I’d love to see your photo of this flaky pie crust recipe!

Recipes That Use Butter Pie Crust

Now that you know how to make your own homemade pie crust, check out these favorite pie recipes using this butter pie dough.

Get More Delicious Recipes via Email

Did you love this recipe for All Butter Pie Crust? Sign up for Good Life Eats email updates and never miss another recipe!

What are your tips for making a perfect pie crust?

photo of a pie crust recipe with butter

Perfect All Butter Pie Crust

Yield: 2 standard pie crusts
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Crust Chill Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

This All Butter Pie Crust recipe is the best recipe for delicious, flaky, pie crusts.

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
  • 1 cup (2 sticks or 8 ounces) very cold unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 6 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Instructions

  1. Cube the butter into 1/2 inch pieces.
  2. Place them on a freezer-safe plate or cutting board and freeze until very firm, approximately 30 minutes.
  3. Sift together the flour, salt, and sugar.
  4. Add the flour mixture to a food processor (10 to 12 cup size) along with the butter.
  5. Pulse the ingredients until the butter is cut into coarse crumbs.
  6. Add the ice cold water 2 tablespoons at a time while pulsing the food processor until the mixture becomes a crumbly dough and forms together.
  7. On an un-floured surface, turn the dough out and shape it into two circles (I use a kitchen scale to make sure they're evenly sized), approximately 6" in diameter, kneading as little as possible (pockets of butter are what keep the crust flaky and tender).
  8. Dust both sides of each circle with a bit of flour and wrap in plastic wrap.
  9. Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for an hour.
  10. Remove the dough from the refrigerator or freezer.
  11. Set it aside while you dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour.
  12. Unwrap one dough circle and roll with a rolling pin until the dough has formed a circle about 12" in diameter and slightly thicker than 1/8 inch.
  13. When the dough is the proper size, wrap it gently around the rolling pin to transfer to the pie plate.
  14. Press the dough into the 9" pie plate and shape the edges according to your desired design.

Notes

Can I Prep This Butter Pie Crust in Advance?

If you're trying to save time during the busy holiday season, you can make this pie crust recipe with butter a day or two ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the pie. Just let it sit out on the counter for about 10 minutes before you roll it out.

Can You Freeze Pie Crust

Yes, this all butter pie crust can be frozen. To freeze, wrap the homemade pie crust in a few layers of plastic wrap, then freeze.

Frozen pie dough will last up to 3 months if frozen properly. When you're ready to use the frozen pie crust, place in the fridge overnight to thaw and then roll it out as you normally would.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information
Yield 16 Serving Size 1 slice pie
Amount Per Serving Calories 78Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 2mgSodium 133mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 2g

Did you make this recipe?

I’d love it if you let me know what you think! Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram at @goodlifeeats with the hashtag #goodlifeeatsrecipes so I can see what you’re cooking up in YOUR kitchen!

Kelly

Monday 24th of February 2014

Thanks for the recipe. Looks like a fast way to whip up some pie crust. I will give it a try.

Julie

Monday 24th of December 2012

This looks great... what are the baking time and temperature, tho?

Katie

Tuesday 25th of December 2012

It depends on the recipe. I use this crust with many different recipes and cook the pie according to the pie's recipe instructions.

gen

Sunday 18th of November 2012

This looks great, will try it for my thanksgiving crust. A good trick for everyone without a food processor, freeze your butter and grate it up with a cheese grater.

Stacey

Wednesday 26th of September 2012

I have been trying to start my own baking from scratch and was looking for a pie crust that didn't have Crisco. Well, I tried this recipe tonight and made a chicken pot pie. I made a bottom crust and a lattice top. Let me tell you, this IS flakey! It almost looked like puff pastry, it was so flakey. SO delicious and super easy. I froze all the ingredients and used my Kitchen Aid. I mixed until almost all formed and then just dumped on my board and kneaded it all together for a few seconds. I made a double batch and froze 2 crusts. This will be my go-to for sure.

Frostine

Monday 17th of October 2011

I wish my household would eat more pies. I'm the only one who will eat fruit pies and your post really makes me want to make one.

Skip to Recipe