This all butter pie crust recipe requires just 5 ingredients and is made in your food processor. It’s so easy to prep and comes together in no time!
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.
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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
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, 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.
Click HERE to save this recipe for All Butter Pie Crust!
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.
Tips for the Best All Butter Pie Crust
Keep Things Cold
Refrigerate all of the ingredients for your pie crust before beginning your recipe. Pockets of cold butter 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).
Don’t Overwork
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.
Recipes That Use Butter Pie Crust:
This Deep Dish Apple Cranberry Pie has an irresistible crumble topping that my family loves.
Want to shake things up a bit this Thanksgiving? Make this Cranberry Pecan Pumpkin Tart instead of your usual pumpkin pie. Your family will love you for it!
These Mini Cranberry Walnut Tarts are a great option for holiday parties. They’re so easy to make, and you don’t need any utensils to eat them.
Did you know you can make savory dishes with this all butter pie crust recipe? This Chard, Bacon, and Gouda Quiche is a crowd pleaser every time I make it.
What are your tips for making a perfect pie crust?
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Perfect All Butter Pie Crust
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
- Cube the butter into 1/2 inch pieces.
- Place them on a freezer-safe plate or cutting board and freeze until very firm, approximately 30 minutes.
- Sift together the flour, salt, and sugar.
- Add the flour mixture to a food processor (10 to 12 cup size) along with the butter.
- Pulse the ingredients until the butter is cut into coarse crumbs.
- 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.
- 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).
- Dust both sides of each circle with a bit of flour and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for an hour.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator or freezer.
- Set it aside while you dust the work surface and rolling pin with flour.
- 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.
- When the dough is the proper size, wrap it gently around the rolling pin to transfer to the pie plate.
- 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.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 16 Serving Size 1 slice pieAmount Per Serving Calories 78Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 2mgSodium 133mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 1gSugar 0gProtein 2g
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Click HERE to save this recipe for All Butter Pie Crust!
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.