An easy, flaky, no-fail pie crust recipe that comes out perfect, flaky, and delicious. Every. Time. This No Fail Pie Crust Recipe will be the star of the show!
Easy No Fail Pie Crust
Everyone needs a go-to, no-fail pie crust recipe, so I wanted to share mine with you. But first a back story.
Every Christmas my side of the family has a tradition, passed down from my Swedish roots, to have a smorgasbord. Well, naturally, as the oldest sister, the cooking responsibility fell to me. One of the very first years I started cooking this smorgasbord, I made a French silk pie using a butter crust recipe. But for some reason, the pie crust had turned to some strange translucent, rubber-like consistency. Mr. Gracious now admits (at that time, we were still just dating) that he was pretty disappointed and concerned about my pie-making abilities, as pie is his absolute favorite dessert. Everyone chewed on their rubber pie silently, until I finally broke the ice and mentioned that there was obviously something wrong with the pie!
I have never used that recipe again. And much to Mr. Gracious’s delight, I have found the perfect flaky pie crust recipe that turns out. Every. Time. It’s flaky. It’s delicious. And best of all, it’s NOT rubbery. So here is my no-fail flaky pie crust recipe. Hopefully my sharing will help you to never have a similar pie-baking incident.
This flaky no fail pie crust recipe is enough for 2 crusts (a double crust). It is freezer safe, so if you only need half (the bottom shell), wrap the other half in plastic wrap and stick it in the freezer until you need it next time. I simply let the dough sit on the counter until soft all the way through to use it after freezing.
New to the pie-making scene? Here are some helpful Pie Making Resources to make sure all your pies come out perfect and delicious!
- Rolling Out Pie Crust Tutorial – If rolling out your own homemade pie crust makes you nervous, stop right now! This easy step-by-step tutorial will tell you exactly what to do for a perfect pie crust!
- Pretty Ways to Finish Pie Crust Edges – There are so many ways to finish pie crust once you’re done rolling it out to make a truly special pie. Try some of these easy and fun ones this year!
- Must Have Pie Making Supplies – If you love pies, you need these tools so you can make them all the time at home!
- And be sure to check out my favorite pie recipes HERE
*****In a twist of ironic fate, as I was making this flaky pie crust recipe to take photos for this post, I discovered the ONE way to fail at this crust. Dropping the pie dish on the floor and shattering it into a million pieces. Glass shards in your flaky pie crust = no good. So. Assuming you’re not as clumsy as I am, you should be fine. I should probably switch to metal pie pans though…
No Fail Pie Crust Recipe
Easy No Fail Pie Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1/2 cup cold water
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cut shortening and flour together. A pastry blender is preferred, but as a newlywed without a well stocked kitchen, I have used a fork with success.
- Then add water and stir with a fork until it forms a ball. If there's still flour at the end, add water, a teaspoon at a time. You want the dough to be stiff, not sticky, so be careful not to add too much water.
- Divide in half. If you're only using half, you can freeze the other half now. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling out.
- If you need a baked pie shell, bake in a 350° oven for 10-20 minutes, or until the crust is cooked through and no longer translucent.
Did you like this Easy No Fail Pie Crust Recipe? Find more on my Desserts, In the Kitchen, and Thanksgiving boards on Pinterest!
If you liked this Easy No Fail Pie Crust Recipe, you might also like:
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Tshanina | Thrifty T's Treasures says
September 5, 2014 at 4:38 pmI’ll admit it…I’m intimidated at the thought of making a pie crust. But with three ingredients, I just might have to try your recipe! :O)
linda says
September 17, 2014 at 12:05 pmLove those stories of our first time “cooking” for company, sweetheart or family! I have a few on my on. Think biscuits and hockey pucks. Sorry your pie dish broke. The recipe looks like a winner.
Elaine says
August 28, 2017 at 3:00 pmOh…did I laugh when I read about your “hockey pucks!!!” My biscuits have that distinct name at our house!!! I finally found a recipe that works, but for years, they were “hockey pucks.” I gave up on making them!!! LOL
Sara @HappyBrownHouse says
September 20, 2014 at 12:33 amThe last time I tried to make homemade crust I failed miserably. Going to give yours a try! Thanks for linking up with Good Tips Tuesday! Just letting you know this is going to be a featured post next week.
Michelle says
September 20, 2014 at 6:42 pmDefinitely try it! If you run into any problems, let me know, and I’ll help you out!
Anna says
April 10, 2015 at 2:23 amI made the pie dough but, accidentally put it in the fridge instead of the freezer. Will it still work? Thanks for any help.
Michelle says
April 10, 2015 at 6:59 amIt depends on how long ago you made it. If you made it recently, like less than a month ago, and it’s been wrapped in the fridge, it should still be okay. If you made it over a month ago, or you forgot to wrap it tightly, I would dispose of it and make it again.
Lara @ Methodical Living says
September 23, 2014 at 11:47 amI’ve been a little scared to make homemade crust. This will work perfectly with my chicken pot pie filling. I pinned this for later!
-Lara
Michelle says
September 23, 2014 at 12:14 pmI use it for pot pie too! It turns out great! Hope you love it too!
Kyla — HouseOfHipsters.com says
November 12, 2014 at 3:50 pmI haven’t had the best luck with pie crusts. I’m going to try your out! Thanks for sharing! Also wanted to let you know about a new linky party starting this Saturday at 8pm called “Found & Foraged” Can’t wait to party with you at http://www.houseofhipsters.com
Amber Joy says
March 21, 2015 at 4:33 pmThank you for posting your recipe! It turned out great and that is coming from someone who doesn’t care for crust and I ate it all!! I gave a shout out to you on my blog for this recipe. http://www.ambersantics.blogspot.com/2015/03/strawberry-pie-and-promo-code.html
Michelle says
March 21, 2015 at 5:26 pmThank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Juanita Broussard says
April 22, 2016 at 3:14 pmDo you use self-rising or all-purpose flour?
Michelle says
April 23, 2016 at 7:27 amAll Purpose
Karen Spencer says
May 31, 2016 at 4:37 pmThis is a great receipe! I did add 1.5 TBSp of sugar and 1/2 tsp salt.
Rita says
July 20, 2016 at 1:38 pmShortening, do you mean Crisco?
Michelle says
July 21, 2016 at 8:03 amYes, Crisco makes shortening.
Deborah O'Neal says
November 11, 2018 at 7:23 pmI don’t have shortening could I use lard.
Miranthi Fernando says
July 28, 2016 at 9:45 amOh my, i stumbled on your post cause I was desperate to find a pie crust recipe and although I was apprehensive to bake this with my friends today, I decided to give it a go (first time using shortening, too) AND OH MY GOSH, this is THE best recipe ever. Thanks a million for sharing!!
Michelle says
July 28, 2016 at 10:25 amI’m glad you love it!
Sheryl says
August 19, 2016 at 1:59 pmThanks for this easy pie crust recipe. I do have a silly question though. When baking your Traditional Apple Pie should I bake the bottom crust before filling and adding the top crust?
Michelle says
August 19, 2016 at 3:07 pmNope, you can bake it all at once.
Jody says
July 5, 2018 at 3:51 amI made a pie last night and didnt bake my crust first…. it turned soggy 😭 what did I do wrong
Michelle says
July 5, 2018 at 9:07 amWhat kind of pie was it? I’d need to see the pie recipe to know what happened. My only guess without the recipe is that you just didn’t cook it long enough.
Janet says
September 5, 2016 at 12:34 pmI added some salt. Easy dough. pulsed in the food processor. Came together and rolled out great.
Chelsy says
October 7, 2016 at 4:11 pmHi just a question about the pie crust! I’ve made it before (and it’s great by the way!) but I always used it right away. Can it sit in the fridge overnight and I roll it out tomorrow and cook it? Thanks!
Michelle says
October 7, 2016 at 7:19 pmYes. I just cover it in plastic wrap to make sure it stays moist.
Suraida says
October 12, 2016 at 9:16 amHiya
Will the crust bulge up when baking in the oven?
Michelle says
October 12, 2016 at 9:36 amIt’s generally recommended that if you’re baking pie crust without filling in it that you use some sort of weight to prevent the bulging. https://www.thegraciouswife.com/must-have-pie-making-supplies/
Channel says
October 27, 2016 at 3:33 pmI made it which I really suck at making crust. It was sooooooo easy and for the first time in my life I could cut it with a knife and not a hammer.
RLSCM says
November 10, 2016 at 1:15 pmI’ve never been 100% successful when making pie crust even though I have tried many recipes. Unfortunately, this one was no different. No matter how much water I added, that dough was never going to form a ball so I had to form a ball with my hands. Also, when it came time to roll it out, it kept breaking apart. The overall taste after it came out of the oven was good but texture was not flaky. I would welcome any tips or suggestions.
Michelle says
November 12, 2016 at 7:42 amI’m guessing you added too much water. You do have to make it into a ball with your hands, it won’t just happen. And you only need enough water to wet all the flour.
RLSCM says
November 12, 2016 at 9:49 amThank you for your suggestion. Hopefully I will have better luck next time. ?
Katie says
January 28, 2017 at 1:29 amSo, total beginner questions here. Does it matter what type of shortening you use? Is the shortening cold and hard? Would it be possible to use butter as a substitute? Sorry if these questions seem a bit silly, I’m a complete beginner when it comes to baking pies.
Michelle says
January 28, 2017 at 9:32 amI always use plain shortening, like Crisco. Some people use butter in their crusts, but if you read my story above, the rubber crust was one with butter. I made another butter crust this past holiday season, and it was MUCH harder to work with than this shortening crust. So if you’re a beginner, especially, I recommend sticking to the recipe.
Katie says
January 28, 2017 at 12:52 pmThank you! 😀
Sandra says
March 24, 2018 at 3:40 pmDoes the shortening have to be chilled first
Michelle says
March 24, 2018 at 6:13 pmMine is always room temp.
Zane says
September 13, 2017 at 7:03 pmCan I use butter flavored Crisco?
Michelle says
September 14, 2017 at 8:59 amI have never tried it, but I think it would probably work. Let me know how it goes if you do try it!
Texasgirl1908 says
November 21, 2017 at 10:58 pmI just baked a peach Cobbler and made the crust using the Butter F
lavored Crisco and it was delicious!!!
Loretta says
September 30, 2017 at 4:52 pmCan I double the recipe and still get good results?
Michelle says
September 30, 2017 at 5:50 pmYes
Megan says
November 22, 2017 at 9:00 amExcellent….every time!
Gilbert says
April 18, 2018 at 11:56 pmQuestion , I don’t have a pastry cutter so can I freeze the butter and then grate it into the flour ? I do that for my buttermilk biscuits and they come out great !
Michelle says
April 19, 2018 at 9:37 amAbsolutely! Or you can cut it in with a fork or by criss-crossing 2 butter knives.
Sherry says
June 13, 2018 at 10:45 amWow! Thanks for sharing this easy recipe! I, among others, was intimidated by making a homemade crust. Pillsbury gave us the easy way out and Sam’s club promotes that in bulk! Hahaha! I have these two bad boys chilling in the refrigerator right now. I did not have any crisco because we have a freezer stocked with lard, from our pig being processed. Will there be a significant difference between the lard and crisco? I realize crisco plant-based and the lard is from an animal, but will the lard hinder the outcome of the crust?
Thank you again, for a simple, non-intimidating recipe!
Michelle says
June 13, 2018 at 12:45 pmI think mostly just taste as crisco is vegetable based. But it should still turn out great!
Sarah says
October 13, 2018 at 8:22 pmI found your recipe and blog from a Pinterest search. I have always loved pies and quiches, but never have ready-to-bake refrigerated pie crusts when I need them. I have found a few other pie crust recipes online at other blogs via Pinterest, but none of them compared to this one. THANK YOU! This one rolled easily and was super flaky! I used stick margerine instead of shortening and I used my KitchenAid mixer and dough hook to blend the crust dough (adding extra all purpose flour toward the end to help keep it from being super sticky).
Do you have a sugar cookie dough recipe that rolls easily without becoming super bleh from adding so much flour? I’d love to know!
Michelle says
October 15, 2018 at 4:07 pmI’m so glad it worked so well for you!
This is the sugar cookie recipe I use: https://www.thegraciouswife.com/sugar-cookies-hold-shape/
Penny says
December 18, 2018 at 1:27 pmI don’t make pie often but every time I do, I try a different recipe. This was by far the easiest to prepare and roll! I am hoping the finished product (Turkey Pie) proves this to be the only pie crust recipe I will ever need to use in the future. Thanks so much for posting!
Penny says
December 18, 2018 at 5:58 pmOkay! This is going to be the only pie crust I ever make again!! The only thing I would add is maybe a teaspoon of salt. Other than that, it was the easiest crust I have ever made. Thank you so much!!!!
10 stars!!
Arleen says
April 21, 2019 at 6:03 amUsed the food processor to blend flour (and salt I added) together. Then added cut up shortening and pulsed til crumbly. Drizzled on water and pulsed til it formed a ball. The easiest to work with flakiest pie crust. I even used it to make empandas. Today, lemon merangue for easter.
Carl T Steinmetz says
June 23, 2019 at 2:26 pmGreat I do not know much about cooking in general, but your/my making pie crust turned out great. The only thing I did different was using butter in place of shorting, my wife can’t have it.
My question how long out of the freezer to roll out?
Michelle says
June 24, 2019 at 8:53 pmYou can work with it as soon as its soft enough to mold and handle. I usually just take mine out of the freezer the night before and put it in the fridge, and it’s ready to go the next day when I need it.