Easy Flaky All Butter Pie Crust

Easy Flaky All-Butter Pie Crust — This perfect pie crust is so FLAKY and BUTTERY! It’s EASY, no-fuss, and foolproof! It’s great pre-baked to use in no-bake pies or for double-crust pies!

All-Butter Pie Crust Recipe

I know that at times it can seem intimidating to make certain things from scratch, and I know that for many, pie crust is one of those things! 

My recipe for a pie crust made with butter is easy, no-fuss, and because it’s made in the food processor, it’s ready in mere minutes. Not to mention, no elbow grease required on your part!

Also included in this post are my tips, tricks, do’s and don’ts so that you yield the best and perfect pie crust that will certainly impress your friends and family. 

What’s in an All-Butter Pie Crust? 

For this buttery, flaky pie crust, all you need are these five basic pantry and fridge ingredients (since water doesn’t count as an ingredient):

• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Granulated sugar (optional) 
• Unsalted butter
• Ice water
• Egg whites, for brushing

How to Make All-Butter Pie Crust

It’s actually so easy to make pie crust with butter! Begin by adding some the flour, salt, and optional sugar (not necessary for a savory pie) to the canister of a large food processor and pulse once or twice to combine. 

Add cubed butter and pulse for 50 seconds until a paste forms. Break up the clumps evenly around the food processor.

Add the remaining flour and pulse another 3 or 4 more times until you have pea-sized pieces. See the photo below for reference! 

Add some very cold water and pulse to combine before adding additional water if necessary if the mixture looks a bit dry, as shown below.

Pulse two or three times until the dough comes together.

Remove the dough, form a ball, and divide it into two equal portions.

Roll each portion of dough into a ball and place it inside a piece of plastic wrap, wrap it tightly, and press down to form a thick disk. 

Repeat with the second portion of dough.

Refrigerate for 1 hour, then allow the disks to sit on the counter for 10 minutes before rolling them out.

How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust

If you are using a recipe that needs a blind bake (meaning baking just the crust before you add any filling into it), preheat the oven to 450°F.

To bake a single butter pie crust, roll the dough out slightly thicker than you normally would. 

Roll the crust up over the rolling pin, then gently unroll over the pie pan. Press it into the base of the pan. 

Trim the crust one inch over the edge. 

Fold the extra crust under the edge to make the edges thicker. Then, using your first finger and thumb on one hand and a first finger on the other, press the dough with one finger into the middle of the other two fingers. This gently creates a ridge around the crust.

There are many ways to edge the crust.

If you have time, refrigerate the pie plate with the pie crust in it for 30 minutes or so. This creates a flakier crust in the final analysis because the cold butter behaves differently during the baking process.

Cover the bottom with aluminum foil and fill with dry beans or pie weights if you have them. This will prevent the pie from bubbling up in the middle. 

Additionally, you can also prick the bottom of the crust with a fork a few times.

Bake for 15 minutes, then brush with egg whites. 

Return to the oven and bake for an additional 3 to 4 minutes and then fill with your favorite pie filling or carry on with whatever pie recipe you were making, such as my Fresh Strawberry Pie or Rhubarb Berry Pie.

Can I Use a Butter Substitute in This Recipe? 

No, real butter only for this homemade pie crust with butter. And make sure it’s very cold. 

Can I Use Salted Butter to Make Pie Crust? 

I prefer to use unsalted butter and add a teaspoon of salt when making an all-butter pie crust. 

While theoretically salted butter could work, your crust may end up turning out too salty because you’re not in control of just how much salt is in those two sticks of butter. Salted butter can really vary in its saltiness from brand to brand.

What’s the Best Flour for Homemade Pie Crust?

All-purpose flour is the only flour that I know for sure will work in this recipe. I don’t recommend using any other flour.

I can’t say if gluten-free flour that’s intended for baking in a cup-for-cup fashion will work or not.

Don’t use whole wheat flour since it won’t behave the same as all-purpose. 

If you have a scale, weigh your flour. You need 2.5 cups, or 12.5 ounces, to make this buttery, flaky pie crust. 

Is a Food Processor Required to Make Pie Crust?

Using a food processor is much easier for making pie crust. Your hands will warm the butter and can make the dough too soft, which is why it’s easier to make the dough in the food processor. It comes together in mere minutes.

If you don’t have a food processor, it’s better to use a fork or a pastry cutter rather than your bare hands. Again, you don’t want to warm the butter! 

Can I Use a Blender to Make Pie Crust? 

No, don’t use a blender or a high-speed blender like a Vita-Mix since they use a different mixing action than a food processor.

How Many Crusts Does This Recipe Make?

This butter pie crust recipe will make enough dough for two pies baked in a standard 9- to 9.5-inch glass pie plate. Or, use the recipe for one 9-inch pie with a double crust.

How Long Does Homemade Pie Crust Last? 

The raw pie dough will keep airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let it sit out on the counter for 10 to 15 minutes before rolling it out and baking it. 

Can Pie Crust Be Frozen? 

Yes, raw pie dough can be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it fully before rolling it out. I recommend placing it in the fridge overnight to thaw. 

Tips for the Best All-Butter Pie Crust

Very cold ice water and very cold butter will help the dough come together and stay together.

Gluten is the enemy of a good pie crust. To help with this, flour is added in stages and the butter will get coated with the addition of flour.  This encapsulates the flour and keeps the gluten from doing its work.

Make sure not to over work or pulse the mixture too much or the gluten will start working, thus creating a tougher, denser crust that is chewier rather than flaky and light. When making bread, you want to work that dough to activate the gluten, which creates a chewy texture which is great for bread, but the opposite is true for pie crust.

Refrigerating the pie crust before rolling and then again after it is in the pie dish for about 30 minutes will make for a better, flakier, lighter crust because the cold butter will help create flaky little air pockets when the crust bakes.

Brushing egg whites over the baked crust and baking again for a couple of minutes will help seal the crust to keep it from getting soggy when you add the filling.

Recipes Using Pie Crust: 

ALL OF MY PIE RECIPES! 

Fresh Strawberry Pie – This EASY strawberry pie is bursting with juicy, fresh strawberries and covered in a delicious glaze! Use a homemade flaky crust OR a refrigerated store bought crust for this amazing pie that everyone LOVES! Only SIX main ingredients!

Copycat Toll House Pie (aka Chocolate Chip Pie) — The filling tastes like the center of an underbaked chocolate chip COOKIE!! Gooey perfection! Easy, rich, decadent, extremely CHOCOLATY and you can use a frozen pie crust!!

Rhubarb Berry Pie – A classic, EASY, fruit pie made with rhubarb, strawberries, and blueberries! Sweet yet a bit tart, very juicy, and a PERFECT spring or summer dessert! 

Cherry Cream Pie — An old-fashioned pie with homemade scratch crust topped with NO-BAKE layers of sweetened cream cheese along with juicy cherry pie filling!!

Caramel Apple Crumble Pie — Apple pie meets apple crumble in this easy caramel apple crumble pie recipe. This apple pie is dense, rich, and is packed with caramel apple flavor!

Sugar Cream Pie— This sugar cream pie reminds me a bit of crème brûlée. The filling is custard-like, and when topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon it’s irresistable! 

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie — The tangy cream cheese is a perfect contrast to the warming pumpkin pie spice. The pie is rich, perfectly dense, and your house will smell like Thanksgiving as it bakes!