After making so many pies over the years, and through many trials and errors, this has become my favorite pie crust recipe. With only 6 ingredients, this homemade pie crust is easy to make. It contains butter for a tasty crust and some apple cider vinegar to help with its texture. When it comes to making pie crust, there are a few tips one must follow to ensure a nice flaky crust; that is making sure your ingredients are always cold and that the dough is kept cold. I have added these tips along the way to help ensure the dough stays cold.
Here are a few of my recipes that calls for 1 pie crust:
Video Tutorial:
List of Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used organic unbleached all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or organic cane sugar (may leave it out or add less-about 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
- 4 tablespoons of cold water
- 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter (or 1/2 cup), cut into cubes – can use salted or unsalted butter
Note: add ice cubes to the water to help keep it cold.
Add 1 and 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or organic cane sugar to a food processor. Pulse it a few times to help mix the ingredients.
Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add that to the food processor. See below on how to cut the butter into cubes.1
Note: If your butter isn’t cold, place the cut-up (cubed) butter in the freezer for about 5 minutes.
Pulse the butter into the flour mixture a few times (about 15-20 pulses) or just until you notice small pea-sized pieces form. It is important to stop at this point and not over-work or over-mix the dough.
Add 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the food processor.
Also, add 4 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time making sure not to include the ice.
Pulse until the dough starts to come together.
Carefully remove the blade and transfer the pie crust to plastic wrap. Form it into a flat disc/round or square. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for an hour.
Once the dough has chilled for an hour, it is ready to use. If your dough is too tough to roll, allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes.
To Refrigerate for later use:
Tightly wrap the pie crust in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days
To Freeze the dough:
Tightly wrap the pie crust in plastic wrap and transfer it to a freezer-safe ziptop bag. Release as much air as possible and seal it closed. Keep the pie crust in the freezer for up to a month. When ready to use, place the frozen pie crust in the refrigerator to thaw completely.
PrintMy Favorite Pie Crust (makes 1 pie crust)
This is my favorite pie crust recipe. It’s easy to make and tasty. Please note, when making pie dough, it’s important the ingredients (like the butter and water) and the dough are kept cold. This will help provide a flaky crust when baked.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Refrigerate: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 pie crust 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used organic unbleached all-purpose flour)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or organic cane sugar, (may leave it out or add less-about 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1 teaspoon vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
- 8 tablespoons cold butter (or 1/2 cup), cut into cubes – can use salted or unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons of cold water
Instructions
To make the pie crust by hand: To a bowl, add the flour, salt, and sugar. Mix with a fork in a whisking motion. Add the cold cubed butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour just until the mixture looks like small pea-sized round balls. Add 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Also, add 4 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time making sure not to include the ice cubes. Stir until the dough comes together. If the dough is a bit too flaky or not fully coming together, add a small amount of water-about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon.
To make the pie crust in a food processor:
- Add the flour, salt, and coconut sugar (or organic cane sugar) to a food processor. Pulse it a few times to help mix the ingredients.
- Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add that to the food processor. Note: If your butter isn’t cold, place the cut-up (cubed) butter in the freezer for about 5 minutes.
- Pulse the butter into the flour mixture a few times (about 15-20 pulses) or just until you notice small pea-sized pieces form. It is important to stop at this point and not over-work or over-mix the dough.
- Add 4 tablespoons of ice cold water (without the ice) and 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to the food processor. Pulse until a dough forms.
- Carefully remove the blade. Transfer the pie crust to plastic wrap, and form it into a flat disc/round or square. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and transfer it to the refrigerator to chill for an hour.
- Once the dough has chilled for an hour, it is ready to use. If your dough is too tough to roll, allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5-10 minutes.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- When rolling out the dough, if you find that it cracks at the ends-that’s ok. Simply press them together, gently, with your fingers. The dough is very forgiving-it should stick back together.
- If you find the dough doesn’t come together well, falls apart, or is too flakey, then add a small amount of water (about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon).
- If the dough is too wet and sticky, then add a small amount of flour.
To Refrigerate for later use:
- Tightly wrap the pie crust in plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days
To Freeze the dough:
- Tightly wrap the pie crust in plastic wrap and transfer it to a freezer-safe ziptop bag. Release as much air as possible and seal it closed. Keep the pie crust in the freezer for up to a month. When ready to use, place the frozen pie crust in the refrigerator to thaw completely.
- If the dough isn’t coming together, add a little bit more water (about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of water).
- If the dough is too wet, add a small amount of flour.
- How to cut butter into cubes:
carefully cut the butter in the center, lengthwise
turn the butter 90 degrees or turn it on its side
carefully cut the butter once more, lengthwise
carefully cut it into small pieces/cubes
the butter is ready to use.
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