• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Auntie's Favorites
  • Holidays
    • New Year's
    • Valentine's Day
    • St. Patrick's Day
    • Easter
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
  • Subscribe

Crinkled Cookbook logo

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Fall
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Fall
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    • Baked biscuits on a plate with a bowl of butter and jar of jam.
      Four Ingredient Basic Biscuits
    • Honey butter in a small jar on a table with a napkin and spoon on the side.
      Easy Homemade Honey Butter
    • A large spoon scooping up a serving of twice baked potatoes from a baking dish.
      Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes
    • A bowl of green bean salad with a serving spoon, a napkin on the side and peppers near the bowl.
      Cold Green Bean Salad
    • A collage of photos from the Barbie-Inspired recipe roundup.
      25 Barbie-Inspired Recipes
    • A plate with a portion of blueberry oatmeal in the center with milk and syrup in a glass and small pitcher on the side.
      Blueberry Baked Oatmeal
    • A baking dish with a cooked meatloaf, sliced with a spatula lifting out one serving.
      No Ketchup Meatloaf
    • A large spoon dishing up a serving a chicken spaghetti from a baking dish.
      Chicken Spaghetti with Rotel and Velveeta
    • A serving of chicken curry with grapes, held over a plate.
      Chicken Curry Salad with Grapes
    • A pot of cooked Mexican fried rice, with a large spoon dishing up a serving of the rice.
      Easy Mexican Fried Rice (Restaurant Style)
    • A spoonful of clam chowder, held over a bowl of chowder.
      Crockpot Clam Chowder
    • A small bowl with dip, chips on the side and a spoon scooping up a serving of dip.
      Simple Artichoke Dip
    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Jul 10, 2020 · Modified: Oct 30, 2021 by Melinda O'Malley Keckler · This post may contain affiliate links · this blog generates income via ads.

    Perfect Pie Crust

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This flaky pie crust is pastry perfection. I've been making pies since I was a kid, but this recipe for pie crust is the best I've ever found. No need to chill the dough after you mix it together, just roll it out between two sheets of waxed paper and a dusting of flour. Best yet, it makes enough for 4 or 5 pies so you can freeze some for later.

    Baked pie crust.
    Perfectly golden and flaky. The best pie crust.

    Pie crusts can seem daunting and often it's the time that goes into waiting while the crust chills that can make it that way. This recipe is a breeze because you are rolling out your dough within minutes of mixing it together

    Freezer Friendly

    When it's the holidays and we're making pies for a crowd, it's easy to use up every one of these crust in one baking project. But other times, we may just need one or two pie crusts. No problem! Once you divide the dough into four or five portions, just pat them into flat rounds and wrap in wax paper. Place each rolled portion in a zipped freezer bag, write the date on the bag and freeze until you're ready to make pies. The crust defrosts perfectly in the fridge, it takes about 8 hours.

    This recipe is a family favorite from my daughter's boyfriend. It was his mother's recipe and I'm so thrilled to share it here on the Crinkled Cookbook.

    And since we are talking about pies, here's a recipe that's a bit hit in my family and delicious. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, it's one of my mom's specialties and one of my favorites. Best of all, it's oh so easy to make.

    How to roll out pie dough

    Rolling out your pie dough is one of those techniques that takes a little practice, but that's one more great thing about this recipe. Here you have at least four or five pie crusts to roll out and make beautiful pie crusts with. Waxed paper is important, some folks like to use parchment paper but I think the thinner waxed paper works best for pie crusts.

    Single Crust Pies

    If you are making a single crust pie such as a cream pie or lemon meringue and need to bake it before filling, here's what you do:

    • roll the crust for each pie
    • place the single crust in a pie pan and flute the edges
    • use the tines of a fork to create very small holes all over the crust
    • bake at 425° for 10-15 minutes
    • cool and fill with whatever pie filling you have prepared

    Recipe

    Baked pie crust

    Perfect Pie Crust

    I've been making pies since I was a kid, but this recipe for pie crust is the best I've ever found. It's flaky, light and delicious.No need to chill the dough after you mix it together, just roll it out between two sheets of waxed paper and a dusting of flour. Best yet, it makes enough for 4 or 5 pies.
    5 from 29 votes
    Print Rate Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 5 pie crusts
    Calories: 930kcal
    Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler

    Ingredients 

    • ½ cup water
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
    • 4 cups flour
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ cup shortening

    Instructions

    Combine

    • Combine water, egg and vinegar in a small bowl or glass measuring cup and set aside.
    • Mix the flour, sugar, salt and shortening until crumbly using either a fork or a pastry blender. Add the liquid from bowl or measuring cup and mix until moistened.

    Assemble Crusts

    • Divide dough into five equal portions (or 4 portions if you are making deep dish or larger sized pies) and roll out between two sheets of waxed paper with a light dusting of flour between each layer.
    • Assemble pies and bake following the directions for each recipe.
    • If making a double crust pie, use a sharp knife and place about six slices in the top crust to allow the steam to release during cooking, then brush the top crust with a little milk and sprinkle with a teaspoon or so of sugar. Bake for about 30 minutes, check after 15 minutes to be sure the crust isn't browning too fast. If it is, cover with foil until the pie starts bubbling from the steam vents in the crust. Some pie fillings will take longer than 30 minutes so be sure to keep an eye on the pie to ensure the crust doesn't burn.
      Please Note: The nutritional information below reflects data for one ENTIRE, single layer of pie crust.

    Notes

    This recipe is a family favorite from one of my daughter's friends. It was his mother's recipe and I'm thrilled to share it here on the Crinkled Cookbook. Thanks Kyle.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 930kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 11gFat: 63gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 483mgPotassium: 119mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 48IUCalcium: 20mgIron: 5mg

    Please note, the nutrition details are estimated using a food database and are offered here only as a guideline for informational purposes.

    Tried this recipe? Or pin for later.Mention @crinkledcookbook or tag #crinkledcookbook

    More Easy Desserts to Impress

    • A stack of sliced brownies, one with a bite out of it.
      Homemade Brownie Mix
    • Molasses Snaps cookies on a cooling rack with a pansy on the side.
      Molasses Snaps (Vegan Cookies)
    • Peanut butter pies arranged on a platter.
      Easy No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie
    • Three pumpkin cheesecake bars stacked on a plate.
      Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

    Looking for something?

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Kristen says

      July 18, 2023 at 7:07 pm

      5 stars
      I have looked for a pie crust recipe that tastes as good as my fillings for years. I love this recipe! I have a tale of two pies to share— a sweet version and a savory version with a small change.

      My first pie was your old fashioned strawberry rhubarb pie recipe. It was exactly like my grandma used to make and it was ah-mazing!!!!! I held fidelity to this crust recipe. I used high quality butter as my shortening and followed instructions as written. I had a hard time working with the dough. It was fragile/dryish and there was no way I could ever make a lattice with it. My pies came out fabulous!!! (I made two, one as a taste test and the second to bring to a 4th of July party if I was happy with the test pie). I felt bad for all the other desserts because my pie was hands down the star of the dessert table. And everyone loved the crust! The brush of milk with the sprinkle of sugar on the top was perfect. It was the first time I wanted to eat pie crust and not just the filling!

      Second pie was tonight’s dinner. My son asked for my chicken pot pie. I decided to use this recipe again instead of a store bought. I had an idea. When we make bacon, I strain the rendered fat through a mesh sieve into a mason jar and store in the fridge. I used 1-cup of my high quality Irish butter and a half cup of the bacon fat for my pie dough. The resulting dough was less crumbly and easier to work with. I assembled my pie and brushed the crust with a little milk and baked at 375 for an hour. It was delicious! I mean sooooooo good!!!! Flaky, tender, flavorful crust. The bacon fat wasn’t even really a flavor, it was just enough to bring some savory depth.

      Thank you! I can finally make my traditional pies with confidence!

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        July 20, 2023 at 5:40 pm

        Thanks for the five star rating Kristen! That's great to hear that you used the pie crust with good results for both sweet and savory recipes. Wonderful!!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Melinda with corndogs

    Hello there, my friends! It's so great to have you here. My name is Melinda and I absolutely love home cooking. I've been creating delicious recipes for my family for over 30 years. Fun fact about me, I used to work as a TV journalist. Stick around, explore the Crinkled Cookbook, and make great meals at home!

    Meet Melinda→

    Fall Favorites

    • A baking dish of butternut squash mac anc cheese with a large serving spoon.
      Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
    • Honey butter in a small jar on a table with a napkin and spoon on the side.
      Easy Homemade Honey Butter
    • Baked biscuits on a plate with a bowl of butter and jar of jam.
      Four Ingredient Basic Biscuits
    • A large spoon scooping up a serving of twice baked potatoes from a baking dish.
      Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes
    • A baking dish with a cooked meatloaf, sliced with a spatula lifting out one serving.
      No Ketchup Meatloaf
    • A spoonful of clam chowder, held over a bowl of chowder.
      Crockpot Clam Chowder
    • A slice of sweet potato lasagna on a plate with a glass of ice water on the side.
      The Best Sweet Potato Lasagna
    • Sweet corn salad on a plate with corn on the cob in the background.
      Sweet Corn Pasta Salad
    Logos from websites that feature the Crinkled Cookbook.

    Most Popular

    • Banana bread sliced into wedges with raspberries in the background.
      Crockpot Banana Bread
    • A baking dish of butternut squash mac anc cheese with a large serving spoon.
      Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
    • Blue cheese crumbles on top of blended ingredients.
      Blue Cheese Vinaigrette
    • Baked biscuits on a plate with a bowl of butter and jar of jam.
      Four Ingredient Basic Biscuits

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Meet Melinda

    Contact

    • Sign up for emails and recipes!
    • Contact

    Disclaimers

    • Privacy Policy & Terms
    • Comment Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2019 - 2023 Crinkled Cookbook LLC

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest