Learn how to make a pie crust the way Grandma did. Grandma’s Pie Crust is buttery, flaky, and takes just a few minutes to make. It’s our long-time family favorite!
I have always loved homemade pie crust. I grew up with homemade rather than store-bought crusts, so taking the extra time to make Grandma’s pie crust recipe is normal to me. It’s not that I’m above using store-bought crusts. I’ve used them in the past and will use them again in the future. Everyone needs a shortcut now and then. But there’s nothing like a homemade pie with flaky pie crust that almost melts in your mouth. To me, it’s the best part of the pie.
Today I’m sharing with you Matt’s grandma’s pie crust recipe. It’s been the only pie crust recipe I’ve used since I got married. It was in a family cookbook given to me at our wedding shower. The little cookbook falls open to this recipe automatically, the pages are worn and have stains from the many years of love it has endured. Don’t you love it when a favorite recipe card looks like that?
So what makes Grandma’s recipe so good? To be honest, I’m not sure. It’s probably the fact that it is Grandma’s. But I’m here today to share with you our hints for making what we think is the best pie crust ever.
How to Make Pie Crust
Pie Crust Ingredients:
- 3 cups Pastry flour. What kind of flour should you use for pie dough? Now you can use all-purpose flour if you’d like. We did for years. But when we switched to pastry flour, we started getting comments on how good our pie crust was. Pastry flour has low protein content which means it doesn’t generate as much gluten as white flour. This means you end up with tender crust. Perfect for pie. Here’s a great article on the different types of flours if you’re interested in reading up on them. A pastry flour crust is a little more of a fragile crust so you have to be careful that it doesn’t tear when you are moving it from the floured surface to the pie pan. If you choose to use all-purpose flour, make sure not to overmix the batter since this develops more gluten and makes the dough tougher.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup shortening and 1/2 cup butter. Butter vs shortening in pie dough is quite the debate. As much as I like using real butter, I’ve found that I like a combination of butter and shortening in my pie crust. Shortening produces a tender, flaky, melt-in-your-mouth crust, but butter produces an awesome flavor. I solve the problem by using some of both. And there’s one other thing. The butter and shortening should be cold. Keeping your fats cold produces a flakier crust. Those fats melt during baking and make flaky layers. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
- 1/2 cup ice water. Use cold water to help keep those fats cold.
- 1 tablespoon vinegar. Adding vinegar helps to tenderize the crust and also inhibits gluten development, keeping your dough soft. You need just a bit of this and don’t worry…you won’t taste it once the pie is baked.
How to Mix Pie Dough
We use a pastry cutter to cut the cold butter and shortening into the flour. This is one of our newest kitchen tools that we got for making scones. It is easy to use for making crumbs out of your flour/butter mixture for pie crusts, streusels, scones and more.
How to Roll Pie Dough
Another kitchen tool we use when making pie crust is our pastry mat. We happened to find an awesome deal on a new pastry mat at a garage sale this summer, and I don’t know what we did without it. It’s a non-slip mat that makes rolling out your dough so easy.
And you don’t have to clean all that extra flour off your counter after you are finished. Just pick up the mat and rinse it in the sink. Normally I am against using “extra” kitchen tools that are supposed to help the cooking process, but this one really does make life easier.
What to use pie dough for:
Pie crust is the basis for so many of my favorite recipes. It doesn’t matter if the pie is filled with pumpkin, apple or even potato chips (yes, you need to check that one out). But you know what? We mostly make this pie dough for things other than traditional pie.
Here’s one, though….I love using a cookie cutter to make pie crust cookies to dip in pudding, or a whipped cream fruit salad. So much better than using a spoon!
Do you normally use store-bought pie crust or are you for homemade all the way? What’s your favorite thing to make from pie dough?
Grandma’s Pie Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 1/2 cup ice cold water
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
Instructions
- Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the shortening and the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix the water and vinegar together in a cup. Add the mixture to the crumbs. Mix together just until the dough is combined and handles well.
- Sprinkle flour on the counter before rolling out the dough. Split the dough into two chunks.
- Roll out one piece on a floured surface. Roll the dough about 1/2 an inch larger than your pie pan.
- Lay the crust in the pie pan and press down lightly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
- If you are making just a bottom crust, turn the edge under and use thumbs “flute” the edges of the dough.
- If you are making a double crusted pie, fill the pie, roll out the other half of the dough and lay it over top the filling. Fold the top dough under the bottom dough and use your fingers to seal it together.
- Bake according to your pie recipe.
- This recipes makes enough for a double crusted pie.
Video
Nutrition
Best Pie Recipes
- Sour Cherry Pie
- Pumpkin Crumb Pie
- Pear Cranberry Pie
- Upside Down Apple Dumpling Pie
- Blueberry Blackberry Pie
Tools I Use To Make Flaky Pie Crust
- Pastry Cutter: I use this tool all the time. It cuts butter into flour perfectly for streusels, crusts and other pastries.
- Pastry Mat: This silicone mat keeps your cupboard clean and makes rolling out pastries so easy.
- Cute Pie Plate: Because if you’re taking the time to make pie, serve it up in style!
- Pie Crust Decorator Wheel: Makes beautiful edges to your pie!
- Pastry Guide: Makes perfectly round crust, every time.
HI have you ever used cold Ginger Ail to replace the water? I do that ,you get a light flaky pie crust . I replace water in cake mix with Ginger Ail for a high and light cake Happy Baking Grandma Angie
Oh my goodness! I used this pie crust recipe today to make a blackberry pie for a baking contest at our local community festival. I won first place and the judges said it’s the best crust they have ever had! (They have been doing the festival/contest for 22 years!) Thank you for posting this recipe, I will be using it more!
Instead of using a pastry mat I dampen the counter top and place a sheet of plastic wrap on it. (The wrap will stick due to the moisture). I place the pie dough on top of the wrap, press into a disk, and put another sheet of plastic on top. Roll the crust out between the two layers of plastic – no extra flour needed. Peel off the top plastic and replace it loosely, flip over and peel off the bottom plastic. You can then slip your hand under the loose plastic and flip the crust to the pie pan.… Read more »
I have been using a version of this as well. Mine has an egg and no butter. I love the taste and always get compliments. I will give your recipe a try. Thanks for sharing.
Thank You SO Much for Sharing! I Love Grams Recipes,hope I can do this,Homemade is Always Best,this dough looks Wonderful
Thank you Julie for sharing.
What a great recipe – I’m with you – I love when you see a recipe card or page that is stained. That means it is well loved! Have a great weekend!!
This pie crust does look perfect!! I must admit – I usually opt for store bought because it’s so much easier – but I will be trying this recipe for the holidays!
Great and easy recipe. Would you tell me what size of pie dish would be suitable for a single crust -like for your funny chocolate cake?
I would be so grateful for a reply.
Regards, Nessie
I use AP flour and had great success with Crisco for years…until they changed it. But I am back to splendid crusts by using half the called for water (including a tsp or so vanilla) and the other half cheap vodka. Right amt if moisture to manipulate the dough, but the alcohol evaporates leaving the best tender flaky crust!
Is this your grandmas original recipe – with pastry flour? I would have thought long ago they only had regular flour. The reason I ask is if it’s been changed to accommodate the pastry flour do you have the original with regular flour? :-).
Looks perfect! I used to dread making pie crust and now since practicing it’s gotten easier and I actually enjoy it. Makes me want to go bake a pie. 🙂
Pinned. Have a blessed day!
Can you use lard instead of shortening or would that mess up the texture?
I took my mom’s original Betty Crocker cookbook when I moved out. That poor thing is covered in food splatters, has bent pages, and the binding finally fell off, lol. The old ways are still some of the best, and I love this pie crust. I have heard about using vinegar, but I haven’t tried it yet. 🙂
This looks like a wonderful tried and tested recipe, Julie! Thanks! Going to give it a try. I often add some finely grated cheese to the dry ingredients when making something like a quiche. I love the added taste. Do you think I could do it here also?
My crust dough was pretty wet! But I live in humid Guangzhou. I know better than to add
all the water in at once, but did it anyway.
You don’t recommend putting the dough in the fridge to ‘rest’ it. Do you bother to do that?
I have seen a few recipes lately calling for pastry flour. When I inquired of one, they said get it at the store. I’ve looked. I don’t see it unless the term pastry flour is interchangeable with “cake” flour in the box. Can you tell me? Thank you.
I have been using this recipe for over a year and it is the best! It has always turned out. I’ve made savory pies, hand pies, little delicious tarts…this recipe is amazing. I usually just use all butter since I rarely have shortening on hand. Who knew homemade pie crust is actually quick and easy!? Thank you for this recipe! Cheers!
Everytime I roll out the dough or transfer it to the pie plate, it cracks! I don’t know what I’m doing wrong
Hi. Is pastry flour the same as cake flour?
where would you find pastry flour
All other crusts say to refridgerate and hour.
Im afraid the crust will stick while rolling.
I have refridgerated it and have still had it
Stick even after adding flour to it and the rolling pin.
This is the best. Pastry flour makes it perfect. Never fails
do you blind bake your pie crust for fruit pies, if so for how long. or do you just egg wash the crust before placing the fruit into the shell.