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Pie Crust Recipe With Shortening and Butter

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There’s nothing better than a homemade flaky pie crust recipe with shortening and butter. This is the best pie crust recipe and it’s easier to make than you think.

Homemade Pie Crust

Homemade pie crust

Making my own homemade pie crust from scratch really used to make me nervous. I always seemed to mess up on the recipe and the crust would come out too hard, too thick, or terrible tasting.

But, this is the flakiest crust made with simple ingredients, easy to make, and perfect for pecan pies, fruit pies, or just about any type of pie.

Shortening And Butter

Pie crusts can be made in many different ways, but I love a pie crust that is flaky. Shortening will help keep the pie crust together and butter will help make it flaky.

Butter is also going to give the pie crust a tad bit of flavor, where shortening doesn’t add any flavor. But, the combination of the two ingredients will help give you the best pie crust.

If you plan to make a lattice top, adding the butter will help make the top flaky, as well.

Pie crust on a plate in a blueberry pie.

Perfect Pie Crust Ingredients

Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt
  • Cold butter, cubed
  • Vegetable shortening
  • Ice cold water

Recipe Directions

  1. Add the flour and salt to a large bowl and whisk together.
  2. Next, add the cubed butter and shortening and cut in with a dough cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs and pea-sized bits.
  3. Add one tablespoon of ice-cold water and mix with a fork or your hands.
  4. Continue to add water and mixing until the pie sticks together when you squeeze it. (I usually use about three to four tablespoons).
  5. Squeeze the dough into a smooth ball and place it into some plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  6. When rolling the dough, remove it from the plastic wrap. Sprinkle plenty of flour on the counter and place the dough on top. Roll the dough with your rolling pin and place it into your pie shell.
  7. Trim the edges and poke a few holes in the dough with a fork.
  8. Use your fingers to flute the edges of the pie crust.
  9. Add your pie filling and bake.

Step-By-Step Instructions For Pie Crust Recipe With Shortening And Butter

Flour for pie crust

Start by adding the flour to a large bowl.

Adding salt to a bowl with flour.

Next, add the salt and whisk the flour mixture together so the salt gets incorporated.

Flour and cubes of butter in a glass bowl.

Next, add the cubed butter.

TIP: If you want a flaky crust, make sure the butter is cold. Once the pie crust starts cooking, the butter will begin to melt and the water in the butter will be released into the crust, making it more doughy.

If the butter is cold, it won’t melt as fast and will create a flaky pie crust.

It’s all scientific, but delish.

Cubed butter, flour, and shortening in a glass bowl.

Add the shortening to the bowl.

Mixing the pie crust in a glass bowl.

Mix the ingredients with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles the size of small peas and coarse crumbs.

If you don’t have a dough cutter, you can use a couple of sharp knives to do the cutting and mixing.

Another option is to use a food processor to do the work. Just make sure you don’t cut the butter and shortening too small when mixing.

Ice water in a cup for pie crust.

Get some ice water ready. I usually get a small cup with some ice and water and let it get really cold before using it.

Adding ice cold water to a bowl with pie crust ingredients.

Add one tablespoon of ice water at a time. Once you add the water, mix it a little with a fork or your hands. Then continue to add the water one tablespoon at a time until the dough sticks together when squeezed between your hands.

TIP: Ice water is another must for a flaky pie. You’re going to use ice water because you don’t want warm water to melt the butter and create a doughy pie crust.

Mixing pie crust ingredients in a bowl

Squeeze the pie dough together with your hands and create a ball of dough.

Pie crust in saran wrap

TIP: It’s perfectly fine if the dough is flaky and falls apart a little. You don’t want the dough to be so sticky that it sticks to your hands and everything else.

Pie crust in plastic wrap

Next, wrap up the pie crust in some plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Rolled out pie crust on the counter.

Once the 30 minutes are up, take the pie crust out of the fridge. Generously sprinkle some flour on the counter top and roll out the dough.

I will place the pie pan over the crust once I have it rolled out to make sure I have rolled it out wide enough and have at least an inch overhang.

I roll it out to about a 12-inch circle (not that it always comes out to a perfect circle as you can see above).

For this recipe, I use a 9-inch pie plate, which is the typical pie size.

You can see little bits of butter in the pie crust above which is going to help it come out nice and flaky.

Poking holes in an uncooked pie crust.

Place dough into the pie pan and trim the edges of the dough, or fold the edge under.

Take a fork and poke some holes on the bottom of the pie crust and around the sides.

The reason for poking holes is that it will keep the pie crust from bubbling up as it cooks.

Making a pie crust from scratch

For the edges, take your fingers and press them together to create a fluted side.

Your pie is ready to add your pie filling and bake!

Lattice pie crust on top of a pie.

This recipe will create a single-crust pie, but if you’d like to create a lattice top, you can make a double crust pie by repeating the steps, and slicing with a pizza cutter or knife.

Then, add the top crust lattice design and brush the top with an egg wash before baking to get a shiny and flaky top.

It’s the perfect crust!

Blueberry pie on a plate.

Homemade Pies

Shortening And Butter Pie Crust Recipe

Check out the pie crust recipe card below, grab those ingredients, and start baking! This is a great homemade pie crust recipe any time of the year, especially around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. 

Then, share your comments below. If you made any changes or added something different, be sure to share with us so we can try it, too!

Making a pie crust from scratch

Pie Crust Recipe With Shortening and Butter

4.49 from 90 votes
Julie Pollitt
There's nothing better than a homemade flaky pie crust recipe with shortening and butter. This is the best pie crust recipe and it's easier to make than you think.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Pie
Cuisine American
Servings 1 crust
Calories 279 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 cup cold butter cubed
  • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  • 2-4 tablespoons of ice-cold water

Instructions
 

  • Add flour and salt to a large bowl and whisk.
  • Next, add the cubed butter and shortening and cut in with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles little peas and course crumbles.
  • Add one tablespoon of ice-cold water at a time and mix with a fork.
  • Continue to add the water until the dough can be squeezed together with your hands.
  • Roll the dough into a ball and place it in some plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • When ready to roll out the dough, add some flour to your counter and place the dough on the flour.
  • Roll the dough with a rolling pin until you reach a circle that is about 12-inches wide.
  • Place the crust into a pie shell and trim edges of dough or fold edge under.
  • Take a fork and poke a few holes around the bottom and sides.
  • Use your fingers to create a fluted pie crust edge.
  • Add pie filling and bake as the pie recipe directs.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 279kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 120mgFiber: 1g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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4.49 from 90 votes (90 ratings without comment)

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20 Comments

  1. Nicole Lang says:

    Can I leave the crust 8n the fridge overnight before baking?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      I think that would be fine. ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Hi. Help! What did I do wrong? The crust broke apart when I tried to roll it out. It was very stiff. I doubled everything because I used it for a 9 x 13 dish for cobbler. I made it twice. I basically placed crust pieces in the bottom and top.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Pat, you might have mixed it too much, or overworked it. Sometimes that can happen. Were you still able to use it?

  3. Yes I used it. It is crumbly and taste flourey (if that’s a word). I might have to go back to the Pillsbury ready crust. I so wanted to make my own.

  4. I’m happy to say i made this pie crust tonight and it turned out amazing!!! Best pie crust i have ever made so flakey and tender.I was a little worried because i did not have cube butter so i used 1/4 cup margarine,it did not seem to matter it turned out awesome. The dough was easy to work with.I put in my 9in.pie pan, I placed in 400 oven until golden brown.Then i filled it with my pineapple pie filling this was the best Pineapple cream pie i have ever tasted even down to the crust.Thanks so much for this great pie crust recipe.Sandra C.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Sandra! That’s so awesome to hear! You made my day!!

  5. The recipe is good, but it has no mention of temperature or baking time.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Sahara, Great point! I didnโ€™t add one because it can be cooked in different ways. If you wanted to cook the pie crust first, you would cook it at 425-degrees for approx. 10-15 minutes. Some pies, such as a blueberry pie are made with the filling and then baking. So, it would depend on the recipe. I will go in and notate it, though. Thanks!

  6. Christine Eldred says:

    Lately I’ve been having problems with my pie crust. I’m bound and determine I’m going to solve this problem. I’ve also wondered if it really helps if you put vinegar in yourpie crust. Thanks alot

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      I hope this recipe helps! I just read that vinegar helps keep gluten from developing and creates a more flaky crust. I would assume it’s a small amount. Maybe one to two tablespoons. I would use the apple cider vinegar.

  7. Christine Eldred says:

    Also I wondered if it’s best to bake pie crust at a high temp like at 425 or 375.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Hi Christine, if you are baking the pie before adding anything you will want to bake it at 475 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. If you are baking it as a fruit pie or adding the pie before baking you will need to follow the directions from the recipe.

  8. I made this tonight and doubled the receipe. I did add about 1/2 tablespoon of sugar and it turned out amazing. Ty

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      That’s great to hear! Sugar is always a delicious addition!

  9. Elphaba Thropp says:

    No holes in the bottom you want the pie to bubble up, a few slits in the top or lattice style-

    Put the crust in the pan while it’s soft, then refrigerate it.

  10. I made this yesterday and quadrupled the recipe. It was so easy to roll out straight from the fridge. I did use the maximum amount of water. I made apple and pumpkin pie and both were delicious. My new favorite crust.

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      That’s great to hear! I love that you were able to quadruple it!

  11. Should the vegetable shortening be cold too, like the butter?

    1. Julie Pollitt says:

      Yes, I would make sure the shortening is cold, as well.