Pie Crust Recipe With Shortening and Butter

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

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.

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

Start by adding the flour to a large bowl.

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

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.

Add the shortening to the 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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!

Homemade Pies

• Easy pecan pie recipe
• Blueberry pie with frozen blueberries
• Butterscotch pie
• Buttermilk pie recipe
• Chocolate pie recipe
• Pumpkin pie
• Shoney’s Fresh Strawberry Pie from The Country Cook

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!