Homemade pie crust just makes a pie from scratch that much more tasty. This pie crust recipe is buttery, flaky, tender and is delicious with any type of pie.
We’ve worked for several years perfecting this pie crust recipe with lard. Our pie dough recipe uses simple to find ingredients and is made by hand. This achieves perfect pie crust consistently.
One of my fondest memories is of my mom making Homemade Apple Pie each fall. Each fall, we would visit our local apple orchard to pick out a bushel of tart apples. That always made the best pie.
Grandma used to make her pie crust with lard. That’s because it was readily available and lard makes an incredible flaky and tasty crust. In combination with regular butter, it truly makes the tastiest pie crusts and buttermilk biscuits.
Use this pie crust recipe for all sorts of delicious homemade pies including Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie, French Meat Pie, and Chicken Pot Pie.
Why this recipe works
- Made with simple ingredients, readily available in your local grocery store.
- Make ahead of time! You can make homemade pie crust ahead of time. Refrigerate it for a few days or freeze for a month or two.
- Freezer friendly! Prep your pie shells ahead of time and freeze for later. This will help you keep prep work of making a pie from scratch smooth.
What you’ll need
- All purpose flour – Use a good brand of all-purpose flour for the best pie crust from scratch. They have a higher protein level and make baked goods better.
- Lard – Easily located in many grocery stores in the baking aisle (near the vegetable shortening) or you can order it online.
- Butter – Adds a nice touch of flavor to this recipe and nothing beats the flavor of fresh butter.
- Salt – Brings out the flavor of baked goods.
- Cold water – Fill a glass measuring cup with ice cubes and add water. It’s essential to keep all of the ingredients cold so we don’t make too much gluten.
While many struggle making pie crust from scratch, I’ll walk you through steps how to make pie dough by hand. Because there’s nothing better than homemade pie crust!
What is the trick to making good pie crust?
- Use very cold butter or fat – Keep the butter, shortening or fat well-chilled and cut into small pieces to begin with.
- Don’t overwork the dough – While some recommend using a food processor to make pie crust, we do not. We recommend using a pastry blender and making pie crust by hand. The more you work with the fat pieces and flour, the higher chance for gluten formation, making pie crust tough.
- Roll out and turn the dough – Roll out the dough away from yourself and turn the dough often. Keep even pressure with the rolling pin across the entire circle of pie crust so the edges and center remain the same thickness.
- Chill lined pie pans – Cover the prepared pie pan with plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes to 1 hour before filling with pie filling. This will help the pie crust retain it’s shape when baked.
Should you chill pie crust before baking?
Keeping the lard and butter cold keeps the fat from melting and is essential for creating a flaky pie crust.
There is no doubt that pie crust can either make or break a pie.
How to make Pie Crust
Homemade pie crust is simple to make. It’s important not to overwork the ingredients and keep the pie dough cold. I recommend NOT using a food processor when making pie crust.
Step 1: ln a large mixing bowl combine flour and salt with a large spoon.
Step 2: Use a simple pastry blender or two forks, cut in the lard and cold butter by hand. Work the lard and butter into the flour until you have pea-sized pieces.
The less you work the dough, the more likely you are to end up with a blue-ribbon winning pie crust.
Step 3: Place ice cubes into a large glass measuring cup and fill with cold water. Slowly add ice water to the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon or rubber spatula. Stop adding water when you can gently squeeze the mixture together with your hands.
Step 4: As the pie dough comes together, place it in a large zip-style bag. Refrigerate the prepared pie dough for a minimum of two hours and up to 24 hours.
I worked on my pie crust recipe for a few years just to get it right. It’s about the correct ratio of flour to fat. This pie crust recipe has the perfect buttery taste with the addition of lard.
Lard, rendered from pig fat, has a higher melting point than butter or shortening; thus yielding an extra-flaky crust. Combining butter and lard will help achieve the perfect old-fashioned style pie crust from grandma’s kitchen.
How to make a lattice pie crust
Step 1: Roll out a piece of pie dough. Then cut into strips either using a small pizza cutter or pastry cutter. Here I used a simple cutter.
Step 2: Starting in the center of the pie, lay strips of pie dough going the same direction over the entire pie.
Step 3: Then fold back every other piece of dough and weave in another strip of pie dough going the opposite direction. Continue this process until you have completed the entire pie.
Step 4: Fold under the edges and crimp. Then brush with egg wash.
Place the unbaked pie on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. This will help catch any juices that overflow from the pie, keeping the mess easy to clean up.
Pie Crust Tips
If your pie crust is getting too warm, plop the entire pie in the fridge or into the freezer for a bit to get it really cold again before baking.
Recipe FAQs
All-purpose or pastry flour are the best for making pie crust. Choosing a lower-gluten flour is the first trick for getting your pie crust right. Bread flour has a high gluten content, while cake flour has the lowest content.
My mom always covered the pie part way through the baking process with a piece of aluminum foil with a little slit cut out of the center in order to vent the steam. So, I do the same with all of my pies. This helps the pie continue to bake without burning the crust. We were raised to use what we had, no fancy gadgets needed.
While you can freeze pie crust, I like to make pie crust fresh each time I need it. You can make an entire pie, wrap with loosely with plastic wrap and freeze it.
Lard is an excellent fat for pie crust and makes a super flaky crust. Rendered lard has a very neutral flavor and is a great non-hydrogenated alternative to shortening. Butter adds a wonderful flavor to the crust.
I make hundreds of Apple Hand Pies and Blackberry Hand Pies ahead of time, layer them on half sheet pans lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap and freeze. They will last in the freezer for months!
More Pie Recipes
- Apple Cobbler
- Apple Hand Pies
- Cherry Hand Pies
- Cherry Cobbler
- Blackberry Pie
- Blackberry Cobbler
- Blueberry Hand Pies
- Peach Cobbler
- Peach Hand Pies
- Peach Pie
- Blueberry Slab Pie
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Homemade Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup lard
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold cut up
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup ice water (adjust as needed)
Instructions
Pie Crust Recipe
- In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
- Cut in the lard and butter pieces using a pastry cutter, until you have small pea size pieces.
- Place ice cubes into a large glass measuring cup and then add cold water.
- Incorporate a little water at a time, until your pie crust comes together. Do not overwork the dough or the pie crust will be tough.
- Place the pie crust into a large zip-style bag and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
To Assemble the PIE
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the bottom pie crust about 12-inches in diameter and place into the bottom of a pie plate.
- Trim the edges of the pie crust around the rim of the pie plate using kitchen shears to about ½-inch.
- Add your pie filling.
- Roll out the top crust to about 10-12-inches in diameter and gently place on top of the pie filling.
- Slice air a few vents in the top of the crust.
- To weave a lattice crust; roll out a round of pie dough and slice long pieces with a small pastry cutter or pizza cutter. Place pieces one way, then weave crust pieces the opposite direction. Continue until the pie is covered with pie crust.
- Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
- Place the pie on a half sheet pan lined with parchment paper. This will help contain the mess.
- Bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for about 1 hour. Once it is browned nicely, cover with a piece of aluminum foil with an air vent cut out of the top. This will keep the pie from becoming too brown while continuing to cook and still let air vent. Bake until the pie filling is bubbling. About 1 hour 10 minutes total.
- Remove the pie from the oven. Let cool completely before slicing.
Video
Recipe Notes
I use a glass measuring cup filled with ice and add water. Add a little at a time until the pie crust comes together. Adjust this amount as needed.
Nutrition
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Jayliene says
I think you have done it for me! It has clicked in my old brain. Every time you bring some pastry together adding ice water remove that handful. I have a heck of a time with the manhandling of my pastry. But I think this will work. Thanks for your great page.
Cheers,
Jayliene 🌸
Jessica Robinson says
Thrilled to hear you enjoyed the pie crust recipe!
Rhona says
I cannot use lard for religious reasons, and will try it with Cristo.
Jessica Robinson says
Hello Rhona,
Crisco will work in a pinch. You can also use Tallow instead of lard, which is rendered beef fat if that is a better option for you.
Cynthia says
I would like to try your pie crust recipe but I don’t have any lard in my cupboard. Can I use beef tallow in place of the lard?
Jessica Robinson says
Yes! You can substitute beef tallow for the lard.
Linda says
I’m going to try this pie crust, but I have a couple of questions it’s gonna be for chocolate pie, does this recipe make two deep dish pies? And when you’re throwing it in the freezer or making it the day before, are you rolling out the dough and putting it into the pie pan and stick it in the freezer or you’re just sticking the rolls in the freezer and taking them out and if so, how long do you let them come to room temperature before you roll them out?
Jessica Robinson says
Hello Linda,
I make pie dough ahead and put it into a large, freezer Ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight. You can also toss that bag into the freezer if desired. Pie dough stays fresh for about 2-3 days in the fridge but can last for a few months in the freezer. Just defrost in the fridge overnight or on the counter for a few hours. Put the bag on a kitchen towel or clean, dry paper towel to absorb condensation from it being frozen.
This recipe makes enough for a double crust pie or roughly 12 hand pies. When rolling out for pie crust, go straight from the fridge to rolling it out. Pie crust needs to be VERY COLD to stay very flaky.
Irene Jarois says
is crisco the same as lard? I can’t get lard where I’m at
Jessica Robinson says
Lard is rendered pork fat, available readily in most major grocery stores. What state do you live in? Lard is NOT Crisco. Crisco is vegetable shortening. Lard is usually in a small box or tub in the baking aisle right next to the Crisco. Or it can be found at local butcher shops.
Joy Mott says
Love to try you apple pie, and crust recipe, I also use lard but no butter, will give it a shot
Jessica Robinson says
Joy,
Be sure and buy a high-quality butter when making crust. Something like Kerry Gold or Vital Farms. Lard and butter together make the BEST pie crust.
Amoya says
This recipe turned out amazing! You get a really nice flakey and light crust! I made several pies, and still had leftover dough which I turned into pop tarts and a few other tasty treats! The crust gets even better as it sits after baking, which I don’t completely understand, but I’m not looking that gift horse in the mouth!
Jessica Robinson says
I’m thrilled to hear you love it!! I always make pie crust cookies out of leftover pie dough, but homemade pop tarts sounds yummy too!! I usually make a big batch and put pie dough in the freezer, then defrost in the fridge for a day or so.
Beverly Aldridge says
Can you use Crisco and butter?
Jessica Robinson says
Butter and lard make the best pie crust. Crisco will due in a pinch, but lard is better. Lard is rendered pork fat and has a different melting point than Crisco.
Sandi TrogDon says
Would you prebake the crust if you were making a pumpkin pie? If so, how long would you bake and at what temp?
Jessica Robinson says
You absolutely can blind bake crust for pumpkin pie. Poke holes in the bottom and sides with a fork. Bake with parchment and pie weights or dried beans at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes, remove the weights and bake for 5-7 more minutes. Let cool down before adding pumpkin filling.
Char says
Is there a specific brand of rendered lard I would use? Never made pie crust before.
Jessica Robinson says
Smithfield brands sells a nationwide lard that’s really good. But you can use any lard that’s readily available to your area.
Tay says
I’ve been looking for a crust recipe with lard that doesn’t sink and this is the only one that has worked for me! I used tallow and it worked great. Thank you so much, this will be a recipe I pass down to my children!
Jessica Robinson says
That is such a wonderful compliment!! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the pie crust recipe!
Teresa Shaw says
Excellent !!! Thank you so much
Jessica Robinson says
Glad to hear you enjoyed it.