I’m a self-proclaimed pie fanatic and this easy, All Butter Pie Crust is my absolute favorite pie crust recipe! It’s super flaky, easy to make, and comes together quickly!
I’m here to teach you how to make a homemade pie crust that will be so easy, so delicious, and so flaky without any stress! Making a pie crust from scratch is one of the most intimidating recipes that a home baker will encounter. Yeast bread is almost equal, and I cannot only teach you how to make both, but I can make you an expert!
Your pie crust texture is 100% dependent on the fat that you choose to use. I’ve experimented with it all, and I’ve got a suggestion for you.
If you’re a beginner and you’ve already struggled with making a homemade pie crust recipe, let’s take a step back and make my mom’s fail-proof pie crust recipe. It is so easy and the addition of egg and vinegar along with using cold shortening makes for a really easy pie crust recipe.
However, if you’re really looking for the best pie crust recipe that’s not difficult and really brings flavor and texture, well that’s an all butter pie crust.
Ingredients in an All Butter Pie Crust
Making a flaky pie crust is one of the most basic recipes with perfectly basic ingredients:
- Flour: Forms the structure of the crust — it provides the gluten network that holds everything together while still allowing for a tender, flaky texture.
- Salt: Enhances flavor and balances the richness of the butter.
- Butter: The star of the crust! Cold butter creates steam pockets as it melts during baking, giving you that tender, flaky texture and rich buttery flavor.
- Ice Water: Brings the dough together without activating too much gluten. The cold temperature keeps the butter from melting before baking, which helps maintain flakiness.
- Sugar: I’ve found it does not sweeten the crust but does create a flakier, more golden crust.
**Keep reading to find out why I made this an all butter pie crust recipe!
How to Pick the Best Source of Fat for Your Pie Crust
There are a few different fats that you can use for a pie crust. I’ve used lard a few times, but honestly I don’t find it to be worth it. Here’s a breakdown of each fat and why I’ve settled on butter.
Using Lard in Pie Crust
- Pros: Lard produces an extremely crisp, flaky crust. Its melting point is higher than butter, so it doesn’t soften as quickly while you handle it so you can really bust out a good crust.
- Cons: I don’t like lard because it’s too darn hard to find a good quality lard. And your pie can 100% taste like whatever lard you use. No thanks.
Using Shortening in Pie Crust
I have absolutely nothing against shortening. It’s cheaper to