Good news for all you pie lovers! This easy pastry recipe means no more running to the store for frozen dough! Learning to make pie dough in the food processor made my pastry baking time so much more fun! No more tough, hard pie crusts! This buttery, flaky crust is foolproof!
Be sure to watch the video to see all of the steps up close. No food processor? Check out this no-fail homemade pie dough without a food processor!
Table of Contents
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🗝️ Key takeaways
- I love how easy this pie crust is! Using a food processor takes all the real work out of making a homemade crust. It always comes out perfectly flaky and buttery good.
- This is perfect for any kind of homemade sweet or savory pie. If you're making a quiche, pot pie, or other savory recipe just leave the sugar out.
This is a flakier crust than normal because there's no worry about the heat from your hands softening the butter. I like to refrigerate the steel blade and the bowl to ensure it stays super cold.
With this easy food processor pie crust recipe the perfect pastry is just minutes away!
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Savory. If you are using this all-butter pie crust for a savory recipe like quiche or chicken pot pie, I recommend not adding sugar to the crust.
- Sweet. I like to use vanilla sugar in place of plain sugar sometimes.
- Lattice. For a lattice crust, roll out one disk of this dough and then, using a knife or pizza cutter, slice the crust into even strips for weaving.
- Scalloped. To make a beautiful scalloped edge on your crust, add your crust to your pie plate, then place two fingers, finger width apart, and use your thumb to press the pie pastry in between your fingers as you gently pull up.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
- Add the dry ingredients, butter, and optional sugar (for sweet pies) to the bowl of your food processor.
- Pulse until the butter is mixed in and you have a gravel-like texture with some larger pieces - about the size of peas.
- Turn on the food processor and slowly add the ice water until the dough is formed.
- Split the dough into 2 equal portions, wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper, and chill for an hour.
🥧 How to roll out the dough
This is one of the best pie dough recipes I've ever made. It's super easy to roll out without overworking the dough.
- Roll out dough like you are following a clock.
- Start in the center of the dough and roll up toward 12 o'clock.
- Pick the rolling pin up off the dough and, starting in the center, roll down toward 6 o'clock.
- Repeat rolling toward 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock... then 1 and 7, 2 and 8 and so on. Move all the way around the clock one time.
- Lift the dough up to make sure it's not sticking. Add a little flour if needed.
- Give the dough a quarter turn and repeat the rolling process.
- Repeat until the dough is the size and thickness you want.
- Fit into a pie plate and chill for 30 minutes before filling and baking.
Once you get the pie shell done you might want to use it to make this copycat Shoney's strawberry pie.
🤫 Cook's secrets -
I like to make my own freezer pie crusts. I double or triple the recipe, then carefully roll the dough out into several 9-inch pie crusts. I then lift each one onto a parchment round. I put that on a 9-inch cardboard cake board and flash-freeze until completely frozen. Once frozen, you can slip them into vacuum sealer bags or cover them with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze them for up to four months.
🍴 Equipment
- food processor
- mixing cups and spoons
- pie plate
- rolling pin
🎥 Video
Hey y'all! Don't forget to check out my latest video where I guide you through each step of this delicious recipe. It's always great to have a visual guide, right? And as always, my cooking show, Restless Chipotle Kitchen, has got your back. If you're looking for more yummy ideas, dive into our full recipe collection on YouTube. You're gonna love it!
🥫 How to store leftovers
Store unbaked homemade pie crust in the fridge for up to three days covered tightly in plastic wrap.
This can also be made ahead and frozen unbaked for up to three months. Just be sure to place it in a freezer-safe container to prevent freezer burn.
Marye's Tip
Be very careful not to overmix your dough when adding the cold water or it will become tough.
💭 Things to know
- For a flaky pie crust, use ice-cold butter. Do not use room-temperature butter for this recipe! Cube it and freeze it for at least 15 minutes.
- Ice water is important to make this homemade pastry recipe, however, do not use the actual ice. Remove the ice cubes from your water before you mix your dough.
- Leave the sugar out for a savory crust.
- Too much water will make the crust tough like cardboard.
- Make sure to pulse the flour mixture quickly just until the butter is mixed in and you have a course meal-like texture before adding the water.
- For best results, be sure to flour your work surface so that your crust does not stick and rip while you roll it out with the rolling pin.
- This pie recipe makes two 9-inch pie crusts. Halve the recipe for one single-crust pie.
Common problems - probable causes
- Tough crust. Not enough fat, overmixing, too much flour on workspace, too much water
- Crumbly. Too little water, too much fat, undermixing
- Soggy lower crust. Filling too moist, too low baking temperature, not baked long enough
- Crust shrinks when baked. Too much handling, pastry is stretched in pan
👩🍳 FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
The basic, multi-purpose blade works perfectly.
Yes. Freeze the butter for 10 minutes or so, then cut into cubes and add to the flour in the food processor with the machine running. Pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal or crumbs.
Yes, you can use salted butter - just cut back on the salt or leave it out.
Butter provides great flavor and a flaky crust.
Piercing the crust with a fork allows steam to escape so it does not become puffed up. You can also use pie weights to hold the crust down as it bakes.
Thaw frozen pie dough by leaving it in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for about 2 hours.
📚 Related recipes
🍽️ Repurpose leftovers
Don't throw away those pie dough scraps! Cut in random shapes and sprinkle with any of the following. Bake at 375F until done. Watch carefully!
- Cinnamon and sugar
- Sea salt
- Parmesan and black pepper
You can also it them in small rounds and bake then put 2 rounds together with raspberry or strawberry jam in between.
📞 The last word
Once I got a food processor I started making homemade pie a whole lot more than before! It's just so easy to get that perfect pie crust!
I'll be honest, it does take practice. If it makes you feel better at all it took me close to 15 years to come up with an edible homemade pie crust.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Food Processor Pie Crust
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, optional
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- ⅓ cup ice water
Instructions
- Cut the butter into cubes and put in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Put ice cubes in the water and put in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Fit a metal blade into the food processor.
- Put the flour, sugar (if using), and salt in and pulse a few times to combine.
- Add the cubed butter and pulse until butter mixes with the flour mixture and looks like gravel or peas.
- Turn the food processor on and slowly add the water until all the water has been added and mixture starts to be a mass.
- Don't let it form a ball but just stop when it begins to come together.
- Turn dough out onto a clean countertop and form into 2 equal disks.
- Cover in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for an hour.
- Proceed with pie recipe as instructed. If you are making a baked crust for a no bake pie blind bake it with pie weights for 15 minutes at 375℉ then remove the weights and bake it until golden, about 15 minutes more.
Notes
- For a flaky pie crust make sure that you use ice cold butter. You do not want to use room-temperature butter for this recipe.
- Ice water is important to make this homemade pastry recipe, however, do not use the actual ice. Remove the ice cubes from your water before you mix your dough.
- Make sure to quickly pulse the mixture just until the butter is mixed in and you have a course meal like texture before adding the water.
- For best results be sure to flour your work surface so that your crust does not stick and rip while you are rolling it out with the rolling pin.
- This pie recipe makes two 9 inch pie crusts. Halve the recipe for one single crust pie.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published December 11, 2021. Last updated August 7, 2024 for editorial improvements and readability.
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Food Processor Pie Crust
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Luann says
Very detailed instructions. When I added the water my dough wasn't clumping to create a shape. I added a little extra water a little at a time. I took the blade out and found
underneath the blade there was dough completely mixed. I probably shouldn't have added the extra water.
Linda says
Very nice crust. But I had to use 2/3 cup of ice water.
Shirley Epperson says
Making this crust in my food processor made it so easy. I followed it exactly and chilled for the recommended time. It was easy to roll. Turned out very flaky
Shanice says
How long do you bake it?!!
Marye says
If you are making a baked crust for a no bake pie blind bake it with pie weights for 15 minutes at 375℉ then remove the weights and bake it until golden, about 15 minutes more. Otherwise bake it as your pie recipe instructs.
Tina says
Can you use this for fried pies?
Marye says
You should be able to. I usually use more of a biscuit crust for fried pies.
Deborah M Wootten says
I absolutely adore this pie crust recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Diana WRIGHT says
want to try this crust recipe but was wondering.....could this crust be used for buttertarts?
Marye says
Im sure it could.