The Best Butter Pie Crust Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
Planning on making some tasty pies this holiday season? This is the best Butter Pie Crust recipe you will find! It’s so simple and easy to make.
The Best Butter Pie Crust Recipe
I’m pretty good at making a lot of things but a flaky pie crust is not one of them. Years and years ago I came across a recipe for a simple butter crust and it’s been my go-to recipe ever since.
We now make a couple of changes to the original recipe to make it gluten and dairy free and I’ve included those changes below. No matter how you end up making this recipe, it makes a wonderful flaky pie crust!
Butter Pie Crust
What You Need:
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup water (or less)
Mix together all ingredients besides the water. You can soften the butter just a bit but make sure you cut it in, don’t melt it.
Slowly add in the water until the dough is the right consistency. You may not need the full 1/4 cup.
This dough works great for sweet treats like pies or sweet dumplings or use it for savory meals like chicken pot pie!
Need to print this recipe for your Recipe Binder? Grab it below!
Butter Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup water or less
Instructions
-
Mix together all ingredients besides the water. You can soften the butter just a bit but make sure you cut it in, don't melt it.
-
Slowly add in the water until the dough is the right consistency. You may not need the full 1/4 cup.
-
Use the pie crust according to the directions of whatever recipe you are making.
How to Make a Dairy or Gluten Free Pie Crust
I have successfully subbed out both the butter and the regular flour in this recipe! Here’s how:
For a gluten free pie crust – Replace the regular flour with a good all purpose gluten free flour. Roll out the pie crust on a pie of plastic wrap and “flip” it into your pie plate. The crust will be slightly crumbly but don’t add extra water.
For a dairy free pie crust – Use a “butter alternative” or sub out the butter with coconut oil, lard, or tallow. We really like this recipe with tallow/lard.
Looking for more sweet holiday treats to make these year? Here are some of our favorites!
- Eggless Pumpkin Pie Recipe
- Pumpkin Turtle Cheesecake
- Recipe for Banana Cream Pie
- Old Fashioned Chocolate Pie
What kind of pies do you like to make? Have you ever made a Butter Pie Crust?
This recipe for Butter Pie Crust was originally posted on Little House Living in June 2012. It has been updated as of October 2020.
thank you so much..I was looking for a good one! I tried lard & it was too flaky.
Merissa mentioned she isn’t good at making Flaky Pastry. She should switch out the butter for shortening or lard. Also if wanting Flaky Pastry it should be rolled out & doubled over 2/3 times, it is why you don’t melt the butter. J/S.
On the Amish oatmeal pie do u bake the pie crust before you add the ingredients
No, you add all ingredients first before baking.
i do something similar, and i substitute cream to make a sweeter pie dough / pie dough cookie.
THANK YOU for this recipe. It helped me overcome my fear of pie crust and now I make a pie from scratch every week. My family is in heaven. Last week it was razzleberry, Yum! This week, who knows?
I love your site!
Best,
Emmie
I’m so glad you like it and it’s working for you and your family!
I put a recipe for razzleberry pie on my blog today and inserted the link for your butter crust recipe. Thanks again for your wonderful work!
I started making butter pie crusts earlier this year. They are the BEST!!!
I can’t believe it’s that easy. I have a question though. Would this work for a Chili pot pie?
Yes, it should 🙂
Can you make this pie crust gluten free? (Like with a Bisquik Gluten Free blend?)
I haven’t tried it gluten free yet but it’s working giving a shot!
Hello,
Pie crust newbie here…once I make the dough, how do you bake it? temp? time? Do I need those baking beads?
Thanks!
You will bake your pie according to the directions on whatever filling recipe you are making. I’ve never used baking beads.
is this recipe for bottom and top pie
This crust is the best. #Husbandapproved
I really enjoy your recipes. Just got your cookbook in the mail and made 4 recipes. Can this crust be frozen? Also do you have a good recipe for making the apples ahead of time fir apple pie and then freezing? Thank you for your time
Yes. After making the dough for this crust I form it into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer bag to freeze it until I need it. It works best if you can thaw it at room temp.
Merissa, Thank you for this recipe.
I was never a fan of lard/shortening crusts. Then my mom found an oil crust recipe that I absolutely loved because the more you mixed it, the more tender and flakier it got. And you didn’t roll it, you pressed it in the pan. For me, not a problem..never cared for making double crust pies so I started replacing the top crust with crumble toppings. Unfortunately I didn’t get that recipe before she passed away many years ago and haven’t been able to find one like it, so I haven’t made many pies.
The gluten-free version of this crust sounds like a good one to try. To so will be back in the kitchen this summer dusting the rust off my pie baking skills to see if this one will be a keeper.
My only question: Is this recipe mixed like the lard crusts with minimal mixing to prevent creating a tough crust?