You can’t go wrong with an all butter pie crust. Whether you are making double crust pies filled with sweet fruit, a single crust pie filled with custard, or even a savory chicken pot pie for dinner, this is the perfect pie crust recipe to use!

A golden brown pie on a white countertop with apples.

A homemade pie crust makes every pie recipe better. While I love my sourdough pie crust and einkorn pie crust recipes, this is a simplified version that anyone could make.

There is no need to grab a pie crust at the store. All you need is flour, butter, cold water, and a little salt. That’s it! 

You do not have to be an expert baker to end up with flaky layers on your first try making this all butter crust. Whip this up to make a pie for the holidays, a special occasion, or any regular Tuesday night. Serve with a little homemade date ice cream to make it extra special! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

All you need are three kitchen staples and water – If you have butter in the fridge, flour and salt in the pantry, and a way to get cold water, you can make this crust. No fancy ingredients required! 

A delicious, buttery pie crust – While many people like to use other fats in their pie crusts, I believe you can get just as good and flaky of a crust using all butter! Plus, it is so simple to make, you’ll never be tempted to buy a store bought crust again. 

A versatile pie crust dough – Use this recipe for fruit pies, custard pies, or even savory pies. 

Ingredients

Flour in a bowl, butter, water, and salt in a measuring spoon on a countertop.

All purpose flour – I prefer to use unbleached all purpose for this recipe. 

Butter – Make sure to use cold butter. Stick it in the freezer for 15 minutes before using to ensure it is nice and cold. I also use unsalted butter here. if you use salted, you may want to add a little less salt to the dough. Want to make your own butter? Learn how to make raw milk butter in a blender here

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

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How to Make An All Butter Pie Crust

A bowl of flour with cubed butter being added by a fork.

Step 1: Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add cold cubed butter to the flour mixture and mix in using a fork, pastry cutter, or food processor until completely combined and resembles sand. 

Two hands working pie dough to help it come together in a bowl.

Step 2: Add in ice water until mixture until the dough comes together. Roll into two flat disks. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. 

Pie dough rolled out in a circle with a rolling pin.

Step 3: Roll out the dough using a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface. Use the rolling pin to help you carefully move the crust over the top of a pie pan and gently press the dough into the bottom and edges of the pan. Remove excess. 

A pie crust in a pie pan before baking.

Step 4: Use the rolling pin to help you carefully move the crust over the top of a pie pan and gently press the dough into the bottom and edges of the pan. Remove excess. 

An apple pie freshly baked with three apples in the background.

Step 5: Fill with pie filling, top with another layer of pie dough and bake per recipe.

Tips

  • Try to use your hands as little as possible. If you warm the dough up it is not as flakey.
  • This recipe can be used for sweet or savory pies like chicken or ground beef pot pie.
  • Make sure you use cold water and not room temperature or warm water. This helps keeps the butter cold, which will give you that signature flaky pie crust once baked. 
  • If you are making a pie recipe that requires a blind bake of the crust, I recommend using parchment paper and pie weights to ensure your crust keeps its shape. You can also use dried beans if you do not have weights. 

Recipe FAQs

Is an all butter pie crust better?

Using all butter in a pie crust as the only fat is the simplest way to make a pie crust. Most of us always have butter on hand. It tastes delicious. However, some people do like to use a pure fat in addition to butter to help keep their pie crust flaky. My personal favorite is to use a combo of butter and lard. 

Why is my butter pie crust tough?

If your pie crust is tough, it is usually a sign the dough was overworked. 

Should you refrigerate pie dough before rolling out?

Refrigerating the pie dough, especially on an all butter pie crust, helps to keep the butter cold and ensures a flaky crust. It also makes rolling the dough easier, with less of a chance of tearing the dough. 

More Recipes from the Farmhouse

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.

All Butter Pie Crust Recipe

5 from 1 vote
You can't go wrong with an all butter pie crust. Whether you are making double crust pies filled with sweet fruit, a single crust pie filled with custard, or even a savory chicken pot pie for dinner, this is the perfect pie crust recipe to use!
Prep: 10 minutes
2 hours
Total: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
A slice of pie on a plate with the rest of the pie in the pie pan in the background.

Video

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Ingredients 

  • 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/2 cup ice water, plus more if needed to make it come together

Instructions 

  • Mix flour and salt together.
  • Add cold cubed butter to the flour mixture and mix in using a fork, pastry blender, or food processor until completely combined and resembles sand.
  • Add in ice water until mixture until the dough comes together.
  • Roll into two flat disks. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
  • Roll out on a lightly floured surface, place in a pie pan, fill with pie filling, top and bake per recipe.

Notes

  • Try to use your hands as little as possible. If you warm the dough up it is not as flakey.
  • This recipe can be used for sweet or savory pies like chicken or ground beef pot pie.
  • Make sure you use cold water and not room temperature or warm water. This helps keeps the butter cold, which will give you that signature flaky pie crust once baked. 
  • If you are making a pie recipe that requires a blind bake of the crust, I recommend using parchment paper and pie weights to ensure your crust keeps its shape. You can also use dried beans if you do not have weights. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 61mg | Sodium: 475mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 710IU | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 1 vote

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7 Comments

  1. ELIANA says:

    Receita muito bem explicada em detalhes, fotos lindas, parabéns!

  2. Angie says:

    Can I make this the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight? Would it still be flaky?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      I would let the dough sit over night, but not the pie itself.

  3. mary ellen mcdonough says:

    is there a recipe for making a crust with starter or discard?

  4. Jess says:

    This recipe calls for unsalted butter, right? Can I cut out the extra salt and use salted butter instead? Thank you!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Yes!

  5. Beverly says:

    5 stars
    Excellent! Turned out perfectly for my mini apple pies and pecan pie! Perfect flake and simply delicious!