Pie season is just around the corner, so I thought I’d share with you the only homemade pie crust recipe you’ll ever need! Made with an unexpected ingredient and made in the food processor, you can have a perfect pie crust chilling in your refrigerator in a matter of minutes!
This easy homemade pie crust recipe is essentially foolproof and comes out perfectly buttery and flakey every single time! This recipe has been my family’s go-to for over a decade and it’s what I use to make my chocolate pie. Be sure to check out the video at the bottom of the post walking you step-by-step through the recipe!
This is it, pie-loving friends. The only pie crust recipe I ever use, one that my mom has been making exclusively for over a decade.
You might have caught this easy pie crust recipe before on my website. I shared it with my apple turnovers and also my turkey pot pie, but it’s about time that this recipe gets its own post.
While it may be a little bit more effort than my graham cracker crust recipe, it’s one of the easiest pie crusts I’ve ever made and only one that has never failed for me. It has a classic pie crust taste, a buttery, flaky texture, and it comes together in a food processor (no obnoxious pastry cutters!) and uses a perhaps unexpected ingredient…
Sour cream!
Instead of worrying over adding exact amount of ice water, you’re going to simply add sour cream to this recipe. This ingredients yields one of the flakiest, best tasting pie crusts of your life. Unlike those ice water recipes, this easy pie crust recipe turns out for me perfectly, every time. And in case you’re worried, it does not taste like sour cream! Nobody is going to be able to tell that you used sour cream in this recipe.
How To Make Homemade Pie Crust
You’ll make everything in a food processor, combining your dry ingredients first and pulsing them until they’re combined. Next, add very cold butter that you’ve first chopped into pieces.
Pulse until your mixture resembles coarse, sandy crumbs.
Next, add your sour cream and pulse again until your dough just begins to clump together. It should look like this when it’s finished 👇🏼 (don’t overdo it!).
Next, transfer your dough to a clean, lightly floured surface where you’ll use your hands to gently knead the dough together.
Once it’s formed into a smooth, round ball, use your palms to lightly flatten the dough. Wrap your pie dough tightly with clear wrap and place it in your refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. If you chill the dough for longer, you may need to let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before rolling it out, as the colder it is the stiffer and more difficult to work with it will be.
Roll your dough out onto a lightly floured surface into a 12″ circle. I like to roll my dough out slightly larger, and then use a pizza cutter to trim up the edges to that they are neat and even. If yours aren’t, you can always just fold them underneath for a prettier looking edge to your pie crust.
If you’re using this easy pie crust as part of another recipe, it’s likely that the recipe will have instructions for filling and baking the crust. However, some recipes, especially those with no-bake fillings, will require a pre-baked pie crust, so I’ve provided instructions in the recipe for blind baking.
How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust
Blind baking simply means baking a pie crust without filling it first. In the past, I’ve blind baked pie crusts by filling with beans or pie weights, but this method from Serious Eats using sugar has quickly become my favorite method.
- Arrange your rolled out pie dough into your pie plate as desired and place in the freezer while your oven is preheating
- After chilling, line your chilled pie crust with a large piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Be sure to use a piece large enough that it hangs over the edge of the pie plate so you can simply grab each end and and lift it out of the pie once it has finished baking.
- Fill the foil or parchment paper with sugar (pie weights or dry beans will work, but I really like using sugar). The sugar should evenly distribute its weight against the pie crust, holding it in shape as it bakes.
- Bake 50 minutes or until pie crust is baked through and lightly golden brown.
- Allow to cool completely (otherwise it may shrink!).
Once you are finished baking, allow your sugar to cool before lifting the parchment or foil from the pie crust. You can either re-use the sugar in your baking or you can save it separately to use for all of your future blind baking.
Making your own homemade pie crust is as simple as that. Try this recipe out for yourself and let me know what you think!
The BEST Easy Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (125g)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter cold and cut into 12 pieces (85g)
- 1/4 cup sour cream (60g)
Instructions
- Make the crust first by combining flour, sugar, and salt in the canister of a food processor. Pulse to combine.
- Sprinkle butter pieces over the mixture and pulse again until coarse crumbs form.
- Add sour cream and pulse again until mixture begins to clump together.
- Carefully (remove the blade first!) remove the dough from the food processor and use your hands to shape it into a ball. Flatten slightly into a disc and wrap in cling wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove chilled pie dough from refrigerator and transfer to a clean, lightly floured surface. Allow dough to sit for about 5 minutes and then roll dough out into a 12" circle and place in a 9" or 10" glass pie dish.
- Gently lay the pie crust into a 10" pie pan, folding under the excess dough beneath itself and crimping with a fork.
- If pie crust is to be used with a baked filling, follow that recipe's instructions for filling and baking.
For Blind Baking
- If baking pie crust alone (or "blind baking"), transfer your prepared pie dish to the freezer and preheat your oven to 350F.
- Once oven is preheated, retrieve your pie dough and gently line it with aluminum foil or parchment paper*, being sure that the aluminum is molded to the sides of the pie crust, especially (you want to make sure they don't collapse or sag while baking) -- make sure the edges are covered so that they do not over-brown/burn.
- Fill the aluminum with sugar** and place pie pan on an aluminum cookie sheet.
- Transfer to oven and bake on 350F for 45-55 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before lifting out the aluminum foil and sugar**( and finishing with desired filling.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase anything through these links I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please view the disclosure policy for more information.
Tools used in this Pie Crust Recipe
- Pyrex 9 1/2″ pie plate (3 pack): I literally have 5 of these pie plates, they’re simple and easy to store and I love them!
- Wooden rolling pin: A classic for every kitchen, this is what I’m using in the video
- 8 cup food processor: I LOVE this food processor! I read hundreds of reviews before picking this one and have had no regrets.
Treat yourself to a FREE E-BOOK!
Originally published 09/18/17
Brett C. says
Wow, I tried one test crust in a lemon sponge and it was wonderful. I then made four more that I am going to use the blind bake method. I chilled butter in freezer, cut butter into small cubes and used my hands to punch down and pinch butter/flour with my hands. Added sour cream and used a fork to mix/cut-in throughout. Chilled in frig and then rolled out and OMG. Thank you!
Sugar Spun Run says
I am so glad that you enjoyed the pie crust, Brett! 🙂
Avani says
Can this be made in a baking pan as I don’t own a pie pan
Sarah says
Can I make this any other way except using a food processor? I do not own a food processor…I use my kitchen aid mixer for most recipes using a food processor or just mix by hand, can I just do this all by hand or do you think the dough will turn out too tough from being worked with?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Sarah! If you don’t have a food processor I recommend using a pastry cutter instead. You want to make sure the ingredients are well combined. I hope that this helps! 🙂
Brett C. says
Sarah, I have no gadgets either and a regular fork works well to cut in sour cream. Just take your time and clean fork clumps off with your fingers now and again. I’ve made 5 in a row like this and all worked to perfection.
Lynne says
I did it! I had never made my own pie crust before, but your recipe and directions worked perfectly! Don’t see a way to share my photo, so just take my word. Excellent. Thanks.
Sam says
You don’t ever have to go back to the store bought now. I am so glad you enjoyed it. Unfortunately there isn’t an easy way to share photos on the site, but if you want to join my Facebook Group, everyone would love to see what you made. 🙂
Ann says
The pie crust is amazing. It is easy to male and absolutely delicious. No more store bought pie crust for me.
Thank You for sharing this delicious recipe.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Ann! I am so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Denise says
If you have a hard time taking compliments stay clear of this recipe! Super easy and comes out perfect.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Denise! I am so glad that you enjoyed the pie crust! 🙂
Theresa says
Love it so far (it’s in the oven 😁) … been years since I “got to” bake a pie.
Sam says
I hope it tastes just as good! Enjoy! 🙂
Ellen says
I doubled the recipe to make two pumpkin pies, but I had to use 2/3 cup of sour cream instead of 1/2 cup. I live in a dry climate and I know I’ve occasionally had to add more liquid than what the recipe calls for. Otherwise, it was really great!
Sugar Spun Run says
Thanks for trying my pie crust recipe, Ellen! I am happy that it turned out well. I appreciate your sharing the modifications you made for a drier climate. 🙂
Donna Clare Votino says
Great recipe. This was my first really successful pie crust! (and I’m 67.)
Sugar Spun Run says
Congrats on making your first pie crust! I am so glad that it turned out beautifully, Donna! Thank you so much for commenting. 🙂
Tasha says
Would this dough be good if I make it ahead of time and freeze it?
Sugar Spun Run says
Hi, Tasha! I think it should be ok to freezer. After you form the dough into a disc, wrap it up tightly in cling wrap and then wrap it in some aluminum foil or a freezer bag.
Thena Oravits says
I want to try this recipe with your pecan pie recipe for Thanksgiving dinner. Also, I’m in need of a food processor. If I purchase the one you use and recommend, is it possible to purchase through a link you might provide so that you may receive monetization?
Terri says
This is the easiest pie dough recipe I have tried. It is really tasty too. My dad always has me make his pie dough for Chix pot pies and this is soo easy he can do this himself. Love this!!!
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much, Terri! I am so glad that you found the recipe easy to follow and enjoyable! Thanks for commenting. Happy Holidays to you and your family. 🙂
Howard Bernstein says
Can I use gluten free flower as opposed to wheat four:
Sugar Spun Run says
Unfortunately, I am not familiar with gluten-free baking and have never used the 1:1 gluten-free flour, I’m sorry Howard! I would love to know how it turns out when you try it though. As far as wheat flour, I would be afraid it would make the crust tough, but if you try it and it works, let me know how it turns out. ☺️
Howard Bernstein says
I made the pie crust with Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. I followed your recipe exactly and it made a wonderful pie crust. The only difference is that the dough must be rolled between two sheets of parchment paper. To place in pie pan put one hand under bottom parchment sheet, of course after removing the top sheet, and then flip it over into the pie plate. If the dough is too cold and cracks while rolling just regather and roll it again. The pie crust was delicious, could not really tell that it was not made from wheat flour. A great option for those who cannot tolerate gluten.
Sugar Spun Run says
Thank you so much for sharing your tips and tricks on using gluten-free flour with everyone, Howard. I am so glad that it worked out. Enjoy! 🙂
Xio says
Hi, is it possible to sub the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt ??
– also for the apple pie can I sub for plain Greek yogurt?
Thank you so much. Love all your recipes!
Sugar Spun Run says
Hello, Xio! In regards to the pie crust, I have had others substitute greek yogurt and have had success. As far as substituting Greek yogurt for the sour cream in the apple pie recipe, I have not tried it so I can not advise. If you do please let me know how it turns out! 🙂
Howard Bernstein says
Great pie crust. This Thanksgiving I have 2 gluten sensitive guests. Do you think the recipe will work withBobs Red mill 1:1 gluten free flour? I am going to try it and I’ll let you know.
Sam says
Ooh, unfortunately I am not familiar with gluten free baking and have never used the 1:1 gluten free flour, I’m sorry Howard! I would love to know how it turns out when you try it though as I’m sure there are others who would love to know!