How to Make Perfect Pie Crust (In the Food Processor!)
Homemade pie crust is one of those things that's really worth the extra time to make from scratch. Store-bought crusts do the trick, but a homemade pie crust is life-changing good. And the best part is: it's actually pretty darn easy to make a perfect pie crust using your food processor!
That's right-we've been making all our homemade pie crusts in our food processor for years! We'll show you how to take your pies to the next level, too, with our fool-proof food processor pie crust. Let's bake!
Do I need any special equipment to make this pie crust?
As you might have guessed, the main tool you'll need for our food processor pie crust is-your handy-dandy food processor! Nothing fancy is needed here. We've been using this Hamilton Beach food processor to make pie crusts for over a decade, and it's still going strong.
Protip: Don't have a food processor?
If you don't have a food processor, you can definitely still do this by hand (we include instructions below)-just know that it'll require a bit of elbow grease!
You'll also want a board for rolling out your crust (a marble pastry board is great, though a silicone pastry mat works just fine, too), a rolling pin, and a pie plate. Alright, let's get started!
Let's make pie crust in the food processor!
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients.
Pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor-just a few times to get it nice and mixed up. If you're making your pie crust by hand, whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
Protip: Select your sugar.
Granulated sugar, brown sugar, and coconut sugar all work well here! If you're making a savory pie or quiche, you can leave this out.
Step 2: Add in the butter.
Cut up your frozen butter and then add it to the food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles the texture of small pebbles. Don't worry about getting all the butter chopped up evenly. It's more important for your butter to stay frozen than for the butter to be perfectly distributed.
If you are doing this by hand, cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender or two butter knives until the butter is the size of small pebbles. Work quickly (and in a cool space if you can) so the butter doesn't warm up too much.
Protip: Grate your butter!
We prefer to shred the frozen butter using a cheese grater! It's much easier than trying to cut into rock-solid butter straight from the freezer. Use the largest holes on your cheese grater and go to town (scroll down to the recipe to see a video of how we do this).
Step 3: Add ice water.
Working a tablespoon at a time, add the ice water and pulse the food processor until combined. After each addition, carefully grab a handful of the mixture and squeeze it together. When it stays together without crumbling (it usually takes about four tablespoons for us), you are done.
If you are doing this by hand, follow the same method, except whisk vigorously between each tablespoon of water.
Step 4: Shape the dough into a disc and chill.
It might not look like it yet, but your pie crust dough is done. Yay! So easy, right? Now, dump the crumbly dough onto a clean work surface. Using your hands, form it into a solid lump, and then into a disc. Work as quickly as possible-the disc doesn't have to be perfect. It's more important that the heat from your hands doesn't melt the butter.
Wrap the disc tightly in plastic wrap and stash it in the fridge. Let it rest for about an hour in your fridge before moving on to the next step. If you're in a rush, you can stick it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
Want to save this recipe?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Step 5: Roll the disc into a smooth round.
After the crust has chilled out in the fridge, let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature before trying to roll it out. When you're ready, roll it out on a lightly floured work surface until it is about ⅛" thick and large enough to cover your pie dish. Gently roll the crust around your rolling pin for easy transporting.
Then unroll your pie crust on top of your ungreased pie plate (because we made an all-butter pie crust, you don't have to worry about it sticking). Gently push it into the plate to contour along the sides.
Step 6: Trim, flute, and bake.
Trim any extra crust, leaving about ½" all the way around. Roll that remaining ½" under, and then flute or decorate the edge however you prefer. Tada! Your food processor pie crust is ready!
How to use your pie crust
If your pie recipe calls for an unbaked crust, just fill and bake according to the directions in your recipe.
For a blind-baked crust (a crust that is already fully cooked-usually for no-bake pies), line your crust with parchment paper, then fill with pie weights or country-girl pie weights (dried beans or dried lentils). Place everything in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then bake in a 375°F oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and lift the parchment and weights out. Using a fork, prick all over the bottom of the crust, then pop it back in the oven for an additional 15 minutes or so.
And that's it! I promise that making your own pie crusts is the way to take your baked goods to the next level.
Happy baking!
📖 Recipe
How to Make Perfect Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour or replace with all-purpose flour or a combo
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 stick frozen butter grated using a cheese grater
- 4-5 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- In the basin of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and sea salt.
- Add in the butter, and pulse until the butter resembles the texture of small pebbles-slightly smaller than peas. All the butter doesn't have to be cut up. It's better to err on the side of too big butter pieces than too small.
- Working a tablespoon at a time, add in the ice water and pulse the food processor until combined. After each addition, grab a handful of the mixture and squeeze it together. When it stays together without crumbling (it usually takes about four tablespoons for me), you are done.
- Dump the crumbly meal onto a clean work surface and, using your hands, form into a solid lump, then into a disc. Work as quickly as possible because the heat in your hands will melt the butter. The disc doesn't have to be perfect.
- Wrap up the disc in plastic wrap and stash in the fridge. It'll need to rest in there for about an hour before you roll it out. If you're in a rush, you can stick it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
- After the crust has chilled out in the fridge, let it warm up a bit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes, then roll out on a lightly floured surface until it is about ⅛″ and large enough around to cover your pie plate. Roll the crust around your rolling pin for easy transporting.
- Unroll on top of your ungreased pie plate (don't worry, there is enough butter in the pie crust to not stick). Gently push it in the plate to contour along the sides. Leaving about ½″ all the way around, trim the extra crust, roll the ½″ under, and then flute or decorate the edge however you prefer. Fill and bake per your pie recipe's instructions.
To Blind Bake (Pre-Bake) the Crust:
- Line the unbaked crust with parchment paper, fill crust with pie weights (dried beans work, too), and then chill for 30 minutes. Then bake in a 375°F oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove the pie from the oven. Using the parchment paper, lift out the weights and set aside.
- Using a fork, prick the bottom of the crust all over. Return the crust to the oven and bake for an additional 15-17 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
Video
Notes
- I'm a big fan of this whole wheat pastry flour for pie crust making-it turns out perfectly every time. If you want to go all white flour, just regular all-purpose flour works just fine and dandy.
- I always keep a box of sticks of butter in my freezer. Not only do they keep for months in there (pick them up when they're on sale!), but that way I always have frozen butter ready for pie crusts or biscuits.
- Don't leave out the salt! Trust us, you want a little bit of saltiness when you're making sweets.
Nutrition
What can I make with my food processor pie crust?
Now that your food processor pie crust is ready, let's talk recipes! Here are some of our favorite sweet and savory pie and quiche recipes:
Both. You can do half and half or today I did 3/4 butter to1/4 shortening that came out perfect.
Hi
This looks great but what is the measurements of 1 stick of butter please ?
It is 1/2 cup, or 4 ounces.