3 Ingredient Pie Crust

A flaky pie crust is just 3 ingredients away! This is the easiest pie crust that you can make by hand or in your food processor. Use this 3-ingredient pie crust recipe in all your favorite pies!

 

When it comes to homemade pies nothing beats a homemade pie crust. Yes you could buy a store-bought pie crust but a homemade crust will always win out flavor and texture. 

Now I’ve made a few different variations of pie crusts on this blog before – my double crust pie recipe, or my all butter pie crust, but I have to say this 3-ingredient pie crust recipe is now my all time favorite homemade pie dough. Yes I know it’s wrong to play favorites. But I can’t help it. This is the perfect pie crust recipe that results in the flakiest pie crust I’ve ever made. 

Salted Butter Is The Key!

The key to this delicious pie crust? Salted butter. Now normally I stick to unsalted butter in pretty much all of my baking. However, I started using salted butter in my pie crust and found the crust ends up being way flakier! Why? Water. Salted butter contains more water than unsalted butter. And so with more water = more steam = more flakiness. Ahh, delicious pie science. 

You can use this pie crust for any pie recipe calling for a homemade crust – try it with my pumpkin pie made without evaporated milk or my eggless pumpkin pie – (you will only need a single crust) or my classic apple pie!

Ingredients Needed

• 2 ½ cups (300 g) all purpose flour – Be sure to spoon and level the flour so you don’t end up with a crumbly dough. Or measure with a kitchen scale.
• 2 sticks (1 cup, 226 g) salted butter – Salted butter is used in this crust hence making it only 3 ingredients. I also found that salted butter results in a flakier crust because it contains more water. More water = more steam. More steam = a flakier crust! Cut the butter into cubes and keep it cold before using it.
• ½ cup (120 ml) cold water – Ice cold water is key! You need the water to stay cold so it doesn’t melt the butter. 

The Secret To A Flaky Pie Crust

You need to use COLD butter, and cold water! This is the key to a flaky pie crust! Make sure your butter is VERY cold! I like to cube my butter up and then place in the fridge until I’m ready to use it. The butter needs to stay solid until it hits the oven where it will melt. The water in the butter will steam and then create those flaky layers.

When little chunks of butter melt quickly in a hot oven, they release steam and create those delicious, tender layers we all love in a crust. If the butter is too warm before baking, it just blends into the flour and you’ll end up with a tough, flat crust instead of one that shatters into flaky goodness.

And then also use ice cold water so it doesn’t melt the butter. I just add a few ice cubes to my water and then spoon the water out of the cup.

How To Make This 3-Ingredient Pie Crust

 In a food processor add flour. 

Scatter the cold butter pieces over top and pulse butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. If using a food processor, pulse a few times to cut the butter in.

If making by hand use a pastry blender to cut the butter in. You can also use just your fingertips and squish the butter pieces until they are smaller.  

Sprinkle 6 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour mixture. Stir the dough together using a spatula, until the dough sticks together if making by hand or pulse with the food processor.

Test the dough by squeezing some together with your fingertips. If it sticks together, then do not add more water. If it does not, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons water one tablespoon at a time.

Do not overwork the dough. Overworking the dough will make it tough. If using the food processor use the pulse feature so you don’t over work it!

Chill the ball of dough. I like to use a clean dish towel and turn the dough onto it. Bring the edges of the towel and twist it. This will bring the dough together into a cohesive mass.

 Divide dough in half, shape and flatten into 4-inch discs  and wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour (up to 3 days ahead of time). 

Chill the dough before rolling it out. This will make it easier to work with allowing the gluten to relax. I chill the dough for an hour before rolling it out.

When ready to use, on a lightly floured surface, roll pie crust into a 12-inch circle. Fold the dough in quarters, and then transfer to your 9-inch pie plate. Carefully unfold the dough, and tuck in with your fingers. Then use as your recipe is directed! 

If your recipe calls for blind baking, then yes you will need to blind bake the crust first. You can use read more here about what is blind baking? And what pie weights are and how to use them.

How To Use This 3 Ingredient Pie Crust

You can use this pie crust for any pie recipe that calls for a double pie crust! I used this pie crust for my raspberry pie recipe recently and it was so flaky and delicious! But try using in other pie recipes – like my classic apple pie!

Or use for a single pie crust recipe as well (and simply freeze the second portion of dough). Like for my Dutch apple pie, pecan pie, peach crumble pie, my pecan pie made without corn syrup, my lemon meringue pie or pumpkin pie recipe.