Homemade Crisco Pie Crust Recipe

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Homemade Crisco Pie Crust Recipe

Tired of dull, lifeless pie crust? Ready for something that’s tasty, easy, and goes with every pie you make? Then a homemade Crisco pie crust is just what you need.

Because the secret to the perfect crust – a buttery, flaky, tender, delicious, melt-in-your-mouth piece of heaven – is Crisco butter shortening.

And love, of course, as my mom always likes to remind me.

A homemade Crisco pie crust is the perfect way to take your pies from dull shells to the life of the party. This family recipe uses a few simple ingredients and no fancy equipment to produce a great, versatile crust. We’ve been using it for generations for all our pie needs – hopefully you will too!

The Legacy of a Perfect Crust

Let’s be honest: crusts make or break a pie. Anyone who’s been let down by a tough, partially burnt one will understand. No matter how great the filling is, if the crust is nasty, you’ll want to dump the whole thing in the trash rather than take in the extra calories.

There are plenty of homemade pie crust recipes that have this problem, and store-bought pies and pie crusts? Don’t get me started.

I guess I’m a bit of a pie crust snob. That’s partly because my mom has been making this pie crust recipe for as long as I can remember. It was first made by her great-aunt decades ago. We’ve used it for everything since.

While I’ve tried many over the years, I’ve never had another crust that even came close. This one is buttery, flaky, and has a neutral flavor that complements both sweet and savory dishes. When it softens and mixes with the flavor of the filling, it’s a delicious treat all on its own. It doesn’t just make the pie better, it’s the best part of the pie!

What to Pair with a Crisco Pie Crust

I’m pretty sure anything would be better with a homemade Crisco pie crust.

But if you’re looking for a few ideas: fruit pies, custard pies, and pudding pies are a start. You can even use this recipe to make a pot pie!

Of course, we like to focus on using up some of the great fruits and vegetables we’ve harvested. Making a pie is sometimes the fastest (and tastiest) way to use up apples, berries, or pot pie vegetables picked earlier in the day. I’ve posted our apple pie filling and blackberry pie filling recipes on here previously.

If you don’t have fresh produce to use right now, don’t worry – ones you’ve frozen previously will work great too, and can bring back the joy and flavors of warm Augusts past when you first harvested them.

The Crisco Butter Shortening Difference

Crisco butter shortening is a must here. Not butter, not vegetable oil. Not even the Crisco that comes in the blue tin and is just ” all vegetable shortening.” It’s butter flavor Crisco, with the yellow-with-cookies packaging, or the highway.

You can sometimes find it in grocery stores, but we’ve found that the butter flavor is harder to come by in stores than it used to be. Stock up if you find it! You can also find it on Amazon at the link up top, or try other similar retailers to see their online offerings.

It’s easiest to get the bricks, since you can just cut the shortening at the exact spot you need. A tin would probably work too, though; you’ll just have to measure it manually.

For a Single Crust Shell

Sometimes you only need one crust. To make a single crust, simply halve the below recipe. The exact amounts are: 1 cup flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/3 cups + 1 tbsp. shortening, and 2-3 tbsp. cold water.

Recipes like pudding pies often require a pre-baked pie shell. To make one, make a single crust recipe, then bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes (or until golden brown) at 450 degrees.

Pie Crust Tips

When you’re making the crust, all you’ll need is a bowl, fork, rolling pin, and pie plate (plus a little wax paper for rolling out). Your fork does double duty as a pastry cutter and as a steam escape/design poker.

Add just enough water so you no longer have loose flour in the bowl – but not so much that the dough gets slimy. Too much water toughens the dough, and you want it just right.

If you find it hard to transfer the crust into the plate without it falling in on itself, don’t worry. It will still taste great, and you’ll get better at transferring with practice.

I hope you enjoy making this delightful recipe for yourself! Let me know what you think in the comments below.