Flaky Crisco Pie Crust Recipe
Shortening really does make the most tender pie crust! This Flaky Crisco Pie Crust Recipe is straightforward, easy to work with, and makes an incredible pie.
If you want a flaky pie crust that’s easy to roll, this is the recipe to use!
Shortening (such as Crisco) has the ability to change the structure of baked goods to produce a tenderness that’s hard to beat. When used in pie crust, it becomes flaky and tender, instead of brittle, doughy, or crumbly.
This Crisco Pie Crust recipe is from a 1970s church cookbook. It employs a few methods to create the perfect pie crust:
- All shortening (Crisco) and NO butter
- Both salt and sugar to create a crust that is balanced in flavor
- The addition of vinegar to make it really tender
I most recently used it for an Old Fashioned Pecan Pie recipe, but it can be used for any pie you like, whether it’s baked or no-bake. It would be delicious in an Old Fashioned Apple Pie, too!
Some of the links featured in this post are affiliate links to products I enjoy and recommend, which means I may earn a small commission if you purchase.
Jump to:
Why use Crisco in pie crust?
- It creates a delightful flakiness.
- The crust is tender and crispy, without falling apart.
- It doesn’t shrink in the oven.
- It’s very easy to roll out.
- It’s neutral tasting, so it allows the flavor of the pie filling to shine through.
- The method is faster—it just needs a quick 30 minutes in the refrigerator, versus an all butter pie crust that needs a few hours to chill.
What You’ll Need
- Crisco or a store brand of shortening creates the flaky layers that just melt in your mouth. I used regular but you can use butter flavored Crisco if you’d like! It also works well in this Never Fail Pie Crust.
- Vinegar prevents the crust from becoming tough.
- Ice water keeps the dough cold and easy to work with. It basically prevents the Crisco from melting into the flour. Instead, the dough will be lumpy, which creates that flakiness!
How to Make A Pie Crust with Crisco
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add the Crisco, and use a fork to mix it into the flour. You can also use a pastry blender. There should be pea-sized lumps of Crisco.
- Add the vinegar and ¼ cup ice water (just the water part, not the ice). Stir gently to combine. You should have a shaggy dough that JUST sticks together when you press it.
- Divide the dough onto two pieces of plastic wrap. Form each pile of dough into a disk. Wrap up and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Lightly dust the countertop, and begin to roll the dough out. I roll forward and back, rotate 45°F, and roll again. Continue turning it clockwise before rolling.
- It’ll naturally create a circle (or thereabouts—I always manage to get closer to a square) as you roll and rotate. Place the pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim the edges and flute as desired, then proceed with the pie recipe as directed.
Fluting, crimping, or rolling the edges
There are a number of options for the edges of the dough.
One method is called fluting. Use the knuckle of your index finger on one hand to press into the dough, then use the tips of your thumb and index finger of the other hand to form the dough around your knuckle. It creates a really pretty fluted edge.
You could also try rolling the edge (especially if you have a little extra on the edges).
To do so, roll any extra crust inward, toward the center of the pie, to create a rope-like edge.
Another option is crimping the crust with a fork. Just press the tines of a fork into any crust that’s resting on the edges of the pie plate. This method is easy and quick.
Pre-baking the crust
For pies made in an unbaked crust (like my Old Fashioned Pecan Pie), you can just proceed with the recipe as directed after you place the dough in the pie plate.
For recipes that call for a par-baked crust (like my Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie), bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350°F.
For recipes that require a fully-baked crust (such as Strawberry Pie with Jello), bake the crust for 15 minutes at 425°F.
The nice thing about a pie crust with Crisco is that it doesn’t shrink in the oven, so you don’t need pie weights. And you don’t need to prick the crust with a fork.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! While you can refrigerate it or even freeze it before using, I find it easier to use it at room temperature. Using ice water in the dough to prevent it from warming up too much.
Yes! Wrap the disks of dough tightly in plastic wrap and place in a resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to three months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 24 hours before using.
Yes! Butter flavor Crisco is an excellent way to add the flavor of butter to the crust. You can also use the sticks of Crisco for easier measuring.
Final tips for making a pie crust with Crisco
- Use ice water to keep the Crisco cold as you create the dough.
- Avoid over mixing the dough so the crust stays tender.
- Use the technique of roll, rotate 45°, roll, rotate 45°F to easily roll out the crust.
- Store the crust for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Pie recipes
Fresh Peach Pie is delightful in the summertime, along with this Strawberry Pie with Jello.
Chocolate lovers will adore this Brownie Pie or my Chocolate Chip Pie. Both are dessert mashups that are MADE for pie lovers.
In the fall, don’t miss this Old Fashioned Pecan Pie, Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie, or Old Fashioned Apple Pie. They are staples for Thanksgiving!
📖 Recipe
Flaky Crisco Pie Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup Crisco
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- ¼–⅓ cup ice water
Would you like to save this?
I’ll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the Crisco with a pastry blender or two forks, until the Crisco is the size of peas.
- Stir in the white vinegar and ¼ cup ice water. Add additional ice water until a dough forms.
- Place two pieces of plastic wrap onto a work surface. Divide the dough between the pieces of plastic wrap.
- Form each piece of dough into a ball, then flatten into a ½-inch disk. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Roll out one disk into an 11-inch circle and place into a pie pan. Flute or crimp the edges as desired.
- Proceed with your pie recipe as directed. You can either use the other crust for a two-crust pie, refrigerate it for up to one week, or freeze it for up to three months.
- To par bake: bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until very light brown. Fill the pie according to the recipe.
- To fully bake (for use with no-bake pies): bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Fill the pie according to the recipe.
Comments
No Comments