Perfectly Flaky Amish Pie Crust
Who doesn't love a delicious piece of pie with a good flaky crust? This flaky Amish pie crust recipe is easy to make, and it's the only one you'll ever need.
There are so many delicious kinds of pie you can make. And I love them all, as pie is one of my favorite desserts. But one of the keys to a good pie is a flaky crust.
So whether you're making apple crumb pie, peanut butter cream pie, pecan pie, or pumpkin custard pie, you can always come back to this recipe for the crust.
Amish eat lots of pies with homemade pie crust
My mom would frequently bake pies, and they never lasted long with twelve of us in the house to devour them.
We didn't have pie every day though like some of my cousins did. My Amish aunt used to bake shoofly pie every week. Because they served it every morning as dessert, along with their breakfast of meat, eggs, hash browns, toast, or whatever else they might have.
Growing up on a farm, everybody was up early doing chores. And by 7 o'clock, we had a hearty appetite for a big breakfast.
Amish Food
Three specifically unique kinds of pie are famous among the Amish in the Lancaster, Pennsylvania area. They are shoofly pie (click here for recipe), apple Schnitz pie (recipe here), and minced meat pie.
If you've never tried them, you're missing out. Although I will admit that some of the foods we ate and loved, others would say that you'd have to acquire a taste for it.
There are several dishes that I loved growing up. But when I talk to my kids about it, they think it sounds very disgusting :).
It is well known though, that most Amish ladies are good cooks. And there's nothing quite like the taste of a good home-cooked meal.
Back to my Never Fail Pie Crust Recipe...
How to make flaky Amish pie crust using lard
Some might say that there's an art to learn, to make a good pie crust, and feel intimidated to try it. But it's really not that difficult if you know a few tips: (Do not over-mix and use ice-cold water). So, get adventurous, and give it a try. You'll be a pro in no time.
Mix your flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Add lard, Crisco, or whatever shortening you choose to use. (I typically use 2 parts lard and 1 part butter.)
Using your hands or a pastry blender, mix until crumbly. Make a well in the center, add ice cold water and gently mix/squeeze together. Do not mix more than necessary to get the crumbs all sticking together.
Divide dough into 3 balls. Place a thin layer of flour on your clean countertop. Put one ball of dough on it, press dough into a circle, and dust the top with flour.
Now using a rolling pin, gently roll from the center outward to create a round disc about an inch or so larger than your pie pan.
You can lift and fold it in half, gently transferring it to your pan. Lift the edges so the center can fall into the sides of the pie pan.
Trim the edges with a knife. Now you can leave it as it is or crimp the edges for a neat appearance.
Fill with your favorite filling and bake according to the directions on your recipe. I usually like to bake my pies in the bottom half of the oven, so my bottom crust gets crisper and the top is not too browned.
Crisco Pie Crust or Lard and Butter Pie Crust?
I like to use lard to make pie dough because it tends to create a more flaky crust. But butter does give it a better flavor. So I started using a combination of lard and butter.
I think of the three fat choices typically used in pie crust, shortening would be my last choice. It doesn't produce as much flavor and tends to not be as flaky.
Pre-Bake/Blind-Bake Pie Crust
As you may know, some pies such as chocolate cream pie will ask for a pre-baked pie crust.
You can use this Amish pie crust recipe and pre-bake it.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Then roll the pie dough and place it into pie pans as you normally do. With a fork, poke the bottom and sides of the pie dough.
If you don't place anything inside the pie crust, it may slump or collapse while baking. So I recommend either using pie weights or setting a slightly smaller aluminum pie pan inside your crust to help stabilize it.
Bake on the bottom rack for 10 minutes, then remove the weights or extra pan. Move the crusts to the top rack and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until nicely browned.
This is an Amish Never Fail pie crust recipe. Let me know in the comments below if you've tried it.
Flaky Amish Pie Crust Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 3 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups lard, shortening, or butter
- 1 1/4 cup ice cold water
Instructions
- Mix flour, sugar and salt in large bowl.4 cups flour, 3 Tbsp. sugar, 1 1/4 tsp. salt
- Add lard, butter, or shortening, whichever you decide to use; and blend in with your hands or pastry blender until crumbly. It doesn't matter if there's still little pebbles, you just don't want them any larger than pea size.1 1/2 cups lard, shortening, or butter
- Gradually add ice cold water, and form into ball. If it looks like it will be too dry, just add a bit more water. You want it wet enough that it will stick together. But do not over mix.1 1/4 cup ice cold water
- Divide into 3 balls. Dust your counter top with flour and place your ball of dough onto flour. You can spread a bit with your hands, then dust the top with flour as well. Using rolling pin, roll into a round disc, just a couple inches larger than your pie plate. You'll want to start in the center and roll outward, just applying a little pressure as you roll. And rotate around in a circle to get it nice and round.
- If it wants to stick to your counter, just lift the crust, sprinkle more flour under it, and continue rolling.
- Place into your pie pan, carefully lifting the edges so that the center can be lowered into the edges of the pie plate; then using a knife, you can trim around the edges.
- Now you can just leave it as it is, or lift the edges a bit and crimp them, to give it a more decorative touch. This also helps to heighten the sides so the pie filling doesn't run over the edges as quickly. Then fill with your favorite filling and bake according to instructions.
- Yields: 3 (9") pie crusts or two double crust pies
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Items you may need...
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Twana Clark
I was wondering if the flour is bread flour that you are useing?
Anna
I use all-purpose flour for pie crusts.
clhoriss julick
i love this pie this pie crust. it is the best. i have made a lot of crust but this is so flakey. i like the way you pinch the crust to seal it. I will always use this recipe. thank you so much.
Anna
Thank you for your kind comment. I'm glad this recipe works for you.
Nicole
I just made the recipe (for 3 crusts as written) and then used a small amount to make a mini pie. I did this because i wanted to see if I had overworked the dough having used the food processor method instead of mixing by hand or with a pastry blender since I couldn’t find mine. I also though there might be too much water in this recipe but I figured the author knows what she’s doing so I only left out 1/8cup water. The dough was very sticky and moist, unlike most of the crusts I’ve made so I was worried. I needn’t have. The mini pie came out great! Tender and a little flaky and yummy crust. Thank you so much for this recipe, it is a winner with me! I might still use a little less water but everyone uses different types/brands of flour so that may impact things a little. Thanks again for a wonderful & easy pie dough recipe.
Anna
I'm glad it worked for you.
Anna
Perfect!
Michelle
Would this work for chicken pot pie?
Anna
You could use this crust recipe to make chicken pie.
Jessica
I love pie so much. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I haven't tried it yet because I wanted to see if I could blind bake this crust? If it is ok to blind bake, could you recommend an oven temp and time? Thanks in advance 🙂
Anna
Yes, I blind bake my crusts all the time for cream pies, etc. A lot of people recommend using pie weights for blind baking. I have never actually used weights. I prick the crust all over, place a slightly smaller aluminum pie pan inside the crust to keep the sides from collapsing. Bake at 425 for about 8 minutes then remove the inside pie plate and continue baking until nicely browned. It takes about 15 minutes total. I also bake my crusts and pies in the middle of the oven or a bit lower. Good luck!
Linda
Jessica, I research for hours how to bake an empty crust without it slumping. U don't need pie weights if you freeze the pie 10 minutes and bake on bottom shelf at 425 degrees. It sets before it slumps. Lower temp to 350 and watch for bottom crust to brown. Best if in glass pie plates. I made pies for a restaurant for a while and never had a glass plate shatter. It can be done in metal pans also. Enjoy
roxanne
why doesnt this recipe have just 1 pie crust as the outcome? I dont need 3 :/
Anna
I'm sorry. I broke down the recipe now and added the measurements for one pie into the recipe card notes.
Victoria Nelson
Can I used it right away or can I fridge it for later and how long
Anna
I always use mine right away. If you do refrigerate it, let it come back to almost room temperature before filling. If I want to work ahead, I usually mix the crumbs, and then wait till I'm ready to make it to add water.
Darleen RICARD
Hi Anna ,
I was wondering if you had a recipe for boiled apple dumplings . My Mom used to make them & we would eat them with warm milk & of course , sugar. I`m assuming the apples inside were sprinkled with sugar & cinnamon , maybe butter ?? I haven`t had one in 50 years !!
Thank you
Anna
I have a recipe for baked apple dumplings. I've never heard of boiled apple dumplings. If you type apple dumplings into my search bar or look at my list of recent posts, you will find my apple dumplings recipe.
Diana Miller
How do u keep your edges of your pie crust from getting too dark
Anna
I bake my pies in the bottom half of the oven (place my rack just below the middle). It helps to get a good bottom crust and prevents top from browning too much.
Victoria Nelson
I was wondering is that salted butter or unsalted I am making your pie crust this morning for apple pie and pumpkin pie and could double the the pie crust I'm making this for my boyfriend's parents and she was telling me how she loves Amish Apple pie 🥰 what do you mean by the pie crust has a different taste with the lard and butter together
Anna
Butter gives a little different flavor than using just lard. I use both. I use salted butter for everything, but I don't think it would matter to use either one.
Linda
Agree with Anna. Most people don't know a pie is to be baked on lower part of oven. Bottom crisps. And top browns just right.
Linda Marie Lambert
Thank you I did not know that, My name is Linda, as well😊 Honestly that's what kind of crust I have been searching for
Denise Snyder
Will you be posting pie recipes? One day I will have to try and make a pie crust..I usually just buy them pre made.
Anna
I will be posting some pie recipes, sooner or later.
Bea
Can’t wait to try the recipe