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This Crisco Pie Crust Recipe is tender, flakey and easy! A professional pastry chef’s foolproof 3 ingredient pie crust recipe! It won’t shrink or be tough!
This easy Crisco pie crust recipe first made its appearance in 2013 on this peach pie, and has since become one of my favorite pie crusts. It is tender, crumbly and flaky. The shortening makes it easy to work with and the perfect crust for a novice baker.
You could use it instead of this vodka pie crust in this mixed berry pie, blueberry pie, or easy pumpkin pie. It would also be delicious in place of the almond flour pie crust in this strawberry rhubarb pie. Make a large batch, store it in the freezer, so that baking really will be easy as pie!
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love the Crisco Pie Crust Recipe
- Tender, flakey pie crust. This pie crust recipe will melt in your mouth! It is so tender, yet crispy.
- Easy, no shrinking shortening crust. Never have a pie fail again! This recipe is easy and will not shrink! And it only has 3 ingredients plus water.
- Delicate flavor lets the pie filling shine. No matter which pie you are baking with this recipe, a shortening crust will complement and bring forward the flavor of the filling. This is especially important with peach pie or cherry pie.
Professional Tips for Making Crisco Pie Crust
- Keep the Crisco frozen. I store my Crisco shortening in the freezer. It is still soft and pliable when frozen, which makes measuring and mixing easier.
- Measuring Crisco two ways. If you have a tub of Crisco, simply use a silicone spatula to press it into a measuring cup, then scoop it out directly on your measured flour mixture. The sticks of Crisco make it easy to measure then cube, but precision is not necessary.
- Avoid overworking & be delicate. Even though shortening crusts are less likely to shrink than an all butter pie crust, you still want to be delicate to achieve the most tender, flakey result.
Ingredients Needed
- All-purpose Flour: I use all-purpose flour but you could also use pastry flour for an even more tender pie crust!
- Kosher Salt: I use kosher salt always. It heightens the flavor here and will keep your pastries from tasting dull or flat.
- Shortening: I freeze my Crisco vegetable shortening before using it in pie crusts. Shortening is still pliable when frozen and will still cut in beautifully. It also warms faster than butter.
- Water: I measure extra water, add ice cubes and then store it in the refrigerator until I’m ready to mix.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Crisco Pie Crust
Use these instructions to make the perfect Crisco Pie Crust every time! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: In a medium bowl mix flour and salt. Cut shortening into cubes and add to flour mixture.
Step 2: Cut the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender, bench scraper or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Unlike with butter pie crusts, you don’t want unincorporated chunks of shortening. Shortening does not evaporate in the same way as butter in the hot oven. Cut it in completely for the most tender crust.
Step 3: If using a stand mixer, dump into a bowl or onto a smooth surface. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time.
Step 4: Toss with bench scraper or fork until the dough just holds together and is no longer crumbly.
Step 5: If you are making two single crust pies, split the dough in half. Press each half flat and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough at least 30 minutes before rolling.
For double crust pies (not latticed) I like to split the dough 2/3 and 1/3.
Step 6: Roll the chilled dough to 1/8th inch and line a pie dish. I find it easier to line immediately rather than chilling as I do with all-butter crusts.
Step 7: Either chill the lined pie tin if making a double crust pie or roll under the edges and crimp decoratively. You can follow my how to lattice pie crust tutorial for several methods for making latticed pie crusts!
Chef Lindsey’s Recipe Tip
Shortening crusts don’t get flakey like butter crusts, rather they are more crumbly and tender. They still should be baked hot to make them tender and crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store prepared, unbaked pie crust in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Store baked pie crust at room temperature for up to a week or frozen for up to 2 months.
Neither is better or worse, but they are different. A well-made butter pie crust will be flakey and buttery, while a Crisco pie crust will be more tender and a little crumbly. Crisco pie crusts also melt in your mouth while butter pie crusts have a stronger structure.
Shortening and butter have different amounts of fat and moisture. It is not a good idea to simply replace all of the shortening with butter in pie crust. Instead find a recipe that calls for both or use this all butter pie crust recipe instead.
While the pie crust will not spoil in the fridge for several weeks, the flour will begin to grey and spot and the flavor will be diminished after about 3 days. For longer storage, I suggest storing Crisco pie crust in the freezer.
If you tried this recipe and loved it please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below. I love hearing from you; your comments make my day!
Crisco Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour or pastry flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 14 tablespoons Crisco vegetable shortening frozen, ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp
- ⅓ cup water Ice cold
Instructions
- In a medium bowl mix flour and salt. Cut frozen shortening into cubes or spoon into chunks, and add to flour mixture.
- Cut the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender, bench scraper or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. There will be no visible shortening.
- Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and blend with a fork until the dough just holds together and is no longer crumbly.
- If you are making two single crust pies, split the dough in half. For double crust pies I like to split the dough 2/3 and 1/3. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
- Roll the chilled dough to 1/8th inch and line a pie dish. I find it easier to line immediately rather than chilling as I do with all-butter crusts.
- Either chill the lined pie tin if making a double crust pie or roll under the edges and crimp decoratively.
Notes
Nutrition
Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this professional chef tested recipe. Check out our other delicious, chef-developed pie crust recipes or explore pie recipes!
Have made this pie crust recipe for over 20 years
Never fails..delicious
Hi Carrie! This one is one of my fail-safes too 🙂 Thank you for commenting!!
I have been making pie crusts with Crisco for over 50yrs. I move to Florida making the crust with same ingredients you have & no longer will it roll out just crumbles like a cracker.
Very frustrating & disappointing. I miss that flaky crust & taste. Can you resolve this.
jdthwatterworth@yahoo.com
Hi Judith! That does sound really frustrating. Did you notice the change after you moved to Florida? I’m not super familiar with baking in all the different environments, but believe it or not, you might need to add a different amount of water to the dough based on the humidity of the place you’re living! Shortening crusts don’t get flakey like butter crusts, rather they are more crumbly and tender. They still should be baked hot to make them tender and crispy, which I know you knew! It could be the amount of water you added. Let me know a bit more on your process, and we’ll figure it out together!
My very fav crust. I can sit and eat a whole batch. I make it for every pie from my old fashioned chocolate pie to strawberry! For strawberry pie I roll the dough out on the back of a cookie sheet and bake flat. Sprinkle with sugar before baking of course. Once baked cut into squares. Couple squares in a bowl topped with fresh strawberries in homemade glaze and a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Yes please. Seriously, people ask me just to make the crust. Lol.
Hi Pamela! I love it! Thank you so much for commenting, and your strawberry squares sound scrumptious!
My mother-in-law taught me over 40 years ago to use Crisco pie crust for strawberry shortcake. We have the sweetest strawberries here in Arkansas, so not much granulated sugar needs to be added; I don’t use a glaze. I bake the pie crust on a cookie sheet and cut it into squares, as you do. Put a square in a bowl, add a layer of strawberries, then another square and another layer of strawberries. Top with fresh whipped cream. Yummmmm! Hubby loves it. 🙂
I will say, about the crust recipe, that I cut the Criso into the flour and salt with a pastry cutter until it is the consistency of corn meal. It takes a while, but is worth the effort. I’ve been making Crisco crusts for almost 60 years and folks love my pies. Currently have a raisin pie about ready to go into the oven. Hubby’s favorite.
Hi Gayle! That strawberry shortcake sounds absolutely divine, save me a slice? 😉
Your raisin pie also sounds wonderful, and I hear you about the pastry cutter. If one has the time, it’s definitely an excellent option! Thank you so much for commenting!
My mom used this pie crust for our strawberry “shortcake” like other readers have commented. We didn’t know that strawberry shortcake was anything but this. It is the best.
Hi Sharon! Thank you so much for rating and commenting, this pie crust is such an irreplaceable recipe in my arsenal! Happy baking 🙂