How To Lattice Pie Crust

How to lattice pie crust is one of those skills that looks intimidating until you see exactly what is happening at each step. Once you understand the over-under logic, it moves quickly.

Follow these basic steps for a lattice pie crust and then let your individuality show! I will show you how to do a basic woven lattice, an asymmetrical layered crust, a straight edged lattice and a varied fluted lattice! Every single pie you make this year can look individual and professionally made!

I promise that it is easier than you think and no matter what it looks like, it is still going to taste like homemade pie! Lattice tops look stunning on any double crust pie, but I prefer them on fruit pies like this blueberry pie, peach blackberry pie, mixed berry pie or easy apple pie!

Things You Will Need!

• Pie dough: I prefer to lattice an all-butter pastry like my vodka pie crust, a shortening pie crust, or a pâte sûcrée. They are more forgiving and less crumbly than some others like this almond flour pie crust. The amount you need will depend on the type of lattice you want. A traditional lattice with a gap between each strip can be made with a recipe for a single crust pie; however, more intricate designs or to make a weave with no gaps will require 1.5-2x that.
• Rolling pin: I prefer a French rolling pin because it tapers at the ends. I find it easier to apply even pressure at the beginning, and then you can use it to roll specific areas thinner later on.
• Ruler: Yes, pastry is precision, but I am here to tell you it is okay to eyeball it, or lean into it and make them all different sizes!
• Pizza roller or pie wheel: A pizza cutter or chef’s knife works well for straight-edged lattice, but you’ll want a pie wheel to achieve that beautiful fluted edge. If you want to work quickly and get perfectly sized strips without a ruler, use an accordion wheel cutter.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations on This How to Lattice Pie Crust

• Layered Lattice. Skip the weaving entirely and lay strips in a crisscross pattern without folding. This looks best when it appears intentional, so cut strips in varying widths and layer them asymmetrically rather than evenly spaced.
• Ornate or No-Gap Lattice. If you want a tighter weave with minimal gaps or a more elaborate pattern, make 1.5x or a double batch of dough, so you have enough strips to work with without running short mid-lattice.
• Uneven Fluted Lattice. Cut the pie dough to different sizes using a fluted wheel cutter. I like to start with two large pieces and work my way out from there; varying sizes looks beautiful!
• Even straight lattices. This is where the roller and pastry wheel come in handy. You can set the wheel to a thickness and then cut all your pie dough in one go!

Professional Tips

• Keep a sheet pan in the freezer while you work. If the strips soften at any point during weaving, slide the whole thing onto the cold pan for 5 minutes before continuing. Warm dough tears, and once a strip tears mid-weave, it is very hard to recover cleanly.
• What to do if your pie dough is shrinking when rolling: If the dough is shrinking back when rolling, then too much gluten has been activated by a combination of heat, hydration and working the dough. If you continue to work the dough once it shrinks, it will become tough and not be flaky or tender. You must stop and chill the dough.
• Lattice directly on the pie when possible. Working on parchment and transferring is a valid option for delicate fillings, but weaving directly over the filling gives you more control over strip tension and spacing, which I find easier for a first attempt.
• There isn’t enough pie dough to cover the top of the pie: There are a few solutions to not having enough pie dough to cover the top. Combine smaller pieces into one long piece and hide the seams under cross lattice pieces; re-roll scraps; or space out the strips to have a bigger gap. Only re-roll pie dough as a last result and be sure to chill it at least 2 hours before rolling again. I like to work with more pie dough to start to have the flexibility to create the pie I want!

How to Lattice Pie Crust

Start with your pie dough prepared and chilled so it is firm enough to roll without sticking or tearing.

Prepare to Lattice

Step 1: Prepare your pie dough. Use your preferred method to make an all-butter pie crust, or use store-bought if you are starting there. The dough needs to be cold and rested before you roll it, so if you made it from scratch, chill it for at least an hour.

Step 2: Roll the dough thin and chill it again. Lightly flour your work surface, the top of the dough, and your rolling pin. Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness, aiming for as close to a circle as you can manage. Then transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill for 30 minutes. This second chill matters: the dough relaxes during rolling, and if you cut and weave it warm, it will shrink and lose shape in the oven. (photo 1)

Step 3: Cut the dough into strips. Use a ruler to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, then cut with a pizza cutter or pie wheel. That said, I often skip the ruler entirely and cut strips in varying widths, which gives the finished lattice a more handmade, relaxed look, which I love. Either approach works. (photo 2 & 3)

Step 4: Lay down the first six strips. Decide whether to weave the lattice directly on top of your filled pie like the strawberry rhubarb pie below or on a sheet of parchment first. Weaving on parchment is the easier route if this is your first time, since you can slide the finished lattice onto the pie in one move rather than working over a filling. Place 6 strips vertically, evenly spaced, either on the parchment or directly over the pie filling.

Step 5: Begin the weave. Lift every other vertical strip and fold it back onto itself toward you. Lay one of the remaining unused strips horizontally, perpendicular to the folded strips, right in front of where the fold is sitting. Then unfold each strip back over the horizontal piece. The horizontal strip is now woven under every other vertical strip, which is exactly what you want to see.

Step 6: Complete the lattice weave. Now fold back the vertical strips that went over the first horizontal strip, and lay a second horizontal strip down in front of that fold. Unfold those strips back over it. The strips alternate: the ones that went under the first crosspiece go over the second one, and so on. Continue in both directions until the lattice covers the surface. It will feel a little awkward the first time, and that is completely normal. Once the pattern locks in, it moves quickly.

Step 7: Create a layered lattice (optional alternative). If the weave feels like too much, skip it entirely and build a layered lattice instead. Lay strips across the pie at angles, overlapping them asymmetrically and in varying widths so the result looks intentional rather than rushed. This is the method I used on the pie pictured below, and the key detail is cutting strips of different widths before you start: uniform strips laid without weaving just look like you gave up halfway, but strips of different sizes layered with purpose look deliberate.

The layered lattice works best when the strips are noticeably different in width, at least some narrow and some wide. If all your strips are the same width, the layered version loses its visual effect, and the woven version will work better.

Step 8: Transfer the lattice to the pie if you built it on parchment. Slide both hands under the parchment and position it directly over the filled pie shell. Tip the parchment so the lattice slides gently onto the filling, then peel the paper away and adjust any strips that shifted.

Work quickly here: if the dough has warmed up during assembly, the strips will be floppy and harder to reposition. If that happens, slide the whole pie into the refrigerator for 10 minutes before trimming and crimping.

Step 9: Trim and crimp the edges. Fold the overhanging lattice strips under the bottom crust edge, press to seal, then crimp using your preferred method. The seal matters more than the style: if the edges are not pressed together, the bottom crust will pull away from the lattice during baking, and the filling will bubble out through the seam.

Step 10: Chill the assembled pie before baking. Once the lattice is on and crimped, refrigerate the whole pie for at least 20 minutes before baking. Cold dough holds its shape through the first few minutes of heat, giving you clean, defined strips rather than edges that melt into each other. Most people skip this step, and it makes the most visible difference in the finished crust.

Step 11: Bake according to your pie filling recipe. The lattice itself does not change your baking temperature or time. Follow whatever your filling recipe specifies, and do not open the oven in the first 20 minutes. The lattice will look pale and soft when it goes in, then turn golden and set as the butter in the dough heats up. When the strips are deep golden and the filling is visibly bubbling up through the gaps, your pie is done.

Recipe FAQs

Before You Go

Once you have a confident lattice under your belt, the whole category of top-crust pies opens up. Browse more ideas in Pie and Tart Recipes, or try your new skills with this cherry pie or this caramel apple tart!