Crisco Pie Crust

a slice of rhubarb pie on a plate, topped with ice cream with a fork nearby.

5 from 5 votes

This flaky Crisco pie crust tastes like none I’ve ever tasted, and countless people say the same. It is tender and flaky every time, and is versatile so you can enjoy it in sweet and savory pies. It’s a must try for your next pie!

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: crisco pie crust, shortening pie crust

Servings: (makes 1 pie crust)

Author: Elena Davis

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour remove ⅓ cup and set aside
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup Crisco vegetable shortening
¼ cup cold water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Remove ⅓ cup of flour from 2 cups of flour and set aside in a small mixing bowl.
Mix the remaining flour and salt together in a medium to large mixing bowl.
Add Crisco to the flour mixture. Mix together thoroughly with your hands until all of the Crisco is well incorporated into the flour mixture. (“Over-mixing” the fat into the flour is what you want to do, which is the opposite of what you do when making dough for a butter crust.)
Add cold water to the ⅓ cup of flour and whisk together with a fork to form a paste.
Add this mixture to the dough and mix with your hands until fully incorporated and just until the dough is not sticky anymore.
Separate dough into 2 equal balls and chill until ready to use (or preferably at least 1 hour before rolling out).
Roll out each ball between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper to your desired thickness and bake according to your recipe's instructions. This pastry works beautifully for any sweet or savory pie, and can be blind baked (either partially or fully baked) for cream pies. Enjoy!

Notes

Use a kitchen scale to measure the solid ingredients, especially for the flour. This ensures quick and accurate measurements every time.
Need to blind bake (partially cook) the pastry? Line a pie plate with the pastry and poke the bottom with a fork all over. Chill for 10 minutes, then line it with parchment paper and fill with dried beans (or pie weights). Bake at 425°F for 8-10 minutes, or until it has a slight gold tint but is not fully browned.
If you need a fully baked crust, blind bake as above, then remove the paper and beans and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the crust is browned and cooked through.

Nutrition