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    Home

    Flaky All-Butter Pie Crust Recipe

    April 17, 2020 by Chenée Lewis

    547 shares
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    Easy Flaky All Butter Pie Crust - Homemade, Never Fail Recipe!

    Last Updated on December 4, 2021 by Chenée Lewis

    Easy Flaky All Butter Pie Crust - Homemade, Never Fail Recipe!

    Homemade all-butter pie crust is a truly magical thing. For many years in my baking I used store-bought pie crust, and I still don't have anything against store-bought crust if time is a factor. But if you have a stand mixer or food processor and a few minutes to try it out, this pie crust is actually super easy to make yourself, and totally worth it.

    For this all-butter pie crust recipe you'll either need a food processor or a stand mixer. A food processor works more quickly, but I've found that a stand mixer can do the job too! The key is to make sure that the bowls and attachments stay cold, and NOT to overmix! Pie crust can be intimidating, but once you try this easy all-butter pie crust you'll be making homemade pie crust every time!

    Break out that vodka!

    If you've got a bar cart with a little spare booze, this is your moment! Half of the liquid in the dough is vodka, and you might be wondering why...

    Vodka evaporates more quickly, which allows those flaky bits to form more easily in the oven, and because it replaces water, there's less water to promote gluten development in the dough. The alcohol cooks off, and because vodka is basically flavorless, there's not impact on the flavor of the crust. The result is a tender, flaky all butter pie crust that is much more forgiving than a typical all-butter crust.

    If you don't have vodka, you can use any spirit with at least 40% alcohol, like tequila, rum, or whiskey, but just be aware of the flavor that your spirit of choice might produce in your crust. Although to me, a pie crust with hints of bourbon or rum sounds very interesting! If you don't have vodka or another spirit, white vinegar is a great alternative.

    Ingredients

    • all-purpose flour - be sure to measure your flour correctly -- either using a food scale to measure out 160 grams (my recommendation), or use the spoon-and-level method.
    • sugar - you can omit sugar if you're using this recipe for a savory recipe like chicken pot pie, or my Heirloom Tomato Galette with Herbs.
    • salt - Just a bit of salt helps to add flavor to this all butter pie crust!
    • butter - Your butter should be very cold. I like to take the butter straight from the fridge, cut it into ½-inch cubes, and then pop it into the fridge for about 15 minutes to get it extra cold. If you use salted butter, cut your salt down to ¼ teaspoon.
    • ice water - Again, it should be icy cold! I like to let some water sit in a cup with a few ice cubes in it, and then measure my water from that cup.
    • vodka - this is the most important ingredient to get that flaky texture! What you'll do is add vodka to bring the dough together and allow it to be pliable, but because vodka doesn't affect gluten formation as much as water does, your pie crust will remain flaky.

    Equipment

    For this all butter pie crust recipe, you'll need either a stand mixer, a food processor, or a pastry blender. Once the dough comes together and is chilled, you'll also need a rolling pin to roll it out and place it into your pie pan.

    Related Recipes

    Once you've made this flaky all butter pie crust recipe, you're ready to make some pie! Try my Brown Butter Black Bottom Sweet Potato Pie for an incredible spin on a fall and holiday classic!

    Or you can also use this flaky all butter pie crust recipe for savory treats! I use this pie crust for my Breakfast Quiche with Leeks, Bacon, and Asparagus and in my Heirloom Tomato Galette with Herbs.

    And don't forget -- for those pie dough scraps be sure to whip up a batch of my Pie Crust Cookie Twists!

    Brown Butter Black-Bottom Sweet Potato Pie Recipe | Chenée Today
    Brown Butter Black-Bottom Sweet Potato Pie
    Easy Flaky All Butter Pie Crust - Homemade, Never Fail Recipe!

    Flaky All Butter Pie Crust Recipe

    Print Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    An easy, flaky butter crust -- all butter pie crust recipe, made with vodka for the perfect tender flaky texture!
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Main Course, Snack
    Cuisine :American
    Servings: 1 crust
    Recipe Source: Chenée Lewis

    Equipment you may need

    • stand mixer
    • food processor
    • food scale
    • pastry cutter
    • nonstick pastry mat
    • plastic wrap

    Ingredients

    • 1¼ cup all-purpose flour - (160g), plus more for dusting
    • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup unsalted butter - cubed and very cold
    • 2 tablespoon ice water
    • 2 tablespoon vodka - plus more as needed (see note)

    Instructions

    • Cube cold butter into ½-inch cubes and place in freezer for 15 minutes to chill.
    • Measure your flour (with a kitchen scale, if you have one) and add to bowl of food processor or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. You can also just add it to a large bowl if mixing with a pastry blender.
    • Add your cubed butter straight from the freezer, and pulse, or mix on the lowest setting, or cut with pastry blender until butter is incorporated into flour in small, pea-sized lumps.
    • Add in your cold water, and mix to incorporate. Then add vodka as needed to allow dough to come together.
    • Turn dough out onto a floured surface and, with floured hands, form into a flat disc and wrap in plastic wrap.
    • Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours, or overnight.
    • Roll out onto a floured surface with a floured rolling pin until it's 12 inches in diameter. Carefully roll onto rolling pin to transfer into your pan.
    • To transfer to pie pan, wrap pie crust gently around floured rolling pin, hold rolling pin above the edge of the pie pan, and gently unroll. Press crust lightly into pan and crimp sides.

    Notes

    Vodka: The vodka in this recipe is meant to allow for the dough to come together easily, while evaporating quickly to keep the dough flaky and tender.  Make sure it's very cold -- I just pop mine in the freezer the day before. 
    If you don't have vodka or another spirit, white vinegar is a great alternative.
    Make ahead: Dough wrapped in plastic can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen in plastic freezer bags for up to 2 months. 
    Nutrition Disclaimer
    Tags: all butter pie crust, butter crust pie, butter pie crust, butter pie crust recipes, flaky butter crust, pie butter crust, pie crust all butter, pie crust recipes with butter, recipe butter pie crust, vodka pie crust
    Did you try this recipe? Rate it below!I can't wait to see (and share) your results! Follow me on Instagram at @chenee_today and tag #cheneetoday!

    PIN this pie crust recipe for later!

    Easy Flaky All Butter Pie Crust - Homemade, Never Fail Recipe!
    « Pineapple Banana Bread
    Leek and Asparagus Quiche with Bacon and Gruyère »
    547 shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kaitlyn

      May 13, 2022 at 11:11 am

      5 stars
      I don’t usually rate recipes, but this is by far the best, most flaky pie crust I’ve ever made, and it was very easy to make! This will be my go-to pie crust recipe from now on. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        May 13, 2022 at 6:25 pm

        Thank you so much Kaitlyn! So great to hear that!

        Reply
    2. Immaculate Ruému

      November 12, 2020 at 11:42 am

      5 stars
      Love the step by step instructions, so easy to follow and the pie crust is perfect!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 18, 2020 at 6:18 am

        Thank you! I'm so glad it worked out for you!

        Reply
    3. Tamara

      November 11, 2020 at 5:09 pm

      5 stars
      This pie crust was absolutely perfect! Just in time for my holiday baking needs.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 12, 2020 at 12:53 am

        Awesome! It gets a lot of use over here around thanksgiving too!

        Reply
    4. Taneisha

      November 11, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe most definitely lives up to its name! So buttery and flaky and DELICIOUS! This will definitely be my go to recipe!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 18, 2020 at 6:19 am

        Thank you so much! It's my go-to as well!

        Reply
    5. Jazz

      November 11, 2020 at 4:32 pm

      5 stars
      This is a fantastic all-butter pie crust! Comes out perfectly flaky each time.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 18, 2020 at 6:19 am

        Wonderful! I'm so glad it's working well for you!

        Reply
    6. Capri

      November 09, 2020 at 10:55 pm

      5 stars
      I've never added vodka to my dough until now! It worked quite well! Thank you for the great recipe!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 10, 2020 at 3:15 am

        I'm so glad it helped! Thanks!

        Reply
    7. Barry J.

      November 09, 2020 at 3:59 pm

      5 stars
      I've never made own pie crust before, but you had me at vodka! I'll definitely be trying this over the holidays for my sweet potato pie. Who knew making your own pie crust was so simple. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 10, 2020 at 3:22 am

        Great! Yeah it's much simpler than you'd think! Let me know how it goes for you 🙂

        Reply
    8. Marta

      November 09, 2020 at 4:11 am

      5 stars
      The vodka really made the baked pie its flakiest. I'm definitely going to be doubling a batch to freeze for my holiday baking.

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 10, 2020 at 3:22 am

        That's a great idea! Glad you liked it!

        Reply
    9. Crystal DaCruz

      November 09, 2020 at 3:38 am

      5 stars
      I love an all butter pie crust and also love these step by step instructions with photos and recommended tools! This recipe is well-written and so easy to follow!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 10, 2020 at 3:23 am

        I'm so glad it's helpful! Thanks!

        Reply
    10. Robin Sparks

      November 09, 2020 at 3:02 am

      5 stars
      Chenee to the rescue again! I am working on becoming a better baker this holiday season because my pie crusts are inconsistent. Thanks for the pro tips, they're so appreciated!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 10, 2020 at 3:24 am

        I'm so glad this is helpful! I'm right there with you so we all can work on becoming better bakers together!

        Reply
    11. Samiah Nicole

      November 08, 2020 at 11:48 pm

      5 stars
      First of all, you had me at Vodka! In pie crust?! Blew my mind! Brilliant! I made this pie crust for one of my vegan pies and it was the perfect match. So thankful I found this recipe!!

      Reply
      • Chenée Lewis

        November 10, 2020 at 3:24 am

        So good to know it works in vegan pie crust too! Fantastic!

        Reply
        • Britney

          November 11, 2020 at 12:15 am

          5 stars
          I used this recipe to make my apple pie and it was incredible! So flaky, buttery, and it browned perfectly in the oven! This is my new go to recipe!

          Reply
          • Chenée Lewis

            November 12, 2020 at 12:53 am

            Wonderful! I'm so glad it worked out for you.

            Reply

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    I’m Chenée (kinda rhymes with “today”) and I love all types of baking! But my favorite recipes are ones that are quick and easy, and still yield impressive results. The ones you can't help but make again and again! That's what I share here, and I hope I can make your baking life a little easier along the way. MORE ABOUT CHENÉE >>

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