11 Perfect Pie Crust Recipes

If you’re intimidated by the thought of homemade pie crust, don’t be! It’s actually a cinch to make. And, if you keep your ingredients well-chilled and avoid over-mixing the dough, it will be easy to work with as you design your pie crust and crimp the edges. Not to mention, it will bake up tender and flaky. There are a lot of tricks for turning out the perfect pie crust but Ina’s is simple: a combination of butter and shortening for the best flavor and texture. (Pro tip: Use leftover pieces of dough to make pie crust cookies, so none of it goes to waste).

We use vodka in this pie dough to make it extra flaky and tender. (Don't worry, the booze cooks off and leaves no taste behind.)

We love this dough for making the lattice crust for many reasons. The combination of shortening and butter makes the dough incredibly easy to work with and forgiving when cutting and weaving. Plus, the added vodka provides tenderness and depth of flavor, making it perfect for a variety of pie fillings.

There are two secrets to great pie crust. One: Work cold. You want cold flours, cold fats and cold water. Be patient in between steps when you have to refrigerate or freeze here. It's worth the wait. Two: You will see that this recipe is written in ounces for accuracy. You want 9 ounces of combined flours, 6 ounces of fats and 3 ounces of water. It's a classic 3-2-1 ratio for pie crust, just like the gluten-based ones.