A classic pie dough recipe that uses only butter (no shortening). It makes a tender, flaky crust every time!

all butter pie dough as a lattice top blueberry pie

Achieving a perfect pie crust is more like an art form than a baking task. Most flaky pie crust recipes call for shortening. I try to avoid cooking with shortening, so I welcomed seeing an all-butter pie dough recipe from America's Test Kitchen.

This is now my go-to homemade pie dough recipe. I use it for Classic Apple Pie, Apple Crumble Pizza Pie, Fresh Peach Pie, and Fresh Blueberry Pie. I even use it for my Chicken Pot Pie!

It is tender, flaky, and buttery; just like a pie crust should be!

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Ingredients
Make the Dough
Gluten Free Option
📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Salted butter
Ice water
Sour cream
Unbleached all-purpose flour
Sugar
Table salt

Make the Dough

Cut the butter into cubes and place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together the ice water and the sour cream. Set aside.

Combine the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until combined.

Scatter the butter pieces over the top and pulse the mixture until the butter is the size of large peas, about 10 pulses.

pie dough ingredients in the bowl of a food processor

Pour half of the sour cream mixture over the flour mixture and pulse until incorporated, about 3 pulses.

Repeat with the remaining sour cream mixture. Pinch the dough with your fingers, if the dough feels dry and does not hold together, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons more ice water over the mixture.

Pulse until the dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains, 3 to 5 pulses.

If using the dough for Apple Crumble Pizza Pie, refrigerate dough until it is a consistency suitable for rolling.

If using the dough for a double crust pie divide the dough into 2 even pieces and wrap in plastic wrap, forming into 4-inch disks before refrigerating.

For a lattice top pie, I typically make one of the disks slightly larger. The larger portion will be for the bottom crust while the smaller portion will be for the lattice.

two round discs of pie dough wrapped in plastic wrap

If you have leftover dough when making your pie, consider making these Cinnamon Sugar Pie Dough Cookies!

Gluten Free Option

See my gluten free all butter pie dough recipe for details on how to make this crust gluten free.

📖 Recipe

All Butter Dough

Meghan

A classic pie dough recipe that uses only butter (no shortening). It makes a tender, flaky crust every time! This makes enough dough for a double crust pie.

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Prep Time 10

Total Time 10

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings crusts

Ingredients

16 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces and frozen for 10 to 15 minutes (2 sticks )
⅓ cup ice water (plus extra as needed)
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 ½ ounces, plus extra for the work surface)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon table salt

Instructions

Place the diced butter in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Mix ⅓ cup of the ice water and the sour cream in a small bowl until combined.
Process the flour, sugar, and salt together in a food processor until combined.
Scatter the butter pieces over the top and pulse the mixture until the butter is the size of large peas, about 10 pulses.
Pour half of the sour cream mixture over the flour mixture and pulse until incorporated, about 3 pulses. Repeat with the remaining sour cream mixture.
Pinch the dough with your fingers. If the dough feels dry and does not hold together, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons more ice water over the mixture and pulse until the dough forms large clumps and no dry flour remains, 3 to 5 pulses.
For a two crust pie, divide the dough into 2 even pieces and wrap in plastic wrap, forming into 4-inch disks before refrigerating.