If you’ve ever struggled with a pie crust that cracks, crumbles, or refuses to roll out, this recipe is for you. This “Easy Pie Crust” is soft, workable, flaky, and tastes great.

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Why is this “Easy Pie Crust” easy to work with?

The secret to the “Easy Pie Crust (So Tasty & Easy to Roll Out!)” is the combination of butter and cream cheese in this receipe.

Growing up, this is the pie crust my mom made. I was lucky to grow up in a family that used butter in the ’80s and ’90s, not margarine. No way was my mom using Crisco either! My mom said using cream cheese and butter was better for us and would give more flavor, while still allowing easy rolling out of the pie dough, avoiding cracked edges.

The cream cheese adds tenderness and flexibility. The butter adds rich flavor and flakiness. When combining cream cheese and butter in the pie dough, they make a pie dough that is easy to roll out with
a nice flakey texture after baking. Perfect pie crust, whether you’re making apple pie, pumpkin pie, chicken pot pie, or a savory tart. And bonus, this crust rolls out smoothly every single time.

This is the pie crust you’ll want to bookmark for holidays, quick weeknight dinners, and everything in between. The recipe for “Easy Pie Crust (So Tasty & Easy to Roll Out!)” makes 1 double crust or 2 single 9–10 inch crusts.

Why I love this “Easy Pie Crust (So Tasty & Easy to Roll Out!)

Easy to handle: perfect for beginners and stress-free for pros
Super flaky: thanks to high-fat butter
Soft and tender: from the cream cheese
Flavorful: with a touch of sugar and salt
Versatile: works with sweet or savory pies
Make-ahead friendly: freezes well

Use “Easy Pie Crust” For:

double-crust pies
lattice pies
savory pies (omit sugar if preferred)
tarts or galettes

Make Ahead & Freezing “Easy Pie Crust”:

Wrap well in plastic wrap and freeze up to 3 months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge before rolling

How to make “Easy Pie Crust (So Tasty & Easy to Roll Out!)”:

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) butter, cut into small cubes
4 oz cream cheese, cold, cut into small cubes
3–4 tablespoons ice water, as needed

Step-by-Step Instructions:

First, gather all ingredients and equipment.
- I recommend using a food processor as the dough comes together quickly and easily in a food processor. Or, you can make this with a bowl, a pastry cutter, and a plastic bowl scraper.

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron, making a pie crust, using a red food processor and showing the ingredients

Next, measure out all ingredients. I recommend weighing the flour as cup measurements are not as accurate.
Add the dry ingredients:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. (Or add into a food processor and pulse to combine dry ingredients.)

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron, making a pie crust, using a red food processor adding the dry ingredients with the parchment paper as a funnel

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron, making a pie crust, using a red food processor

Next, cut in the butter and the cream cheese. Add cold butter and cream cheese to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to work the fats into the flour until you have pea-sized crumbs. The mixture should look crumbly but hold together when squeezed. (Or pulse in food processor until you have a sandy texture.)

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron, making a pie crust, cutting the butter into small dices

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron, making a pie crust, using a red food processor, adding the cubbed butter to the dry ingredients

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron, making a pie crust, using a red food processor pulsing butter with the dry ingredients

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron adding cubed cream cheese into the dry ingredients of a pie crust inside of a red KitchenAid food processor

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron, making pie dough with a red KitchenAid food processor

Then, add ice water. Start with 2 tablespoons of ice water and gently mix. Add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough holds together.

You want the dough slightly shaggy — not wet or sticky.

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron maiking a pie dough in a food processor adding ice water

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron pulsing ingredients making a pie crust

Form the Pie Dough into a disc. When the ingredients are still sandy, use the parchment to help bring the dough together.

women in green hat, white shirt and fall apron removes pie dough from red KitchenAid food processor

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron forming pie dough into a disk with her hands

Divide the pie dough into two discs and wrap them in plastic wrap.

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron dividing a pie dough in half

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron molding pie dough into two disks

After shaping the dough into a flat disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin, gently roll the wrapped dough outward until it reaches the edges of the plastic. This seals the dough completely, smooths the edges, and prevents cracking or drying while it chills.

Two disks of easy pie dough before wrapping in plastic wrap

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron starting to roll out pie dough with a wooden rolling pin

Chill the Dough

Chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
- Chilling relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier.

picture of pie dough chilling in the refrigerator before rolling out

Roll Out & Use

Lightly flour your surface and roll each disc into a 12-inch circle for a 9–10 inch pie plate.
I recommend rolling the dough out to an 1/8th inch thickness. ( Try this rolling pin.)

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron, dusting the granite countertop with flour

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron, rolling out a pie crust

Add a light dusting of flour to prevent the dough from sticking together when transferring the dough to the pie dish.

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron adding flour to the top of a rolled out pie dough on a granite counter top next to a pie plate and rolling pins

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron spreading flour onto a rolled out pie crust so the pie crust won't stick when transporting to the pie pan

Fold the dough after dusting with flour to transfer it to the pie dish.

woman in a fall apron folds a rolled out pie crust to transfer it to the pie dish

Use a bench scraper to clean the work surface.

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron cleaning flour off of the granite countertop

With a light touch, use the back of your finger or your knuckle to guide the dough into the edges where the base meets the sides of the pie dish. This helps the crust settle neatly into the pan without tearing or shrinking.

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron fitting an unbaked pie crust into a pie dish

Style the edge of the pie based on the type of pie you are making. For a double crust, I make the edge of the bottom crust in a way that easily incorporates the top crust and will form a “lock” for the filling to avoid bubbling out. I add the decorative edge to the top pie crust. For a blind baked pie, I add a larger fluted, crimped, or styled edge at this time.

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron, crimping the edge of a pie dough int a pie dish

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron showing the pie dough in a pie dish before blind baking

Chill for 30 minutes before par-baking or blind baking.

picture of a pie crust chilling in the refrigerator before baking

Baking Use Options for “Easy Pie Crust”:

Use this for: pumpkin pie, quiche, pecan, etc. This baking method gives a bottom crust that is firmer and less soggy.

Roll out the dough and place it in your pie dish.
Chill the pie crust in the pie dish for 20–30 minutes (prevents shrinking).
Preheat oven to 375°F non-convection or 350°F convection oven.
Line the crust with parchment, fill with pie weights or beans.
Bake 15 minutes.
Remove pie weights and parchment. Protect the edges with a silicone pie shield or foil. Spin the crust around when putting the pie back in the oven for even cooking.
Bake 5–8 minutes more, until the bottom looks just set but not fully browned.
Add your filling and continue baking as your recipe directs.

Use this for pies with no-bake fillings: banana cream, chocolate cream, lemon pies, and custards that don’t go into the oven.

Roll out the dough and place it in your pie dish.
Chill the pie crust in the pie dish for 20–30 minutes (prevents shrinking).
Preheat oven to 375°F non-convection or 350°F convection oven.
Line the crust with parchment, fill with pie weights or beans.
Protect the edges with
Bake 15–20 minutes.
Remove pie weights and parchment. Protect the edges with a silicone pie shield or foil. Spin the crust around when putting the pie back in the oven for even cooking.
Bake 12–15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown, crisp on the bottom, with no raw spots.
Add your filling and continue as your recipe directs.

Tips for Success For “Easy Pie Crust”:

Add a piece of parchment paper to the top of the pie crust before adding pie wieghts.
- I have been using the same combination of beans and lentils for almost 10 years.
- I use a new piece of parchment and then add the pie weights from the bag in a second piece of parchment paper. The use of two sheets of parchment paper ensures easy removal of the pie weights (beans) and helps to avoid an escaped bean or lentil getting cooked into the crust.

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron using parchment paper before adding pie weights

Spread the pie weights out evenly and into the edges where the base meets the sides of the pie dish. It is also important to note that you need enough pie weights (beans or lentils) to go all the way up the sides of the pie dish. Otherwise, the pie dough will shrink down the sides of the pie dish. (This is why I use and re-use the beans. (I buy my beans in bulk from a local restaurant supply store.)

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron fitting pie weights into a pie plate to par-bake a pie crust

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron, using beans as pie weights to par-bake a pie crust

Make sure the parchment folds over the sides of the pie dish to protect the top edges form browning too quickly.

A woman in a white blouse and a fall apron using beans and for pie weights before blind baking a pie crust

picture of a pie crust being baked in an oven with the crust lined with parchment paper and filled with beans being used as pie weights

Par Baked vs Blind Baked
- Par-baked crust is baked just until set and matte with no wet spots, while blind-baked crust is fully baked until dry, firm, and lightly golden all over.
- A par-baked crust is pictured below. To blind bake, bake longer until you reach the desired color and doneness.

More Tips for Success:

Keep all ingredients cold for maximum flakiness.
Always chill the shaped crust before baking to prevent shrinking.
A glass pie dish helps you SEE when the bottom crust is fully baked.
Sugar makes this crust perfect for sweet pies; omit it for savory ones.
Cream cheese = magic for a pliable, crack-resistant crust.

Easy Pie Crust (So Tasty & Easy to Roll Out!)

Print Recipe

Prep Time:1

Cook Time:30

Equipment

Ingredients

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 330 grams
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons cold butter (1 ½ sticks) cut into small cubes
4 oz cold cream cheese cut into small cubes
3-4 tablespoons ice water as needed

Instructions

First, gather all ingredients and equipment.
I recommend using a food processor as the dough comes together quickly and easily in a food processor. Or, you can make this with a bowl, a pastry cutter, and a plastic bowl scraper.
Next, measure out all ingredients. I recommend weighing the flour as cup measurements are not as accurate.
Add the dry ingredients:
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. (Or add into a food processor and pulse.)
Next, cut in the butter and the cream cheese. Add cold butter and cream cheese to the dry ingredients. Use a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingertips to work the fats into the flour until you have pea-sized crumbs. The mixture should look crumbly but hold together when squeezed. (Or pulse in food processor until you have a sandy texture.)
Then, add ice water. Start with 2 tablespoons of ice water and gently mix. Add additional water 1 tablespoon at a time, just until the dough holds together.
You want the dough slightly shaggy, not wet or sticky.
Divide into two discs, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days). Chilling relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier.
Lightly flour your work surface and roll each disc into a 12-inch circle for a 9–10 inch pie plate.
Add your filling and continue as your recipe directs.

Baking Use Options: Par-Bake, or Blind Bake (Fully Bake)

Partial Blind Bake (Par-Bake): Use this for pumpkin pie, quiche, pecan, etc. This baking method gives a bottom crust that is firmer and less soggy.

Roll out the dough and place it in your pie dish.
Chill the pie crust in the pie dish for 20–30 minutes (prevents shrinking).
Preheat oven to 375°F non-convection or 350°F convection oven.
Line the crust with parchment, fill with pie weights or beans.
Bake 15 minutes.
Remove pie weights and parchment. Protect the edges with a silicone pie shield or foil. Spin the crust around when putting the pie back in the oven for even cooking.
Bake 5–8 minutes more, until the bottom looks just set but not fully browned.
Add your filling and continue baking as your recipe directs.

Blind Bake (Fully Bake an Empty Crust): Use this for pies with no-bake fillings, such as banana cream, chocolate cream, lemon pies, and custards that don't go into the oven.

Roll out the dough and place it in your pie dish.
Chill the pie crust in the pie dish for 20–30 minutes (prevents shrinking).
Preheat oven to 375°F non-convection or 350°F convection oven.
Line the crust with parchment, fill with pie weights or beans.
Bake 15–20 minutes.
Remove pie weights and parchment. Protect the edges with a silicone pie shield or foil. Spin the crust around when putting the pie back in the oven for even cooking.
Bake 12–15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown, crisp on the bottom, with no raw spots.
Add your filling and continue as your recipe directs.

Notes

See the above post for step-by-step instructions with detailed pictures and tips for success.

Course: Dessert

Items I used: Pyrex measuring cup, All Purpose Rolling Pin, 1/8th Inch Rolling pin, Pyrex Bowls, Pastry Cutter, Plastic Bowl Scraper, Bench Scraper, Mesh Strainer, Diamond Kosher Salt, Spatula, Food Processor, All-Clad Measuring Cups, All-Clad Measuring Spoons, Kitchen White Flour Sack Towels, Pie Crust Shield Protector, Parchment Paper

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Also, try my recipes for Perfect Mashed Potatoes Every Time, Easy Buttered Egg Noodles, Perfect Dinner Rolls, Festive Einkorn Sourdough Pumpkin Dinner Rolls, Perfect Green Beans with Bacon, Homemade Poultry Seasoning (Better Than Store-Bought!, Savory Poultry Seasoning Compound Butter, and Homemade Citrus Herb Dry Brine for Turkey (Also Great for Chicken and Steak!)

Easy Pie Crust (So Tasty & Easy to Roll Out!)

Why is this “Easy Pie Crust” easy to work with?