The Ultimate Healthy Pie Crust
This is my trusted pie crust recipe! Flaky and crisp with a rich buttery flavor, this homemade pie crust is a delicious base for just about any type of pie: apple, pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, and more. If tightly sealed inside of plastic wrap, the raw dough can be stored in the refrigerator for three days (if not longer!).
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) white whole wheat flour (measured like this)
- ½ tsp salt (see Notes!)
- 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter (very cold and cubed)
- 2 tsp nonfat milk (cold)
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup (cold)
- ¾ tsp vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp (15-30mL) ice cold water
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter (recommended!) or the back of a fork until the mixture resembles crumbs.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and 1 teaspoon of water, and drizzle over the flour mixture. Mix until all of those liquid ingredients have been incorporated. Continue to add water ¼ teaspoon at a time and mixing until completely incorporated until the mixture forms a dough. (I often use a total of 1 tablespoon of water.)
- Transfer the dough to the center of a large sheet of plastic wrap, and shape into a 4”-wide circle. Cover the top with another large sheet of plastic wrap. Fold the excess around the dough’s sides to tightly seal. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
- While the dough chills, coat a standard 9”-round pie plate with nonstick cooking spray
- Leaving the dough between the sheets of plastic wrap, roll it out into a 11”-wide circle. Peel off the top layer of plastic wrap, and turn it out into the prepared pie plate. Peel off the other layer of plastic wrap. Gently press the dough into the pie plate, and trim the overhang.
- OPTIONAL: To parbake, preheat the oven to 375°F (or your recipe’s required parbaking temperature). Line the center of the pie with foil (see Notes!), ensuring that the foil is fully touching the dough all the way across the bottom and around the steep sides of the pie plate, and pour pie weights (see Notes!) into the center. Bake the crust at 375°F (or your recipe’s given temperature) for 15-25 minutes (or for the amount of time provided by your recipe). Carefully remove the foil and pie weights before proceeding with adding the filling and finishing baking the pie.
Notes
IMPORTANT PIE PLATE NOTE – READ BEORE BEGINNING: This recipe was specifically designed for a standard 9"-round pie plate, like this. If you try substituting a 9"-round deep dish pie plate, then there won't be enough dough to go all the way up its sides.
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It’s really important to measure the flour using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much flour will throw off the ratio of flour to butter and change the texture of your pie crust.
IMPORTANT CHILLING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: If you’ve chilled the dough for more than 30 minutes, you may need to let it “thaw” a bit on the counter if it’s too hard and stiff to roll. That’s completely normal, so don’t worry if that happens to you!
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour. Regular whole wheat flour may also be substituted, but the taste and texture of your pie crust will be slightly different.
SALT NOTE: I love a bright pop of salt and how it balances the butter’s richness and filling’s sweetness. If you’re not as big of a fan, you’re welcome to reduce the amount to ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon instead.
BUTTER NOTES: Salted butter may be substituted for the unsalted. I'm still testing stick-style vegan butter, but I’ll update the recipe accordingly soon.
I don’t recommend substituting tub-style butter (regular or vegan) or coconut oil. Tub-style butter is already soft when chilled, not solid, and coconut oil melts at a much lower temperature, so neither will produce the same flaky texture in the crust.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
SWEETENER ALTERNATIVE: Honey or agave may be substituted for the pure maple syrup.
FOIL NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: I prefer foil because it’s a slightly better conductor of heat and doesn’t absorb any of the butter or turn greasy while baking.
Parchment paper may be substituted for the foil. Before using the parchment paper, crumple it into a ball and smooth it out a few times until it’s wrinkly but easier to maneuver and not so stiff. This helps ensure that the pie weights are evenly spread out over the bottom and up the sides, which means you shouldn’t see any bubbles in the bottom of your pie crust.
PIE WEIGHTS ALTERNATIVE: Popcorn kernels, uncooked rice, or dry beans may be substituted for the pie weights in Step 6.
PIE CRUST COOKIE CUTTERS: The set of pie crust cookie cutters that I used in the photos of my blog post above is no longer sold in stores, but these are similar!
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: I'm still working on perfecting a gluten-free version, but I’ll update the recipe accordingly when I do.
DAIRY-FREE + VEGAN OPTION: I'm still working on perfecting a vegan version, but I’ll update the recipe accordingly when I do.
HOW TO STORE THE RAW DOUGH: Store the dough tightly sealed inside of the large sheets of plastic wrap in the refrigerator. (This is my favorite plastic wrap because it clings more tightly than many other brands.) It should keep for at least three days, if not longer.
I haven’t tried freezing the dough, but I’ll update this recipe once I get a chance to try that.
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER PIE CRUST DOUGH SCRAPS: I do one of two things! (A) Gather the scraps together, reroll them between the sheets of plastic wrap, and use pie crust cutters or miniature cookie cutters to make decorations for the top of the pie. (B) Place the scraps onto a baking sheet and sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar. Then…
Bake either the cut-out shapes or scraps at 350°F until they’re light golden and flaky. (It typically takes between 6-8 minutes, but that time can vary depending on the thickness of your pieces.)
PIES TO MAKE WITH THIS CRUST: See my list in the blog post above, as well as the list below the recipe box!
{clean eating, egg-free, low sugar, lower fat, lower calorie}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.