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    Home » Budget Recipes

    Press In Pie Crust

    Published: Mar 11, 2019 · Modified: Jul 19, 2022 by Jessica Fisher

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    Making press in pie crust from scratch is like kid’s play when you use my Gramma John’s Pat in Pan Pie Crust recipe. It’s simple and delicious and easy for kids and adults alike!

    Use this as the base for all your favorite Homemade Pies, including Lemon Meringue Pie and Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie, but also in quiche, like Quiche Florentine.

    apple pie on checked cloth with plates and forks this …

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    Making your own pie crust can sound like a challenge you think you can’t tackle. But I promise you can. Homemade pie crust that is easy is not a unicorn in your kitchen. 

    Let me introduce you to the easiest homemade pie crust there is. This press in the pan pie crust.

    preschool boy holding pie crust he made himself

    Do you see how HAPPY that child is? He just made his first pie crust. He’s so incredibly proud of doing it himself.

    You’ll be that happy, too, when you learn our family secret for an easy, pat-in-pan pie crust.

    You see, for years I was hesitant/resistant to ever pick up a rolling pin. First, it intimidated me that I’d mess up. I didn’t like dough sticking to the work surface or tearing when I tried to pick it up.

    Secondly, I didn’t really need to! I had my Gramma John’s recipe for pat in the pan pie crust!

    Press In Pie Crust

    Pat in Pan Pie Crust is the easiest, most foolproof recipe you could use for pie dough. Its pat-in-pan nature makes it simple for kids to help — and easy for everyone to master.

    My preschoolers always loved this recipe when we made pies together. Don’t worry if it doesn’t look perfect. You can smooth out the crust after letting them have a go at it. It’s what Gramma John always did for me.

    pie shell that was pat in the pan

    What is a no-roll or press in pie crust?

    A no-roll or pat-in-pan pie crust is just that. You don’t roll out the dough. You simply pat (and smush) it into the pan, spreading it with your fingers and the palm of your hand to get it to take shape.

    This pie crust works for any number of dessert pies, provided you don’t need to roll out a top crust. The ratio of butter to flour makes for a very tender crust that will tear easily if you roll it out. 

    Stick to pies with bottom crusts only, for best results, such as:

    • Lemon Meringue Pie
    • Gramma John’s Blue Ribbon Apple Pie
    • Slab Apple Pie
    • Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie
    • Mini Apple Pies in Jelly Jars

    If you need a double pie crust or want to roll out shapes, use this traditional recipe for homemade pie crust.

    Do you have to grease the pie plate first?

    No, you don’t have to grease the pie plate before placing in the dough. There’s enough butter in this pie dough to allow it to easily release from the pan after baking.

    However, if you want to be doubly sure, you can rub the butter side of the butter wrapper across the dish or use a nonstick pie plate. I have this one from USA pans. Slices of pie practically fly right out of it.

    pie crust crumbles in food processor and in bowl with pastry blender

    How do you make press in pie crust?

    The method for making a pat in the pan pie crust is basically the same as for a traditional roll-out dough, only this dough has a little more butter in it.

    Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade or in a small mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture by pulsing it in the food processor or using a pastry blender by hand. Continue this process until coarse crumbs form. 

    Add the cold water a bit at a time, mixing well, until pea-size balls are formed.

    Transfer the dough bits to a pie plate, spreading to cover the bottom of the pan. With the palm of your hand press the dough quickly into the pan, squishing it up the sides of the pan, until the dough covers the entire bottom and sides of the pie plate.

    Crimp or trim the top rim of dough. Bake or fill according to your recipe.

    step by step images of making pie crust

    Do you need special tools to make homemade pie crust?

    It might seem that you need special tools to make a homemade pie crust, that’s not really true. You can totally MacGuyver if need be.

    Home bakers for years have used a fork or two knives held together to act as a make-shift pastry blender. That said, there are some tools that are nice to have, including:

    • food processor or pastry blender – Either of these tools make quick work of the short dough. You can do it by hand with two knives, but I prefer my food processor.
    • stainless steel mixing bowl – it’s nice to have at least a couple of these on hand.
    • liquid measure – these beakers are more accurate for liquids
    • kitchen scale – Love this one! I have had mine for over ten years.
    • pie plate – obviously

    Is it expensive to make homemade pie crust?

    Making a homemade pie crust, particularly this one costs very little in comparison to commercially made pie crust. Not to mention this tastes a lot better! 

    By my calculations, a single crust only costs about $0.80! And that’s with premium flour. So, you’re in a good place if you start making your own pie dough.

    That said, there are ways to keep your costs low:

    • Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. When I find regular kitchen staples on sale, I buy a lot. I’m currently using a price book to track prices and that’s saving me money. For this recipe, keeping an eye on the price of flour and butter can help keep the price down. I buy my butter at Costco for around $2/pound and buy premium flour for about $3 to $⅘-pound bag.
    • Buying in bulk – Bulk pricing can reduce your unit cost dramatically. It’s usually cheaper to buy a big bag of flour than it is a small one. I have gotten into the habit of buying cases of flour from Bob’s Red Mill or VitaCost so that I always have baking supplies on hand. Store extra flour in the freezer to extend its shelf life and protect against pests.
    lemon meringue pies being topped with meringue
    If you prepare this recipe, be sure to share a picture on social media and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!
    patting pie crust into pan

    Press in Pie Crust

    Making pie crust from scratch is like kid’s play when you use Gramma John’s Pie Crust recipe. It’s simple and delicious!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 1 pie round
    Calories: 1265kcal
    Author: Jessica Fisher

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup cold butter cut into chunks
    • 1 to 2 tablespoon water cold

    Instructions

    • In a medium bowl, combine together the flour and salt. Add the butter chunks and cut them into the flour mixture with a pastry blender, or two knives held together. You can also use a food processor for quicker work. Kids can do this with a fork if that is easier for them. Work these ingredients together until they form pea-sized crumbs. 
    • Quickly stir in the cold water a tablespoon at a time and combine until a large pea size clumps form. Transfer these to the pie plate. 
    • Pat the dough into a pie plate, pushing the dough across the bottom of the pie plate and up the sides.
    • Use as is in recipes that call for an unbaked pie shell. For recipes that call for a pre-baked crust, bake it for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees until light golden brown. Cool completely before pouring in your filling.

    Notes

    You don’t have to grease the pie plate before placing in the dough. There’s enough butter in this pie dough to allow it to easily release from the pan after baking.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1265kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 94g | Saturated Fat: 59g | Cholesterol: 244mg | Sodium: 1976mg | Potassium: 125mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2836IU | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Tell us what you think! Your reviews help us develop better recipes and give newcomers the confidence to try your favorites. Scroll down to leave a starred comment.
    toddler girl pressing dough into pie plate

    Remember making this pat in the pan pie crust is easy, and it’s okay to let the kids help!

    a collage of steps for making pat-in-pan pie crust
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Barb Schmidt

      October 25, 2016 at 7:44 pm

      Well… my mother, many years ago, sighed and told me “You just can’t make pie crust!” after my umpteenth try at rolling one out evenly. I even convinced my oldest daughter to be the family pie baker. I need to try this, and maybe redeem myself after so long.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        October 25, 2016 at 8:06 pm

        You can do it!

        Reply
    2. Stacey

      October 05, 2016 at 8:44 pm

      Thank you so much for posting this recipe. I’m very intimidated about pie crust but i think i can duplicate your recipe!

      Reply
    3. Megan Nelson

      August 11, 2016 at 6:42 pm

      Easy and delicious! I had to sub gluten free baking flour and it turned out great!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        August 11, 2016 at 8:35 pm

        Great to know that works! Thanks.

        Reply
    4. Tehila

      November 28, 2015 at 2:15 am

      Wow! This looks great! Will definitely be keeping this recipe on hand, and can’t wait to think up an excuse to use it! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing it so generously….xoox

      Reply
    5. Lisa

      July 20, 2014 at 3:53 pm

      I made this crust today for a blackberry pie, and I will never use another recipe! So light and flaky and delicious! I took my chances and patted out a top crust on some parchment paper, and it worked pretty well. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

      Reply
    6. Katherine Telch (aka) Katy

      October 21, 2013 at 1:04 pm

      Thank you for the ray of sunshine in my life on this grey Monday weather wise here in the NW. I so enjoy your daily posts every day and today it’s even more sweet as I was filing some of the saves and putting them in the proper folders…pie crust is not my favorite but Gramma John’s looks doable to me…the special part is the picture of your smiling son’s face presenting his pie crust! Thank you, thank you!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        October 21, 2013 at 1:27 pm

        I love that picture of him. It’s about five years old, and I miss that time. (Even though now is good, too.)

        Reply
    7. Betsy Cherepko

      March 14, 2013 at 11:30 am

      I have never had great success with pie crusts, but today I made your apple pie with this crust and my-oh-my…I could not get enough of this crust! It is so flaky, buttery, and simple! My 4 year old loved pressing this out into the pie pan. I will never roll another crust…if I can avoid it. Oh and the apple recipe was delicious too!

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 14, 2013 at 5:31 pm

        My feelings exactly.

        Reply
    8. Donna

      October 23, 2012 at 7:02 pm

      Hi Jessica! Made two of your slab apple pies with this crust last week….sooo good. A keeper recipe for sure. You are right…so easy! Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        October 26, 2012 at 11:01 pm

        So glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    9. Ashley

      November 17, 2011 at 7:34 am

      Quick question does this make a good top crust as well?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        November 17, 2011 at 7:43 am

        It can, but it is very delicate. I often use a different crust recipe for rolled out recipes.

        Reply
    10. Nicci

      March 04, 2010 at 6:52 am

      Probably a dumb question, but is the flour all-purpose?

      Reply
      • Jessica Fisher

        March 04, 2010 at 7:05 am

        yes. I use unbleached.

        Reply
    11. Anonymous

      September 26, 2009 at 4:27 pm

      I'm enjoying your blog… thank you!!
      Answer to Christy's question is:
      Yes, the butter should be cold out of the fridge. Room temp might seem easier, but it doesn't really work.
      Today I'm making meatloaf and will make squash baked with homemade apple pie filling. (pie with acorn squash as the crust)

      Reply
    12. Christy

      September 24, 2009 at 12:23 pm

      I just found your blog, and I like it!

      I have a question — should the butter be cold out of the fridge or room temperature? Does it matter?

      Reply
    13. Jamie

      April 16, 2009 at 4:44 am

      How precious is he?

      Reply
    14. Shari

      April 16, 2009 at 12:19 am

      I am loving all your recipe/baking posts. I concur with the previous comment–gives me courage to try stuff when the recipe looks doable and the picture inspiring. 🙂

      Reply
    15. Heather

      April 15, 2009 at 8:56 pm

      Love the picture. He looks so happy with his accomplishment! I am terrible at pie crusts, but I may try this one, it looks so easy.

      Reply
    16. Emily @ Little Home

      April 15, 2009 at 6:52 pm

      I love that this doesn’t use Crisco! I am bookmarking it for later! Thanks!

      Reply
    17. Phoebe @ Cents to Get Debt Free

      April 15, 2009 at 6:41 pm

      I love my grandma’s pie crust recipe–it is similiar. So incredibly easy, and can tastes great made with whole wheat instead! Got to love that!

      Reply
    18. Heather

      April 15, 2009 at 6:29 pm

      I’ve been looking for an easy pie crust. Guess I’ll look no further. 🙂

      Reply
    19. srlsfamily

      April 15, 2009 at 5:50 pm

      that seems so easy. have you ever made it with whole wheat flour?

      Reply
    20. Nancy M.

      April 15, 2009 at 5:22 pm

      Wow! That does sound easy!

      Reply
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    jessica from good cheap eats

    Hi, I'm Jessica! I'm a 4x cookbook author and 6x mom. I know what it is to be in a hurry and on a budget. I believe anyone can prepare delicious meals -- no matter what's on their plate. I've been featured on Good Morning America, PBS News Hour, and NBC.

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