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Shortbread Pie Crust (EASY!)

Flavorful, Easy and You already have all the ingredients, I bet! The perfect easy “NO FAIL” pie crust you’ve been looking for! This shortbread pie crust (easy!) will delight your family and friends on all kinds of sweets!

shortbread pie crust (easy!) on a table

Shortbread Pie Crust (EASY!)

You asked for a no fail, easy pie crust and while this is NOT the kind the kind that you can also make an upper crust, it WILL fit the bill for nearly any open faced pie you want to make!

It’s light and crumbly with that perfect shortbread flavor! Mixes up in minutes and is so very very easy!

  • Mixes in the Pie Plate! – no extra dishes to wash up (come on! You gotta love that!).
  • Works with fruit and nut pies!
  • Slightly sweet and just the right thickness!
prebaked pie crust and filling

Here’s What You’ll Need:

  • All Purpose Flour – Self rising flour won’t work here and I haven’t tried other AP Flour alternatives.
  • Salt – I recommend using Kosher Salt, but table salt works too (just use half the listed amount).
  • Sugar – Simple, plain old white sugar. I haven’t tried sugar alternatives or raw sugar in this recipe.
  • Vegetable Oil – Olive oil isn’t the preferred oil here, but it does work. You’ll want to use a flavorless oil and thus, olive oil isn’t the best for this job.
  • Milk – I have used whole, 2%, powdered and evaporated (cut by half with water) in this recipe, and they all worked.

5 SIMPLE Ingredients is all that stand between you and a homemade pie crust!

Key Steps In This Recipe:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients with a fork and make a well in the center.
  2. Add the wet ingredients in the well.
  3. Use the fork to fold the dry ingredients into the wet.
  4. Use your hands to pat out into the pie plate and form the edges.

How To Make Shortbread Pie Crust

  • bowl of ingredients
  • pie plate of ingredients
  • oil and milk in flour
  • hand patting out pie crust

How To Make The Pie Filling

For this shortbread pie crust, you’ll want to fill with an open faced pie filling. You can use something you make yourself OR you can simply use a canned pie filling.

Try:

  • Apple Pie
  • Strawberry Pie
  • Blackberry or even
  • Pecan Pie!

Tips and Tricks

  • Use the specific ingredients I have listed and don’t make substitutions the first time you make this recipe. That will give you the confidence and the base knowledge to venture out on your own with substitutions later.
  • Use your fork tines to mix the dry ingredients and this also gives them a little “fluff” as you mix.
  • No need to mix this in a different bowl, just make it right in the pie plate. This is a double purpose mix, the little bit of vegetable oil also greases the pie plate as you mix.
  • Once the dough comes together, you can roll it into a ball and roll it around the pie plate to pick up any stray pie dough that clings to the plate.
  • Try to pat it out as evenly as possible so that it bakes evenly.
  • Please do the pre-bake. Otherwise, the bottom of the pie will seem doughy and under cooked.
  • Don’t forget to poke holes in the bottom of the crust to allow steam to escape as it pre-bakes. This keeps the crust flat on the bottom as it cooks.

PRO TIP: For some added flavor, chops some roasted pecan(8 halves or so) into very tiny pieces and add to the flour.

Watch How To Make This Dish!

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easy shortbread pie crust on table

Shortbread Pie Crust (EASY!)

5 Simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand for the best shortbread pie crust you could ever make!
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy pie crust, shortbread pie crust
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 217kcal

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 tbs sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tbs milk

Instructions

For the Pie Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 425
  • In a 9” pie plate, mix flour, salt, sugar with a fork.
  • Make a well in the center and pour in the vegetable oil and the milk. Gently mix all ingredients together until a dough forms.
  • Press the dough into the pie plate and using fingers, pinch into fluted design at top edge.
  • Poke at least 5 fork holes with the tines of a dinner fork into the bottom of the crust. (to allow steam to escape without buckling the crust).
  • Bake in 425 oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

To assemble the pie

  • Pour the pie filling mixture into the pie plate and finish pie according to your pie directions.

Notes

  • Use the specific ingredients I have listed and don’t make substitutions the first time you make this recipe. That will give you the confidence and the base knowledge to venture out on your own with substitutions later.
  • Use your fork tines to mix the dry ingredients and this also gives them a little “fluff” as you mix.
  • No need to mix this in a different bowl, just make it right in the pie plate. This is a double purpose mix, the little bit of vegetable oil also greases the pie plate as you mix.
  • Once the dough comes together, you can roll it into a ball and roll it around the pie plate to pick up any stray pie dough that clings to the plate.
  • Try to pat it out as evenly as possible so that it bakes evenly.
  • Please do the pre-bake. Otherwise, the bottom of the pie will seem doughy and under cooked.
  • Don’t forget to poke holes in the bottom of the crust to allow steam to escape as it pre-bakes. This keeps the crust flat on the bottom as it cooks.
PRO TIP: For some added flavor, chops some roasted pecan(8 halves or so) into very tiny pieces and add to the flour.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Shortbread Pie Crust (EASY!)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 217 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 11g55%
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 147mg6%
Potassium 30mg1%
Carbohydrates 21g7%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 3g6%
Calcium 8mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @loavesanddishes or tag #loavesanddishes!

A VERSE TO SHARE

Sometimes sharing is the hardest thing. Have you ever noticed that? Especially when you have something that you have worked very hard for and love very much. However, Jesus loves you and shares his love openly and that is our example, right?

1 John 3:17

But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

Wendi is the writer, CEO and dishwasher at Loaves and Dishes! When not in the kitchen or behind the computer, you can find Wendi serving on International Food Conference Boards, Speaking at various conferences, Leading and Cooking for the local Arts Council's "Taste of Stokes" events or donating home cooked goodies to various local non profits such as the Danbury Songwriters and Stokes Partnership for Children. Wendi is also a Registered Nurse with a Master's Degree and serves on her town's board of councilmen.

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Wendi J Spraker

Sunday 27th of December 2020

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