This recipe for whole wheat pie crust is easy to make, tender, super buttery and amazingly delicious. It is made with 100% whole wheat flour, so it is truly a whole wheat pie crust.
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Is it just us or does it bother you too when you’re searching for a whole wheat recipe and you find one that is titled “whole wheat” only to get to the ingredients, and it’s like “6 cups all purpose flour and 1 tablespoon whole wheat flour (exaggerated) and call it a whole wheat recipe???
All our recipes are made with 100% whole wheat flour(s). We get why people think you have to mix whole wheat flour with all purpose flour to make it palatable, but we are here to tell you, you don’t! If you use the right kind of whole wheat flour for the job, you can have just as good, if not better results as using all purpose flour.
We are building up a database of basic recipes that you use over and over again, all made with 100% whole wheat flour. Things like whole wheat bread, whole wheat rolls, whole wheat pasta and whole wheat tortillas.
What's Cool About This Recipe
- 100% whole grain: Unlike other pie crust recipes that claim to be whole wheat, but are only part whole wheat, ours is made 100% whole grain (no all purpose flour).
- Buttery: This is an all butter crust so it is super buttery and flaky.
- Tender: Using soft white wheat flour makes the crust extra tender.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Whole wheat flour: We like to use whole wheat flour ground from soft white wheat (whole wheat pastry flour). It makes the most tender crust. You can also use hard white wheat flour or spelt flour. This post goes into more details on the different types of whole wheat flours.
- Butter: We generally use unsalted butter, if you use salted butter then skip the salt in the recipe.
- Water: You’ll want to use ice cold water. You can also use vodka, it makes a super tender crust.
- Salt: We use sea salt or pink himalayan salt.
- Sugar (optional): You can add a little sugar if you’re using the crust for sweet pies.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instruction Photos
Overview of instructions with photos. See recipe card for quantities and full instructions.
Step 1: Stir the flour, salt and sugar (if using) together in a medium mixing bowl.
Step 2: Grate the butter on a box grater. Place into the freezer if you’re not ready to use right away.
Step 3: Add the butter to the dry ingredients and toss to combine, use your fingers to mix the butter into the flour a little bit.
Step 4: Add the water a little at a time while tossing until it starts to stick together and you can form a ball. Knead a couple of times to bring the dough together.
Step 5: Form into a disk and wrap with plastic or cover and refrigerate for around 30 minutes.
Step 6: Generously flour your surface and roll out the dough to desired thickness flipping often to keep it from sticking to the counter.
Step 7: Place in pie pan. You can gently roll the dough around your rolling pin and then unroll over the top of you pie pan, or fold the dough in quarters then place the tip in the center of the pan pan and unfold the dough.
Step 8: Shape edges. Fold the excess dough under and pinch to form an even brim around the pie. Use your fingers to make scallops around the edge. Use as desired for whatever recipe needs a pie crust.
Serving Suggestions
This whole wheat crust is great to use in any recipe that calls for pie crust. Some things we like to fill pie crusts with are:
- Pot pie
- Pumpkin pie
- Cherry pie
- Quiche
- Apple pie
- Any kind of pie haha
- You can pre bake it and use it for cream pie or no bake pie crust
Storage
Storage will depend on the recipe you use the pie crust in.
You can store the pie dough wrapped tightly in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for a few days.
How to Freeze Pie Dough
Wrap your pie dough tightly in plastic wrap. Place into a freezer safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Tips From Our Kitchen
Don’t overwork the dough, knead it lightly, just until it comes together.
If you’re using fresh milled flour, make sure the flour is cooled before using. We like to put ours in the freezer for a few minutes after milling.
Use COLD ingredients.
Use finely ground whole wheat flour. Milling your own on the finest setting on your mill will yield the best results. Or buy a high quality flour like this soft white wheat flour from Janie’s Mill.
FAQ
Yes, you can make an amazing crust using whole wheat flour. The trick is to use fresh flour milled from soft white wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour). Buying from a high quality mill or milling your own flour will give you great results.
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
Easy Whole Wheat Pie Crust with Butter
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) soft white wheat flour whole wheat pastry flour
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold unsalted butter
- 3-4 tablespoons (45-60 g) ice cold water or vodka
- Flour for dusting
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl combine 1 cup (120 g) soft white wheat flour and ¼ teaspoon sea salt.
- Using a pastry cutter, cut in 6 tablespoons (85 g) cold unsalted butter. You can also grate the butter on a box grater and then mix it into the flour (see photos above).
- Add 3-4 tablespoons (45-60 g) ice cold water, then knead a few times to bring it together. If the dough seems to dry add a few drops of water, if it seems too wet add a dusting of flour.
- Shape the dough into a disk shape. You can roll out the dough immediately, or for easier handling and a flakier crust, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Place the dough onto a well floured surface and sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. Roll out big enough to fit your pie pan. A good way to tell if your dough is rolled big enough is to turn your pie pan upside down and measure it against your dough, the dough should be about 1 inch wider than the pan all the way around.
- To transfer the dough to your pan, carefully lift the dough and fold it over itself, so the dough is folded in half. Then fold in half again to form a wedge shape. Place the wedge with the point center in the pan before unfolding and pressing into the pan.
- Use according to whatever recipe you are following that uses pie crust.
Notes
Nutrition
We calculate these nutritional facts using an estimate and they can vary drastically between ingredients used and measuring technique. So, they are not intended for medical use.
Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you!