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This easy mini pie crust recipe is perfect for single serving pies or galettes. It’s buttery, flaky, and just the right size for one delicious treat.
This small pie crust recipe is perfect for single serving pies. Use it to make a mini Dutch Apple Pie, a rustic Apple Galette, a Cherry Pie, or a savory Chicken Pot Pie—all with ease!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple to Make: Easy instructions make it beginner-friendly.
- Buttery and Flaky: The crust is perfectly tender with a hint of sweetness.
- Versatile: Works for both sweet and savory pies.
- Perfectly Portioned: Ideal for a single 5×5-inch pie or a 5-inch mini pie pan.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small pie crust recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Flour: This is the base of the crust, giving it structure. For a gluten-free option, use a gluten-free flour blend like King Arthur brand Gluten Free Measure For Measure Flour.
- Granulated sugar: A small amount adds a hint of sweetness and helps with browning.
- Salt: Enhances the flavor of the crust. If you prefer a low-sodium crust, you can omit it.
- Cold butter: Creates a flaky, flavorful crust. For a dairy-free version, use plant-based butter.
- Ice water: Just 2 teaspoons are needed to bring the dough together.
How To Make A Pie Crust
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a mini pie crust. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Prepare the Dough: Combine the ingredients in a small bowl. Once the dough comes together, transfer it onto a piece of plastic wrap. Shape it into a disc, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Roll Out the Dough: After chilling, unwrap the dough and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it into a small circle with a rolling pin.
- Galette Tip: Place the dough (still on the bottom parchment sheet or on a silicone baking mat) directly onto a baking sheet. Remove the top parchment layer, and your galette base is ready to fill.
- For a Mini Pie: Carefully transfer the rolled dough into a mini pie pan or small baking dish, gently pressing it into place.
- Use the Dough: Follow the baking instructions in your pie or galette recipe to finish your crust to perfection.
Expert Tips
- Make Ahead: Save time by preparing the dough in advance. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Use Cold Butter: Cold butter is key to a flaky crust. Keeping it chilled makes all the difference in texture.
- Chill the Dough: Don’t skip the chilling step! Cold dough is easier to handle and creates a tender, flaky crust when baked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can prepare the dough in advance. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Place the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper to prevent sticking and roll it out to a 6-inch circle.
For single serving pies, use a 5×5-inch baking dish or a 5-inch mini pie pan. For a galette, a baking sheet works perfectly.
You can use a small baking dish or a ramekin as an alternative.
Yes, you can double the ingredients to make two mini pie crusts or a larger crust for a larger pie.
If the dough feels dry, add water 1/4 teaspoon at a time until it holds together and forms a ball. Avoid overworking the dough to keep it tender and flaky.
Make sure the dough is well-chilled before rolling it out and pressing it into the pan. Chilling helps it hold its shape during baking.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this mini pie crust or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Mini Pie Crust
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons cold salted butter -cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons ice water
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt to evenly combine.
- Cut in Butter: Use a fork to mix the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs or wet sand.
- Add Water: Pour in the ice water and mix gently with a fork or your hands until the dough comes together. Be careful not to overwork it, as this can make the crust tough.
- Shape and Chill: Transfer the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap. Flatten it into a disc, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Chilling helps firm up the butter and relax the gluten for a flakier crust.
- Preheat the Oven: While the dough chills, preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roll Out the Dough: Unwrap the chilled dough and place it between two sheets of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Roll it into a 6-inch circle, about ⅛-inch thick.* For a Galette: Remove the top parchment sheet and transfer the dough, still on the bottom parchment, onto a baking sheet. This creates the base for your rustic galette.* For a Mini Pie: Lift the dough (still between the parchment sheets) and carefully place it in a mini pie pan or small baking dish, pressing it into place to shape the crust.
- Bake as Directed: Once your crust is ready, follow the baking instructions in your pie or galette recipe. Enjoy your homemade creation!
Notes
- Make Ahead: Save time by preparing the dough in advance. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Use Cold Butter: Cold butter is key to a flaky crust. Keeping it chilled makes all the difference in texture.
- Chill the Dough: Don’t skip the chilling step! Cold dough is easier to handle and creates a tender, flaky crust when baked.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Made it today for my dad. It was delicious and perfect.
Joanie, you are helping me so much with your recipes for ONE. Being alone cuts your appetite down and, even being a good cook, adapting recipes for one person does not give the expected results. I had given up on finding inspiration until I stumbled on your site. Many, many thanks.
Thank you, Joan. I’m so glad our recipes are helpful.
Good recipe.
I follow ingredient list, but added slightly more ice water because dough appeared dry and crumbly. Maybe not enough water. I stored dough overnight in refrigerator, but when I rolled out dough was cracking and crumbling. What did I do wrong?
Hi Jan, if your pie dough breaks and crumbles, it’s probably too dry. It was a good idea to add a little bit of water and adding more water as you rolled it out would have helped the dough come together.
Delicious. I used the crust recipe to make a hand pie. It was tasty. A savory hand pie I might add.
Can you substitute oil instead of butter .I just love ❤️ all your recipe are delicious 😋 just had to tell you this.
Thank you, Teresa! Although I’ve never used oil in a pie crust other readers have with success. I would recommend using a neutral oil like vegetable oil, sunflower oil, or peanut oil. If you want to use olive oil, I would suggest using light olive oil which may impart a different flavor to the crust. If you use oil in its solid or mostly solid form, it will help crumbs form better and will yield a flakier crust.
You can use margarine. I am lactose intolerant and can’t use butter. So, I use Margarine.
I was craving a pastry treat my mom always made with scraps from pie crust but didn’t want to make a regular sized pie. I tried making it using this mini pie-crust recipe and it was SO yummy! Mom always rolled out the scrap pie dough, painted some butter on it, sprinkled cinnamon and sugar over the whole thing and baked it. I did this with this entire batch of dough and although I wanted it to last 2 days, I ate the whole thing while it was still warm. 🙂 This pie crust recipe is very tasty — my first time using butter.
Can this pie crust be used for pecan and pumpkin pies?
Yes. The pumpkin pie is a bit smaller, so you may need to trim the crust to fit the ramekin or baking dish you use.
I Love that fact that it is for 1! and not a whole pie. I make whole pies for the family at Thanksgiving and Christmas each year.
Do you think I can make a Chocolate pie with this pie crust?
Yes.
This recipe looks so flaky. Has anyone tried it with gluten free flour? I know I won’t get the flakiness of real flour but I don’t want to eat a dough ball either.😉❗️