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This easy mini pie crust recipe is buttery, flaky, and perfectly sized for one small pie or tart. Made with simple ingredients, it’s ideal for sweet or savory fillings and includes tips for gluten-free and dairy-free options.
Featured Comment
“I love the crust! It was easy to make and it is indeed very flaky and tasty!”
– Terry
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick and Easy: Simple steps make this small batch crust easy for any baker to master.
- Buttery and Flaky Texture: Cold butter creates a tender, golden crust with a light sweetness.
- Versatile Use: Perfect for both sweet and savory mini pies or galettes.
- Perfect Size: Designed for one small pie or tart.
- Make Ahead Friendly: The dough can be refrigerated or frozen, making it easy to prep in advance.
What I love most about this mini pie crust is how simple and reliable it is. Whether I’m baking a mini apple galette or a comforting small chicken pot pie, this buttery, flaky crust always turns out perfectly.
It’s just the right size for one or two small pies, and it reminds me that homemade pie doesn’t need to be complicated, just a few basic ingredients and a little care make something truly special.
If you enjoy making homemade crusts, you might also like our small shortbread crust and small graham cracker crust recipes. Both are easy to make and perfect for mini pies, tarts, or cheesecakes. Each offers a different flavor and texture, giving you great options for pairing with your favorite fillings.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this single serving pie crust recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Flour (for mini crust): The foundation of this mini pie crust, giving the dough structure. For a gluten-free version of this small pie crust use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend such as King Arthur brand Gluten Free Measure For Measure Flour.
- Granulated sugar: Adds a touch of sweetness and helps the crust brown as it bakes.
- Salt: Brings out the flavor of the crust. You can omit it if you prefer a low-sodium option.
- Cold butter: Key to a flaky, buttery crust. For a dairy-free crust, use plant-based butter instead.
- Ice water: Only about 2 teaspoons are needed to moisten and bind the dough.
How To Make A Mini Pie Crust
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a single serving pie crust. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- In a small bowl, mix the ingredients until the dough forms. Transfer it to plastic wrap, shape it into a disc, wrap tightly, and chill for 20 minutes.
- Unwrap the dough and roll it between two sheets of parchment paper into a small circle.
- Galette Tip: Keep the dough on the bottom parchment sheet or a silicone mat, place it on a baking sheet, remove the top layer, and it’s ready to fill.
- For a Mini Pie: Gently transfer the rolled dough to a mini tart pan or small pie pan, pressing it into place.
- Bake according to your pie or galette recipe instructions.
Expert Tips
- Make Ahead: Prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Use Cold Butter: Cold butter helps create a flaky, tender crust.
- Chill the Dough: Always chill before rolling. Cold dough is easier to handle and bakes up perfectly flaky.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can refrigerate the dough for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
This recipe makes one small crust, perfect for a 5-inch pie pan, 5-inch tart pan, or a 5×5-inch baking dish.
Use cold butter, handle the dough as little as possible, and chill it before baking.
Add water 1/4 teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together in a ball. Handle it gently to keep the crust tender and flaky.
Keep the dough well-chilled before rolling and baking. Cold dough holds its shape better in the oven.
Yes. Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend and substitute plant-based butter for a dairy-free version.
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 For One
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
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut in the cold butter with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Add ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing to keep the crust tender.
- Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to chill.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper into a 6-inch circle, about ⅛-inch thick.For a Galette: Remove the top sheet and transfer the dough (with the bottom parchment) to a baking sheet.For a Mini Pie: Transfer the dough to a 5-inch pie pan, tart pan, or 5×5-inch baking dish, pressing it into place.
- Bake according to your pie or galette recipe instructions.
Notes
- Make Ahead: Prepare the dough up to 3 days in advance and refrigerate, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Use Cold Butter: Cold butter helps create a flaky, tender crust.
- Chill the Dough: Always chill before rolling. Cold dough is easier to handle and bakes up perfectly flaky.
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.😉❗️