This oil pie crust recipe is an easy low-stress pie dough that requires minimal prep. Use this recipe when you're looking for a vegan pie crust that doesn't use butter! It's delicious with sweet and savory pies.
When it comes to comfort food cooking, there's no getting out of knowing how to make a pie crust. I feel like pie is like the most elevated form of a casserole (which is one of my favorite kinds of comfort food): not only do you get a well rounded meal, or dessert, in one slice, but that slice is surrounded by flaky, indulgent pie crust.
Oil pie crusts are easy to work with because, unlike butter, the fat is already melted. This means that it incorporates into the flour more easily than a solid fat does. The end result is still a flaky, delicious, and satisfyingly rich crust.
Here's how to make a perfect oil pie crust that's flaky, easy to make, and just plain hard to get wrong!
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The Components of an Oil Pie Crust
Oil
Most oils that are liquid at room temperature work well in this pie crust recipe. Oils with a neutral flavor, like canola or vegetable oil, work best in pie crust.
Olive oil works in pie crust, but it may impart a slightly olive oil flavor to final product. Be sure that you're not heating the crust to over 375 degrees Fahrenheit, as this is the smoke point of many olive oils.
The takeaway: for a basic pie crust choose an oil that has a neutral flavor.
Flour
Low protein flours work best for pies because they yield a more tender crust. The higher the protein content of the flour, the tougher the dough.
- Pastry flour (8-10% protein) for a super tender pie crust, but it is more delicate and may be a bit more difficult for beginners to handle.
- All-purpose flour (11-12%) is a good middle-ground flour and also works well for pie crust. This is my favorite flour that is only available in the south (or online!).
- Bread flour (~13-14% protein) yields a tougher result, so I don't recommend bread flour for this recipe.
- Whole wheat flour will make a more grainy, crumbly texture. Because of this, it's trickier to work with whole wheat flour.
The takeaway: All-purpose flour is usually your best bet for a standard oil pie crust for beginners.
Salt
The primary role of salt is to contribute flavor to the crust. While it does contribute a bit to gluten formation, it's most noticeable effect is in taste.
The takeaway: Salt enhances the flavor of pie crust; use as little or as much as you prefer.
Water
Ice cold water is used in pie crust because cold water makes the pastry dough easier to work with. Add the ice water one tablespoon at a time, as the amount of liquid needed will vary based on kitchen conditions like humidity and temperature.
For actually ice cold water, add a few ice cubes to a bowl (or glass) or water and scoop water out from the dish a tablespoon at a time as you add it to the dry ingredients.
Making the Crust
The secret to rolling oil pie crust
Okay, maybe this isn't a secret. People have definitely been doing this for years. Personally speaking, my grandma has been doing this for years. Back in high school I tasked my grandparents with mailing me five of their favorite recipes.
One of those recipes was my grandma's "Pat in Pat Oil Pie Crust" (because you would pat the pie crust into place in the pie dish). This recipe is a little different, but is based on the same secret ingredient:
Wax paper!
Simply place your pie dough between two pieces of wax paper before rolling it out. This is the wax paper that I use.
No extra flour means no extra gluten formation, which means tender, flaky pie crust. No direct contact with the rolling pin means no pie dough sticking to the rolling pin! Be amazed as your pie crust comes off of the wax paper easily as can be.
Okay, that's enough about oil-based pie crust for now. Check out my tried and true recipe below! It works well for sweet and savory recipes alike.
The steps to making an oil based pie crust
Combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt) in a medium mixing bowl (this is my go-to mixing bowl set). In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, add the oil and 5 tablespoons of ice water. Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients.
Mix together with a wooden spoon until a rough ball forms; add additional 1 tablespoon of ice cold water if it is too crumbly.
Divide into two evenly sized dough balls. Cover and let rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. Place each dough ball between a large sheet of wax paper (at least 12 in x 12 in).
Roll out with a rolling pin until the dough is 12x12 inches. I prefer to use a marble rolling pin like this one.
Invert the wax paper and center the pie dough on a pie dish. Carefully peel the wax paper off of the dough (as seen above). Cook according to your recipe instructions.
One of my favorite ways to use this crust is in my Vegan Pot Pie with Tofu and Veggies. It also makes a great vegan pumpkin pie crust!
How to Make a Perfect Oil Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 2 and ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 6 tablespoons ice cold water
Instructions
- Combine flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the oil and 5 tablespoons of ice cold water; don't mix the liquids together.
- Add liquids to the flour and salt mixture. Stir with a fork until a ball forms; add 1 tablespoon of ice water if it is very crumbly and not holding. It is okay if the dough is not totally cohesive (some crumbles may exist).
- Divide the dough into two equally sized balls. Place in an airtight container and let rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.
- For one pie crust, place the dough ball between two pieces of wax paper. Use a rolling pin (I recommend using a marble one like this) to roll out until it reaches 12 inches in diameter.
- Carefully peel the top layer off of the wax paper. Invert the pie crust into a pie plate and carefully peel the wax paper off of the dough.
- Bake the pie dough according to pie recipe.
Notes
- Recipe makes 2 12" pie crusts. I usually use a 9" pie plate for baking, but you can also use disposable containers. Do note that different materials will bake the crust at different rates.
- These are my favorite glass mixing bowls.
- Pie dough can be frozen in an airtight container. Let thaw fully in the refrigerator prior to using.
- I have made this recipe several times without wax paper and I don't find the result as satisfying. This dough can be made without the wax paper step, but you will likely have to pat the crust into the pan with your fingers instead of transferring the pie crust in one piece.
- Calorie calculations reflect 6 servings for each pie crust, or 12 total servings.
Shayna
Can you freeze this dough once it's rolled out and shaped in a pan? or only while it's still unrolled in a ball?
Cassidy Reeser
I think that would be an even better way to freeze it so that you don't have to worry about shaping it after thawing.
Barbara J. Stephan
I posted a comment recently saying good crust but instructions were a little confusing-thinking that I had used this recipe before. Well I don't think I have used this one, since it did not turn out very well. I placed it in the fridge, tightly wrapped for about two days until I was ready to make my pie. The author said don't worry if dough is a little crumbly and not completely cohesive, so I did not concern myself with it. I took it out today and it was crumbly and tough and almost IMPOSSIBLE to roll and spread out with or without paper. I used the recipe correctly so what happened? I was not happy with this recipe at all. I have made oil crust pies before and never had this big of a problem with the crust-ever. i HAD TO USE COOKIE CUTTERS TO CUT A CRUST ON THE PIE SINCE IT WOULD NOT ROLL OUT.
Cassidy Reeser
I know you said you tightly wrapped it but it sounds to me like it dried out while it was in the fridge for 2 days, which is why it would be crumbly. If anyone else runs into a similar problem, I would make sure pie dough is almost room temp before rolling out, sprinkle with water as needed to make more pliable.
I’m sorry to hear it didn’t work out though, thanks for trying the recipe!
Jessi
Hi there,
I'm so thankful for this recipe, it's extremely close to my mother in laws. She passed away unexpectedly in 2018 and was famous for her olive oil crust.
We're doing our best to recreate her strawberry pie for the 4th of July to keep a part of her with us in our celebrations. Unfortunately for us, most of her recipes don't contain a lot of directions as she knew what she was doing and only needed the measurements. I'm wondering if you know how long to pre-bake this crust. We're making an old fashioned strawberry pie that just needs to be chilled not baked, and the olive oil pie crust recipe I have from her only has measurements and no directions about baking or pre-baking or any of that helpful information. :). Thank you so much for any help you can give!
Cassidy Reeser
Hi! I would bake it at 350F and start with 30 minutes, but it may need up to an hour (I haven’t baked this pie crust on its own in a while and don’t have any notes written down- so this is just based on what I think should work!). Just look for the crust to be golden brown. While baking, weigh the crust down with parchment paper and any kind of weight (I use use dry beans or even dry rice). The will keep it from puffing up as it bakes. Best of luck and happy 4th! That pie sounds delicious 🙂
Cassidy Reeser
Actually, I’m leaving my other comment up because I think it works too, but I asked my grandma (I got this recipe from her) and she said she does 375F for 20 minutes. But keep an eye on it 🙂
Kathy Evans
Hello Cassidy, I’m so anxious to try your recipe! Have you ever made sausage rolls with this dough? Just wondering about rolling it up pinwheel style and then slicing. Thanks ! Kathy
Cassidy Reeser
Hi Kathy, I've never used this for anything other than pie dough but I feel like it should work for sausage rolls. The only thought I have is that oil crust is more delicate than a butter crust, so it may be a bit more finicky to work with for something like pinwheels. I'm curious to hear how it turns out!
Amber
This recipe was an absolute waste of time and money. It was impossible to roll out without crumbling and I followed the recipe. Just use butter the old fashion way if you want a real and quality crust.
Cassidy Reeser
Hi Amber, I'm sorry it didn't work out for you! Did you roll it out with wax paper? When it's crumbly like that I add extra ice water until it holds together. Oil pie crust is delicate which can make it harder to work with than butter, but I'm happy to help you troubleshoot if you try it out again.
Sheila
I tried this recipe for the first time and liked the texture and the way it cooked up. My only concern was that the measurements for a larger (36) serving, the oil ratio made the pastry too oily. There was close to 1/2 tsp of oil in bottom of mixing bowl, when removed from refrigerator. However, it still cooked up nicely. Using the wax paper to roll out the pastry after I let it rest in the refrigerator for over 15 minutes helped a great deal. I think this recipe is a keeper but will consider cutting back on the oil ratio when it comes to preparing a larger quantity serving next time.
Madalyn
Made this to top a 9X13 chicken pot pie. It was amazing! I used olive oil since that’s all we have! Easiest crust ever and tastes the same as butter crusts
Terry G
Pie crust was very easy to make with ingredients onhand. Overall it worked out fine for my beef vegetable pie,however,the consistency was doughy/heavy, which made me wonder if it would have been beneficial to sift the flour.
Ann-Marie
I live at 7,250 feet. I had to add 3.5-4 more tbsp of cold water. It rolled out perfectly!! I rolled my crust out between 2 sheets of parchment because I did not have waxed paper. The parchment worked well. I hope this helps anyone living at altitude:)
Cassidy Reeser
Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Alanna
What is the best temperature to cook this pastry on for small fruit pies and cookies.
Cassidy Reeser
I would try 350F.
Alain
I usually hate it when people rate a recipe with changes but just from past experience and other recipes I had seen, I added 1/2 tsp baking powder and about the same of white wine vinegar (all out of regular). Although insanely crumbly, the dough did eventually spread and create a useable crust. Half of it stayed crumbly but I will blame myself for that!
Toni Adams
I am going to try your recipe. Past experience with other oil crusts have been discouraging, but after reading reviews I’ll willing to try again. Thanks!
Cassidy Reeser
Good luck! I hope it turns out and I'm here to troubleshoot if it doesn't!