Easy Pie Crust (With Lard)

This simple recipe produces a classic pie crust with a great texture and flavor. Four simple ingredients, including lard, is all you need!

If you are craving the kind of pie crust your grandmother made, it likely uses lard instead of butter. Lard, or rendered fat, produces a magical texture with a wonderful flavor that’s perfect for any type of pie.

This recipe is quick and easy to prepare, and is one of my favorite pie pastry recipes. It’s a great option for those holiday pies or when you want to make a special pie for the family.

Make sure to bookmark or pin this recipe so you can find it the next time you want a homemade lard pie crust.

This recipe can be used to make a solid top crust or a lattice crust.

Crust Tip

How to Make a Homemade Pie Pastry using Lard

It’s hard to beat a simple recipe that is packed with flavor and offers a delicious, flaky texture. So when you want to really elevate the flavor of your homemade pie, use this crust.

It yields two 9″ crusts, one for the bottom and one for the top of your pie. It’s ideal for peach, apple, blueberry, and other fruit pies.

But it can also be used for cream pies, simply cut the recipe in half since you won’t need a top crust.

Prep time is just a few minutes and then you simply roll out your dough and prepare your pie filling. For equipment, you will need a mixing bowl and a rolling pin.

Save this recipe for later: Simple homemade pie crust

Lard Crust Ingredients

One of my favorite things about this recipe it is that you only need four simple ingredients. It’s incredibly affordable so it’s a great recipe when baking on a budget.

Ingredient List

• All-Purpose Flour
• Lard
• Salt
• Water

Flour: All purpose flour is what I use for my crust. It produces a consistently amazing texture and most bakers have it on hand. You can sift your flour, but if it isn’t particularly clumpy, no need to sift.

Lard: Lard, or rendered fat, has been used to make pie crust for generations. This is the same recipe I’ve made since I was a kid helping my mother and grandmother make pies. You will want to cut your lard into small chunks before stirring it into your flour and salt.

Salt: Any fine salt will work. It is added along with your flour and lard to a mixing bowl for stirring.

Water: Make sure to use cold water. This will ensure you achieve a great texture that holds it’s shape and rolls out easy. Water is gradually stirring into your other ingredients until your dough forms a ball.

Another great option: Flaky butter pie crust

Easy to Follow Instructions

Make sure your lard and water are cold before starting. It helps you produce a flaky crust that still holds it’s shape when rolled out.

Note: Mix your ingredients together with a fork. Do not use an electric mixer.

Step 1: Add your flour and salt to a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Cut your lard into chunks into your mixing bowl.

Step 3: Stir your mixture together with a fork until crumbs form. They should be coarse and granular.

Step 4: Stir 3 tablespoons of water into your mixture. You are done when your dough forms into a ball and holds it’s shape. Gradually add up to 3 more tablespoons of water if needed.

Step 5: Dust a clean working surface with flour and roll out half of your crust dough. It should be about 1/8″ thick.

Step 6: Line pie pan with crust. A half inch of crust should hang over the edge of your pie pan.

Step 7 Roll out top crust same as your bottom crust.

Step 8: Prepare pie filling according to recipe. Top with second crust. Fold top crust edge over bottom crust edge and crimp.

Step 9: Cut vent slits into top crust.

Step 10: Bake according to your pie recipe and enjoy!

Liv’s Lard Pie Crust Recipe Notes

• Great crust for fruit pies such as apple, peach, raspberry, blueberry and cherry. Great for pumpkin and cream pies as well.
• If your pie recipe only requires a bottom crust, cut the recipe ingredients in half and prepare without any other changes.
• Be sure to cut slits in your top crust so your pie has ventilation when baking.