Love homemade pie crust but hate the fuss of making it? This no roll Oil Pie Crust is the recipe you (and your sweet and savory pastry dreams) have been waiting for!
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A quick, simple pie crust recipe made with oil, flour, and a touch of sugar and baking powder, the only tools you need to make it are a bowl and fork.
- Bye bye working butter into flour until it looks just so.
- So long dirty rolling pin.
- DONE battle to coax pie dough into a circle of acceptable diameter and uniform thickness!
To make oil pie crust, you stir the ingredients together, gather them into a ball, then (after a bit of refrigerating), press them directly into your pie dish or tart pan with your fingers.
If you’ve struggled to make homemade pie crust (even easier pie crust recipes like this Darn Good Whole Wheat Pie Crust), oil pie crust is going to be your new BFF.
Even if you are a pie crust master, the task of making crust is—let’s be honest—a pain.
The task can give you pause when deciding whether or not to bake a pie or quiche (part of the reason I often opt for Crustless Quiche instead).
Oil pie crust is going to bring quiches, pies, and tarts back into your life more regularly. Huzzah!
This no roll olive oil pie crust recipe has become my go-to when I am making savory recipes (this Sweet Potato Quiche and Goat Cheese Quiche are keepers), and you can also use it for your favorite sweet pies, from Sweet Potato Pie, to Buttermilk Pie, to any of these pie recipes.
In addition to being exponentially easier to prepare, oil pie crust is a healthier alternative compared to butter-based pie crust recipes (like my fabulous Shortbread Crust).
Don’t worry—I kept enough oil to ensure the crust stays flaky and moist (as any respectable pie crust should be), but it is still considerably lighter than traditional recipes and store-bought crusts.
5 Star Review
“I love that this is light AND requires no rolling.”
— Marcie —
How to Make Oil Pie Crust
Admittedly this oil pie crust looks a little alarming while you are making it—more than once, you’ll see the crumbles and ask yourself if you are doing it right. Trust me, YOU ARE.
Though not as picturesque in appearance as classic pie crust, oil pie tastes phenomenal and its texture is surprisingly flaky.
The Ingredients
- Oil. Not only does oil make this pie crust easier to manage, but it also adds rich flavor to the crust. With oil, the crust doesn’t lose any of its beloved flakiness, and it comes together with much less effort on your end.
- Vinegar/Vodka. Adding one of these two ingredients is my secret trick that makes this pie crust perfectly flaky and tender.
TIP!
Both vinegar and vodka help inhibit gluten formation in the flour, which results in a more tender, flaky crust. (The alcohol will burn off during baking.)
- Sugar. A modest amount of sugar is all that’s needed to enhance the flavor of this pie crust.
- All-Purpose Flour. The ideal flour to use for this light and flaky pie crust.
- Salt. Salt gives the pie crust a flavor boost without making it taste salty. Don’t skip it!
- Cold Water. Cold = flaky.
The Directions
- Whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.
- Stir until incorporated.
- Form the dough into a ball, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- When you’re ready to use the dough, press it into a pie dish. Bake as directed for your desired recipe. ENJOY!
Doubling the Recipe
If you’d like to use this recipe to make a top crust, it makes a yummy crumble top that is somewhere between a pie crust and a streusel.
- Double the recipe, then divide the dough into two portions, with one portion slightly larger than the other. Refrigerate as directed.
- When ready to bake, press the larger portion into the bottom of the pan as directed. Par-bake (if necessary for the recipe), add your filling, then crumble the remaining portion over the top.
Make Ahead & Storage Tips
Oil pie crust is a make-ahead marvel!
- To Make-Ahead. Prepare the dough as directed and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
- To Freeze. Tightly cover the pie dough in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight freezer-safe storage container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Meal Plan Tip
For easy pie crust prep, double or triple this recipe and freeze the dough in portion-sized amounts for future pie cravings.
How to Use Oil Pie Crust
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Whisk. The smaller size of this whisk makes it easy to use.
- Pie Dish. I love that this one is dishwasher-safe and freezer-safe.
- Mixing Bowls. A spectacular set of stackable mixing bowls.
What is the first thing you want to make with this healthier no roll oil pie crust?
Whatever recipe you choose, you can congratulate yourself at the end: you just made a killer pie with healthy, homemade crust and avoided the unpleasant household task of making traditional pie crust.
You deserve two slices!
Oil Pie Crust
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tablespoon granulated sugar*
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- â…“ cup olive oil or canola oil**
- 3 tablespoons cold water
- ½ tablespoon vodka or distilled white vinegar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- In a separate bowl, combine the oil, water, and vodka.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients.
- With a fork, stir until the ingredients are evenly moistened.
- With your hands, gather the dough into a rough ball in the bowl (it will be crumbly). Press a sheet of plastic tightly against the top and refrigerate for 1 hour.
- When ready to use, turn the dough out into your pie dish and with your fingers, press it into an even layer along the bottom and up the sides (this is a no roll pie crust). Use in any of your favorite sweet or savory recipes!
Notes
- *If you are using this recipe for a dessert, increase to 2 to 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar (or you can keep it as is for a less sweet pie crust).
- **The flavor of the oil you use will affect the resulting flavor of the crust. Canola oil will yield the most neutral flavor. You also can use olive oil if you like the flavor in the crust (this is nice for savory recipes). Melted, cooled coconut oil will work as well (again, it will affect the flavor of the crust).
- If you’d like to make 2 crusts, you can double the recipe. Since this filling does not roll, it doesn’t work for a traditional style top pie crust but makes a delicious streusel-ish top crust for sweet pies. Double the recipe, press 2/3 of the dough into the bottom of the pie dish, and add your filling. Mix the remaining dough with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, then sprinkle the remainder over the top of sweet pie filling and bake as directed.Â
- TO STORE: Refrigerate pie dough for up to 2 days.Â
- TO FREEZE: Tightly cover the pie dough in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight freezer-safe storage container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.Â
Nutrition
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This is so pretty! I love a quick tart crust and this one sounds so good!
Thanks, Cassie!
This sounds like a great go-to pie crust recipe, and yay for it being whole wheat and not messy!! Killing crunchy spiders is my FEAR, that’s why I spray them to death with EXTRA strength Raid, call me a bad person, but I have a serious phobia :P
Wow, clearly spiders do not stand a chance against you! I used to be terrified too, until I moved into a basement room in middle school and had to fight or perish, lol. Hope you enjoy the pie crust-it’s so perfect for any night you are feeling easy breezy (aka no rolling pin!)
I love that this is light AND requires no rolling. I rarely make pie crust because I’m kind of lazy in that rolling pin way. Great idea!
Marcie, this is a lazy gal’s DREAM! I seriously cannot stress enough how simple it is to blend, squish, and bake. Next time you are feeling a pie, but not feeling the crust, I hope you’ll give it a go! Thanks for comment and have a lovely day.
I could’ve used this a few weeks ago– I made a very lackluster crust for my Pi day Pie. One question: Do I put the aluminum foil back on after I poke all over with a fork?
Hi Kelly,
Pi for Pie Day. I love it!!
No need to return the foil to the crust. This is just to make sure that your beans or rice don’t stick to the crust during blind baking. I love both–just not in my crust, lol.
Seriously, I’ve been looking for a no-roll whole wheat crust! You’re a lifesaver!
Thanks, Christina! I hope this crust does you right :-)
I’m really excited to try out this pie/tart crust! I’ve been looking for a healthier one and this looks perfect. The no roll is a nice added bonus too!
Thanks Danae! Hope you love it. This is as simple as a pie crust gets, I think :)
Hi Erin, what can i sub for butter? thanks!
Hi Carla! A similar fat such as margarine or vegetable shortening would be an acceptable substitute. These ingredients are what holds the pastry together and makes it flaky, so there is really no way to get around using them.
Can I use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose?
Hi Maggie! While I’ve only tested the recipe as written, whole wheat flour should work fine. Just be aware that the flavor of the wheat will be more pronounced, and the crust will be denser. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I tried this, and many other recipes for a pie crust I wouldn’t need a food processor or rolling pin, and this recipe here is my favorite! It is flaky and my family was surprised I made such an amazing pie crust from scratch! This pie crust made my pie a complete winner for dinner! Now I’m going to use this recipe to make a peach pie with fresh peaches. I look forward to dessert!
Hi Sara! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
I can’t have any alcohol due to a medication I’m taking (even a tiny bit, I know…). Any chance there is a substitution for the vodka?
Hi Courtney, yes, we have it written on the ingredient list: “1/2 tablespoon vodka or distilled white vinegar” Hope this helps!
HI:
What does “bake as directed” mean ? There aren’t any baking instructions.
Does it need to be baked blind? If so for how long? And at what temperature (Celsius) please?
Thank you.
Chris A
Hi Chris, it’s going to depend on how you use the pie crust. So depending on which recipe you are using the pie crust in, you’ll need to follow their baking instructions. Example if a recipe calls for you to start with a unbaked crust vs a baked crust. Here is a great resource for converting the temperatures: https://www.metric-conversions.org/temperature/celsius-to-fahrenheit.htm Hope this helps!