Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (2024)

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This whole wheat pie crust recipe is a very simple recipe to make. It comes together quickly and there are only about a million different things you can do with it.

Since this is a basic dough, there are tons of things you can make with it. If you will be making a pie, you could add cinnamon or another complementary spice to the dough, and use olive or safflower oil.

Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (1)

If you are making something savory, like the Pesto Quiche With Sun Dried Tomatoes I made a little while back, then try mixing in some Italian spice or garlic into the dough, and use olive oil.

Pie crust doesn’t have to be boring. You just have to get creative. But stay light on the spices so they don’t overpower what you are filling the crust with! About 1/2 tsp. per batch of dough. This extra spice should compliment the finished dish, not overwhelm it.

The great thing about piecrusts is once they are filled, you can pretty much freeze any recipe you’ve made to keep on hand for one of those busy work nights. Or, just freeze the dough in the pie tin if you prefer a more “fresh” approach. Fill it last minute, pop it in the oven, and you’ve got a quick meal any day of the week!

What Pie Filling Goes Well With This Crust?

This is truly an all-purpose crust. It’s versatile and will hold just about anything. Because it’s not a butter crust, the texture is more of a crumby crust than a flaky crust. But it makes super delicious pies just the same, and it’s a perfect pie crust for quiches as well. Avoid the urge to add butter, shortening, or lard. It won’t work well with this recipe.

So what can you put in this? Here are some suggestions:

  • Apple pie
  • Blueberry pie
  • Pecan pie
  • Peanut Butter Pie
  • Quiche
  • Cherry pie
  • Raspberry pie
  • Pumpkin pie
  • Cranberry pie
  • Banana cream pie
  • Chocolate cream pie
  • Coconut meringue pie
  • Fresh strawberry pie

Vegan Pie Crust Recipe

If you want to turn this into a vegan pie crust, it’s super easy! I’ve made it both ways and it turns out super well either way. Simply substitute the regular milk for unsweetened almond milk and you’re good to go!

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Should You Cook This Pie Crust Before Filling It?

Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to do so. It may not need it for some recipes, but for most, it’s a good idea so that the bottom of the crust doesn’t stay soggy under a wet filling. You can even use pie weights if you wish, though I have never found them to be necessary with this recipe.

To Bake This Crust

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake the crust for 10-15 minutes, or until you see a change in color. It won’t get golden brown in just those few minutes, but that’s okay. Just bake it until the middle seems at least mostly cooked if not fully cooked. The timing can vary by oven.

How Many Pie Crusts Does This Recipe Make?

In general, this recipe will make approximately two 8 or 9-inch pie crusts. You may have a little dough left over. I usually make a small hand pie out of any leftovers.

Can I Make This Dough In A Stand Mixer Or Food Processor?

Stand Mixer – You can absolutely blend this in a stand mixer using a dough hook.

Food Processor – If your food processor comes with a dough hook, then you can use that too. If it doesn’t, I would avoid it. Simply place everything in the bowl of a food processor with the proper attachment and mix.

About The Ingredients

Whole wheat pastry flour– Plus extra on reserve. Regular whole wheat flour is too dense for this recipe, and all-purpose flour is not clean. If you cannot find the pastry version, then look for “white whole wheat flour”. It’s the next best thing after whole wheat pastry flour, and it’s more readily available in most places.

Salt– I used pink Himalayan salt, but you can use whatever salt you normally bake or cook with. Fine sea salt or kosher salt works well.

Oil– I usually use liquid coconut oil. But any light-flavored oil will work.

Milk– Any type except coconut milk – it’s too thick.

How To Make Whole Wheat Pie Crust

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First, prepare your pie tins. Spray your tin with a coat of spray-on oil from an oil sprayer, or use your fingers or a paper towel to spread the oil over the pan.Add about ⅛ cup whole wheat pastry flour to your tin from your reserve flour (not from the 2¾ cups for the crust)Shake your tin around until the flour completely coats the surface of the pie pan. Then set it aside.Next, make the dough.

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Put flour and salt into a mixing bowl and mix.

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Measure your milk and oil into the same cup.

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Knead the mixture well, by hand, until you have a firm dough. It takes some doing, so don’t give up.

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Place your dough on a large piece of parchment paper. Flatten slightly with your hands or rolling pin, and then place another large sheet of parchment paper over the top so the dough is sandwiched in between. Roll with your rolling pin until your dough is about ⅛ inch to ¼ inch thick.

You may need to lift the parchment occasionally or flip the whole thing over to get rid of wrinklesin the parchment. Remove the top sheet of parchment, and roll out any wrinkles left in the dough by the parchment. You should have a nice, even, and smooth piece of dough. Divide your dough in half.

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Place your tin upside down on your dough. Flip the whole thing over, and mold the dough into your tin, being careful not to rip the dough.

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Cut the excess dough around the edge of the pan. Keep your knife upright so you get a nice even cut. Crimp with a fork, and then place the whole thing in a large zip lock bag.Place in the freezer and you’ve got whole wheat Pie Crust any time you need it!

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Ta-da! The finished pie crust.

How To Store Whole Wheat Pie Crust

This will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days if packed well. After that, you’ll want to freeze it. In either case, wrap it well. I usually store mine in a zipper-top food storage bag that I press air out of before zipping it up. If you make multiple crusts, you can freeze them stacked if you wish, but put a piece of parchment or plastic wrap between them.

Recipe Supplies

For this recipe, you’ll need a standard pie pan, a rolling pin, and a mixing bowl. You can click on any of the images here to be taken to that product on Amazon. (Affiliate links)

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Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (12)
Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (13)

Holiday Pie Recipes

  • Pumpkin Pie Recipe
  • Pecan Pie Recipe
  • Chocolate Pie

Whole Wheat Pie Crust Recipe Card

Adapted from a recipe found on AllRecipes that no longer exists on their site.

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Whole Wheat Pie Crust Recipe

This easy-to-make, clean eating pie crust recipe is not only more nutritious than most thanks to being whole grain, it’s also really delicious! It’s a heartier crust than store-bought, but it has a really nice flavor that compliments any filling. This recipe makes enough for two pie crusts so the data below is for both of them cut into 8 pieces.

2.92 from 23 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 136kcal

Equipment

  • Standard pie pan

Ingredients

  • cups whole wheat pastry flour (affiliate link) plus extra on reserve
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • ½ cup oil
  • ½ cup milk (any type except coconut milk – it’s too thick)

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • First, prepare your pie tins.

    Spray your tin with a coat of spray-on oil from an oil sprayer, or use your fingers or a paper towel to spread the oil over the pan.

    Add about ⅛ cup whole wheat pastry flour to your tin from your reserve flour (not from the 2¾ cups for the crust)

    Shake your tin around until the flour completely coats the surface of the pie pan. Then set it aside.

    Next, make the dough.

    Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (16)

  • Put flour and salt into a mixing bowl and mix.

    Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (17)

  • Measure your milk and oil into the same cup.

    Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (18)

  • Mix well by hand until you have a firm dough. It takes some doing, so don’t give up.

    Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (19)

  • Place your dough on a large piece of parchment paper. Flatten slightly with your hands or rolling pin, and then place another large sheet of parchment paper over the top so the dough is sandwiched in between. Roll with your rolling pin until your dough is about ⅛ inch to ¼ inch thick. You may need to lift the parchment occasionally or flip the whole thing over to get rid of wrinklesin the parchment.

    Remove the top sheet of parchment, and roll out any wrinkles left in the dough by the parchment. You should have a nice, even, and smooth piece of dough. Divide your dough in half.

    Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (20)

  • Place your tin upside down on your dough. Flip the whole thing over, and mold the dough into your tin, being careful not to rip the dough.

    Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (21)

  • Cut the excess dough around the edge of the pan. Keep your knife upright so you get a nice even cut. Crimp with a fork, and then place the whole thing in a large zip lock bag.Place in the freezer and you’ve got whole wheat Pie Crust any time you need it!

    Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (22)

  • Ta da!

    Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (23)

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Sodium: 123mg | Potassium: 84mg | Fiber: 2g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 0.7mg

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Clean Eating Pie Crust Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to making good pie crust? ›

Use Very Cold Butter or Fat

Butter, shortening, lard, or suet—whatever fat the recipe calls for should be well-chilled and cut into small pieces to start with for the flakiest crust in the end. The fat in a pie crust must maintain some of its integrity in the dough to make the crust truly flaky.

What is the healthiest pastry? ›

Puff or flaky pastries, used in meat pies, have double that quantity of fat – and it's not usually heart-friendly fat. Filo pastry has a huge health advantage because there is no fat in the mix. It is made solely from flour and water.

Can you use butter in place of shortening for pie crust? ›

Pie Crust Made with Butter vs Shortening

What makes the best pie crust–butter or shortening? Butter of course! A pie crust's flakiness is created by steam produced from the water (remember, butter is 20% water) while it bakes. As well, butter lends a rich flavor to your finished pie crust.

What is the number 2 most important thing when making pie crust? ›

#2—Add cold water

Before you start making the dough, fill a glass with ice and water. Add the ice water gradually to the dough, about one tablespoon or so at a time, and stop when the dough is just moist enough to hold together when a handful is squeezed.

What is one thing you should not do when making pie crust? ›

Mistake to Avoid No.

Adding more flour is always an option, but add too much flour and your dough will end up like a cracker—not a pie crust. Remember: The more you mix your pie dough, the tougher it becomes. To keep the mixing to a minimum, try rolling out your dough between two pieces of parchment paper.

What is the most important rule in making a pie crust? ›

PIE DOUGH RULES

As important as not overmixing is staying chilled, literally!! That means keeping all elements cold— your counter, ingredients, hands, heart (just kidding!). No, but seriously, cut up your butter into little cubes and chill them before you incorporate them into the flour.

What makes a better pie crust, butter or crisco? ›

Butter pie crust has the most flavor out of the three fats. This pie crust bakes up nice and golden brown, with plenty of flaky layers.

What are the two most commonly used liquids in pie crust? ›

Liquid Water, vodka, and milk or buttermilk are commonly-used liquids in pie crust, sometimes with a few teaspoons of white or cider vinegar or lemon juice. Water is the most traditional, but some people like to mix in up to 50% vodka because alcohol helps to tenderize the dough.

What are two disadvantages of using all butter in pie crust? ›

Butter is prized for its sweet, rich flavor and is our preferred fat for pie crust recipes, but its low melting point and overall makeup can make it difficult to work with. Unlike shortening or lard, butter is not 100% fat.

How to make the perfect pie crust according to science? ›

So, it's important to use cold butter and ice water with your flour, as the coldness interrupts gluten development. Try to not handle the dough too much when mixing. Some people use a stand mixer, food processor, or two forks or knives to “cut” the butter into the flour, but I use my fingertips and just work quickly.

What is the basic formula for making pie crust? ›

Ingredients
  1. 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling.
  2. ½ teaspoon salt.
  3. ½ teaspoon sugar.
  4. ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces.
  5. 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water.

What is the best flour for pie crust? ›

What kind of flour makes the best pie crust? Well, not high-protein bread flour! Use that for your chewy bagels. What you want for pie is flour that yields a tender, flaky crust, which means medium-protein all-purpose flour or low-protein pastry flour.

What is the secret to making flaky crust? ›

While butter, shortening, or lard make equally light and tender crusts, an all-butter crust will be flakier due to butter's higher water content: as the crust bakes the butter melts and its water turns to steam, creating thin, crisp layers (flakes).

What does egg yolk do to pastry dough? ›

If your recipe calls for an egg yolk, know that the yolk adds fat as well as natural lecithin, which makes the dough pliable and easier to handle.

How do you make a pie crust that doesn't get soggy? ›

Coating the inside surface of the bottom crust will create a barrier to prevent sogginess. Adding a layer of corn syrup or a slightly beaten egg white before pouring in the filling will form a seal between the pie dough and the filling and will help make the crust crisp and flaky.

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