With Shortbread Crust, it’s like eating a cookie and a cake at the same time. Shortbread crust is buttery, dense yet crumbly, sweet (but not too sweet!), and makes the best crust recipe for any pie.
If you’re intimidated by homemade crust, start with this shortbread crust.
This is the easiest pie crust ever!
While flaky, doughy crusts like whole wheat pie crust take some time to master, shortbread crust is a breeze.
can you make cookies You can make shortbread pie crust!
Easy to make, shortbread crust is made with what all baked goods should have: butter, flour, powdered sugar, and vanilla, with a little water and a pinch of salt.
What to do with Shortbread Crust
Shortbread crust makes a great appetizer for so many desserts and flavors.
From chocolate to fruit, you can fill a shortbread crust with any of your favorite pie fillings (my pick: cherry pie filing). You really can’t go wrong.
How to make an easy shortbread crust
Unlike traditional pie crusts, shortbread crust requires no fiddling with cutters, pie weights, or parchment paper.
The shortbread crust process couldn’t be simpler.
- Mix everything together (no need to blow up the food processor!)
- Press the crust dough into a tart pan
- Bake! It doesn’t need more.
It’s ready in less than 30 minutes total time.
The ingredients
- butter. What makes this shortbread is a lot of good.
- powdered sugar. Use powdered sugar over granulated to keep it soft.
- Flour. I like to swap out a serving of whole wheat flour for some all-purpose flour to add a little nutrition to my desserts. It’s an undetectable difference adding some protein and fiber. You can use whole all-purpose flour if you prefer.
- Salt. Kosher salt balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla. Pure vanilla is the holy grail of all baked goods.
- Water. A tablespoon of water gives the shortcrust pastry the right consistency.
- Lemon peel. Optional but adds gorgeous brightness.
The directions
- Combine all crust ingredients in a versatile stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use a large mixing bowl and spatula).
- Mix until a dry, cookie-like mixture forms.
- Press the shortcrust pastry evenly onto the bottom and sides of the tart pan and trim off the excess.
- Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes. Bake the shortbread crust at 350 degrees F for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then use as you like. ENJOY!
storage tips
- To store: Shortbread pie crust can be stored at room temperature. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
- Freeze: You can freeze shortbread dough before baking or after baking. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Recommended tools to make this recipe
pie pan
It’s so much fun to own a pie dish. You can make beautiful desserts with this 9″ cake pan. This is non-stick coated and the bottom is removable.
If you go to the trouble of making a homemade dessert, we’ll just take it one more step and skip the store-bought crust.
In this case, making the crust yourself is EASY and worth it.
frequently asked Questions
Shortbread biscuits are slightly different from shortbread pastries. Shortbread cookie dough has the highest butter to flour ratio of any cookie dough, so it’s nice and buttery like a shortbread crust; However, shortbread cookies contain more sugar than shortbread crust, so they can be a dessert in their own right. Both have no eggs or yolks so the batter doesn’t get too wet.
Shortbread has a higher butter to flour ratio, making it denser and more crumbly than pie dough. The pie crust is light and flaky. Pie crust requires scoring chilled butter and then rolling out the dough, and requires a longer chilling time than shortbread crust.
Shortbread has a tender texture that melts in your mouth while being slightly crunchy when you bite into it. Think of it like a perfect cookie, only bigger.
Use butter at room temperature. For traditional pie crusts, you use ice-cold butter, but that’s not the case with shortbread. Also, be careful how long you mix it. When the dough is pressed together with your fingers, it should hold together but look like dry cookie dough.
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Coat a 9-inch round, removable bottom tart pan with nonstick spray.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a rubber spatula (or wooden spoon), combine all the ingredients for the crust: butter, all-purpose flour, white whole wheat flour, confectioner’s sugar, salt, vanilla, water, and lemon zest (if using). Mix until a slightly dry looking, cookie dough-like mixture forms; When squeezed with fingers it should hold together. Press evenly on the bottom and sides of the prepared pie pan. Trim off any excess batter that is sticking out over the pan. Prick the dough all over with the tines of a fork.
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Freeze the crust for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool completely, then use as desired.
- TO SAVE ON COMPUTER: Shortbread pie crust can be stored at room temperature. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
- FREEZE: You can freeze shortcrust pastry before baking or after baking. Wrap tightly and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Portion: 1discCalories: 109kcalCarbohydrates: 13GProtein: 2GFat: 6GSaturated Fatty Acids: 4GPolyunsaturated fat: 0.2GMonounsaturated fatty acids: 1GTrans fats: 0.2GCholesterol: 15mgPotassium: 16mgFiber: 1GSugar: 3GVitamin A: 175ieCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.5mg
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