Lard Pie Crust Recipe
Baking and cooking with lard gets a bad rap these days. I don’t know about you but I grew up with a mom who used Crisco and always thought it was one of the best to use. It appears however that lard is making a comeback. I know I have been using it now for about a year on a regular basis but it isn’t replacing my olive oil soon. Google the benefits of using lard and I think you’ll be surprised about the health benefits you can get from it.
This lard pie crust recipe is easy to make even if you are pie crust challenged as I believed I once was. I am sure people who know me are surprised that I say I’m challenged when it comes to baking but I would avoid a pie crust like people avoid the plague before I started making this lard pie crust recipe.
Lard keeps well, I had one for over 6 months in my pantry and it was a good as the day I purchased it when I finally emptied the container. It also is reasonably priced, compared to shortening products. I’ve read it is good to fry with but I haven’t tried that yet. I also wouldn’t use it in cookies, but pie crust, heck yah!
Update: I doubled the recipe using 1/2 cup butter instead of the lard, I think this half lard, half butter might just be my new favorite pie crust recipe.
Single crust pie crust recipe, double if you need a top also.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup lard
- 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Combine flour, salt and lard in the food processor. Pulse until the lard is incorporated. Add water and process until the crust comes together in a ball.
- Let rest 5 minutes before rolling out on countertop that has been dusted with flour.
- Place crust in pie pan and do the edges along the top edge. I put my first two fingers on the inside of the pie crust and with my thumb push thru them to form a ruffled edge. Repeat all of the way around the top. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork about a dozen times.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Hello, I am new at baking from scratch and i seen your post for lard pie crust, it looks real simple and i think i might be able to do this, but u updated and said u use half butter now , can u please tell me do u use both butter and lard, and do u double all ingrediants. Thank you , Kim Short
Hi Kim, you can do it either way. I either use all lard or 1/2 lard and 1/2 butter for the crust. It makes a nice single flaky crust. If you want a 2 crust pie double the recipe, otherwise the recipe as written will make 1 crust.
This does seem simple and I like that it doesn’t have sugar. I want to use with individual meat pies . I was thinking about making in a large muffin tin. Would this work? It was six lg. muffins per tin.
I would think it would be fine. It would be perfect for meat pies!
What brand of lard do you buy or recommend, and where do you buy it?
Thank you.
Excellent crust. I have always used lard, however my recipies was with boiling water. This one was much better. My new go to recipie.
Excellent. My new go to recipie.