Shortbread pie crust for apple pie or other fillings is delicious. Make homemade with our easy recipe for a copycat Keebler style crust. As easy as our 3 Ingredient Pie Crust without Food Processor but sweeter so perfect for desserts.
For a treat it is fun to make a crust that tastes like sugar cookie instead of just bland. I mean if you want flavor, have it from top to bottom. Whether you make one or a Double Crust you will have a flaky sweet bite all the way around with this recipe. (affiliate links present)
How to Make Shortbread Cookie Pie Crust
We use our Pot Pie Crust all the time to fill with savory insides. If I have leftovers from the night before this is my go to and has become quite popular with other followers as well. If you want dessert though that is a no go, you really want something more like a sugar cookie paired with the filling right?
In the past I have just made a Pour Over Top Pie Crust over fruit since it adds to the sweetness of the dish and is super easy to make. That works best with canned pie filling though really. If I have fresh fruit sliced I kinda’ want something on the bottom and/or top where I can make a lattice too for a more traditional look.
Table of contents
There is little to no prep to make this. Unlike our Sourdough Pie Crust where you need an active starter to begin with. You do want your first ingredient to be softened so it incorporates with everything else nicely. The confectioners sugar provides the sweetness vs. tasteless flour would but still acts as a binder to keep it all together.
Can I Use Shortbread Crust for Pumpkin Pie?
You certainly can and it makes the treat that much more delicious if you do. Sweet and worth every bite. I like a glass pie plate but a tart pan works too to cover the bottom and up the sides just a bit.
- 1.5 c butter softened
- All purpose flour +2 tbsp
- 1/3 c powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Baking powder
You could make our Peach Hand Pies with this too for a different look, feel and texture. For those I would roll it a bit thinner since you are wrapping it all the way around with the filling in the center. If thicker it may not cook all the way thru and/or have too much dough in every bite.
How to Make Shortbread Pie Crust for Apple Pie
Just like our Graham Cracker Crust for Cheesecake, you can use this for a multitude of fillings but baked apples are one of the most common. Fresh, thinly sliced are best for the insides but if you are in a hurry a can of apple pie filling will work too.
How to Blind Bake Pie Crust
For cold fillings that don’t need to be baked you can blind bake pie crust first, cool, then add insides. For that you would; Preheat the oven to 360 F. Roll out the dough into a thin layer about 3/4″ thick. Put the dough into a round pie dish about 1 inch high and 8 inches in diameter.
Poke holes in the bottom with a fork. Lay a piece parchment paper on top with pie weights or regular dry beans to hold that down and keep it flat. Bake for a few minutes if you want to then add Canned Peach Pie and continue baking, or 10-12 minutes to completely bake the crust to fill when cool with cold fillings.
Is shortbread and shortcrust pastry the same?
Well short in both terms refers to the shaggy texture of the dough essentially. One is flat and thin and the other is in cookie form. You just bake shortbread crust recipe for 15-20 minutes or until browned and set. Let the crust cool completely to room temperature for 15 minutes and then add your cold cream pie filling.
- For this recipe we use softened butter.
- Add butter to a bowl, add sugar and beat until creamy.
- In another bowl mix flour and baking powder together.
- Add dry ingredients and vanilla and gently blend together until combined into a ball of dough similar to one for cookies.
- Lightly flour a cutting board or counter, roll out the dough so it is an even thickness all the way across. Place in pie pan.
- if you feel it is too sticky, wrap with plastic wrap and set into fridge for about 1 hour before rolling out
- Crimp edges all the way around.
- Fill insides and bake according to your recipe instructions.
This would replace a refrigerated pie crust that literally tastes like nothing if you ask me. Once done and into your pan you would just then refer to the recipe you chose as far as temperature and cook time.
What Are the Best Fillings for Shortbread Pie Crust?
I mean this and our Cinnamon Roll Pie Crust are mainly for sweets after dinner. For easy there are cans of fruit and sauce in a can you can grab. You can make that yourself from scratch too.
Typically I don’t use a bottom to make our Bisquick Impossible Pie Recipe but you could use this!! If you wanted just a thin something then cut it in half and roll thin. You could even sprinkle a bit of granulated sugar in between your filling and crust layer in the pan.
For a Double Layer Pumpkin Pecan Pie this is better than a flour version for sure. The other adds nothing to the flavor and you mind as well make it crustless where all the goods are. You’ll love it I promise.
Shortbread Pie Crust
Equipment
- 1 pie pan
- 1 Bowl
- 1 mixer
Ingredients
- 1.5 c butter, softened slightly
- 3 c all purpose flour, +2 tbsp
- 1/3 c powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- For this recipe we use softened butter. Add butter to a bowl, add sugar and beat until creamy. In another bowl mix flour and baking powder together.
- Add dry ingredients and vanilla and gently blend together until combined into a ball of dough similar to one for cookies.
- Lightly flour a cutting board or counter, roll out the dough so it is an even thickness all the way across. Place in pie pan. Crimp edges all the way around. (if you feel it is too sticky, wrap with plastic wrap and set into fridge for about 1 hour before rolling out)
- Fill insides and bake according to your recipe instructions.
- If you want to par-bake crust before adding your filling, this is How to Blind Bake Pie Crust
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.