Whole Wheat Pie Crust Recipe

Last updated:November 3, 2022

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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.

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 pie crusts 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:

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!

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

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.

Put flour and salt into a mixing bowl and mix.

Two photos of a measuring cup partially filled with milk and oil.

Measure your milk and oil into the same cup.

A ball of pie dough with a rolling pin laying next to it.

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

Pie dough rolled flat between two pieces of parchment paper.

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 wrinkles in 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.

A collage of flipping rolled pie dough into a pie pan.

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.

A collage of images showing how to cut and crimp the edge of a pie crust.

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!

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)

Aluminum pie pans sold on Amazon. (Affiliate link)

Rolling pin set sold on Amazon. (Affiliate link)

Mixing bowl set with lids sold on Amazon. (Affiliate link)

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