Description
This Flaky Cream Cheese Pie Crust recipe combines cold butter and cream cheese for an extra tender and flaky texture. Ideal for both sweet and savory pies, this crust is easy to prepare and refrigerates well, making it a versatile base for your favorite pie fillings.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust Ingredients
- 2 cups plus 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4″ cubes
- 6 oz (3/4 package) cold cream cheese, cut into 1/4″ cubes
- 3 Tbsp to 5 Tbsp cold heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt to ensure even distribution of ingredients.
- Cut in butter and cream cheese: Using a pastry blender or food processor blade attachment, cut the cold butter and cream cheese cubes into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs with pea-sized pieces. This step creates the flaky texture by keeping small lumps of fat in the dough.
- Add heavy cream: Drizzle 3 tablespoons of cold heavy whipping cream over the dough. Use a spatula to gently cut and fold the cream into the mixture, adding more cream as necessary, until the dough forms moist clumps that hold together when pressed.
- Chill the dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions. Press each into a flat disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up and allow the gluten to relax, which improves crust tenderness.
Notes
- Keep all ingredients as cold as possible to achieve the flakiest crust.
- Do not overwork the dough to avoid a tough crust.
- The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days before rolling out and baking.
- If the dough is too crumbly, add more cold heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- This crust is suitable for both sweet and savory pie recipes.
