Julie Clark
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Whole Wheat Pie Crust
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Wheat flour and wheat germ keep this All Butter Whole Wheat Pie Crust full of healthy whole grains. Read about our tricks for a healthier, flaky pie crust.
Whole Wheat Pie Crust
Ugh. I’m sick.
I’m writing today cuddled in my bed, under blankets with my puppy beside me keeping me warm. My cold is one of the colds that is bad enough to make your feel slightly miserable, but not bad enough to warrant staying in bed all day long. I spent the morning in the kitchen creating a few last Thanksgiving recipes for you and totally wore myself out. Good thing is, those recipes are going to make a fabulously delicious dinner tonight. And feeding a cold is on my “to-do” list today.
It’s pie season (Thanksgiving is so close I can taste it!) and I’ve got a healthier way for you to enjoy your much-loved pies, and that’s with this All Butter Whole Wheat Pie Crust.
This, my friends, is full of healthy whole grains. And not just whole wheat flour, but two tablespoons of wheat germ added in. That makes it super healthy, right? Because you don’t have to worry about all of the butter as long as it has whole grains. I’m pretty sure that’s how it works anyway.
Flaky Whole Wheat Pie Crust
So what makes pie crust flaky? The key to a flaky pie crust is cold ingredients. I’ve talked about this before when I posted our Grandma’s best pie crust recipe. That recipe is not whole grain, but in our minds, makes the best crust. If you definitely need a whole grain pie crust, then this is the pie crust you’ve been looking for.
How to Make Whole Wheat Pie Crust
The butter needs to be cold. I use a pastry cutter to cut the ingredients together. This ensures that the butter gets evenly distributed. And that cold, evenly distributed butter is key to a flaky crust.
The water needs to be ice cold. This helps to keep the butter cold. You can even use a cold granite rolling pin to keep things cool while you roll out the pie crust. And if you’re not baking the pie right away? Pop that dough or pie into the fridge. Because…you guessed it…you want to keep the butter cold!
Although this pie crust is whole grain, it rolls out easily and handles similarly to a white flour pie crust. And that all butter flavor? Unbeatable!
Here’s one example of a pie baked inside a whole wheat pie crust. This Quakertown Crumb Pie recipe is always a hit with molasses lovers!
Tools I Use To Make Pie Crust Easily
- Pastry Cutter: I use this tool all the time. It cuts butter into flour perfectly for streusels, crusts and other pastries.
- Pastry Mat: This silicone mat keeps your cupboard clean and makes rolling out pastries so easy.
- Cute Pie Plate: Because if you’re taking the time to make pie, serve it up in style!
- Pie Crust Decorator Wheel: Makes beautiful edges to your pie!
- Pastry Guide: Makes perfectly round crust, every time.
Whole Wheat Pie Crust
Wheat flour and wheat germ keep this All Butter Whole Wheat Pie Crust full of healthy whole grains. Read about our tricks for a healthier, flaky pie crust.
Servings 8
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups sifted whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons wheat germ
- 3/4 cup cold unsalted butter*, cubed 1 ½ sticks
- 4-5 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Combine the flour, salt and wheat germ in a medium-sized bowl.
- With a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle the ice water over the flour mixture and mix with a large fork.
- The pastry should be just moist enough to hold together.
- Sprinkle flour on a pastry mat before rolling out the dough. Split the dough into two chunks.
- Roll out one piece on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough about ½ an inch larger than your pie pan.
- Lay the crust in the pie pan and press down lightly on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
- If you are making just a bottom crust, turn the edge under and use thumbs to "flute" the edges of the dough.
- If you are making a double crusted pie, fill the pie, roll out the other half of the dough and lay it over top the filling. Fold the top dough under the bottom dough and use your fingers to seal it together.
- Bake according to your pie recipe.
- This recipe makes enough for a double crusted pie.
Notes
*If you are using salted butter, reduce the amount of salt added to ½ teaspoon. *The key to a flaky crust is keeping the pie dough cold until it goes in the oven. If you're not baking the pie right away, place the dough (or pie) in the fridge to keep it cold.
Nutrition
Calories: 259kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 443mg | Potassium: 126mg | Fiber: 3g | Vitamin A: 530IU | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1.2mg
When I made to make pie pastry for my Foods class I chose this one and it’s the only pie crust I’ve been making for the past three years! Wonderfully flaky and it surprised my mom and grandma just how tender it was because their pie crust recipe uses white flour and lard.
I never thought about making a whole wheat pie crust before! This is awesome!
This looks so good! Saving to my Thanksgiving Ideas board 🙂